Halloween costume swap offers cheap alternative to buying new

October 12, 2010 @ 6:20 am (Updated: 1:37 pm - 3/28/11 )

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Chris and his son dressed up in favorite costumes. (KIRO Radio/Chris Sullivan) | Zoom
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By CHRIS SULLIVAN
KIRO Radio

My son's closet is full of old Halloween costumes. We have a few ninjas, a Clone Trooper and a Power Ranger. There are a variety of masks in there too.

I'm either too lazy to take them to Goodwill or too sentimental to get rid of them, and other than the camouflage ninja costume he wears all the time, and will wear for a second straight Halloween this year, he only put those other outfits on once or twice.

Greenhalloween.org suggests organizing a Halloween costume swap, to get rid of those old costumes.

The National Halloween Costume Swap was an idea that started in Seattle, and last weekend 70 cities across North America held them. Holli Dunn put one together in Bellevue, and 20 kids walked away with new looks. "It went better than expected, and the kids were really happy," Dunn said.

Jennifer Crawford organized an event in Federal Way. "My son's turning into Batman, and my daughter who is seven got this really wonderful Pegasus unicorn."

About 30 kids at her swap ended up with different costumes, and she says that it doesn't take a lot to pull a swap together. "I'm a student. I work. I have children. This was something I was able to piece together with that amount of work."

Dunn said it doesn't take much more than calling a few friends, clearing some space in a garage and inviting everyone over. "It's really a wonderful idea, and it's a great way to connect with other families and friends," she said. "Sort of like a little pre-Halloween party."

You can find out the simple steps in hosting your own swap at greenhalloween.org.

Follow Chris Sullivan on twitter @newsguysully

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  • hpygolkyone wrote...
    How Awful!..........
    October 12, 2010 8:34 am
    .......doesn't anyone think of that poor country, China? Think of all the poorly made and craptacular costumes they churn out destined to end up on WalMart shelves? It's a great idea and I wish I had known about it when my kids were younger and crying for a new $40.00 costume every year!
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  • bellyrex wrote...
    I think this is GREAT
    October 12, 2010 9:48 am
    I think this is a great idea , kids only usually wear their costumes once. We had one here in our city. It worked out great. Some people even brought decor, that they no longer use to see if anyone would like to use it at their home. I already bought my decorations from www.homeseasons.com They have low prices and shipped it right to my home.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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