Halloween Haunt 2023 - Five-city Decor Haul!

If our annual Halloween Haunt event doesn't tell you that we take the spooky season very seriously here at Cereal Creatures, our decor hunting should make it clear! This year we went on a multi-day, five-city decor haul hitting up the latest tricks and treats from the likes of Walmart, Target, World Market, Michaels, HomeGoods, Menards, Five Below, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Dollar General, Bath and Body Works, Dillons, Hy-Vee, Ollie's, Dollar Tree and Spirit Halloween. And of course, for a second year, we pulled in a few things from the Universal Studios Store in Orlando.

1) Speaking of the Universal Studios store, here's one of the hottest items this year--the Lil' Boo plush. The pumpkin has become a mascot of Universal's Halloween Horror Nights events and makes a great stuffed decor piece. Our Gourd and Savior is wearing the latest design of a Frankenstein cap, also from Universal Studios Store.

2) The next haul post will get into all the Universal Monsters merch we picked up, but this gives you a little preview. Starting from the top right and going clockwise, we have a Frankenstein magnet set (Universal Studios Store), a Frankenstein key chain (Spirit Halloween), It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Little Universal Monsters stickers (Dillons), Frankenstein and Dracula wooden magnets (Universal Studios Store), and Halloween Horror Nights Scare Zones decals (Universal Studios Store). Look at the art on those decals!

3) This photo shows a Frankenstein and Wolfman hanging decor flanking Lemax Spooky Town figures including a headless boy holding a pumpkin and owl and a man carrying dead bodies in a bag. All are from Michaels. You'll also see a squeezy werewolf and a wind-up Frankenstein, both from Dollar General.

4) Okay, it's not really Halloween decor, but we picked up some figures on this haul. First off, we found one (and only one) of those Movie Star Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles--in this case Leonardo. We also, finally, found the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from Kenner's reissued original Real Ghostbusters line. And a Hasbro Winston Zeddemore covered in slime, a figure we never saw when it was originally released a few years back.

5) In the middle, you'll see a vintage pumpkin man figure (as a plus, he's holding an owl). As the creator of Green Owl comics, we love anything with owls). He's flanked by a vintage pumpkin mask and an exclusive, flocked Sam Funko from Trick 'r Treat. These two were from Spirit Halloween.

6) That's it from our haul, but we had to show off some of the cool animatronics from Menards!

7) One more thing! It's our little hooter, this Owl doorbell from Michaels. Our Halloween Haunt intro post had a video preview, so check that out.

That's it for part one of our Halloween Haunt 2023 five-city decor haul! Come back for part two, which will feature the Universal Monsters!