What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without...

What do you do when you Trick or Treat?
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Pumpkin_Man
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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by Pumpkin_Man » Tue Oct 26, 2010 11:51 am

Mac, that's very nice of you. I prefer TRADITION, but I would not begrudge anyone who came to my house for Candy. The only place where we may part company is if a kid came to my house and said "Gimme some f ing candy," then I would probably tell him to get lost, and come back when he learns some respect and manners." But the ones who uphold Halloween ToT TRADITION are treated more generously. Respect and politeness is also rewarded.

Spooky, that is exactly it in a nut shell. Making home made costumes is "hokey" by most standards, but then again, we do have kids in my town who view making their own costumes as a challenge, and it would be hard to tell the differenc between some of those home made costumes and those you would see on a Hollywood movie set.

Oh, and I also made a Robot costume out of care board boxes and aluminum foil, too. This was the best costume I ever made. I usuely would go for something more along the line of a classic monster, like Frankenstein or Dracula, but one year I was hard pressed for an idea, so I went with a robot. We had some old dryer hoses that I used for my arms and legs. A cardboard box was used for the body, and then I had an old football helmet that I painted silver for the head. I drilled some holes in it, and jerry rigged flash light bulbs in it to make it look more robotic. I also had one of those 10 in 1 Electronics kits. I constructed a simple audio amplifier, and mountet eht speaker to the guard on the helmet. and covered it with aluminum foil so it appeared or sounded that my voice was comming our ot the middle of my body. I also had lights on the body, and a fake tv moniter that was lit up from behind by one of those 6 volt lanterns.

I actualy won a prize for that costume at the Mt. Greenwood park party. The main thing, is that I made that costuem ENTIRELY on my own. I had NO HELP from anyone, and I beat out everyone, including the rich kids who had their costumes custom made.

Mike

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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by metallica_87 » Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:27 pm

Well, its sad, disappointing and and irritating all at the same time. Its sad it they're littler kids, cause usually either their parents aren't the best and don't allow it, or are too poor to buy them one. Its disappointing when they show up without one out of choice, cause it just shows a lack of respect for tradition and for the other kids who worked hard on their costumes and are doing it the right way. Its irritating when kids just show up like that cause its just easier that way and could not be bothered with them.

The teenagers who show up and just expect candy, are the ones I love to mess with!lol The hard time I give them when I even see them coming is tremendous. They're few and far between here, most people get it and are in the spirit, but there are still and few idoits who think its cool to show up in nothing but a black shirt and pants and expect to get candy.
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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by Pumpkin_Man » Tue Aug 02, 2011 4:29 pm

You mentioned poor kids who's parents cant afford to buy them costumes. It's been my experience that some of the most creative and vivid costumes have been those that were dreamed up by those very poor kids who had to use what they could find. Incidently, when I was a kid, we weren't "poor,' but there were a lot days when we had to tighten our belts. My parents were able to spend 1.50 on those kits they use to sell at Zaers, but when we got older, the costumes were too expensive. That's when my younger sister and I were introduced to the junk room in our house, and told to make our own costumes. We did a darn good job of it, and the only time I ever won a costume contest was with a costume I made out of a few old card board boxes and some unsuspecting lengths of close dryer vent hose.

BUT, here's the rub. Like all other Halladays, Halloween has it's TRADITIONS. Wearing some kind of a costume, be it just a face mask, is TRADITIONAL. I don't expect them to show up in movie quality costumes, but to honor the Halloween TRADTION, at least put a mask on. Just a swim mask and go as a skin diver. There are so many ways to observe it.

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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by Murfreesboro » Wed Aug 03, 2011 9:14 am

You know, I don't really think there are a lot of poor kids who literally can't afford a Halloween costume. I think, when you see kids showing up without one, it's more likely that they are slightly older and weren't certain they were going to TOT at all. Then at the last minute they decide to do it. The last-minute decision also precludes their putting a lot of creativity into inventing their own costume.

I am not upset when I see someone in minimal costume, but I do enjoy the costumes. I enjoy seeing them, and I enjoy wearing them, too. I can't honestly recall a time when someone showed up at my door without any kind of costume at all, not even face paint.

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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by jadewik » Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:01 pm

I've recently started responding to the "Trick-or-Treat" thing with "Trick" to some of the kids who are either obnoxious or under-dressed. I always get a confused look-- "Huh?!" Then I explain I'd like to see them do a trick to get some candy. If they're a good sport, I give 'em double what I'd normally give out. If they don't wanna tell a joke or what-not, I give 'em a pity piece of candy and send them on their way.

... sometimes, it's fun to put the Trick back in Trick-or-treat.

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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by Pumpkin_Man » Mon Aug 08, 2011 12:56 pm

Murf, there is a lot of poverty and a growing number of poor people in this cuntry today. Finding any kind of a job at all, is like winning a raffle where the odds are litteraly thousands to one against you. That's no exageration. About 5 years ago, my employers were thinking about eliminating my position. I went and applied, with TWO count them, TWO (2) COLLEGE DEGREES, and at every interview, there were huge piles of resumes all applying for the same job. They got them off line from sites like MOnster.com and others. Just to get an interview is like winning a lottery. And that's what it's like for ANY job, even a minimum wage job at a place like Wal-Mart or KFC. If you want a decent job that actualy pays a living and has bennifits, the odds are even worse.

