Halloween Village or Spooky Town for Tabletop Ghouls

The devil is in the details, or so they say, but it's the details that make these fun. Children might stand fascinated in front of a display searching for glimpses of all the strange items that exist, that possibly move from the shadows, and for those of us who enjoy details and set designs, those moments are rewarding. Both Department 56 and Lemax have thoughtfully designed accessories. Some are lit, some are not. Those that are not lit will benefit from spotlights or being placed near a street light. Consider your theme, but there are accessories for any theme. Creepy street lights add a sense of reality, it an eerie way.

Department 56 Fifty Six Street Lights  Department 56 Street Lights are perfectly scaled for their ceramic Village displays, this is durable and can be powered by batteries or an optional adapter. It's eerie and elegant.

Over the years I've mixed (shame on me) Department 56 and Lemax Spooky Town items.  I'm only into it for the fun, not the collectible value, and the scales are similar enough that they fit together. The quality of the Lemax pieces has really improved over the years. If properly stored between the seasons they could last a lifetime. Many of the Department 56 houses go into retirement and their value increases -- keep their original packaging not just for safe storage but if you're considering them as investments the original packaging increases that value. There are many sites dedicated to providing instructions on how to collect these. 

Consider your theme. Do you want an urban theme, a rural farm setting, a marine setting with pirate ship, or a fantasy spooky setting. I have a Monster Ball building with spooky couples dancing in circles around a moving floor and I have a Mausoleum where creatures slip in and out of doors and caskets open and shut. Both are incredibly noisy. If you want the noise, but not all the time, make sure that your house has a separate control for sounds where it can be turned off or the volume can be turned down. I prefer Lemax buildings mostly because they have more animation, lights, strange features and noise. There are also buildings that are exquisite with incredible detail but have only lights. 

Lemax Spookytown Witch's Brew Haus  Halloween only comes once a year so make the most of it.  The Witches Brew Haus can last a lifetime (with care) and will create some memorable moments. This is well crafted, creative, and will last years if cared for and repackaged after every Halloween.

Creepy fences, spooky trees, and familiar monsters help complete the setting. Many of these will lack lights. Consider using spotlights with blue covers or small Department 56 Christmas white spotlights. You can use the Christmas lights in this display by placing a small cut piece of blue overhead transparency film in front of the light. Other options include strings of small pumpkin lights on strings. Both Lemax and Department 56 offer these (they both run on batteries and can be plugged into the accessory lighting system).

All of these small lit buildings have their own power adapters. Some buildings are lit internally and some are lit by small bulbs, that resemble Christmas tree light bulbs, that fit into the back wall of the building or into the floor of the building. Smaller lit accessories also have their own power requirements. Some run on batteries and come with battery boxes and many of these have built-in jacks for power adapters. Each of these buildings and accessories draw slightly different currents.

It is possible to choreograph the lighting by using accessory lighting systems from Department 56 and/or Lemax Village. If you only have one or two buildings and one or two lit accessories, it's not worth the cost. Once you begin to light multiple buildings and power the sound in those buildings, plus you begin to power accessories and you want them all on timers, it's worth the time and cost to look into system lighting. Both have an extensive selection and both Department 56 and Lemax systems are available at other locations. Know that this exists and shop around for the best prices. 

Lemax Sticky Max was my best find in 2009. Department 56 also has a sticky wax. These keep your street lights vertical and your figurines in place. This is especially important if you have wood floors and children or dogs that run past your displays.