Holiday Extras

Forgot to mention that I saw Christmas décor for sale at Costco last weekend. At Costco, that means the big items. Life-sized Santa Claus and eight reindeer sets, 20-foot animatronic snow colossi, 10,000-light strings, that sort of thing. But even if Costco sold more modest decorations, I’d have to ignore them. It’s September.

I’m more open to Halloween gimcracks, though even that seems a little early. Received a circular from Party City today offering 50% Off Reg Price This Week Only on Select Character Costumes. Starting at $9.99.

I like the stuff on the last page best. A Grim Reaper Whirlwind, Air Blown, $99.99 (Lights up with lots of flying bats!). A 12-foot Hanging Ghoul or Clown (a Killer Klown, by the looks of him), $79.99. A 400-Watt Fog Machine, $14.99, “fog juice” extra at $9.99. And best of all, Save Over 30% on a Six-Foot Coffin. $19.99. I can’t tell what it’s made of by the picture, but sturdy cardboard would be a good guess, straight from some cardboard werks in Shanghai. With proper care, it might serve a lifetime of Halloweens, and when that’s over, be a cheap alternative to pricey funeral home boxes.