Home Depot's Missing Halloween Decorations: Where's Skelly? The popular 12-foot skeleton and other Home Depot Halloween yard decorations failed to launch in April 2025, sparking concern among fans. Did tariffs delay the retailer's "Halfway to Halloween" event? Find out why the absence of this highly anticipated seasonal sale has fans wondering about the future of their favorite spooky yard props
Home Depot's "Halfway to Halloween" Event: Where's Skelly? The Home Depot's popular "Halfway to Halloween" sale, typically launching in late April with limited-edition Skelly and other Halloween decorations, was notably absent in 2025. This annual event, a teaser for the full Halloween collection, usually features new props available online and has become a highly anticipated event for fans of the retailer's iconic 12-foot skeleton. The absence sparked concern among dedicated Halloween shoppers who usually snap up items within hours of the sale's launch
Home Depot's popular Halfway to Halloween event, featuring the iconic 12-foot Skelly skeleton and other Halloween decorations, usually sells out quickly. The highly anticipated annual sale, which typically launches in late April, saw some items disappear within an hour last year. The absence of this spring's event sparked concern among dedicated fans who eagerly await these limited-edition Halloween decorations
Home Depot Halloween fans, like Jennifer Penelope Corcoran, founder of the 12 Ft Skeleton Halloween Club, expressed concern over the retailer's skipped "Halfway to Halloween" sale in April 2025. For many dedicated enthusiasts, purchasing Halloween decorations before the summer feels premature; "If I spend the money in April, it doesn't count as Halloween," Corcoran explained
Jennifer Corcoran, founder of the 64,000+ member Facebook group "12 Ft Skeleton Halloween Club," is a key figure in the online Home Depot Skelly fandom. Since launching the group in September 2020, following Skelly's debut, she's also cultivated the massive 170,000+ member "Home Depot Halloween Haunters Club," a testament to the enduring popularity of Home Depot's Halloween decorations
Home Depot Halloween fans, organized in groups like the 12 Ft Skeleton Halloween Club ( boasting over 64,000 members!), eagerly anticipate the retailer's annual "Halfway to Halloween" event. These dedicated enthusiasts rely on "Code Orange" alerts for restock announcements and were disappointed by the event's delay in 2025, causing concern among the Skelly community
Home Depot's 2025 "Halfway to Halloween" event was delayed, leaving fans of the iconic 12-foot Skelly skeleton wondering: what happened? Reports suggest that President Trump's tariffs, impacting plastic product manufacturers, may have caused significant pricing challenges, creating a ripple effect across the Halloween industry. While the Home Depot hasn't confirmed a direct link, the absence of the usual April launch raises concerns about tariff impacts on Halloween decorations. The delay affected the release of Skelly and other popular seasonal yard props, disappointing dedicated fans and sparking online speculation
Home Depot's 2025 Halfway to Halloween Event: Where's Skelly? Despite an internal press release confirming a late April launch of its popular Halloween decorations, including the iconic 12-foot skeleton "Skelly," the Home Depot's Halfway to Halloween event never materialized. This unexpected cancellation left fans disappointed and sparked speculation about the reasons behind the delay. Learn why the highly anticipated spring release of limited-edition Halloween props failed to happen
Home Depot's Halfway to Halloween Sale: Get Early Access to 2025 Halloween Decorations! Shop select Halloween decorations online at HomeDepot.com this spring, months before the full collection launches. Snag exclusive items from the highly anticipated 2025 lineup, including new additions to the popular Skelly family, before they sell out! Don't miss this early access event – get your Halloween decor early!
