I shopped for Halloween supplies at Party City and Spirit Halloween. The costume selection was better at Spirit, but Party City reigns supreme for party supplies.
With Halloween right around the corner, Party City and Spirit Halloween are busier than ever.
I visited both to compare their selections, quality of costumes, and general shopping atmospheres.
Each had its own positives, but I think I'll stick with Party City.
Leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter, and suddenly pumpkins are everywhere. It can only mean one thing: Halloween is approaching.
This year, I decided to see once and for all which Halloween superstore I like better: Party City or Spirit Halloween. I visited each Manhattan location in mid-October, and I was pleasantly surprised that neither store was too crowded.
From costumes to animatronics, here's what I discovered at each Halloween store.
My first stop was Party City, the biggest party-goods retailer in the US, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It's one of 850 locations across the country.
The outside of Party City on the Upper West Side.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
The store, which is one of two locations in Manhattan, takes up the basement level of a building, so I had to take an escalator down to shop.
The escalator down to Party City.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
The first thing I saw was this giant pumpkin figure and a chainsaw-wielding maniac. According to the brand, stores start putting out Halloween supplies in August, meaning this could have been greeting shoppers for months.
Halloween decorations.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
I was also greeted by a 12-foot, $500 zombie pumpkin. It was just one of the many decorations that made me feel like I was stepping into Halloweentown.
A $500 decoration.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
An animatronic of Dobby from "Harry Potter" cost $108, which was surprising to me, since it was only 2 feet tall.
Dobby.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
Dobby was close to the "Harry Potter" costumes, understandably. The adult costumes were $60, while the simple children's Hogwarts robes were $27.
"Harry Potter" costumes.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
Around the corner, there were party supplies aplenty. There were plates, cups, napkins — anything you could ever need for a Halloween party.
Party supplies.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
The masks were spread out around the store's three giant Halloween aisles, and they ranged from $6.50 to $54, depending on the quality.
Masks.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
Something I appreciated about Party City was that all of the prices were clear, in a large font.
More masks.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
The rest of the costumes were organized by theme. There was a section for movie and TV characters, seen here.
The favorite characters section.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
Costumes in this section could be as cheap as $21, like this Ahsoka costume from "Star Wars."
Ahsoka from "The Mandalorian."
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
Or they could be a little more expensive, depending on how involved the costumes were. This Luigi costume was $55.
A Luigi costume at Party City.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
There was also a section for different decades. It contained components for flapper costumes, hippie costumes, and more, as opposed to just a costume-in-a-bag.
The Decades section.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
There was even a circus section, since everyone loves a creepy clown on Halloween.
The Circus section.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
There was also a section for dog costumes, though many of the costumes seemed to be for smaller dogs. My favorite was the banana, seen in the top row.
The dog costumes section.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
Another aisle was totally organized by color. There were wigs, beads, fake eyelashes, tiaras, earrings, masks, boas, and more.
A color-coded section of Party City.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
The price of the costumes depended on the quality, which made sense. Cheaper ones came with fewer components and seemed thinner, while pricier options seemed like they'd last for multiple Halloweens.
Some horror-themed costumes.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
Randomly mixed in with the Halloween decorations and costumes was this Thanksgiving display.
The Thanksgiving display.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
The rest of Party City was dedicated to more general party supplies and balloons. I decided to head to Spirit Halloween after exploring the rest of the store.
The entryway to the Halloween section of the store.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
The Spirit Halloween was 10 blocks away from Party City. At first, I thought I was in the wrong spot because all the windows were blacked out, but I eventually found the door.
Spirit Halloween.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
Spirit Halloween stores are pop-ups that take over existing empty storefronts. There are 1,450 across the US, with some locations opening as early as July. The one I visited, one of three in Manhattan, opened more recently.
Spirit Halloween.
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images
The first thing I noticed was that there was much more of an emphasis on pop culture and graphic T-shirts. An entire display was dedicated to Ghostface from "Scream." The mask was $12.99.
The "Scream" display.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
This display was dedicated to "Friday the 13th" and "It." As opposed to Party City's Halloween selection, which is just a few aisles, this entire store was devoted to the holiday.
Another horror movie display.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
I thought the adult costumes were slightly more revealing than Party City's options. This "Harry Potter" costume was $49.99, making it $10 cheaper than the Party City equivalent.
A "Harry Potter" costume at Spirit Halloween.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
The pop-culture emphasis continued — these outfits were straight from the "Barbie" movie. The roller-skating costume was $49.99, while the Western costume was $59.99.
Costumes inspired by the "Barbie" movie.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
"Ted Lasso" fans need look no further than Spirit Halloween.
"Ted Lasso" costumes.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
One wall was entirely dedicated to graphic tees, something that reminded me of Spencer's Gifts or Hot Topic.
The T-shirt wall at Spirit.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
There were also mugs inspired by "American Horror Story," "Silence of the Lambs," and more. It kind of felt like a souvenir shop.
Mugs at Spirit Halloween.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
Just like at Party City, there was a section dedicated to the circus, but the prices were harder to see — I really had to get up close to see that the creepy clown mask was $12.99.
The circus section at Spirit Halloween.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
Surprisingly, there was wasn't much overlap between the stores' costumes, but I was able to do a direct comparison between Mario costumes. This one was $49.99, $5 cheaper than the same costume at Party City.
A Mario costume at Spirit Halloween.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
Overall, I liked the costume selection better at Spirit Halloween as a budget-conscious fan of pop culture.
"Rick and Morty" costumes.
Gabbi Shaw/Insider
But I think anyone having a Halloween party is better off shopping at Party City. I thought Spirit was lacking in party supplies and lawn decorations.
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