Beginner's Guide to Halloween Villages - Lemax Spooky Town & Department 56 Halloween

[@bobross3080]

I put $10 bucks a week away in an envelope all year. I buy the whole Spooky Town collection each year at Michaels using the coupons. That way I already have the money to pay for them. I've also bought cheap Christmas buildings at yard sales and thrift shops and reworked them for my Halloween village. I buy the resin or non glazed kind, they are easier to work with. Things like wreaths, snow or icicles can be sanded off, then paint them with darker "spooky" colors. You can also add things like pumpkins, cats or skeletons. Place them in the back ground for "filler" and put the good buildings in the front. Sometimes they come out as good or better than the purchased ones.

[@SpookyVillages]

good idea to stash a little money every week!

[@brittany7252]

i thought you couldnt use coupons on them!!!

[@brucenadeau5920]

I have been looking at WalMart for their smaller village pieces, as well as at Dollar Stores so I can repaint/rework them to be Halloween'ish... I NEVER thought of garage sales or such! THANKS for the idea!

[@elana81RDH]

Okay I was expecting this video to be done by a little old lady and her collectibles, not a handsome young man! This was really well done!

[@SpookyVillages]

haha i feel like in many ways i am a stereotypical little old lady the way i love crafts and candles

[@xxjanedoe2422]

I thought the same thing lol ;)

[@nonplayercharacterbot155]

Exactly!!!!!!!! Lollll

[@CassidysWorkshop]

Doug, I got my first Lemax product when I saw the Creepy Barn at Michael's in 2005 and had to have it. I didn't know about villiging or Spooky Town at the time. Now I'm waist deep in it, and STILL I learned from your video. You have a succinct way of pulling all the loose threads together and presenting it in a clear manner to help us all. Great video. Thanks.

[@SpookyVillages]

Greg, thank you very much for the kind words. I am still learning all the time as well!

[@lorainer1263]

Thanks so much for the video. My mom just gave me her spooky town collection from back in 2005. Now im adding to it and getting into it. So much fun.

[@Martin-gz4qn]

I have been collecting Lemax for years and didn't even know there were communities for this stuff! I am so excited to have just found it! I go crazy every year buying so many Lemax Spooky Town items! I just can't help myself.

[@SpookyVillages]

Yes, there is a very large community! Welcome to the party :)

[@johnmontana8540]

I am new to all of this. How do you like your Lemax collection as compared to some of the department 56 and stuff? there is a large collection for sale locally of Lemax and I just want to make sure I’m starting down the right path

[@andrewzvideos9938]

Great video Doug! Hope all you Village newbies out there learned a thing or two about starting your own village!

[@SpookyVillages]

Thank you Andrew!

[@sumar207]

The gift shop at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park has an outstanding Dept. 56 display and selection. Open year ‘round.

[@darrellboggess4954]

back in the early 2000s i would get some sweet Halloween building from Walmart of all places...fiber optics combined with sounds, and animations...their Christmas ones were the bomb too...then they stopped those nicer ones...those pieces would be considered rare/collectible these days

[@pvpsaandopefresh]

I’m a member of the Facebook group, and I can advocate to say it is a great community! Not only are people showing off how to make custom pieces and rehabs, and even platforms! But they will also hook it up by leaving links to great pieces for decent prices!! Definitely join if you’re interesting in starting a collection!

[@SpookyVillages]

the community over there really is great

[@arsinehkeshishi4835]

Great video! When I started collecting 2 years ago I just got the houses that looked good to me. So it was a mix of stuff. Now I’m going to try to stick to more of the pumpkin patch theme and witch theme, my top two favorite.

[@SpookyVillages]

I've found it's much simpler to just specialize in one or two themes

[@darkhorse1628]

Yeah good guide I started with one Lemax pice in 2013 and now I have about 40 50 of them

[@CraftsFromTheCrypt]

This video is the reason why I decided to start my Halloween village, thank you! 👻🎃🕸

[@jillheise4392]

My mother in law had an entire Christmas Village from 56. Little did I know she also had a decent Halloween collection (56 as well). She passed away a while back, and now my daughter has them in her house. We had fun putting up the Halloween collection for this year! I am hooked.