Home Depot's Halfway to Halloween: Why the 2025 Skelly Drop Disappeared? The popular Home Depot "Halfway to Halloween" event, known for its early release of limited-edition Halloween decorations like the iconic 12-foot skeleton ("Skelly"), didn't happen in 2025. This surprise absence, following a tradition since 2022, left fans concerned. While Home Depot initially described the event as a "tradition," they later clarified it wasn't a core strategic element, aiming for a "surprise and delight" for Halloween enthusiasts. The unexpected hiatus sparked speculation and disappointment among dedicated fans, many of whom eagerly anticipate the annual early release
Home Depot's delayed 2025 Halloween collection launch was a strategic decision to focus on core customers and competitive landscape analysis. A later launch, timed for peak Halloween excitement, will maximize impact and ensure availability for the broader consumer base
Home Depot's highly anticipated Halfway to Halloween drop, featuring the iconic 12-foot skeleton and other spooky yard decorations, is expected in mid-July. Follow Home Depot on social media for official launch date announcements and to avoid missing out on these limited-edition Halloween items
Home Depot's popular Skelly and other Halloween decorations, manufactured by Seasonal Visions International (SVI) in China, faced significant delays in 2025. High US tariffs on Chinese imports, reaching 145% in April, impacted production and the retailer's traditional "Halfway to Halloween" launch. These tariffs, currently at 30%, caused a shortage of these beloved seasonal items, leaving fans concerned about the availability of their favorite Halloween decorations
Home Depot Halloween prop supplier, SVI, announces business changes citing increased tariffs. The company, which also sells replacement parts online, emailed customers on June 3rd regarding upcoming adjustments to its operations this summer. This follows the unexpected absence of new Halloween decorations from Home Depot in April, raising concerns among fans of the popular 12-foot skeleton and other seasonal props
Home Depot Halloween Decor Delays: Supply Chain Issues & Price Adjustments
Due to global supply chain disruptions and increased tariffs, Home Depot will adjust Halloween decoration pricing, availability, and support policies starting July 1st. Further details will be posted on the Home Depot website soon
When asked about SVI’s email and tariffs’ role in the Home Depot’s decision to cancel its Halfway to Halloween drop, Pelfrey acknowledged the state of the market but said the retailer didn’t make its call for a singular reason.
“Tariffs are definitely something that the company has a good team rallying around, and our merchants and our relationships with suppliers are so good that they’re always trying to look for the best way to keep value at the forefront for customers. And that’s one of the things, I think, that stays true for Halloween as well,” said Pelfrey.
He added: “We looked at a lot of different competitive lenses and that’s kind of really where we made our [Halfway to Halloween] decision. I wouldn’t say one sole factor made our mind up on that.”
Tariffs have certainly been top of mind for Home Depot leadership. On April 21, CNBC reported that CEO Ted Decker joined Target and Walmart’s CEOs in a meeting with Trump to discuss tariffs’ impact on their businesses. “We had an informative and constructive meeting with the President and look forward to continuing the dialogue,” the Home Depot reportedly said in a statement.
A month later, the Home Depot would swear off sweeping price hikes because of tariffs — a rare move among major retailers. “We don’t see broad-based price increases for our customers at all going forward,” said executive vice president of merchandising Billy Bastek, speaking on a May 20 investor call about the company’s Q1 earnings report, per NPR. However, the company isn’t ruling out changes to individual product pricing and availability down the road.
“There’s items that we have that could potentially be impacted from a tariff that, candidly, we won’t have going forward,” said Bastek. “There’ll be some things that don’t make sense that just end up going away.”
Pelfrey did confirm that Skelly will return at some point in 2025, referring to the 12-footer as “the rockstar out of all of our Halloween decor.” But when Mashable asked him in a follow-up email whether it will still be sold for $299, its sticker price since 2020, he couldn’t say. “We don’t share pricing of products before the official launch,” Pelfrey wrote.
Halloween has become a big business over the last decade, but especially in the last five years. According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) latest Halloween Spending Survey, U.S. consumers were expected to drop $11.6 billion on Halloween items in 2024, up from $8.8 billion in 2019 and $7.4 billion in 2014. (Last year’s figure wasn’t finalized at the time of publication, but would be a slight drop from 2023’s record-setting $12.2 billion.)
This surge in Halloween spending has correlated with a rise in early shopping. Forty-seven percent of respondents in the NRF’s survey said they bought Halloween items before October in 2024, compared to 37 percent in 2019 and 32 percent in 2014.
