The bag 2-year-old Dylan King carried out of the Goodwill Viera store was just as big as her, but the toddler wasn’t letting go of her recently acquired loot.
Dylan and her mom, Molly King, of Cocoa stopped by the thrift store Oct. 22 to check out the costume selection ahead of Halloween and Dylan’s upcoming third birthday. They left with a variety of princess dresses, an Olaf costume and more.
“It makes it much more affordable because a normal dress is $40,” King said. “At Goodwill one was $7.”
Halloween displays usually go up in August at the Goodwill stores. The week before the holiday is when they get a big rush of people scouring for that perfect, inexpensive costume.
“Over the years Halloween has been a huge business for us and this year is supposed to be even bigger,” said Laura Sharp-Edge, a regional director of donated goods retail for Goodwill.
What Halloween costumes and décor do Brevard Goodwill stores have?
It varies by store, but most have a selection of costumes as well as plenty of items for DIY costumes.
The Goodwill in Viera had a display ready to help customers easily put together a look resembling Taylor Swift with a Kansas City Chiefs red fringe sweatshirt and knee-high red boots, Beyonce in her Cowboy Carter stage or hot pink pants to portray Barbie. They have a wide range of sizes from children to adults.
Wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words “Creep it Thrift,” Sharp-Edge said the collection of costumes, and possible costumes, is ongoing. Right after Halloween each year, the stores usually get a good amount of recently used donated costumes.
Those costumes — along with trendy attire or items that could easily be used as a costume, like fringe jackets, cowboy hats or Hawaiian shirts — are stockpiled. The goods dwindle as the holiday approaches, but with just over a week until Halloween, the Viera Goodwill still had plenty to choose from.
There was even attire someone could pull together to resemble one of the most popular Halloween costumes this year, characters from the popular movie “KPop Demon Hunters.”
“We do DIY, pull that stuff together throughout the year and save it for Halloween, but we also get donors who donate packaged costumes.” Sharp-Edge said. “We have everything from hair accessories to shoes to really make sure they DIY their costume. People can just come shopping and they’ll find a costume.”
There also is a decent selection of Halloween décor, whether it’s a pumpkin figurine, a snow globe from Disney’s Haunted Mansion or a spooky black candelabra. Sharp-Edge said the décor is always a hot item.
Where are the Goodwill stores in Brevard County?
Spitzer is a Trending Reporter. She can be reached at MSpitzer@Floridatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Still searching for a Halloween costume? Try thrifting for an easy, inexpensive option
Reporting by Michelle Spitzer, Florida Today / Florida Today
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