Home Depot Changed Halloween With One Giant Skeleton

Home Depot changed the Halloween game. It's true, and I have the receipts.

It all goes back to those giant 12-foot skeletons.

The big Skelly debuted in 2020, right in the middle of COVID, when people desperately needed a little fun in their lives. It turned out to be perfect timing. The 12-foot skeleton became an internet sensation, started popping up in yards across the country, and suddenly Home Depot wasn't just the place where you bought lumber and a new toilet. It was a Halloween destination.

Home Depot itself calls Skelly's 2020 debut a turning point that changed its Halloween business.

Skelly Just Keeps Getting Bigger And Better

Since that time, people have decided they don't necessarily have to put their skeletons away after October 31. I've seen people dress them as Santa, Uncle Sam and all kinds of other glorious reminders of whatever season we're currently celebrating.

And this year you'll have two 12-foot Skellys to choose from.

The classic Skelly is back at $299, while the new deluxe version is a pretty huge upgrade. The $379 app-controlled Skelly has an animatronic moving head and mouth, 20 different eye effects, the ability to record and store up to 30 sounds, and Bluetooth capability that allows you to actually talk through the skeleton using built-in voice-changing effects.

Yes, you can now stand inside your house and make your 12-foot skeleton talk to the neighbors.

We are truly living in the future.

Halloween Is Already Showing Up In Lubbock

So now that you're hyped up, the Home Depot on 50th Street this Saturday had a gargoyle out front saying all of the Halloween stuff would be in place Monday (today!).

Home Depot officially said its Halloween merchandise would begin hitting stores in late August, but at least here in Lubbock, it looks like the rollout is already getting underway.

If you're wanting a big Skelly, I can tell you from experience that you probably don't want to think about it for three weeks and then decide you want one. Halloween people are crazy, and the really cool stuff has a way of disappearing.

Of course, Home Depot has much more than the big Skelly, and there's probably something there that's just right for your haunted yard. I've included just a few items from their website below.

I did ask whether everything would be out today, or whether it was already out at the other Home Depot, and I was given what I can only describe as an "I just work here" kind of shrug.

So, you can take your chances there.

Either way, it's great seeing everybody getting into the Halloween spirit earlier and bigger than ever.

Read More: Nightmare On 19th Street In Lubbock Turns 20 This Season |

And don't forget to schedule at least one night with the pros — who happen to have two custom 12-foot Skellys of their own — at Nightmare On 19th Street.

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