Halloween is the time to thrift shop creatively

Forget bloodthirsty gods and baby stealers, this holiday is about (prepare to be astonished) money, mass consumption and parties! Like any good holiday, Halloween means good business.

Party supply shops, restaurants, clubs, liquor stores, music, decorations, costume, thrift, vintage and specialty clothing stores rake it in this time of year. Thousands of people will be assuming another identity for a night or two and doing things they could never otherwise do. A fact which to me is unfortunate, because hey, if you want to be someone else at any given second and dress in costume every day, I say more power to you.

My advice, besides going naked like I always do, is to shop for used costumes and clothes. Thrift stores are stuffed to the gills with extra clothes and costume items not usually on the shelves. I was astonished to find out that Value Village stores started preparing for Halloween back in August. “I’m a little bit sick of it actually,” said Janelle, a Hollywood branch employee.

For some people this is the only time of year they buy used. For those of us who buy used all the time, this is great time of year because all these stores put out tons more threads and sell them cheap. Take a drive down 82nd, Powell, or Division to find some less trendy ones or go to one of the many Goodwill locations and have something to feel good about as you kiss masked people in a drunken stupor this weekend. I’ll be out in my birthday suit, looking for a party, asking, “What happened to all my hoes?”