Before the days of elaborate Halloween costumes, there were costumes in a box. Remember them? We seemingly all wore these costumes as kids. Now hear the story behind these costumes and the history of the big three companies that made them, Ben Cooper Inc, Halco, and Collegeville. For years, these costumes were a beloved Halloween institution dating back in the 1930s. In 1982 at the height of their popularity, the first case of domestic terrorism shook the United States and threatened to cancel Halloween forever. In an effort to save the holiday, the costume giants, although rivals in business, were forced to come together and unify or trick or treating would become extinct. Learn about various licenses including Star Wars, Spiderman, Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and more.

Halloween in a Box

Ben Cooper Inc.'s costume-in-a-box revolutionized Halloween in the late 1930s, allowing children to dress as pop culture characters.