Has Charlie Sheen Taken Over Halloween?

“We have Charlie Sheen wigs, Charlie Sheen bowling shirts, Charlie Sheen sunglasses, Charlie Sheen this-that-and-the-other-thing,” said Val Cohn, an operator of the Spirit Halloween store, in Minnetonka.

And Cohn knows the trends. She and her husband, Dick, who have been in the Halloween business for 20 years, operate six Spirit Halloween stores in Minnetonka and five other Metro cities. Their son, Matt, is also involved in the business.

“Zombies are the new vampires,” Cohn said, noting other trends in costuming.

Monster High, a line of dolls inspired by monster and horror movies, has inspired a line of costumes that are all the rage for tween girls. Barbie and Monster High are said to be rivals. For the younger girl crowd, Strawberry Shortcake is a leading seller.

“We have purses, candy bags, shoes, wigs—lots of Strawberry Shortcake stuff,” Cohn said. 

For boys, Delta Force soldier costumes are the hot sellers, followed by the classic Star Wars and Marvel Comic costumes. Other popular costume choices are Green Lantern, Captain America, Thor, vampires, Smurfs, Angry Birds, Lightning McQueen and Lady Gaga.

Then there are items to make your home scary. If you didn’t rush out to buy your jumping spider, Cohn said, you’re out of luck. The big, furry spider is motion-activated and jumps out to startle unsuspecting passersby. Those sold out in September.

“You have to act fast sometimes on certain items,” Cohn said. Another recent trend: Fog machines also fly off the shelves.

“The element of the fog drifting around as the trick-or-treaters come up the sidewalk is a big deal,” Cohn said. 

After a half-off sale on Nov. 1, the remaining animated zombies, evil babies and spiderwebs make there way into storage until the next fall.

“We’re kind of like the circus coming to town,” Cohn said. “We throw the tent up, hang stuff on the walls and, six weeks later, it’s a done deal.”