The 14th National Halloween, Costume & Party Show was held March 13-17 at the Rosemont Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. This show has grown so much that it is now held entirely on the building's first floor. The 625 vendors are in 1,600 booths on 300,000 square feet. Buyer attendance exceeds 8,000.

If you've taken advantage of the Halloween season to rent and sell costumes and accessories, attendance at this show is compulsory. This column will help you with the buying process, but if you really want to grow this segment of your business, you should attend. And I do see many rental dealers who are kind enough to say hello.

Allow at least three days to work this show. If you don't, you're bound to miss some important offerings. It runs Friday through Tuesday; Monday is best because it's quiet after the weekend rush and easier to talk to sales personnel.

Appropriately, the trade show started on Friday the 13th. Many early morning seminars were held each day before the show floor opened, and demonstrations and workshops were held on the floor. As usual, the Friday evening cocktail party and Rubie's Saturday party were extremely overcrowded. However, the costume fashion show held at the opening party is a favorite for many attendees because the better costumes are modeled.

Here's a rundown on a few of the vendors. Because of the vast amount of exhibitors and products, it is im-possible to give detailed descriptions. Only those new or different from the ordinary are mentioned. If your interest is piqued, ask for catalogs, and log onto the Web sites mentioned.

1-800-COSTUME, (510) 887-1315, fax (510) 887-0832, is a great promotional idea. These people have reserved the number (800) COSTUME for the entire country, and AT&T can redirect each call to an area code. For an annual fee of $1,500, you can use the number and all calls from your area will be forwarded to you.

Accu-Cut Systems, (800) 288-1670, fax (402) 721-5778, makes die-cutting machines used with construction paper, oak tag, static-cling vinyl, posterboard, felt, foam, etc., to create decorations, letters and numbers, themed shapes, photo frames and lots of other items too numerous to mention here. If you're the creative sort, this tool can create a very handy service to distinguish your business.

Alinco, (800) 845-2272, fax (801) 266-6320, specializes in those huge costumes that make you look 10 feet tall. Cyclops, Grim Reaper and Dr. and Nurse Dimwits are just a few. But the Galactic Warrior is awesome. Its Web site is <alincocostumes.com>.

American Plume & Fancy Feather Co., (800) 679-7666, fax (915) 729-4499, specializes in huge feather masks and headpieces. They're gorgeous. However, I'd recommend them for sale rather than rental.

Anatomical Chart Co., (800) 621-7500, fax (847) 674-0211, supplies charts and scale models of skeletons and body parts to the education and medical fields. It's hitched onto Halloween with a nice product line. A full-size skeleton is less than $170.

Aso Corp., (941) 379-0300, fax (941) 378-9040, has gross bandages and mummy wraps.

Ateck, (800) 582-5374, fax (908) 548-8066, has put together a video system that captures an image and prints it on transfer media with one of its unique backgrounds. A person's face can be superimposed on a picture of Hercules, or a poster of a baseball star, or a magazine cover, etc. The picture can then be transferred to a T-shirt, coffee mug or button. The system can be rented with a trained crew or purchased. It's fantastic for company events, trade shows and parties.

Atelier Terziev, (don't ask me to pronounce it) (888) 800-4118, fax (773) 792-3308, has a battery-operated hot-stamping pen that creates personalized messages on paper, leather, photos, plastic and more. The tool costs only $7.50. It's a great resale.

Boa Novelty Feather Product Corp., (305) 633-8586, (305) 633-9288, is another firm with huge, beautiful, feather headpieces.

Boneyard Productions, (508) 757-7040, fax (508) 757-7040, provides haunted-house designs, instructional videotapes, animations, etc., and publishes Fright Times magazine for those of you interested in haunted-house attractions.

Bridal Touch, (602) 890-1988, fax (602) 890-2930, makes a line of greeting cards for a bride to give to members of a wedding party. They are a nice adjunct to the traditional gift.

Cachivaches LTDA., (571) 213-3414, fax (571) 215-7534, is a Colom-bian manufacturer of children's costumes and a first-time exhibitor. It has a beautiful line with a price range of only $20 to $30 - quite a bargain for the quality.

CCC Noveltease Apparel, (818) 718-0507, fax (818) 718-0655, has a neat line of T-shirts, caps and sweatshirts with embroidered titles such as Bride, Groom, Mother of Bride, Father of Bride, Maid (or Matron) of Honor, Best Man, Groomsman, Just Married, Honeymooners and on and on.

