Halloween in America Giveaway
May 3rd, 2011 by John Wolfe
Update: 7/21/11 – This giveaway has closed. Congratulations to Deena Chapman of Federal Way, Washington! And to Jennifer of Bowling Green, Kentucky! They each won a copy of Halloween In America.
While I thoroughly enjoy everything I do at Season of Shadows, I have to admit one of the most enjoyable things is giving Halloween and paranormal items away to visitors. In fact, I love it so much my dream is to one day be the spooky, male equivalent of Oprah giving away my Favorite Creepy Things. Wouldn’t that be cool, a whole audience filled with Halloween and paranormal enthusiasts, all receiving oodles and gobs of Halloween decorations, trips to haunted castles, ghost hunting gear and maybe a brand new hearse for everyone to take home. Of course, those are all future plans, but for now I can offer up two brand new copies (to be given to two separate winners) of the book, Halloween in America by Stuart Schneider. I don’t own this one, but everyone on Amazon gave it rave reviews.
Here’s a description:
“Next to Christmas, more money is spent on Halloween decorations and novelties than on any other holiday. This wonderful book has been credited with inspiring the Halloween collecting craze, giving its devotees a chance to celebrate the holiday all year round! In addition to color photography and a brand new price guide, there are also many fascinating insights into Halloween. Most people are familiar with the symbols: ghosts, Jack- O’-lanterns, witches, bats, skeletons, and black cats, but few know about Halloween’s past. Why does it exist? What is the origin of trick-or-treating? Why does it fall on October 31st? Through these pages you will experience Halloween celebrations of the past and take a look at Halloween today. For collectors, this is one of the largest collections of Halloween memorabilia.”
The main portion of the book has been described as gorgeous and is devoted to vintage Halloween collectibles, but this one isn’t just for collectors. Other sections delve into Halloween’s history as well as its folklore with essays on the story of Jack of the Lantern, Snap-Apple and Crack-Nut Nights, the veil between worlds, apple bobbing, Cabbage and Mischief Nights, goblins, elves, gnomes, Mexico’s Day of the Dead and much more.
Halloween in America image Source: Amazon
Please, only one entry per household. Duplicate entries from the same IP will be deleted. These giveaways are really based on the honor system, but I do my best to make it as fair as possible for everyone. There’s no catch here, everything is free — including payment of shipping and handling for the Halloween in America books — I cover all costs. To be entered, leave a comment below showing your interest.
Depending upon the volume of entries, comments may only be displayed under this post for a short time. As entries grow, I may remove comments to make it easier for visitors to scroll to the comment box and enter. However, I guarantee all entries will be saved in the order they are received.
When leaving a comment, please be sure to include your correct e-mail address and be certain to keep track of your spam or bulk folder after the drawing closes, just in case. Each winner will be contacted through the e-mail address that’s registered with their comment. I will never share addresses, provided by entrants, with any third parties and you’ll never receive unsolicited mail when entering.
This Halloween in America book contest will end at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on June 28th, 2011. All legitimate entries will then be assigned a number in the order they were received. Two numbers will be randomly drawn to determine the winners.
Both winners will then be notified, via the email addresses they provided, no later than June 29th. If one, or both don’t respond (with their shipping information) within two weeks, then one (or two) more number(s) will be drawn to determine the new winner(s). Upon receiving their permission, the winners’ names will be featured at the top of this post.
If you would like to see your Halloween or paranormal website or business promoted through SOS and you have some appropriately themed items to give away, please contact me.
May 3rd, 2011 at 4:40 pm
I would love to get my hands on a copy of this. Please enter me in your giveaway sir. Thanks.
May 3rd, 2011 at 5:02 pm
Count me in! Thanks for taking the time to do this.
May 3rd, 2011 at 5:09 pm
Oh boy! Great timing. I was online the other day looking for more Halloween books to add to my bookshelf that includes creepy dolls and Halloween books. Put me in the hat for the drawing. Now, I want a front-row seat some day when you get some sponsors who want to give you items for giveaways. I have to replenish my Halloween collection since I left a lot of my stuff behind when I moved out of my house. I am hoping to narrow down my stuff to include ghostly and creepy doll stuff. Two themes aren’t bad when they work together. I might cover the furnishings with sheets and spider webs and make the place look abandoned and then have lots of creepy dolls… Now, you’re getting me thinking about what I’m doing for this year’s display! Thanks for the inspiration.
May 3rd, 2011 at 5:58 pm
Matt C.,
Cool. Thanks for entering.
Jennifer,
Thank you for participating and for visiting. I might be wrong, but I think this is your first time commenting, so I’d like to welcome you to the site.
autumnforest,
That’s a wicked idea regarding covering your furniture with sheets and having cobwebs draped throughout. I like that a lot! If you do it, please take a picture and give me a heads up if you post it online. I’d love to see that. Thanks for adding your energy to my intention for having large sponsored giveaways. Funny you should mention that, but I’ve already been contacting a lot of different companies in hopes of growing the spooky giveaways.
Glad to hear your display’s already on your mind. Thanks for entering, autumn.
May 3rd, 2011 at 6:03 pm
Oh, well you know me John. I’m not passing this one up my friend
Please count me in and what an awesome give-away!!! I love anything of Halloween books. This sounds incredible!
