# Attracting Trick or Treaters



## braedan51

Hello,

I live midway on a cross street between 2 long roads. Most of the trick or treaters walk up & down the long streets without bothering to hit the cross streets. I want to attract some people.

If I had assistants, I would have costumed characters pointing people my way, but alas, I have no one to do that. The other thought is hanging signs at each end of the street, but that smacks of desperation I think...

I am desperate, mainly because if no one shows up for a 2nd year in a row I don't think my wife will allow me to further develop my increasing elaborate decorations. Right now I have 14 tombstones, boarded up windows, 60' of cemetary fence and (2) gargoyle topped pillars.


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:Hhhhmmmmmm....I'd have to seem some pics to commit myself fully.:undecidekin: You know what? The first year I started decorating, I had maybe 30 Tot's and they were just because we were in a nice neighborhood...the second year? Maybe 100....ran out of candy twice.....last year??? nearly 350...That is 13 years later..... If you build it....they will COME.....seriously.... Just wait...word will spread....kids will talk...you will be infamous. Or famous....I prefer infamous....outlaw that you are....


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## niteprince

We had a similar issue years ago. One thing that really helped us was our lighting. The more lights added the larger the beacon we created to draw them in. And from there word of mouth every year draws them back and spreads to their friends.


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## jdubbya

Signs aren't a bad idea. Strategically placed, they can draw attention to your haunt. As mentioned, lighting can be a big help as well. You can see our haunt lighting from halfway down the street. Sounds like you have a nice set-up and once the word gets out, people will come by to check it out. It may take a couple years as Pumpkin5 mentioned but it'll be worth it. Our haunt sees between 500-600 visitors each year but it has been a steady growth and we have a lot of repeat visitors who come each year and in turn, tell their friends about it. Get the word out and you'll see an uptick in traffic!


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## niteprince

Also don't forget about social media! There are several ways to get the word out thru local community boards plus I'm all for signs! Why should garage sales and open houses be the only ones to benefit from neighborhood signs?


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## braedan51

Thanks for the suggestions folks, all good ideas. 

Happy Haunting!


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## shmork

I can't agree enough about the importance of lights. We also live on a side street and mainly get overflow trick-or-treaters from the adjacent main roads. The better our lighting every year, the more people we get


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## hauntedyardofdoom

Print out flyers and ask if you can post them in popular locations for teens and folks that would be in your target market. I posted mine at the comic shop, but pizza places, ice cream shops, maybe a movie theater or supermarket would let you. I know a lot of stores have a community bulletin board you can probably put it up on. The first year is always the hardest, but word of mouth spreads very quickly year to year.


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## MotelSixx

Lights, lights, lights


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## sanityassassin

Our display last year was pretty small, about 10 tombstones, window projection, fog machine and a skeleton in a coffin. We got one family of TOTs. I am in the same situation, we are on a small street and there aren't many kids on the street. That said I am adding more this year in hopes that we will get more kids. I'm hoping my kids will tell their friends


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## Spooklights

Pumpkin5 said:


> :jol:Hhhhmmmmmm....I'd have to seem some pics to commit myself fully.:undecidekin: You know what? The first year I started decorating, I had maybe 30 Tot's and they were just because we were in a nice neighborhood...the second year? Maybe 100....ran out of candy twice.....last year??? nearly 350...That is 13 years later..... If you build it....they will COME.....seriously.... Just wait...word will spread....kids will talk...you will be infamous. Or famous....I prefer infamous....outlaw that you are....


I love it. My decorations started out with one king sized sheet 'ghost', and went from there. Honestly, I have to say that the school buses that go past my house are my best advertisement. There's a lot to be said for 'word of mouth' advertising.


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## iowachap

*FM radio transmitter with spooky stories*

I live in a pretty small town, but indeed word will spread, typically people will call people and tell them they have to come to this house that night. We live on a small street of like 25 houses and parents taxi their kids to the blocks of streets because they would take forever to get lots of candy due to in rural areas there will be a block of houses and then its like a half mile to the next small block of homes. We pack the street so badly the cars line up all the way down the road and park.