César/Masquerade, (212) 228-MASK, fax (212) 598-4363, is the staple mask line for any Halloween business. This year it introduced some great large Hillary and Bill masks and an outstanding Jack Nicholson.

Clown Alley Products, (513) 396-8080, fax (513) 396-8088, is a favorite of ours for its Cat in the Hat series of costumes and accessories. Rental costumes are reasonably priced. And, of course, it has a great line of clown accessories.

Compass Marketing, (407) 330-9060, fax (407) 323-7067, has made its name in costumes for pets. It may sound silly, but they're adorable. New titles for this year are Busy Bee, Pumpkin Patch Pooch, Football Hero, Devil in Disguise and Dapper Dog among others. Don't turn your snout up at these - they're fast sellers.

Concept Marketing, (707) 545-4171, fax (707) 575-3707, introduced the Loot Scoop in 1997. These trick-or-treat collectors are in the shape of an animal paw. Try them. They were a hot seller last fall. Concept is a great source for pumpkin carving tools. The Web site is <pumpkintools.com>.

Creative Expressions Group, (800) 428-5017, fax (800) 451-3404, was known as Paper Art. The line specializes in licenses, so it's a good one to stock. New this year are Dilbert, Anastasia, Garfield, The Lost World, Land Before Time, Casper, Cave Kids, Power Rangers Turbo and Godzilla.

Cruisin USA, (800) 444-1685, fax (314) 426-1713, is for '50s buffs. It has poodle skirts, pink satin jackets, "Pink Ladies" bowling shirts, Doo-Wop stuff, Betty Boop, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis accessories.

Cubex, (800) 442-8239, fax (908) 241-4833, makes 20-gallon party tubs with party and holiday themes or your logo printed on them. The firm is very interested in the rental market, and I was promised that this line won't be sold to mass merchandisers.

L. Daniels, (216) 291-4144, fax (216) 241-4194, supplies balloon-drop kits in retail and professional versions. However, the 3-D Sculpture Drop is truly unique. It is a balloon sculpture in a star or heart shape that breaks away and becomes a drop on cue.

Design-A-Foam, (770) 698-9060, fax (770) 698-0600, has Styrofoam shapes in many sizes and forms. If you decorate or provide props, this firm is a good source.

Disguise, (212) 727-3267, fax (212) 727-7273, is always one of our first stops at the show. Here is where you go to find out what's hot this year because the firm secures the most popular licenses. The lineup this year includes Anastasia, Small Soldiers, Godzilla, Space Rangers (new version of Power Rangers), Babe, Men in Black, Toonsylvania's Igor, Barney, Tickle Me Big Bird, Tickle Me Cookie Monster, Peanuts, Teletubbies, Sing & Snore Ernie, Mulan (described as the "Chinese Yentl"), Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, Hercules, Simba's Pride (Lion King) and many, many others.

Don Post Studios/Great Cover Up's, (800) 874-4087, fax (800) 648-7772. New masks this year include Chancre, Greg Gory, Demon Seed, Pied Piper, Death Rot, Spurt 'N Ernie, Altered State and more. This firm also has the license for Star Wars. Check the Web site: <donpoststudios.com>.

Elope, (800) 553-5673, fax (719) 590-9085, is a new exhibitor with an extensive line of hats and themed eyeglasses. Jesters, Mad Hatters, Biker, Tricorn, Pope and Wizard are just a few titles. The Web site is <elope.net>.

Ercoli, (800) 966-8945, fax (215) 634-4848, is another new exhibitor. It features one-size-fits-all washable period costumes.

Eton Co., (800) 937-3866, fax (504) 734-9136, is your one stop for Mardi Gras beads and jewelry. Its ex-tensive line has everything from the inexpensive beads and cups thrown from floats to better necklaces that your clients will be proud to wear.

Exelnt Designs, (810) 977-9140, fax (810) 977-2756, specializes in sexy skimpy costumes. They have French maids, cheerleaders, Wonder Woman, wench, firefighter, Mistress Santa, Golden Genie and lots more.

Expo International, (800) 542-4367, fax (800) 772-7545, has a very wide line of appliqués full of glitz and glitter. If you make your own costumes or want to dress up your inventory, check it out.