[@SpookyVillages]

Villaging is such a fun hobby and it's one that I often hear stories of that gets passed down to the next generation!

[@SpiffyDot123]

I am VERY late, but I had inflatables and I threw away three of their boxes, then I realized I was collecting them, and I just save the boxes of all the stuff I collect now.

[@Vlogsoup]

Fantastic video! You are a fountain of information. I love the Lemax I got last year so much! I would really love to collect witch themes I think they are so fun. I hope I can get a piece this year, I look forward to what Lemax and Dept 56 will put out. Thanks Doug!

[@SpookyVillages]

Glad you got some info out of it, Lara. Looking forward to seeing what you get this year!

[@kaileydavis]

I am so glad the Halloween village have gotten more popular. I have gotten a few family friends into the Halloween villages! I really want Department 56 to do a Hocus Pocus series

[@SpookyVillages]

Hey Kailey, yeah I'm kind of shocked that hasn't happened at this point. I think the reason being is that Halloween stuff hadn't really exploded in popularity until recent years. Now they are more willing to spend the money to license stuff, since they can actually get a return on it. They would sell the hell out of a limited Hocus Pocus set! Next time I speak with D56, I will ask them about this and see what the deal is. Keep up the good work on your channel!

[@kaileydavis]

Spooky Villages yes that would be great, I commented on one of their lives videos and said they should, I just think it would be a cool collectors piece and people are die hard HP fans...also surprised they arnt more active on IG they could really market theirselves on there!!

[@CeliaAWhite]

This video made my whole day! I can't wait for Halloween and I am so looking forward to more videos from you. Thanks so much!

[@SpookyVillages]

You are welcome Celia!

[@cobrastang777]

I have been a "villager" for about 20 years and if I'm not mistaken I've noticed one other difference between Dept. 56 and LeMax that you didn't mention. The Dept. 56 pieces are generally made from ceramic but the LeMax pieces are some type of molded resin, the difference is noticeable in that the resin pieces can show more detail in construction but as you said the LeMax paint is not of the same quality as Dept. 56. So there are trade-offs with both but mixing and matching both companies is a great way to go. I'm on the Facebook group but didn't realize you had all these videos so thanks for them, and I've got a lot of catching up to do!

[@SpookyVillages]

Thank you for watching Paul, I hope you enjoy as you get caught up!

[@chihuahuacamper]

Bradford Exchange has stuff too. That's where I got a bunch of stuff over the past several years.

[@SpookyVillages]

I'll try some of it at some point!

[@andreweber8311]

Hey Doug, Great job. I am a guy from Germany. Me and my wife we like the fall season. Specially in New England. We also like Halloween. Because of your Spooky Town reviews i bought Yesterday my first Lemax Halloween house: The Mad Pumpkin patch. But it is a bit more difficult to get this staff in Germany. Looking forward to get more informations from you about spooky towns and candles. Thanks a lot.

[@SpookyVillages]

Glad you joined the fun- that's an excellent first building!

[@andrealara3439]

I hear ya on the going crazy buying stuff... me too - love it🎃

[@biotekon]

After watching your video last night my family went out and started our collection. Tilt n Hurl, cursed cuckoo haus, ravens roost brewery and cafe, pick me pumpkin wagon. You inspired us.

[@SpookyVillages]

Amazing to hear that, thank you so much for sharing that info with me! Welcome to the madness :)

[@Thatperson336]

Started my Halloween village last year and I'm still looking for inspiration/direction. Your videos are a big help! Thanks!

[@SpookyVillages]

you are welcome!

[@romaynehowe5549]

Wow! a great video. Found your channel last year, and inspired me to start a Halloween village, but didn’t really know how to get started. Now you have given out some good information I will be able to use. The idea of starting slow is one I’ll remember. Looking forward to your reviews. Like how detailed you get when describing a piece. Change of subject. It’s Memorial weekend, and take a minute everyone to remember the men and women who gave their lives for this great country.

[@SpookyVillages]

thank you for stopping by Romayne, glad I can help!

[@bread-guy001]

Great video again!! I will direct any people who want to get into this hobby to this video.

[@Scorpion.1992]

Yes Halloween is just right around the corner super excited🎃🎃

[@SpookyVillages]

getting close!