So another thing I do is start a FM transmitter early in the month, I bought one with a little extra power on ebay, i bought a better fm transmitter anteana last year and it can get out about 3 miles, i put up a sign on which station and then we put spooky stories on it and a little info on the date of our halloween show.. plus we on facebook.. but mostly it is word of mouth.


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## Troll Wizard

_*I guess really question is are you the only haunt on your street? I ran into the same situation several years ago. We had moved out of the neighborhood and then moved back in some 5 or 6 years later. The problem we ran into was that we moved some 4 streets away from where the main traffic area is for trick or treating.

Most of the kids stayed around a couple of streets and never came to my house. It didn't help that at the time I was the only one on my street that decorated outside. The occasional porch light was on but nothing else. But it only took a couple of years for people to start to come to my yard haunt cemetery, and then it took off.

I had people drive some 60 to 70 miles just to see my haunt. People took pictures with me in costume and I was always outside interacting with the parents and kids. Was it sheer luck on my part? No it was "Persistence!" Pumpkin 5 is right when she says that over time they will come!

Don't be afraid to tell people you meet at a store or anywhere for that matter that you are doing a haunt on Halloween night. Have your local newspaper come out and take pictures, cause they are always looking for a story about Halloween. It's suggested that signs would help, well why not? After awhile word will spread and you won't have to worry about people coming to your haunt.

Once that happens....the only thing you'll worry about is....."How do I make it better next year?" :jol:
*_


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## Fright Boy

I agree with the others; Lights. That's what really attracted the kiddos to my yard. I just had simple Green and Blue lights to begin with, but you could hear the tots houses away say "Ooooo, I want to go to the Green house." It was so enticing that they were willing to bypass other houses to get to mine; the parents had to hold them back. But also, how far down the street do you live from the intersection to the main roads? If you are too far down and hidden behind a hedge row or trees, people may still not see your house. A sign at the intersection might not be a bad idea. I was thinking something like this
http://image.horrorklinik.de/big/117103_halloween-dekoschild-beware_big.jpg
would be cool. If you wanted to, you could put your address on the back and maybe even a QR code to a simple website or Facebook page. Mabybe one of those cheap batt strobe lights on the sign at the intersection, or half way down the street aimed towards your house. Oh what about luminaries leading the way? I know it's asking for vandalism, but if it starts pulling people down the road others will follow. We are social creatures after all.

Like one of the others said, put your display out early so passersby can see it. Light it up at night a week or so in advance. My school bus passed by a guys house in the neighborhood and he just had those elastic string masks over sheets or on the mail box and in the trees, but it made me so excited to go there on Halloween night. He would dress up as an old lady in a wheel chair or lay in a coffin and give out candy. So make the journey off the beaten path worth it. I'm going to buy some cheap little toys from Oriental Trading Co. to give out with the candy.

iowachap's idea of a FM transmitter is pretty cool, but make sure you don't over sell it if you can't back it up. Flyers with the station and QR code around town will be great. If you need any help with the audio aspect of this, let me know.

As for volunteers, talk to your neighbors. I am sure some of them wish they would get Trick or Treaters as well. See how long this has been a problem. Ask if any of them would be willing to dress up and attract them down the street. Having them say "Don't go down that way. It's scary....... and they give out candy. Oooooo." might help send them your way. Maybe see if some of them will put out some lights. I'm sure they will....if not offer to provide the lights. Just tell them how much you AND your wife (so you don't seem like a pedophile) love Halloween and want to reinvigorate the Holiday on the street.


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## fontgeek

Troll Wizard said:


> _*I guess really question is are you the only haunt on your street? I ran into the same situation several years ago. We had moved out of the neighborhood and then moved back in some 5 or 6 years later. The problem we ran into was that we moved some 4 streets away from where the main traffic area is for trick or treating.
> 
> Most of the kids stayed around a couple of streets and never came to my house. It didn't help that at the time I was the only one on my street that decorated outside. The occasional porch light was on but nothing else. But it only took a couple of years for people to start to come to my yard haunt cemetery, and then it took off.
> 
> I had people drive some 60 to 70 miles just to see my haunt. People took pictures with me in costume and I was always outside interacting with the parents and kids. Was it sheer luck on my part? No it was "Persistence!" Pumpkin 5 is right when she says that over time they will come!
> 
> Don't be afraid to tell people you meet at a store or anywhere for that matter that you are doing a haunt on Halloween night. Have your local newspaper come out and take pictures, cause they are always looking for a story about Halloween. It's suggested that signs would help, well why not? After awhile word will spread and you won't have to worry about people coming to your haunt.
> 
> Once that happens....the only thing you'll worry about is....."How do I make it better next year?" :jol:
> *_


and "Do I have enough candy?"


