From September to December, you can forget about the family budget. Between back-to-school shopping, extracurricular activities, Halloween costumes and the holidays, our credit card statements are probably pretty scary these last few months of the year. But you know what isn’t scary? The price tags at Once Upon A Child, which is why I took my three kids Halloween costume shopping at Once Upon A Child last week.
Friday was Once Upon A Child’s Halloween Kick-Off event, and we arrived bright and early at 9:30 a.m. We went to the Mason location on Union Cemetery, which I like for its size and accessibility. There are also several dressing rooms conveniently located in the front of the store, which made it easy for me to grab different sizes while my kids were changing.
As we walked in, I was immediately stuck by the sheer number of Halloween costumes at Once Upon A Child. Looking for a cute costume for your infant? A superhero costume for your preschooler? A princess tutu for your toddler (there was literally an entire aisle of tutus!)? A mask? A cape? Giant Super Mario Brothers hat? You’ll find it all — and more!
My kids are OBSESSED with superheroes at the moment, and Once Upon A Child did not disappoint. Green Lantern, The Flash, Spiderman, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Robin — the gang was all there! There were a variety of sizes available for each character, so my lanky 5 year old, petite 3.5 year old and tiny 2 year old were each able to find a costume that fit.
In terms of selection, shopping at Once Upon A Child was basically like going to a costume store or retailer like Target. However, what sets Once Upon A Child apart are the prices: the costumes are literally a fraction of the price of what you’d pay for brand-new costumes. All of the costumes we saw were in excellent condition — most had the original packaging, came with all the original accessories and literally looked like they’d only been worn once or twice (which, if you think about it, they probably were only worn once or twice!). Some of the costumes had never been worn at all, hanging on the racks with their original tags intact.
The other thing about Once Upon A Child is the customer service. It’s amazing. I had help finding the particular characters my kids wanted and sizes we needed. The ladies at Once Upon A Child even searched for additional capes for my three superheroes. Everyone we interacted with was extremely friendly, and the whole shopping experience was fun and enjoyable!
In total, I spent less than $30 for three costumes (Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman) and three capes. Last year, I spent more than $30 for one costume from Amazon (it was a goat costume for Harvey. It was adorable, but he hated it and ended up wearing the same costume he’d worn the year before). Considering we were able to find the exact costumes my kids needed, I consider $30 a major victory!
My kids are super excited for Halloween — and I’m excited to have the shopping finished! Take advantage of the current costume selection, and head to your local Once Upon A Child to find this year’s costumes for your family. Your kids — and wallet — will thank you.
