[DeathTouch]

How many of you have a certain haunter's rivalry with your neighbors? I do! I have two neighbors that I go toe-to-toe each year on Halloween decorations. One of my neighbor's lives down the block from me actually has some cool stuff in this yard. Problem is he never wants to talk to me at all, and is really snobbish when ever my wife brings up Halloween. MY wife talks to them a lot but she notices that they are really weird when she brings up Halloween or what I am doing this year or them. She seems to think it is pretty funny.

My other neighbor I do a lot of recon work on. He lives on the other side of Lombard, and I think he actually does the Lombard local Jaycees Haunted house. But I am not sure. But every year, just before Halloween he puts some really cool stuff out in his yard. I found myself going over there and taking a few pictures to compare. Yes, I am jealous, but one day he will be doing recon work on my house. LOL. The pictures below are of the 2nd house before he was done with his setup. You will notice all this extra crap he has in the hearse.

 

[Zombie-F]

I don't have any haunter neighbors. The closest one to me I can think of is about 8 - 10 miles away, and I'm pretty sure they're unaware of me.

 

[grapegrl]

No other haunters here in my town, either. Of course, you can't even see my nearest neighbours from here...

 

[ScareFX]

I wish my neighbors would do more. They seem content to let our house be the "Halloween House". <sigh>

 

[BuriedAlive]

I've got a monopoly on yard haunts. I'm not aware of anybody in a 10 mile radius that does what I do. There are those homes that do the inflatables. Last year a local paper did a story on a guy one town over that decorated his yard with inflatables. I remember reading he said it took him four hours to decorate. Four hours? To blow up some pumpkins and Garfield characters? It takes me 2 days to set up.
As for your neighbor being secretive, he may just feel threatened. Halloween may be his gig, something that has always defined him. With you being a competitor, he may feel less the high man on the totem pole. There's my psyche 101 for ya.

 

[jdubbya]

I wish my neighbors would do more. They seem content to let our house be the "Halloween House". <sigh>

Same here. There is, however, another family two blocks down from us who are really getting into it. Their son and mine go to school together and for a couple years they would trick or treat together so the parents got to see our display. I got them the plans for the cemetery fence and columns. They have made a great graveyard scene in the front yard and keep adding to it every year. There is also a guy in our Scout Troop who lives down a block from us and they are starting to get into it more and more each year. By in large though, other than a carved pumpkin and maybe one of those Halloween flags, no one on our street does too much.

 

[trishaanne]

TWO HOURS to set up???? I start at the beginning of October! Anyway, there are no haunters around here either, although a few have decorated a little more since we moved in to the neighborhood 5 years ago. There are the inflatable pumpkins and ghosts and stuff but for the most part, we're it. There is one house down the street that has been asking for some ideas from me. Their daughter has been too afraid to come to our house for the past few years. Last year I took her around the yard in the day time to see what everything looked like, although we all know that at night, with the lights and fog, it looks completely different. She still wouldnt come in the yard at night, but she has told her mom that she wants a spooky house too. Her mom went out and bought her a few of those plastic tombstones to help break her in slowly. I made her a tombstone with an angel on it, nothing too spooky at all, but something different for her to have. And this year, if she gets brave enough, she can help me set up the yard, even if it's just to hang spider webs or something. I like to extend an open invitation to all the neighborhood kids that want to help...it gets them involved and keeps them busy. On the upside, I'm hoping they really get into it enough that in a few years, I can recruit them as actors....MUWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

 

[TearyThunder]

I have a neighbor across the street who does a good bit of decorating (her Christmas display is awesome though.) Most of the others add a JOL, flags, autum garland etc. So far from what I can tell is I am the one who does the most in the entire city! I have grown a good bit this year too. I know I'm going to be running over into the neighbor's yard.

 

[slimy]

More and more are doing something on my street. No homemade props yet,just groundbreakers, lighted signs, and yes, those inflatables.

As for nieghbors decorating, Gypsichic lives less than a mile from me. We weren't aware of each other until we met on this board. My point is, there are others out there - sometimes you have to look to find them.

