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For local costume shops, getting Valley customers Halloween-ready is a long-standing business
Tucking her long, blond ponytail into a cap, Vickie Wooden donned a dark wig and checked herself out in a mirror at the eclectic shop on Robbins Avenue in Niles that’s stuffed with masks, costumes and accompaniments such as fake blood and bejeweled headwear.
Wooden, of Howland, purchased the wig from Ward’s Costume Shoppe to pair with her Halloween costume – Lydia, from “Beetlejuice.” Her husband will join her as the film’s eponymous character.
“I’ve been coming here for years, actually,” said Wooden, who said she and her family always get into the spirit of today’s holiday.
“I have so many costumes at home, but I always want something new,” she said.
For Shirley James, who shares ownership with her husband, Raymond, the spirit of Halloween and other costume events has been alive and well in her family for nearly 70 years.
Her mother, Laura Ward, and aunt, Anne Johnson, opened the store in 1949 from James’ family home. There, James recalled, the two women sewed costumes and set up a shop in the basement.
“At Halloween time, we weren’t supposed to go down into the basement when customers were there. Part of it was a dressing room,” she said.
The business later moved to an actual shop, then another, and finally ended up at its current location 10 years ago. It’s no longer operated out of a house, but to the family, the shop seems like home.
James’ daughter, Farrah Curran, grew up at the shop and now works there. Her 5-year-old daughter is a frequent visitor.
James and Curran were there together Thursday, helping Wooden and other customers with last-minute costume selections. The most-popular choice they’ve seen this year, they said, are characters from the Disney film “The Descendants.”
“‘Star Wars’ is popular, but that’s always popular. I think it’s more on people’s minds with the movie coming out,” Curran said. The movie is scheduled for release in December.
In addition to for-sale costumes, Ward’s offers a selection of roughly 2,000 rental outfits. Most are $10 to $20 apiece; one of the higher-end items, James said, is a Darth Vader costume that costs $150 to rent.
The store also features a wide array of masks, the most popular being Michael Myers from the “Halloween” horror movies.
Across town in Boardman, another costume shop has a similar history in the Valley.
Quinton Hoover, who owns Quincy’s Costumes with his wife, Diana, opened the Market Street shop 30 years ago. Like Ward’s, operation of the shop and the Hoovers’ other area businesses is a family affair, with help from their daughter, Tina Tura.
What sets their store apart, Hoover said, is its focus on children’s costumes and absence of the more-gory Halloween themes.
This year, the popular selections were classics: “Superheroes. Always superheroes. Princesses. And animal and fairy accessories,” Tura said.
“It’s probably one of the best seasons we’ve had,” Hoover added.
Another unique feature of the shop, which is connected to the family’s dance-supply store, is an array of collector’s items that are on display, such as Elvis and Marilyn Monroe replicas.
Both shops open today at 10 a.m. Ward’s is open until 7 p.m.; Quincy’s is open until 4 p.m. Both are open year-round.