Come To The Stagecoach For So Much More!
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Halloween has come and gone once again. This is a big deal for us at the Stagecoach and brings a lot of different emotions. For me, I first feel a sense of sadness that the mayhem is over. We spend an enormous amount of time preparing for Halloween each year and it is always sad when it ends. Believe it or not, Halloween begins for us in January when we get to see all of the year’s new items and place orders from dozens of different companies. For several weeks we revise these orders with added items that we may have missed. It takes a lot of analyzing what sold well in the past, cross-referencing different companies on prices and quality, and even researching what we think will be popular trends and movies. In the following months, merchandise slowly trickles in that needs to be priced and put into storage. Then in August, we receive lots of large orders that keep us very busy. Throughout the year we are all thinking about how best to display these items, marketing avenues, and what already needs to be reordered.
For most people, Halloween is a one-day holiday to get dressed up and go have fun. For enthusiasts, it stretches the entire month of October with scary movies, decorations, and multiple costumes. For me, it is a year-round process that never really ends. It’s something that I am incredibly passionate about and invest an enormous amount of time and love into. That’s why November 1st is always a little sad for us around the Stagecoach.
While sadness is a prevailing emotion after Halloween, relief is another. October consists of a slow buildup towards the final marathon that is the last week of the month. Those last few days can get pretty dicey and my parents and I put in an awful lot of time. What makes it even more difficult is working the 12+ hour days in a Halloween costume. It may not seem like much, but trust me, spending that much time standing on a concrete floor with your full face covered in cream theatrical makeup, wearing a wig and a hot Halloween costume is pretty tiring. Not only that, but meals are also tricky near the end. Often times we are so busy at the Stagecoach that the three of us cannot leave for food. One of us will quickly run off and grab fast food for us to eat in the back. When there is time, I will go back and wolf down a greasy hamburger, just like the day before that and the day before that. Returning to a normal diet is always a relief after Halloween.
Now that Halloween is over what comes next here at Stagecoach? The short term answer is that we must now inventory and perform the transition back to normal. We have to count every single costume and accessory that we still have in stock, even tiny items like makeup brushes. This is a multi-day project where I spend eight hours at a time counting and searching for missing items. A wild goose chase is an appropriate term for this process. As unenjoyable as it might be, it is very necessary. We must ensure that our inventory is correct so that we will know what quantities to order for next year. Once inventory is complete, we transition back to our normal state. The majority of our Halloween items go into storage until next Halloween. All of our year-round items that were moved in September must now be moved back. I have to limber my back up for some of the larger display units. Needless to say, the post-Halloween work is not quite as much fun as the pre.
November also means that it is time to get ready for Christmas. Now that we are mostly back to normal (or as normal as we get here at Stagecoach) you will hopefully start seeing some new items for Christmas. We stock up on Native American jewelry and I will post as much as I can here on our website. Specifically, we normally get lots of new items from David Rosales sometime during the month of November. You may also see some new Sonoran Gold Turquoise and White Buffalo jewelry, on account of those being so popular this year. For Gary, Halloween coming to a close means he should now have more time to make new jewelry of his own. I can already see the beginnings of a piece that I think you will enjoy.
As always, thank you so much for your continued support. Halloween is an odd transition for us and I realize that it is not for everyone. We appreciate your patience and understanding through this time. Without announcing anything official, we have discussed an idea for a possible change to how we handle Halloween on the website part of things for next year. A lot more thought is needed but I think it may prove to be a better system overall. Other than that, be on the lookout for lots of new items for the Christmas season! We hope you will see some things that you like!
Skylar Glandon
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