Yet 2025 could alter these trends as consumers’ sourcing options dwindle. All Joann Fabrics stores and most Party City locations closed in recent months after both retailers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy around the new year. At Home, a Texas-based home decor chain that sells Halloween items, could soon do the same after missing a mid-May interest payment and entering a forbearance deal with its lenders, Bloomberg reported.
Among surviving retailers, the Home Depot wouldn’t be the only store to shelve a spring Halloween drop because of economic turmoil. On May 1, HalloweenCostumes.com announced on Instagram that it was delaying the usual May launch of its decor and animatronics “due to rising tariffs.” The company declined an interview request.
“For now, everything is postponed,” said HalloweenCostumes.com Tom Fallenstein in the accompanying reel. “We know that’s very disappointing, but with the tariffs, we are trying to figure out what products we’re bringing in, what costs might look like, and ultimately how do we get the product here and have the best experience for our customers.”
On May 22, Spirit Halloween credited “international disruptions and supply chain challenges” as the factors that led it to cancel this year’s grand opening event at its flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., according to a statement on its Instagram page. The retailer said its 1,500 stores are still slated to begin opening in mid-August, and that it plans to revive the Egg Harbor Township event in 2026. A representative for Spirit didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Home Depot rival Lowe’s ran its own limited Halloween sale in late April, but it may not have been totally immune from current market conditions. A Reddit user pointed out that a 12-foot Bone Collector animatronic was listed for $599 on the Lowe’s website this spring. It debuted last year at $399, according to the parenting website GeekDad, footage of its in-store display, and Halloween YouTubers’ unboxing videos.
On April 22, a user named “MadPotentialCustomer” complained about the Bone Collector’s $200 price increase in the Community Q&A section of its product page. An account that appears to be run by Tekky Design, its manufacturer, responded two days later. “Tekky has no control over retails,” it wrote. “Please reach out to Lowe’s directly regarding any issues with pricing.” Mashable reached out to Tekky and Lowes for comment, and we’ll update this article if we hear back.
Lowe’s had the Bone Collector in stock for $499 the last time Mashable checked.
Members of Skelly’s Facebook fandom who were hoping for a Halfway to Halloween drop haven’t shied away from tariff discussions, for better or worse. Corcoran had to make a dedicated tariff thread in Home Depot Halloween Haunters Club because its members kept submitting posts about the topic. She and her co-admins took turns monitoring it closely so it didn’t spiral into political arguments, she told Mashable.
Corcoran has a professional sales background that includes shipping and logistics, and she recognizes that the Home Depot is in a tough position when it comes to balancing tariffs with consumer expectations, as most retailers are right now. “They’re not a nonprofit,” she said. But Corcoran thinks Halloween enthusiasts remain loyal to the Home Depot because its decor prices have always been reasonable and consistent, pointing to the fact that Skelly’s $299 MSRP has stuck despite insatiably high demand and several upgrades. (The Home Depot gave Skelly a plug-in power adapter and new eye features in 2021 and 2024, respectively.)
“That 12-foot skeleton does not ship in a shoebox, and with the prices of plastics, components, everything like that … it’s one of the only things I can think of, between 2020 and 2024, that did not go up in price,” Corcoran said.
Corcoran stays in close touch with the Home Depot’s team and expects them to provide a heads-up once the 2025 Halloween drop is set in stone, she said. In the meantime, members of her groups are temporarily distracted by the recent arrival of a new 170-gallon Husky tote, the long-awaited answer to many 12-foot skeleton owners’ storage woes. (Right on its label: “Fits 12ft Skelly.”) Some have jokingly floated the idea of decorating the totes if new animatronics don’t arrive soon.
For her part, Corcoran has her eye on a new 6.5-foot, app-controlled “Ultra Skelly” that popped up in March at the Home Depot’s Store Managers Meeting, an annual employee convention that features an upcoming product showcase. Corcoran didn’t buy any Halloween items from the Home Depot last year because she had vet bills to pay, and she’s excited to make up for it when the time comes.
“I’m telling everybody to stay calm,” said Corcoran. “Meanwhile, I’m texting my friends, ‘If I don’t get that app skeleton, the world will feel my wrath.'”
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