[@helpmerhonda5014]

Love seeing this video! Great teaser for this season. Not just in villages but candles and other Halloween treats!

[@SpookyVillages]

hope it gets you in the mood!

[@Goat_Games]

I have been working on Halloween villages sense I was 8 or 9 years old and I buy one house per year sometimes I’m gifted one for holidays and I still do it till this day and now I have a large display

[@chiefsfan1533]

Thank you!!! Want to get a gift and I know nothing about villages. This helped so much

[@SpookyVillages]

Glad i was able to help! Hope whomever enjoys the gift!

[@halloweenvillages17]

Excellent job Doug! Very informative! I will use your knowledge for finding rare dept 56 buildings!

[@1ddlover]

Me too! I never thought to try calling around. I always just see the $$$ prices online and think twice about D56!

[@SpookyVillages]

yep, make sure to call around

[@Faisca2]

Great information and tips Doug. Excellent video as always. And thanks very much for the Village Vignettes shout out!

[@SpookyVillages]

you are very welcome Mike, keep up the great work

[@tracycorcoran1610]

Thank you for this video, i've been doing a christmas villiage for years its my first year of Halloween villiaging i'm starting with Meow mansion and building from there

[@SpookyVillages]

Welcome to the madness!

[@ianharty1524]

I just started today and this info has been super helpful. I guess I'm kind of lucky that things aren't in stock this year because I wanted to go nuts lol. Thanks for the advice dude

[@SpookyVillages]

Glad it was helpful!

[@javcis31]

Fantastic video! Starting my own halloween village this year, great to see there are others who think like I do! All the best!

[@SpookyVillages]

Thank you very much and good luck on the village!

[@trewthe]

Well I hope this is monitored by stores because I just ordered my first Lemax piece from Menards,never heard of them before the review,thank you for this post ,it was made for people like me who are just starting to collect!

[@SpookyVillages]

Glad it helped you out! I am going to continue to make more newbie oriented videos!

[@Zuxiasunicorn]

I hear ya on the Lemax paint jobs. I bought Vicky's Cattery and was disappointed about how sloppy the details were. I had to get out my florescent paints and touch up a lot of it. I wish they would come up with some different light strings. I haven't seen anything new for that in quite a while.

[@thehalloweenhousewife4018]

Really awesome advice, Doug. It's awesome for a newbie to know there are communities of us village enthusiasts and folks like you here to help! Wish we had KZbin channels back when I started collecting to guide me. 🤣

[@SpookyVillages]

Thanks Suma, yeah, I actually started this channel a couple years ago just because I was annoyed that one didn't exist to help me!

[@marlimartin8321]

I never thought on having a Halloween village, But my mother in law gave me as a gift for my birthday few years ago and now I buy little figurines.

[@tracy9397]

Thank you for the information. I went crazy when I first started also and am now finding the theme isn’t flowing like I wanted it to. Lol

[@SpookyVillages]

It seems this is the most common sentiment among all collectors! We all go wild off the bat!

[@tracy9397]

@@SpookyVillages Exactly! 🤣

[@katelynryan7518]

Great advice! Just started last year. I know my theme now. Hoping to pick up a building or 2 this year. Saving the boxes is a must that I bet a lot throw away. Thank you for the info!

[@SpookyVillages]

yep, a lot of folks do throw those away which is crazy to me

[@jasonthigpen5808]

do you guys have reviews on different displays? Next year my village will be larger than the table i usually keep it on. Im looking for display ideas, such as the Christmas tree display tier

[@SpookyVillages]

Sorry Jason I don't really do different display ideas as that's not my forte. The various lemax facebook groups have great stuff though!

[@grannyweatherwax8005]

Love the video! One thing I’d add, at least for Spooky Town, if you see a piece you like (and if you can afford it), get it that year. Some pieces will be around for a few years online for the same price, but others disappear. Especially the less popular ones. Even on eBay it can be hard to find and expensive when you do. I still kick myself for not getting a few pieces when they were new, cheap, and available at Michaels.

[@SpookyVillages]

Yep, good call. I am doing a video next week on rare pieces/price gouging and it's one of the tips I'm going to share!