So I can beieve that there are a lot of poor kids out there who's parents just can afford the computer games, DVD players, new bicycles and other do-dads that many other kids have these days. That sadly includes Halloween costumes, BUT, I also notice that a lot of those poor kids are the most creative in making their own Halloween costumes. To them, it's actualy a time to show fof their unique talents. And they do just that. In fact, I enjoy the home made costumes better then the store bought ones by far.

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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by Murfreesboro » Mon Aug 08, 2011 1:05 pm

Oh, I agree that times are hard, Mike, and getting harder, I fear. I guess I just believe that any kid, even a poor one, can probably come up with a good (or at least adequate) home-made costume if he/she uses his imagination, as you describe. Even poor kids generally have a sheet they can throw over themselves to make a ghost or ghoul, something like that.

I do sometimes see slightly older kids who are TOTing without much more than a little face paint. I always assume those are the ones who thought they were too cool or too old to TOT, then decided at the last minute, what the heck, let's go for it. I never begrudge them candy.

Once I saw two adorable tween girls, about 11 or 12 years old, dressed in black sweatsuits and wearing painted-on cat faces. They clearly had costumes, but the costumes were probably just pulled from their closets and "created" with a little well-applied make-up--which also looked like something that they, or their moms, might have already had.

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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by Pumpkin_Man » Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:06 pm

That's exactly my point. When there isn't a lot of money to spend, the creative juices must come into play, as they did back in 'the day,' when my mother was a teacher at a Catholic School and my father was a clerk at FMC corporation. We were not poor, mind you. My sister and I both had a pretty used bikes (not the brand new 3 and 10 speeds that were all the rage, but nice bikes none the less) and toys at Christmas time. My parents had almost paid off the house when we came along, unlike our older siblings who lived considerably poorer. Anyway, when we were little, those $1.50 costumes that they sold at Zaers were okay. They hade a lot of characters, too. You could get all the universal monsters, Spider Man, Batman & Robbin, Super man, you name it. That was great when I was 5 and 6, but then I got older, and the store bought costumes were too expensive, and only a handful of the neighborhood urchins, like me, coule afford them.

That was when my sister and I took up the challenge posed to us by one of our older siblings, and we did it with a vengence. One time, my younger sister and 4 of her girlfriends made Martian costumes and "invaded" the neighborhood. I made that Robot costume, but I also made a pretty believable Dracula costume, Frankenstin costume, Wolfman Costume, and my crowning achievment was a Robot, which I talked about in an earlier post. Those were GREAT costumes, and it was us poorer ( or I should say not rich, but not poor) kids, who allways won all the 1st prizes for Halloween costumes. My robot costume beat out two of those fancy store bought costumes and even one designer costume.

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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by Pumpkin56 » Wed Sep 14, 2011 5:43 pm

I hand out candy to anyone who comes to the door. I don't get a lot of TOTers to begin with so I'll take whatever comes my way. I don't like it when the older kids show up w/o costumes, but I don't want to lower myself down to that level and deny them candy. Actually, my hope every year when I buy candy is that I run out by the end of the night. Hasn't happend yet, but I'm always hopeful 8)

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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by sheenahellen » Thu Sep 15, 2011 2:01 am

Hhhhhmmm I don't see anything wrong with it, just give those kids candies!

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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by Lillith » Sun Sep 18, 2011 11:50 am

I give everyone candy. If you come to my door, you get treats. :D
Skin all bone-china white
O you were a vampire
And I may never see the light

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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by Pumpkin_Man » Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:24 pm

It is kind of awdward to say "no you can't have any candy' to a kid who shows up without a costume, but I do tend to be more generous to those who are in costume, and most of them are. A costume, as I pointed out before, can be as simple as a paper grocery bag with a face painted on it. It doesn't have to be motion picture quality, just uphold the tradition of puttong on a Halloween costume to go ToTing.

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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by Murfreesboro » Tue Sep 20, 2011 9:37 am

I would never refuse candy to anyone who shows up at my door on Halloween, but I do enjoy seeing the costumes.

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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by Pumpkin_Man » Tue Sep 20, 2011 11:40 am

I wouldn't either, Murf, but some times I'll grab 2 or 3 pieces of candy for costumed ToTers, but those who are not wearing costumes usualy only get one piece. Like I said, it's very awkward to say "no," but the costume does make the major difference between upholding Halloween tradition and just begging for candy.

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Re: What do you guys think about trick-or-treaters without..

Post by Jack Skellington » Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:28 pm

I love the effort the children put into their costumes, especially the home made ones with all their creativity & everything.

I had one person come to my door last year without a costume (first time ever), I gave him candy, but just one piece. To everyone else I was giving out bags of candies! :)

I don't like seeing people ToTing without a costume though! :x
Yours in haunting;

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