Do you Re-use what you have?

[homiehaunt]

Now this has just come to my mind. Many haunts re-use their props, walls, and many other knick knacks. But yet there are some that start fresh every year which is a money spender. I for sure re-use what i have in terms of props and all the other stuff required to run a haunt. So the question is, do you re-use your essentials to a great haunted house?

[Smiley]

Oh yes. Heck, if we (Dr. Pain's) didn't re-use props and such, we wouldn't have much of a haunt to show the public. It's true that each season we change the floor layout, buy new props and make more costumes, but we keep everything from last year and incorporate it into the next one in some way.

[shawnc]

A percentage poll might have been better. Some people sell some things off and buy some new things. Most will also modify some of their stuff for a different look.

I will be surprised if you get a single "No" vote.

[damon carson]

Ya I keep alot of stuff. Sometimes I repaint of add crepe hair or clothing to my props to change them from year to year.
Damon

[brad]

I try to re-use as much as possible. It can be extremely expensive to completely redo my haunt. So I re-use as much as I can, and change up the floor plan each year.

[Jim Warfield]

Sometimes I splurge and actually buy a new heavy-duty garbage bag once every three years. It looks just like the old one but the customers can't tell the difference in the dark.
Done laughing yet?
I have scared So Many People with a mere garbage bag, many times more people than the average $2,000 Halloween prop ever has...and what does a garbage bag cost?
It does take some effort to train that new bag though.
I try not to have too high of expectations for the new bag right at first.

[Allen H]

I change my entire theme every year, three years ago it was Maze of the Minotaur, Then Frozen with fear (a yeti theme) ,
[URL="http://www.pbase.com/image/84422768"]
[URL="http://www.pbase.com/bobfloyd/tot07"]

and this past years was Classic Creature Feature (the whole show was black and white like old movies and had classsic monsters in it.)
[URL="http://www.pbase.com/bobfloyd/tot08"] this link is a few pics one of my greeters took.

When I change things that much its hard, but the wall panels get repainted (no black walls in my show) and many things get recycled if they can fit into the new theme. The Yeti year we had a wrecked dogsled with the dog corpses around it, this season the dogsled was turned into Frankenstiens lab table. Creative recycling is a must for a haunt at any level.
Allen H

[Jim Warfield]

Did the old Hammer film about Yeti inspire your theme choice?
"Did we scare you?'
"Almost but not quite Yeti."
That movie was scary, much tension build up and a scary ending too.
Or did a late October snow inspire you?
What did you make the dead sled dogs out of?
Did the ASPCA pay you a visit to check them out?
I think the year afterward I would have stuck with that theme one more year and have called it "Bride Of Yeti", and of course have a female counterpart in the show.
The male Yeti could be meanacing the customers saying things like, "You not think my sister cute?"
"You hurt her feelings! Now my turn to hurt your feelers!"
She's not a bride yet but she's looking and hoping.

[Greg Chrise]

Related to re use, will squirrel underwear fit a gerbil?

[Jim Warfield]

"Ferrets Of Hollywood" has a nice selection, racey stuff!
It will make you want to just go crazy on that exercise wheel!
"I'm gettn there! I'm gettn there! I'll be there pretty soon!"

[Greg Chrise]

That sounds better than "Varmint's Secret"

It's so hard glueing the little sexy wings to fur.