[@htots6430]

Thankyou so much for all your information it has really helped me so much! I am a newbie to villages and have just bought my first dept 56 Halloween snow village piece (Trick or treat drive) it cost me a LOT on ebay..although this is due to me living in the UK and paying additional shipping/customs 😦. I can't wait for it to arrive, i am finding it abit overwhelming on where to begin though...

[@SpookyVillages]

so happy the videos have helped you, thank you!

[@joelledickerson344]

This is super helpful! I’m starting my collection this year!

[@SpookyVillages]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Scorpion.1992]

I love the Wildwood T shirt been there last year with the family had a blast..

[@SpookyVillages]

never been there in person, but i have purchased guitars from them and love the shop. Great folks to deal with

[@brucenadeau5920]

Long time Christmas Village junkie where TRYING to find places AND companies NOT Lemax OR Dept 56 for HAlloween Villages and accessories... Well looking for MORE options than just Dept 56 and Lemax.... AND WHERE to find them offline....

[@whoknowes1]

Cool Video. Went over and joined the F/B group. Always look forward to what you have to say about the villages. Any suggestions on a software/app that can be used to keep an inventory of what we have? Something that could work on Christmas and Halloween and now the Summer collection from Lemax. Multiple manufacturers like Lemax, Dept.56 Kohls and a few others.

[@SpookyVillages]

Thanks for joining! As for an app, I don't know of one. I keep track of everything I have via a simple excel spreadsheet!

[@JuliusCesarR]

Great video thanks for the info I’m a noob on this hopefully this year all have a great display

[@darkhorse1628]

I’m not like a huge collector but during the Halloween season but a few from menards I try and buy 2 lemax Halloween village pices there like this week I’m getting two from there I usually buy the big animated pieces

[@pupbroplayz2950]

Thank you for the tips I will tell my dad some of these! By the way I have the red river motel,the fire dept,I got like a grave house I think,I got the mery go round,the whine seller and that’s it!

[@margaretpetrie4879]

It is July 19th just purchased Lemax Clown Train. But I just watched your review on the Hurl n Whirl going to get that one tomorrow with a 60% off coupon.

[@SpookyVillages]

good luck, its an awesome piece!

[@jacquelinemaldonado2626]

It's easy to go crazy, but great advice on going slow

[@SpookyVillages]

thanks it's something i am dealing with now actually!

[@libbysjournal]

My grandma stopped putting out her Christmas village ,two years ago. and she gave us the entire thing and thank, God saved all of the Styrofoam boxes. I refuse to ever sell a Styrofoam box of a holiday decoration that I store away again.

[@nancyreed7497]

Very helpful video . I am a newbie ! Thanks

[@SpookyVillages]

You're welcome and hope you enjoy the hobby!

[@Wtfrank90]

What do you think of the village from the Bradford Exchange? I collect peanuts (Charlie Brown and Snoopy) and they have some really nice stuff that I might want to add

[@SpookyVillages]

Ive never had anything from them before and the reason is i've heard the pieces are quite small. If they released anything I was interested in I'd try a piece but nothing so far. Hope to review some eventually on here! If you get anything, let me know if you like it!

[@ronernenwein1791]

Good video. Keep up with the info.

[@SpookyVillages]

Thanks Ron, going to try and do more informative stuff this year as well to mix in with the reviews

[@brucenadeau5920]

I'll be going NUTS on this and TRYING to get each theme and then do sections sliding into one another. I have done this will my Christmas Villages and into that for at least $8K.. Yikes MORE money to blow! lol

[@cassidymelton3692]

Is there a secret to eliminating the amount of plugins I use aside from the 4.5 volt adapters w the three plugs? I have many that are just light bulb. I have about 20 “houses” that I’ve accumulated over the last ten years. They get displayed on the built in shelves I have in my living room. Just wondering if there’s a way to cut down on the amount of outlets needed. Thanks!

[@tylerlastname5099]

You mentioned custom figurines, has anyone purchased custom figurines? Where’d you go for it? Were you happy with the product?

[@SpookyVillages]

I actually make my own!

