Spooktacular Halloween Party Planning

Member jennatlaw is an eBay seller who does a lot of business in Halloween-themed items. For our October issue, she provides some tips and ideas for using eBay to help you host your own Halloween party.

Though I studied to be an attorney, I have been more involved in party planning over the last ten years. I also enjoy collecting Nancy Drew books as well as vintage Halloween and party collectibles. I have always had a passion for all things mysterious!

I first discovered eBay in the summer of 1997 as I began searching for vintage Nancy Drew mysteries. It was eBay that led to my rediscovery of vintage party decorations and rekindled my interest in Halloween, which I adored as a child. Being able to masquerade as anything I wished to be for a night of fun and frolic – not to mention treat bags full of loot and
candy – was magical. 

From spooky props for a ghoulish yard, creative costumes for the perfect haunt, vintage decorations with eclectic flair, and everything in between, eBay has everything you need for Halloween, especially vintage decorations and newly made vintage-inspired décor. Modern day fetes with vintage flair are very “in” right now and are being featured in popular magazines and on decorator shows. 

In the past, Halloween celebrations were filled with spirited merriment. This atmosphere can be recreated today in the way you decorate and plan your parties. Once widely prevalent, Halloween parties for adults have made a comeback, featuring popular dinner and game party themes. With a little help from vintage decorations and newly created vintage-inspired décor, all that is left is your imagination and your inner child to create the most “spooktacular” affair.  On eBay you're sure to find some of my frighteningly favorite things: garlands and wreaths of old silhouettes, seals and die-cuts, a feather tree with chenille figure ornaments, and jack o' lanterns all aglow. Consider using vintage decorations and newly made vintage-inspired décor to make a great central display that can be a focal point at your party.  Arrange displays by theme – witches, cats, or jack o' lanterns. Vintage unopened packages of napkins and plates mix well with store-bought cups and platters. Vintage place cards and nut cups make great table decorations. Mix in old crepe paper, die-cuts and tissue decorations for centerpieces. With a sprinkling of candy corn and a few well-placed pumpkins, gourds, and candles, you'll have an inviting table for your guests.

eBay Member: jennatlaw

You can welcome your guests by creating a ghoulish atmosphere with swags of crepe streamers, window silhouettes, and an eerily decorated porch. Vintage noisemaker favors are sure to rattle your ghostly guests. A vintage treat bag or cleverly crafted cones filled with loot add flair to a spirited evening! I especially love the vintage Halloween games and noisemakers that I've found on eBay. These are fairly inexpensive compared to the vintage papier-mâché lanterns and old candy containers. The die-cut decorations and other paper ephemera such as postcards, Dennison Bogie Books, crepe paper, and treat bags are a lot of fun to collect and display.

When it comes to Halloween, it's not just your October collectible anymore! For tried-and-true Halloween collectors like me, collecting Halloween items all year round has proved to be the best way to build up my collection. But you'll also find great bargains just before Halloween, a time when many eBay sellers sell off large collections. By searching out these sellers, you can save a lot of money on shipping by bidding on many items by a single seller. When planning your party, I would suggest having everything you need for your party purchased at least two weeks before Halloween to allow enough time for shipping.

Over the years, I've built up a great collection of Halloween items on eBay. Though I have a fondness for those Halloween decorations of my childhood from the 1970s to 1980s, my favorite collectibles hail from the 1920s and 1930s – the heyday of Halloween production. The timeless images from the early 1900s to the 1950s feature a quaintness that is not repeated much in today's cutesy or overly gory decorations.  They evoke a time when harmless pranks were acceptable fun, and you could accept homemade caramel apples from a friendly neighbor, while trick-or-treating, without a second thought. 

For an occasion that is traditionally magical and festive, the sky is the limit. Between eBay and your personal flair for the perfect bewitching scene, your Halloween parties will be sure to be truly Spooktacular!