How To Find Scary-Good Deals on Second Hand Halloween Costumes

September 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Halloween costumes don’t get a lot of wear, so it’s pretty easy to find great deals on gently used costumes on the second-hand market, especially if you start looking now. In fact, you may be able to get your child’s costume for free! Here are my best tips for saving 50% or more on Halloween costumes for babies, kids and toddlers:

  • Costumes often don’t change much from year to year. Start your search by browsing new costumes online and choosing a few favorites to hunt for on the second hand market.
  • Check your local Freecycle.org board for freebies. Mine had a few when I looked this morning. If you don’t see anything, post a “wanted” message and see if anyone responds.
  • You might also organize a costume swap with friends, your neighborhood, church, or preschool. You could do it via email or get together in real life.
  • If you don’t mind a little hunting, thrift stores and consignment sales (there are probably some near you this weekend) are great places to score costumes on the cheap.
  • Call your local consignment stores to see if they have any in stock. They might cost a little more there, but they’ve been checked over more carefully than some of the other second-hand sources.
  • There are lots of costumes on Craigslist right now. eBay.com is a great place to look, too. Each has its plusses and minuses. With Craigslist, you’ll have to arrange to pick up the costume from the seller. On eBay you’ll have to contend with bidding or buy it now and possibly pay a higher price. I searched for  two popular toddler costumes– the bumblebee and the dragon– on Craigslist and eBay to see what I could scare up: The Bumblebee was as low as $6 on Craigslist (via Craiggers.com). On eBay, it was anywhere from $4 to $20 in the Buy it Now section. The Dragon started at $6 on Craigslist and went for $6 to $30 on eBay.

Keep in mind that you can also use these sources after Halloween to recoup some of your costume costs.

Coming soon: Who’s Got the Best Deal: Toddler Halloween Costumes

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Filed Under: Deals & Sales, Halloween

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