[@amandalwayman4046]

Some great tips! I actually acquired some really hard to get D56 pieces through google searches and calls to individual dealers. Do you know if the new Spooky Town graveyard dance piece will be a Michaels piece or available at other dealers? Thanks for keeping me in the Halloween spirit 👻

[@SpookyVillages]

I could not get confirmation one way or the other but I am almost positive that it WILL NOT be at michaels. They have always just used their exclusive pieces as the large ones they carry for the year. There is a chance it may be available on line, but i'd guess that it will not be in store

[@janiebrossmann1178]

Great advice

[@michaelluke5878]

Subscribed today after I bought nearly all Michael’s stuff. Question: where do you get the awesome backdrops?

[@SpookyVillages]

a now defunct company. I am working on doing my own backdrops as a product, though!

[@kscrrt1]

Just found this video, one comment about Dept 56 I started collecting 35 years ago and the quality of the Dept 56 is not worth the price any longer.

[@leilarosa4109]

Where do you suggest getting your backdrops and platform material?!

[@SpookyVillages]

As of right now, Etsy seems to be the best choice for both if you want the most options!

[@jmills3721]

Any idea how I can get print catalogs? Looking to start a village and would love everything in one place (if possible). Thank you!

[@chandlermichel4231]

I just went out and purchased two Lemax Spooky village items from Michaels and both were broken? The little figures seem to be glued on soooo poorly. Most were already off and if you touch anything with no force, it’ll just pop off. Is that the expected quality or did I somehow get two defective products? I was so excited to start building a village but now I’m debating if I should exchange or just return them. Help :(

[@SpookyVillages]

hey Chandler, no they shouldn't be broken! You should exchange if you don't feel like gluing! Just know that these all eventually will break off due to fragility to gluing will eventually be a skill to master!

[@benzi1521]

Found these today for the first time, I love them. Love the little shop of horrors inspired shop. Also I found them at michaels with 30% off tags so how’s the time

[@SpookyVillages]

welcome to the hobby!

[@benzi1521]

Spooky Villages thanks! Started watching your other videos and managed to get a 60% off coupon for my garden of eaten piece for around 35$. Thanks so much

[@SlammingWizard420]

Have you ever purchased a piece off of ehobbytools? Is that site a trustful site for me to order pieces because they sure seem to have a collection. Some really cool ones

[@SpookyVillages]

yep, the site is legit

[@SlammingWizard420]

Spooky Villages Alright thank you. I haven’t purchased a piece off of anything except Micheals so thank you for letting me know! They have some really cool pieces there that have caught my eye for my collection. Thank you very much!

[@rafaelinaurena225]

I really loved this, thank you

[@SpookyVillages]

you are welcome!

[@ambermasloski1882]

Beginner here. I had inherited my grandmas department 56 houses and am very exciting to honor the tradition however was wondering if I should be worried at all with having the heat from the bulbs potentially ruining my Armoire in changing color of the wood or burning marks on white finished shelving. Anyone have any experiences?

[@SpookyVillages]

Hi Amber, i've displayed on wood before and never had discoloration, but i'm also using a small foam platform. I think if you do that, you'll be fine

[@photo_paper784]

Try LED bulbs…they have no heat.

[@brendaechols2228]

How big should a village be? Im just starting with my first piece. Its all so overwhelming...

[@SpookyVillages]

Just start with something very small! Maybe a building and accessory piece. It doesn't have to be huge!

[@melindaward4115]

Found the video! Thank you! 😊👍

[@SpookyVillages]

Hope you like it!

[@thoughtengine]

Does anyone just scratch or kitbash villages, or build them from model railway buildings or something?

[@SpookyVillages]

I don't really see much kit bashing out there at least in all the groups I'm in. You do see some people somewhat alter buildings by painting non-Halloween ones or adding a few decorations, but not true kit bashing. Lotta room to do that with these!

[@marioncontursi6530]

What a great video!

[@SpookyVillages]

thank you!

[@claudiaweidman1004]

Great video

[@SpookyVillages]

thank you!

[@Claudia-zs9ov]

Saludos desde la ciudad de México

[@j.d.peterson4956]

The lemax break after a few years. Very disappointed in the quality especially considering the price.

[@danielbraun5524]

Hi Doug! Just wanted to say I love your videos. You inspired my family to start our own spooky town tradition this year. Please check our video "Spooky town 2020 completed" on you tube. THANKS, The Braun's

[@streetThugg2017]

Lemax r the best. Department 56 are too granny looking.