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## mcdeo1996

Lights help for sure. One family wasn't going to come down our cul-d-sac until they saw our lite up house at the end. We're about 10 houses on the street, not a ton of TOT's, but a fun setup. 

Located near Denver, CO, so it can be cold some nights. I'm thinking this year, being Saturday, could be more than the usual 35. In California, we usually had 100+, without all of the setup that we currently have. Guess it all depends.


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## Fright Boy

mcdeo1996 said:


> Guess it all depends.


Yes it does. I live between a high school and a busy street. I get NO TOTs. I even leave out a bowl of candy and the light on. And still, nothing. I even put the candy in a way that I can tell if it's been disturbed. Nothing.  That's why I go to my parents house to decorate and give out candy. 200ish every year.

Like they say in real estate, Location, location, location. It's sad because I would love to have the leisure of putting out my props, instead of having to load them up in my truck and transport them to my parents.


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## Arlita

I used to put up fliers on stop signs until one year I got a call from the city saying if I do it again it would be a $20.00 fine per sign. Well it put a stop to that even though I always took them down. I started my haunt in 2007 when I bought my first house, I started out small and always made gift bags with small toys and candy to keep track of the count. In 2010 I gave out 456 bags and still going strong. I live in Joplin Mo. and was hit by the big tornado took 6 months to get back in my house needless to say Halloween was off for 2011. I decorated 2012 and was very disappointed and sad didn't even have a 50 tot's but there was a lot of rebuilding going on and still happening today. Last year I think I had around 250 to 300 and that's without posting any fliers. I am hoping for more this year since it is on a Saturday, like everyone else has said word of mouth and time, build it and they will come eventually.


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## wandererrob

I live in a kind of out if the way neighborhood. After doing my haunt for 8 years and building my audience from about 20 to a little over 100, I'm looking to make a big push this year and next (it will be our 10th next year). I've made flyers to put up on local community activity boards and online this year. Next year, after I see how this pans out, I'll push more, maybe try to get a sign out on the main road and such. 

In the meantime, I'll be watching this thread!


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## busmonkey

Well here we are on November 1st, and I have to say this has been the best year for us to date. We've only been decorating seriously for about 4 years, and in a super-lame neighborhood besieged by non-participants and a ton of trunk-or-treats. We take our 7-yr old out and find about a dozen houses in a half mile with their lights on. And we're in a pretty dense DC suburb. Somehow the neighborhood kids still come out. Good for them.

I like making my own props and getting creative about building the scene, but I have to agree with all the others here: lights. That and sound. We happen to have a PA system for other purposes, but we break it out on Halloween, too. You can't hear anything more than a couple of houses away (we have to live with our neighbors year-round), but it's enough. We wash the house in red light from some cheap 100W spotlights, and get those out at least a couple of weeks beforehand. I usually have some neighborhood kids hanging out while we decorate, and this year we had several cars arrive solely to TOT at our house. That's the word-of-mouth part. Assuming you don't live out in the sticks, keep it up, and I bet they come.


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## annamarykahn

Troll Wizard said:


> _*Have your local newspaper come out and take pictures, cause they are always looking for a story about Halloween.
> *_


not in my town :-(

a neighbor 2 houses away called the local paper 2 weeks b4 the big night ... guess what ... they couldn't be bothered ... no one from the paper showed up

amk


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## goneferal

annamarykahn said:


> not in my town :-(
> 
> a neighbor 2 houses away called the local paper 2 weeks b4 the big night ... guess what ... they couldn't be bothered ... no one from the paper showed up
> 
> amk


Same here. I emailed all the news outlets and nobody did anything. Journalism in Boise is pretty weak.


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## jahip

Well I live in an apt complex and put out a big display, everyone that see's me tell's me how great it is and how they love it. To date I can count on two hands how many kids have rang the door bell. My wife and others ask why I do it if no kids ever come around? I always say because it is what I love to do. some people like to drink. some like to run. I like putting stuff up.