Fantasy Hats, (212) 366-5332, fax (212) 366-5307, has a wide line of costume hats. The pirate hat with perched parrot, lady bug, smiling sunflower and birthday cake are cute.

Fortune Products, (800) 345-4833, fax (425) 334-9758, carries an extensive line of electronic novelties such as black lights, strobe lights, plasma balls, rope lights, etc. The Phenix Collection of lamps has faces with eyes that stare back and appear to move with you around the room. Its Web site is <seanet.com/~fpi>.

Fun World, (516) 873-9000, fax (516) 873-9005, is the exclusive li-cense source for all Scream costumes, masks and novelties. This was a sleeper last year and is going to be one of the hottest moving lines this year, so be sure you have a selection. You can buy direct or through your distributor.

Gasworks, (800) 543-3487, fax (954) 524-2846, has gags, games

From Page 61 and party novelties. The risqué catalog is a riot, but difficult to describe. Let's just say that it carries interesting candy and edibles, naughty wrapping paper, furry handcuffs, etc. - you get the idea.

Gourmet Express, (800) 224-6876, fax (847) 256-7823, has themed gift kits and baskets that it will ship, but with your label. Custom orders also are accommodated.

Grotesque Studios, (516) 746-6060, fax (516) 746-1058, carries body parts, corpses, tombstones, wall plaques and coffins. It has a nice line of foam gravestones.

Hannah Banana Products, (708) 344-6050, fax (708) 344-6508, carries very attractive candles, candleholders, decorative tabletop glassware and mirrors, party crystals and other decorative glass. The tabletop mirrors are available in round and octagonal.

Hats Off, (301) 587-6275, fax (301) 587-0925, is another manufacturer of hats and theatrical headpieces. However, these are rental quality. Especially noteworthy are hats with the Titanic theme, Three Little Pigs and Three Blind Mice.

H&H Global Enterprises, (312) 491-1315, fax (312) 491-1314, didn't exhibit them, but showed me a clever idea - miniature shopping carts for table centerpieces. The carts are only 12 by 8 by 10 inches, but are correct in every detail. These are nice for floral decorations, loot containers at children's parties and so forth. Could be a decent rental.

Hill Design Group, (650) 324-4245, fax (650) 324-4480, manufactures very clever trick-or-treat bags with inflatable vinyl faces so that they're three-dimensional. Bats, ghosts and dinosaurs are the themes. They're cute, and I predict they'll be a hit.

House of Costumes, (313) 451-0255, fax (313) 451-0255, has great washable period costumes. Some titles are Colonial Lady, Mozart, Delilah, Egyptian Prince and Princess, Daniel Boone, Renaissance, Velvet Musketeer, etc.

Indiana Ribbon, (800) 531-3100, fax (800) 279-4747, distinguishes itself with a large selection of ribbons and bows. What attracted our attention were its huge pew bows.

Innovative Concept Marketing, (800) FUN-MDSE, fax (800) FUN-PILL, has a nice line of Over the Hill Products. Its Crazy Cures and Crazy Lotions and Creams also are hoots. It has Beer Belly pills, Baditude pills, Hangover enders, X-rated pills, Oil of Old Age, Chrome Dome polish, Virgin Again lotion, fortune cookies for every occasion and even pasta in the shape of numbers for milestone years.

InScribe, (800) 346-3461, fax (617) 252-3313, was the first and most successful company to bring in-store invitation printing systems to the party store market. It has become more and more sophisticated over the years. Now it can even provide Photocards - a system that places a personal photo on cards, notes, placecards and stickers.

Kabuki, (800) 461-7625, fax (506) 577-2832, manufactures theatrical confetti, streamers and CO2 launchers, manual and automatic. The nice part about this line is that the confetti is a slow fall type so that the effect lasts awhile.

LaMendola, (800) 645-5115, fax (516) 582-9541, is our choice for well-made, reasonably priced costumes for resale. Some can even be used for rental. The Corps de Ballet is a riot. It is a series of ballerina costumes - complete with tutus and shoes - for men.

Little Spider Productions, (303) 451-5091, fax (303) 451-5091, has terrific props and special effects. Some feature animation. I especially liked Peek-A-Boo Ghoul, a tombstone that pops up to reveal a ghoul forcing his way out of a grave.

Lookinglass, (800) 729-5665, fax (410) 547-0336, always comes to the show with a great line of novelties, but this time it introduced the product of the year - Presidential Knee Pads! 'Nough said.