 

[Hellrazor]

I have a neighbor across the street. He started it for me. Decorated to the hilt, had scare actors... so the next year I made some crappy tombstones out of plywood (no pics of that year) then I discovered Halloween on the internet...
The next year (2 years ago now) I made tombstones out of styro and my neighbors started getting into it a little more....Last year I made my reaper and casket, but my across the street neighbors did less, they have been having back problems and such. I would love to help them set up but they have 2 very healthy older children at home and I dont feel its my place to help them (even though I yearn to) when their kids should pitch in.

I showed him my witches cauldron this year and his eyes lit up. He said he wished he could build some stuff, but with his back... He said that its becasue of us the street decorates... I think it was them. He sparked my interest....I dont know if I would be this involved if I hadnt moved to this street and met them... Its my secret competition...

I have heard of a guy that is about 3 streets from me and does a great display, saw pics on the net. But no time to go see it as he is also a halloween setter upper. I dont want to leave my place even for a minute.

So more and more people are showing their halloween colours... there is one prob though....
About 5 houses (around me even) dont turn on their lights and go out... the first year peeps would actually cross the road and not go to my place.... that made me sooo sad.

I also think the peeps who lived here before me were weirdos though, for many reasons, and think that the kids had to warm up to "nice" peeps in this house...

Wow this is long for a quick reply eh... LOL

 

[Hellrazor]

PS: I love that horse and carriage DT. Do you have other pics of the finished product?

I agree with Buried alive - he may feel threatened by you too and some people dont take well to competition. He may also feel superior or inferior to you and doesnt want to share secrets... who knows...

 

[Dr Morbius]

I have two neighbors that live on the same st as me..both go all out..real nice folks..I plan on talking to them more this year.

 

[BroomChick]

I have a neighbor one block away that I compete with. It wasn't my intent to do so but they really irritated me one year when I was a little late getting our haunt set up. We don't ever see them until mid-September when they start walking their dog by our house. Last year, I was outside just getting started, when the wife came over to tell me that it was official...they were bigger Halloween fans that we were because they had more stuff. At first I didn't really care but after I noticed them walking by each day with smug looks....I had to BEAT THEM! ....and I always do.

 

[DeathTouch]

PS: I love that horse and carriage DT. Do you have other pics of the finished product?

I agree with Buried alive - he may feel threatened by you too and some people dont take well to competition. He may also feel superior or inferior to you and doesnt want to share secrets... who knows...

Let me look when I get home. I might have a nigth photo of it. I don't remember if I went back last year.

 

[DeathTouch]

Oh, I almost forgot. The neighbor that is a few block away from me was telling me last year that if I wanted his King's chair that I could have them. He has these three chairs, more like benches, that seats three skeleton kings. One is the king of hearts, Diamonds, etc. I thought about but I have no clue where I would put it. Maybe he is warming up to me. But then his wife was saying that she thought I bought my FCG because she saw one just like it at a store. Which really burned my butt because I made it. I told her, "No way I made that with my own two hands. I didn't buy it at a store." Her eyes lit up and that was the last word either one said to me.

 

[HibLaGrande]

no real rivals around here, a few year ago we had a science teacher that had an unfreakingbelievable display. His display inspired me to start down my haunting path. He gave his students extra credit for helping out in the yard haunt. it was the coolest display I have seen so far. too bad he moved the year I put mine up for the first time.

 

[slightlymad]

I dont actuallt know if i have any comp it takes all day to set up and make last minutes adjustments/additions. That is with the whole family involved.
Keep in mind everything goes up comes down holloween.

 

[Frighteners Entertainment]

I got nothing here either, 'cept pro Haunts and from what I've heard...they SUCK.

 

[Spooklights]

I'm the only one in my neighborhood that decorates for Halloween, too. I wouldn't mind a little competition; it keeps you creative!

 

[IshWitch]

I have a neighbor one block away that I compete with. It wasn't my intent to do so but they really irritated me one year when I was a little late getting our haunt set up. We don't ever see them until mid-September when they start walking their dog by our house. Last year, I was outside just getting started, when the wife came over to tell me that it was official...they were bigger Halloween fans that we were because they had more stuff. At first I didn't really care but after I noticed them walking by each day with smug looks....I had to BEAT THEM! ....and I always do.

You go girl! They apparently needed some wind knocked out of them. Kinda rude to not even know somebody and say something like that!

I'd love it if one of my neighbors would kick it up a notch!