Build vs Buy

[robos99]

I've noticed that some haunt owners, instead of building a haunt, will outright buy one pre-made. I'm just curious as to who choose which route, and if buying, what it entailed. Do people just buy stock designs or are they typically done custom? What's considered a fair price for such a thing? Does the builder also install the haunt or is it merely shipped off? And any other important tidbits that I didn't think to ask as well.

[Jim Warfield]

Why would anyone want to buy a haunt when so much of the work will turn out to be a whole lot of very time-consuming "Other " things?
You may as well go ahead and build it then you know what it will be and you will have a better appreciation for the whole process from start to finish.
(Did I just sound like your Scout Master or your Dad?) Sorry.
Haunting is "Entertainment", and entertainment is being somehow interesting or even stimulating to others , is there is a cookie-cutter product out there that can keep on being "entertaining" over and over , season after season????
It all takes work and time no matter what to have anything worth doing in the first place.
If you have alot of money and are an excellant commander of the troops, maybe you can simply buy everything and pay others to assemble it and make it make you alot of money?
I am sure there are those who can go haunting this way, I'm not, I need my "Fix" of entertaining the customers to spend all night on the phone calling helpers or everyday being an accountant is not where my talents or intrests lie.

[Nightmaretony]

Least to me, there are 2 kind of haunt sales, the premade turnkey package with all the automations and artwork already in place.

The other kind are haunts that are individual statements, with everything custom to the designer's master plan.

I have been blessed with purchasing the individual statement type haunts. I give the former owners a solid promise that they get redone to my own vision, integrated with the physical assets of theirs without being the same thing.

For example, I had purchased this year a 170 panel pro haunt called The Haunted Cellar. It jibed with one of my plans on paper for a concept haunt I call Gyrotron. The artwork of the walls fit perfectly within the vision of mine, yet it would be a totally different purpose than the original designer. If you want an idea of what the hell I am talking about, do a google search for the Gyrotron. It is a most alien structure.

That gives respect and yet is able to use the assets you purchase into your own vision.

Now of course, if you are just looking to get up and running with no creative input on your part, then a turn key is the best solution.

[Jim Warfield]

The "solution" for alot of Tur key operations is coming up very soon!
All right! Who put the gravy in the key hole?
"Paging Dr. Giblet! Paging Dr. Giblet!"
Do you like turkey dressing?
Versus what? Turkey undressing?

[Nightmaretony]

Turkey undressing? NAKED TURKEYS? EEEEWWWWW

[TheCareTaker]

build it yourself and enjoy your work and learn form your mistakes and just plan suffer like every one else and remeber pain is lust and hate is love so love to suffer.
i would much rather take unkind words about something i built than something i did not cause at least i know i did not buy some one elses mistake. hum confusing.

simplified version build it!!!!

[Jim Warfield]

So proud he turns to us and says:" I built it myself."

??? Wutz it spossed 2 bee? a birdhouse?"

"No, a haunted house."

"Fer ded birdz?"

"No, fur peeple."

"Really small peeple?"

"Itz jus a pro-toe-type."

"lookz lyke amateur-type to me."

(When I was in high school my shop teacher thought I was so smart that he gave me an "A" grade on my wooden sky-hook I made. It had a long handle with a seperate wooden rounded hook from one end at 90 degrees from the handle.
Of course I also had to demonstrate how it worked since the teacher had never seen one before.
I reached high with the hooked end and sunk it into an imaginary cloud, hooked it and swung from the handle, light on my feet, he was obviously impressed , or afraid? hahahaah! True story!!)


'

[HauntedWebby]

If a haunt is selling out then you can generally get great deals on things. I've done that twice.

But the build is way more fun!! I love the hands on stuff. Start in December so hopefully I'm done in Sept

[Nightmaretony]

December my patootie! The BEST time to build for next year is the day AFTER Halloween. Take this fence for example (on second thought, DON'T take it, tis mine!


http://www.nightmarepark.com/public/...%20good%21.JPG

Started building the fence the day after. Light pole on, loud wierd music and a whole llotta laughs. Tore out the left side temporarily to spread the pickets a little more and put a tarp behind it as a light seal from employee break area.

Thanksgiving weekend will have a fun push to keep da buildin going

[Jim Warfield]

I have been building on the building that I will be building in.
Insulation half done, winter is coming!
I filled in a window today between the two buildings, totally unnecesarry, I repaired the 16 foot overhead door, now it goes up and down again! (Whata concept!) New rollers all-around and tweeking.
We put the new roof on a couple of months ago, All new electrical service and , all in steel conduit of course.
My Dad built this double garage in 1961 from an ancient barn he tore down just across the street (that barn was so scary looking too!)
So it looks like I won't be standing outside this winter working building stuff for inside of the house as I have every year in the past.
The garage blends in quietly with the neighborhood it's in 5 blocks from the haunted house..it looks so normal.....it's like the Bat Cave....hidden from veiw, right in plain sight.