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## GrimFinger

braedan51 said:


> The other thought is hanging signs at each end of the street, but that smacks of desperation I think...


There's reasons why society at large makes such widespread use of signage.

Lights are visual clues. So, too, are signs.

Instead of thinking in terms of desperation, think in terms of imagination. The first order of business is to get someone's attention. Signs can do that. What does your sign or signs look like?

If you utilize multiple signs, then you can use them to help set the stage, from the imagination's perspective. Danger. Dread. A foreboding feeling. What lies beyond that sign?

Humor. Rhyme. Clever plays on words. Even straightforward sentiments can all be resorted to, in order to engage the human imagination.

At Halloween, people are expecting to encounter all kinds of interesting things, all kinds of unusual activities. Dare you give them anything to encounter?

If they've never visited your haunt, before, then your haunt is still new to them. Those in search of Halloween always delight in encountering something new. Signs can be useful for building anticipation. In fact, they can even be used to lead to nowhere.

Or to clues.

Is your haunt worthy of the expectation that you can build, that you can grow inside of the minds of those that encounter whatever prelude your signs form? In other words, what about your haunt will prove to be memorable, long after the fact?

Are you signs special? Are they memorable, in their own right? Or are the akin to sales often associated with garage sales and the like?

Halloween is only as special of a day as you choose to make it for trick or treaters. How special are the signs that you contemplate?

Just passing through, saw this thread, and decided to deposit a few thoughts on the subject of signs.


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## jaege

Pumpkin5 said:


> :jol:Hhhhmmmmmm....I'd have to seem some pics to commit myself fully.:undecidekin: You know what? The first year I started decorating, I had maybe 30 Tot's and they were just because we were in a nice neighborhood...the second year? Maybe 100....ran out of candy twice.....last year??? nearly 350...That is 13 years later..... If you build it....they will COME.....seriously.... Just wait...word will spread....kids will talk...you will be infamous. Or famous....I prefer infamous....outlaw that you are....


I must agree with the Pumpkin. My first year in a new neighborhood, I had about a dozen TOTs. Now, 8 years later I lost count after 370. If you decorate word gets around. Be prepared to shell out the candy.


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## typoagain

I do I big yard display. I put up all the lights, window display and any weather proof outdoor items abou 2-3 weeks early.
Then on Halloween day that all the stuff I worry about getting stolen or damaged.
Basically, I give a "sample" to promote the display.


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## fontgeek

Target your demographic with flyers and signs, see if you can post flyers at hangouts that are popular with that demographic, maybe trade some advertisement space with those business's (pizza parlors, 7-11, etc.) and offer them tickets for themselves and maybe some for them to give out. Happy customers by far make the best salesmen.
Social media is okay, but my experience has been that people tend to forget or mix up events as easily as they saw or found them. Having something tangible they can walk with, and show to others lets them find you easily, and also lets them show others your haunt too.
Keep in mind that it takes time to build a good returning crowd, as others have stated, your fan base will grow exponentially night after night, and year after year.


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## selling1309

I too lived on a side street, and am the only one that decorated for Halloween. Being a few houses down on a dark street made it tough for anyone to find me. Like everyone else the first year was slow but it picked up each year. I got blue and green flood lights and shined them up at the pecan trees in my yard. With the light washing over the bare limbs it was an eerie glow that beaconed the TOTs from blocks away. 

The next problem was that I made my yard just a bit too haunted and scary. Once they did find my place many of them just went on by. After about the third our forth year I started to just sit on the porch in my normal clothes to watch and listen. They would dare each other to go up the sidewalk. Some of them just ran away. I'd sound like a creeper telling them it was alright to come get some candy. LOL It also allowed me to trigger some props when the brave ones did walk up. MUHAHAHA!!


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## Chatty_Patti

I use music. I place speakers in my upstairs windows and crank scary sounds, well known movie them songs like Psycho, Halloween and The Exorcist. If the trick or treaters hear that you'll attract them like zombies to a victim! Plus, be sure to use lots of lights! Purple in the trees, green on your house or fence, spotlights on your house. Once the sounds attract them they need to see where you are!


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