Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — While Halloween can be a fun time to dress up and enter costume contests, it can also be expensive buying all the necessary gear. If you are wanting to dress up with a trending costume, here is a list of five of the most popular and where to find them for the cheapest cost, according to a new survey.
Personal finance company, GOBankingRates conducted a study to find some of the costumes in the highest demand this Halloween and where to buy those costumes at the most affordable prices. Many of the costumes ranged from $10 to $700 depending on the retailer, available discounts and complexity of the outfits.
Captain America
The Marvel hero will be a favorite again this Halloween, according to the study. The costume is available at many stores with a male and female version of the character. Simple versions of the costume are as cheap as $15 for a shirt and mask or up to around $40 for a full suit. The more elaborate costumes range from $100 to $300. The shield isn’t included in most of the costumes and costs an additional $25.
The cheapest places to find the Captain America costume are Walmart, Target and partycity.com.
Star-Lord
With the recent release of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and Chris Pratt’s quirky portrayal of the character, the Star-Lord costume will be a common sight on Oct. 31. GOBankingRates encourages people to avoid big retailers like Target, Walmart and Kohl’s as they will be more expensive for buying an adult version of the costume. However, with most of the costume options, people will have to buy accessories, like the laser gun, separately.
The cheapest places to buy the Star-Lord costume are Spirit Halloween and CostumeDiscounters.com. On average, the costume will cost between $10 to $45 for a child’s version and between $30 to $50 for an adult.
"Orange is the New Black"
The Emmy-award winning, Netflix original series is now in its third season. Costumes for the main character, Piper Kerman, and several of the other inmates are available in beige and orange at most costume specialty retailers.
The cheapest places to find the costume are CostumeDiscounters.com,WholesaleHalloweenCostumes.com and partycity.com, according to GOBankingRates.
Maleficent
Angelina Jolie’s portrayal of the character in the recent movie will be sure to bring a boost to the number of Maleficent costumes seen this Halloween. Most online retailers are carrying a selection of the costume this fall, according to GOBankingRates.
CostumeCraze.com and SpiritHalloween.com have the widest selections for the costume, but Walmart, WholesaleHalloweenCostumes.com and CostumeDiscounters.com are the cheapest places to find the Maleficent costume. The crow and staff will have to be bought separately.
Elsa
While many people are tired of hearing “Let it Go,” “Frozen” was a big hit so prepare to see plenty of singing Elsas during Halloween. The Elsa costumes are the cheapest at WholesaleHalloweenCostumes.com,Walmart and partycity.com. They range from $25 to $40 for a children’s costume and around $50 for an adult costume.
Most of the costume sets include a tiara.
“If you want to be a witch or a ghost for Halloween, you’ll easily find the ingredients for a costume in your closet for free — but if you’re looking to stay on trend, there are budget-friendly options too,” said GOBankingRates managing editor, Casey Bond in a news release.
“By going online, taking advantage of promo codes and free shipping and comparing prices and availability, it’s possible to buy a popular new costume for under $50. Just make sure to read the fine print and know exactly what you’re buying so there are no surprises when it’s delivered.”