Mascot Masters International, (405) 722-2922, fax (405) 810-8480, makes very high-quality mascot costumes in both stock and custom models. It can even provide internal cooling systems. Prices start at $1,200, but you get whatcha pay for.

Mask U.S., (619) 476-9041, fax (619) 476-7346, on the other hand, makes a wide line of reasonably priced mascots in the $200-to-$400 area. They are an excellent value.

Mob Town Enterprises, (800) 368-1235, fax (773) 279-1419, featured Fantasy Liquid Latex. This is a liquid latex that one brushes on instead of wearing clothing. Obviously, it creates a "skin tight" outfit. It comes in black, nude and bright colors. The effect is outstanding!

The Monster Makers, (216) 651-7739, fax (216) 631-4329, specializes in animated props. The witches' cauldron, which starts at $5,500, was a show stopper.

Morris Costumes, (704) 332-3304, fax (704) 332-4443, is well-known as perhaps the most complete distributor in the business. There's not much in Halloween that it doesn't have. However, in recent years, it has developed some of the best animated scare props in the business. The huge, dirty old monster that was in its booth was the prop hit of the show. It's only $14,500 - cheap when compared with similar items.

Multi Media Electronics, (800) 592-4026, fax (516) 877-2679, has disco light balls, mirror balls, black-light bolts, rope lights, party lights, etc. Particularly outstanding were the black-light rope lights that can be strung indoors or outdoors. Also neat was the mirror-ball kit that can be used as a table centerpiece or hung from the ceiling. It offers a point-of-purchase merchandiser, and if you fill it with $300 worth of goods, and your total for the year is $3,000, the company will refund the original $300.

Nostalgia Costume Co., (972) 299-2266, fax (972) 293-7738, makes period costume hats and props for photo booths. However, it takes the same items and makes a lace-up back rather than tie-up so that they can be used for rental.

Ben Nye Makeup, (888) 839-2640, fax (310) 839-2640, is one of the finest and most complete lines of quality makeup. If you can get a few stores together in your area, Nye will provide a seminar on makeup application and effects. There are lots of new products this year, but the one that got me was tooth color in black, nicotine, decay and zombie rot. Yuck!

Palmer Paint Products, (248) 588-4500, fax (248) 588-3878, manufactures a line of face paints, glow-in-the-dark paints, black-light paints and pumpkin paints. The black-light paint is especially effective for making posters that glow.

Paper Magic, (800) 354-2689, fax (212) 675-3900, is the surviving firm of a huge consolidation among Halloween suppliers - Topstone, Illusive Concepts, Blinky, Spearhead, Eureka and Clio among others. I like to mention the names so that you'll know where your suppliers went. Obviously, it has a huge line with five catalogs for Halloween alone. Its big license this year is Lost in Space.

Peter Alan, (800) 622-5454, fax (973) 227-7116, is a great source for inexpensive costumes, masks, wigs and accessories. Alan imports most of the items himself, so his pricing is excellent. His newly introduced, full line of tiaras is excellent.

Pioneer Balloon Co. (Qualatex), (316) 685-2266, fax (316) 685-2409, has a great new accessory called the SDS System. It is an excellent and quick way to easily and cheaply build frames for balloon arches and other balloon decorations. It also introduced Duo Balloons - two balloons in one shaped like a barbell. They're made of a specially formulated material that is fade- and tear-resistant for use in long-lasting outdoor decor.

Pony Express, (800) 488-5817, fax (619) 543-9090, has a great line of comedic hats. This year it featured Ti-tanic crew hats, T-shirts and life rings.

Rasta Imposta, (800) 217-2782, fax (609) 939-5990, introduced foam wigs this year in Afro, bouffant, beehive, hippie and jester at only $10. It also has lots of new hat styles. Some that tickled me were Lava Lamp, Watering Can, Stork and Jack-in-the-Box.

Rite-Off, (302) 628-2110, fax (302) 628-2110, supplies spray cans of string confetti, chalk art, spider web and temporary hair color. Every party store should stock these. Have you tracked how much string confetti you sell in a year? You'd be amazed. If you don't carry it, place your order now!

Rouse Products International, (803) 799-0153, fax (803) 779-6760, introduced an expandable framing system for creating balloon sculptures such as stars, hearts, cakes, banners, etc. It is lightweight, compact, econo-mical, flexible, modular and versatile.

