# Halloween and seasonal > Costumes, decorations and props. A short selling season, so stock, list and ship on a tight calendar. Halloween sells in a narrow window. Buyers start browsing in September, the rush peaks in the first three weeks of October, and demand drops on November 1. Costumes and decor are bulky but light, so the size of the box drives your shipping cost as much as the weight. Children's costumes count as children's products, so they must meet the federal flammability rules for clothing and toy rules for any toy parts. The same approach works for Christmas sweaters, Easter decorations and Fourth of July gear. Plan stock around the date, list early, and clear what's left at a discount when the day passes. ## How to pack it - Fold costumes into a clear bag, then a poly mailer. - Box masks, hats and fragile decor with bubble wrap and paper fill. - Ship tracked in late October, on the day the order comes in. Avoid: Latex masks in a mailer. They crease and lose their shape. - **[Gray poly mailers, 10 × 13 in, 100 pack](https://sellersetups.com/us/product/grey-mailing-bags)** ($8 to $15): Self-seal poly mailers add almost no weight, so one garment usually ships at the lightest Ground Advantage tier. The film is opaque gray, so it hides the contents, and a 4 × 6 label sits flat on it. - **[Small corrugated boxes, 25 pack](https://sellersetups.com/us/product/single-wall-boxes)** ($12 to $25): Use these for boxed toys and beauty sets that a poly mailer would crush, when double-wall board costs more than you need. - **[Bubble wrap, 12 in x 175 ft](https://sellersetups.com/us/product/bubble-wrap-roll)** ($15 to $30): A long perforated roll costs several times less per foot than the small packs sold at the post office or a drugstore. - **[4 × 6 in thermal labels, 500 fanfold](https://sellersetups.com/us/product/thermal-labels-fanfold)** ($8 to $16): Fanfold stacks feed flat behind the printer and hold more labels than a roll. 4 × 6 in matches the label size USPS, UPS and the marketplaces print. ## Shipping per order - USPS Ground Advantage, under 1 lb: $6.93 to $8.95. Clothing, cards in a mailer and other small items under 1 lb. Tracked, with $100 insurance included. - USPS Ground Advantage, 1 to 2 lb: $7.61 to $13.42. Shoes, jeans and boxed items up to 2 lb, tracked with $100 insurance. - UPS Ground, up to 5 lb: $12.00 to $25.00. Tracked UPS Ground for boxed items up to 5 lb, for when it costs less than USPS. ## Planning stock around the calendar Order wholesale stock by early August so it's photographed and listed before buyers start searching. Late stock arriving in mid-October misses most of the season. Buy deep in a few popular costumes and sizes, and shallow in novelty lines. Leftover classic costumes sell again next year; this year's viral character may not. ## Safety rules for costumes and decorations New children's costumes need a Children's Product Certificate and tracking labels, and should meet the flammability rules for clothing. Ask your supplier for the certificate and test report, and don't stock costumes without them. Plug-in light-up decorations should carry a UL or ETL listing mark. Any toy with a button or coin battery needs a compartment secured with a screw or a similar lock under federal rules. ## Photographing costumes and props Show costumes worn, or on a mannequin, plus a flat lay of every piece in the set. Give chest, waist and length measurements in inches, as costume sizing runs small. Shoot light-up decor twice: once in daylight to show the item and once in a dark room so buyers can see the glow. ## Running a seasonal live show Whatnot and TikTok Shop buyers enjoy themed shows with decorations behind you and props on camera. Mystery bags of decor and candy sell well in the last two weeks. Tell viewers the last order date for delivery before October 31 at the start of every show. It prompts late buyers and saves complaints. ## Packing costumes and fragile decor Fold costumes into a clear bag, then a poly mailer. Keep masks and hats in a box so they hold their shape. Wrap ceramic pumpkins, glass lanterns and resin skulls in bubble wrap and box them with paper fill on every side. Test light-up items before sealing the box. ## Shipping in the last week of October Switch to Priority Mail or another faster service for orders placed in the final week, and state the cutoff date in every listing. A costume that arrives on November 1 usually turns into a refund request. Schedule a free USPS Package Pickup or drop off daily during the peak, so packages don't pile up in the spare room. ## Common mistakes - Buying stock in October leaves you listing as demand peaks, so order by August. - Stocking children's costumes without a Children's Product Certificate breaks CPSC rules, so ask for it before you pay. - Selling colored contact lenses as an add-on is illegal without a prescription, so leave them out of bundles. - Shipping a latex mask in a poly mailer crushes its shape, so box it. - Leaving the last order date out of listings means packages land after the party, so put the cutoff in the title or first line. ## Setups - [Halloween costume and decor rush from a garage](https://sellersetups.com/us/setups/halloween-costume-garage-rush): Used costumes, props and decorations sold on Mercari, eBay and Depop in a six-week October peak, then stored dry until next year. ## Guides - [Best time to sell on Whatnot, eBay and Poshmark](https://sellersetups.com/us/guides/best-time-to-sell): When toys, back-to-school, Halloween and holiday stock sell, plus Whatnot show times, Poshmark sharing and eBay auction end times. ## Questions ### When should I start listing Halloween stock? List from late August or early September. Buyers who order costumes for parties plan weeks ahead, and the last week of October brings late orders that need fast shipping. ### Do children's costumes need safety testing? Yes. Children's costumes are children's products under CPSC rules, so new ones need testing to the applicable standards and a Children's Product Certificate from the maker or importer. Ask your supplier for it before you buy wholesale stock. ### Can I sell colored contact lenses? No. In the US, decorative contact lenses are medical devices and need a valid prescription, even with no vision correction. Leave them out. ### Can I sell prop weapons with costumes? Soft foam props in bright colors are fine on most platforms. Toy guns need a blaze orange tip under federal law, realistic replicas are restricted by platforms and some states, and blades bring age checks, so leave them out. ### Should I sell used costumes? Used adult costumes sell well on Poshmark, Mercari and Depop if they're washed and complete. Photograph every piece of the set laid out together, since missing hats and gloves are the most common complaint. ### What do I do with stock left after Halloween? Run a clearance show or bundle sale in the first week of November, then store the rest dry and flat for next year. Decorations keep well; latex masks can perish.