“Our kid shoppers usually have a set character in mind that they want to be for Halloween,” explains Retail Director Karen Stone. “For the children, it’s a treasure hunt to find that costume. And, as we all know, here at the LISTEN Thrift Store, our items are mostly one of a kind, so it’s fun to see the kids’ faces once they find that costume that they’re looking for.”

For the adults, creativity comes into play with some looking for vintage costumes and others wanting to create them. “A father and son came in to look for a Peter Pan costume for the son and black fabric to create a shadow costume for the dad,” says Karen. “A few years back, a group of Dartmouth students arrived to look for anything ’80s for their themed Halloween party. We’ve also had a woman dress as Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She wanted to create a costume for her dog to dress up as the Beast.”

LISTEN saves Halloween-themed merchandise all year for its annual sale in September, says Cody Jekubovich, Lebanon store manager. “We just had our very successful Halloween event on September 9,” says Cody. “But we still do have a variety of costumes and items left for individuals and families to create and celebrate this year’s event.”

Cody notes that LISTEN is now gearing up for its largest event of the year on October 7. “This is where we have the opportunity to bring out and transform our stores with winter gear including coats, jackets, boots, snow pants, hats, gloves, scarves, wool, cashmere, skis, sleds, snowboards, and more.”

The day prior to the first day of the sale, the White River Junction and Canaan, New Hampshire, stores are transformed into a “winter wonderland,” Karen adds. The store in Lebanon isn’t closed, but its seasonal section is prepped for the holiday a week beforehand, and the staff is dressed up in costumes on the first day of the Halloween sale.

Store hours for the Lebanon location are 9 am to 6 pm, Monday to Sunday. The Canaan and White River Junction stores are open from 10 am to 5 pm, also seven days a week. The White River Junction furniture store is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. Donations are accepted at all locations seven days a week from 9 am to noon.

There is still a wide variety of costumes including wigs, hats, and masks for adults and children, Karen says. “People come to shop here because of our one-of-a-kind items, unique finds, and lower prices,” she says. “They like to shop at LISTEN because it keeps things out of the landfill and because they know that we’re a nonprofit organization and that our revenues go back to the community through our programs such as Heating Helpers, Housing Helpers, summer camp, holiday baskets, food pantry, and community dinners.”