As Halloween approaches, Iowa kids are prepping their disguises for trick-or-treating, while adults are gearing up for costume parties.
Juanita Cameron, at the The Theatical Shop in West Des Moines, says it’s the busiest time of year for the store which has focused for decades on costume sales and rentals.
“Still #1 is superheroes,” Cameron says. “Mainly, the kids are still in love with Spiderman and the adults, believe it or not, are going for Batman and some even for Deadpool.”
Many women customers have their eyes on a particular superheroine who was the subject of a blockbuster movie earlier this year.
“They are going for Wonder Woman and they fall back on princesses, for some reason,” she says. As for children’s Halloween get-ups, an old favorite has reappeared.
“I’ve seen a resurgence in the Hokus Pokus, they came out with something new,” Cameron says. “Then there’s a lot of the kids’ costumes that are little animals and these educational programs. A lot of them are popular this year.”
Even though there isn’t a national election this fall, Cameron says anything having to do with President Trump continues to mean big business at the shop.
“Donald Trump wigs, the Donald Trump masks and we sold out of the Make America Great caps,” she says. “They are still hot.”
Characters from Star Wars, like robed Jedi knights, remain popular, as are old stand-bys like Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy and the Wolfman.
By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City