Rubie's Costume Co., (516) 326-1500, fax (516) 326-1713, introduced the McDonald's license with Ronald McDonald, McDonald's Shake, French Fry and the Hamburglar. Another very popular license is Xena the Warrior Princess. It has literally dozens of other licenses such as Batman, Super Heroes, Barbie, Hercules, etc. Remember, these are all going to be footbal-led by the mass merchandisers so be careful. You have to hold out for your price and it'll sell when the discounters run out. Order fulfillment on hot items has been a problem in the past.

Scarecrow, (805) 473-2562, fax (805) 473-8978, specializes in custom fangs, custom teeth, foam latex masks and prosthetics, and disgusting props. The decayed, alien, mechanoid and over-the-hill teeth are a riot.

Sconza Candy, (510) 568-8137, fax (510) 638-5792, has attractively packaged almonds in all colors including silver and gold.

Secrets for the Nunley Collection, (801) 272-8775, fax (801) 272-3522, is one of our favorite suppliers for well-made costumes at reasonable prices. New this year are flappers, Muskateers, Peter Pan, etc. But what really drew our attention was its great Grim Reaper costume. Order early!

Alan Sloane & Co., (800) 252-6266, fax (516) 643-1015, has a great line of all types of gloves - the best in the industry. However, the tights, suspenders, bandanas and tiaras are well worth a look-see. Sloane also introduced a line of tiaras.

Snazaroo, (800) 451-4040, fax (972) 436-2530, makes a nice line of face-painting kits for doing children's faces. It's a good, safe product that is easy to remove. It also offers a line of sports paint in school colors.

Spooks, (918) 446-5238, fax (918) 446-5238, has a laser light for only $79 that projects extraordinarily long distances.

Terror by Design, (630) 830-9561, fax (630) 830-9577, exhibited the Web Shooter. For only $79, you can cover a room-sized area with flame-retardant cobwebs in just two or three minutes. It uses a common electric hand drill (not included) to shoot spider or cobwebs. It produces realistic webs. Terror has an excellent Web site at <btprod.com>.

Tooth Fairy Teeth, (888) 33FAIRY, fax (713) 528-0047, makes custom-fitted dental appliances in titles such as Hubba, Po Boy, Goalie, Slayer, Ghengis Kahn, etc. It also has gold tooth caps that snap over your own front teeth in styles such as heart, skull and bones, nugget, etc.

Treasure Masters, (800) 722-4438, fax (888) 373-6733, introduced a CD incorporated with the Emily Post Complete Book of Wedding Etiquette by Elizabeth Post, assisted by Peggy Post. Using this CD is like having a personal wedding consultant. There are even videotapes explaining just about every process (including rentals). Set it up on a PC in your showroom, let your customers play with it and it will sell.

Tropical Sun, (800) 333-6363, fax (719) 260-6378, added inflatable decorations such as pineapples, palm trees and Tiki masks. In addition, it has added Funny Fashion, a nice line of costumes imported from Europe.

Unique Design, (732) 364-4084, has the most extensive line of half masks, masquerade masks and decorative masks in the country. The nice part about it is that they sell all year long as decorations at parties and for use at masquerade balls. Service is excellent, so you can keep small quantities of many styles in stock and be assured of fast delivery when needed.

Valley Forge Flag Co., (610) 589-2400, fax (610) 589-4943, specializes in custom pompons and shakers. Ask for the custom-ordering directory.

West Bay Imports, (800) 421-1940, fax (562) 404-7379, distributes a line that should be the anchor of your wig inventory. Not only is it high quality at low prices, but delivery also is excellent. To top it off, boss Jim Napier is one of the nicest guys in the business. It is always a pleasant experience to shop here. This year's stars are Afro wigs. They are very full and avail-able in all shades of black to blonde.

Wildwood Productions, (800) 772-WILD, fax (608) 255-5105, specializes in Titanic and White Star Line T-shirts. This motif with additional printing such as "Crew," "First Class" and "Maiden Voyage," also are available in caps and tote bags. They'll be a hit this year.

XTC Leather of New York, (516) 643-3080, fax (516) 643-3510, is last, but far from least. Its skimpy, form-fitting, leather costumes kept me around the booth a lot longer than needed. Luckily I have an understanding wife. Get the catalogs. Even if you don't buy, you'll be entertained!

Copyright © 1998 American Rental Association. All rights reserved.