2011 Halloween & Party Expo

We recently attended the 2011 Halloween & Party Expo in Houston, TX. This is an annual event where suppliers and distributors display their new products and buyers are able to place their orders for the coming 2011 Halloween season.

We saw a lot of really cool stuff at this year's show. Lots of new decorations, props, and skeletons - both static and animated. Nothing really stood out from the crowd, but we did notice a lot more zombie items this year which we were really happy to see.

We placed all of our orders are and will be receiving our new items over the coming months. Be on the lookout for our new products, projects, and quick tips as we gear up for Halloween 2011. As always, we will feature new items here in the newsletter as well as on the new arrivals page.

We expect 2011 to be our best year yet. And, we hope we can help make 2011 your best Halloween, as well.

Happy Halloween 2011 from your friends at Skeleton Foundry!!

Great Products for 2011

Here are a few items we thought you might find useful in your 2011 Halloween decorating plans. But, there are many, many more located here.

Halloween Fact - 2010 Halloween Retail Sales

According to the National Retail Federation, after a "spooky" 2009 Halloween spending in 2010 returned to 2008 levels. There was no shortage of ghosts or goblins this past Halloween as 148 million Americans participated in some sort of holiday celebration, spending considerably more than they did in 2009. According to NRF's 2010 Halloween Consumer Survey, Americans spent $66.28 on costumes, candy and decorations, up from 2009's $56.31 and comparable to the $66.54 average spend in 2008. Total spending for Halloween 2010 is estimated at $5.8 billion. And, it is estimated that 120 million American adults, children, and their pets were dressed in costume for Halloween 2010.

Here's a list of the Top Ten Costumes for Halloween 2010:

Adult Costumes	Children's Costumes	Pet Costumes
1. Witch 2. Vampire 3. Pirate 4. Nurse 5. Wench/Tart/Vixen 6. Cat 7. Zombie 8. Fairy 9. Athlete/Batman (Tie) 10. Dracula	1. Princess 2. Spider-Man 3. Witch 4. Pirate 5. Disney Princess 6. Action/Super Hero 7. Ghost 8. Pumpkin/Vampire (Tie) 9. Batman 10. Star Wars Character	1. Pumpkin 2. Devil 3. Witch 4. Hot Dog 5. Bee/Cat (Tie) 6. Dog 7. Superdog/Supercat 8. Ghost 9. Pirate 10. Bowties/Fancy Collar/Bandana

Skeleton Foundry Blog

Our official Skeleton Foundry blog, "Lab Notes," was launched recently. Will be using this as a way of expressing our ideas and opinions on events and goings-on within the Halloween industry, Halloween DIY projects and tips, and general Halloween information. You can check it out here.