The Weekend HE Came to Chicago: Flashback Weekend Celebrates “Halloween!”

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Thanks to the 2015 Flashback Weekend, I was able to add two more signatures to my Halloween (1978) poster; Charles Cyphers (Sheriff Leigh Brackett) and Nick Castle (Michael Myers or, as billed, “the Shape”). If you walked into the main ballroom, the vendors took up the bulk of the space while celebrity guests could be seen along the room’s perimeter and in a row of booths located on the far left side. After checking out all the merchandise, we found ourselves exactly where we needed to be and at a good time as well. There was Nick Castle, Michael Myers, sitting there all by himself and ready for us to meet!

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This Is No Joke! Janine Caufield Takes Her Business Very Seriously (And Has Fun Doing It!)

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One of the things that amazes me is how certain stores continue to thrive whereas others selling the very same thing fail. A magic/novelty store is very specialized and if you don’t have the clientele, this type of business is doomed to go out of business. Thankfully, these stores that have succeeded have found that capitalizing on things like holidays helps keep the business going year round. Though they may have started out selling only magic and novelties, things like Halloween masks and costumes are now what helps make the business thrive.

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This was very evident at Caufield’s Novelties. One room contained both the magic tricks and novelties (as well as lighting equipment). Three rooms were devoted to Halloween costumes, masks and props. Being a fan of Halloween this is not a bad thing at all. With stores like SPIRIT dominating the Halloween business in October, it is nice to see a mom and pop store like Caufield’s carrying so much more, and of better quality, than anything that SPIRIT ever carries.

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