With all the fun and excitement Halloween brings each year, there is one part that can be an agent of anxiety.
Choosing a Halloween costume can be stressful and expensive. However, two stores in Auburn will be glad to help since everyone may not want to create their own.
Check-It-Out and Sydney's Vintage Clothing Store, both on Gay Street, have many options.
Deborah Penny, who works at Check-It-Out, said they have more than 100 new styles this year, and the most popular have been the sailor, police officer and fire fighter.
"People start buying their costumes in August," Penny said.
The store starts selling costumes for Halloween as early as August, but it has costumes year-round as well, Penny said.
"The average student goes to about four Halloween parties," Penny said.
She also said the costumes start at $17, but the average price is approximately $40.
The most expensive costume they carry is the deluxe male leprechaun for $90.
The store is packed with angel wings, wigs, hats, masks, glasses, goblets, swords, bullet belts, toy guns and an extensive collection of costumes, which includes everything from Spartan cheerleaders to "gold digger."
"Y'all get an extra day to party, so to speak," Penny said. "Since the game is a day game this year, you can still party Saturday night."
Ben Nichols of Sydney's Vintage Clothing, said customers can create a costume from their merchandise for as little as $10.
"The majority of the inventory is just vintage clothing, and people usually come in and create their own from different pieces," Nichols said.
However, the store is featuring some more costume-like pieces for Halloween, such as old Mardi Gras costumes, it doesn't usually feature.
Nichols also said they have lots of time period pieces if a customer wants to be someone from the '50s, '60s, '70s or '80s.
"A lot of people come in and want to be an old TV show character," Nichols said. "They try to duplicate them. We had some young ladies in a couple of weeks ago, who wanted to be Saved by the Bell charactors. They were remembering different episodes trying to re-create their outfits."
He also said the great thing about their inventory is it is much sturdier than costumes since they are real clothes that have already stood the test of time.
"We try to find higher quality pieces that are in really good shape," Nichols said.
People usually come in with something they want to be in mind, Nichols said.
Customers can also visit the store's Web site at sydneysvintageclothing.com, where they can find inventory that is not offered in the store. They are happy to bring anything from the Web site into the store for customers to try on with 24-hour notice.
Tyler Case, senior in chemical engineering, said she likes to create her own costumes.
"It's cheaper and more fun," Case said. "My boyfriend and I might be Daft Punk. All you need are helmets and black clothes."
Shannon Dunlap, junior in theater, said she likes to create her own costumes as well.
"I have a friend who is a costume major, and she is doing mine this year though," Dunlap said. "I'm going to be Wonder Woman."
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