May 3rd, 2011 at 6:22 pm
Goldie,
Absolutely! You’re entered. I kinda thought you might be interested in this one.
May 3rd, 2011 at 7:49 pm
I’d love to win this! You just made me look at it on Amazon and add another dozen or so Halloween books to my Wish List.
Thanks for the giveaway!
May 3rd, 2011 at 8:43 pm
Another cool giveaway, John. As always your game is on. Are you going to the National Halloween Haunters con this weekend in KOP Pennsylvania??
May 3rd, 2011 at 8:45 pm
I would dearly love to win this since halloween is my favourite time of the year, and i cant wait to start decorating for this year…..
May 3rd, 2011 at 9:34 pm
Oh, you know I’m in. The book sounds fab!
May 3rd, 2011 at 9:43 pm
You get a haunted house! And you get a haunted house! And YOU get a haunted house!
Count me in! Thanks!
Rich
May 3rd, 2011 at 10:13 pm
I’m a bookworm for this kind of book. A real creepy wiggly worm. Please enter me in your drawing. Thanks for doing it and I wish you good health. –Lisa
May 3rd, 2011 at 10:22 pm
MsHowdy,
I’ll take the blame for that one then. Once you buy all those great books, just send the bill to Season of Shadows.
Thanks for being a part of the giveaway.
Paul,
My game may not be as on as it should be though, cause I didn’t know the National Haunters con was even running this weekend. Thanks for the heads up, Paul. I’ll be looking for vids of it on YT soon. Would love to go, but I’ll be spending this weekend here in the desert. Thanks for entering.
Annamarie Dodge,
Great to hear from you! Hope you and the family are doing awesome. Thank you for entering.
Melissa,
You’re all signed up. Thanks.
Ghoulish Cop,
LOL! I seriously did laugh out loud on that one. And it still hurts a little to try and laugh! But it was worth it. That’s probably exactly how I would sound as the “spooky” Oprah too.
Thanks, Rich.
trickortreat,
Thanks, Lisa. That’s very kind of you. I’m feeling SO much better now. Thanks for stopping by and participating. It’s great hearing from you.
May 4th, 2011 at 3:01 am
That seems like an awesome little book, count me in! I feel you on liking to give stuff away. Seeing people enjoy the season as much as I do gives me a great feeling. I made a bunch of man eating plants one time and gave them away to friends at a gathering. They loved them and took them home or to work all over the world. It is something I look forward to doing again after school is over.
May 4th, 2011 at 6:47 am
Sounds amazing. I’m a sucker for the ole timey Halloween stuff.
Thanks for having the contest!
May 4th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
Man, you couldn’t bounce back from the medical distractions in a nicer way! count me in. Hope all is well.
May 4th, 2011 at 2:56 pm
What an absolutely gorgeous book! Oprah just gives away cars and junk…..this is way better! Please enter me in the drawing and thanks for your lovely blog and the giveaway!
May 4th, 2011 at 6:38 pm
Another giveaway? I hope win this time, I really wanted that art last time. I hope your recovery goes quickly, and your dreams of spooky Oprah-hood come to fruition.
May 4th, 2011 at 11:00 pm
Ethan,
I’ve been fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of that tremendous generosity you have. I know just how awesome you are when it comes to giving away your artwork both to me personally and to visitors of SoS! “Alice” is still one my prized possessions to this day! As we draw closer to Halloween, I’m going to post a blog entry about how she watches over me while I work on the computer.
Thanks for entering the giveaway.
Dex,
Glad to hear you enjoy the old stuff! Thanks for participating.
Doug,
Thank you. Giving Halloween stuff away revs my engine up.
I’m feeling awesome! I continue getting stronger and I’m regaining more of my appetite each day. Thanks for entering.
Viktoria Rice,
That’s very kind. Thank you so much. I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog. Speaking of the blog — welcome to the site and thanks for entering the giveaway. By the way, I like your e-mail address.
I’m always asking the same question.
Curt,
Thanks, man! Recovery is going really well. Sorry you didn’t win any of Ethan’s awesome Halloween art before, but good luck in this drawing. And thanks for the spooky Oprah-hood wishes. I’m keeping that intention out there.
May 5th, 2011 at 2:01 am
The male version of Oprah giving out spooky things? *sigh* What a dreamboat!!!
In the meantime, I’ll settle for contests. Thanks so much for your generosity.
May 5th, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Looks like it time for another Halloween joke…
What type of dog does every vampire have? A Bloodhound!
May 5th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Giggle Fairy,
That’s a great screen name! Welcome to Season of Shadows. Thank you for visiting and for being part of the giveaway.
Barry Huddleston,
Ahh, how I’ve missed those jokes… seriously, I’ve missed them.
Good to have them being posted again. Thanks for entering.
May 6th, 2011 at 6:54 am
I love halloween. I have a collection of halloween decorations. I would love this book.
May 6th, 2011 at 9:36 am
As one who considers Halloween a way of life rather than a one day event, I would DIE to have a copy of this book! Thanks for loving Halloween and being so generous. Do people think you are a “kook” too?
May 6th, 2011 at 10:02 pm
debbie,
Awesome! Thank you for entering and welcome to the site.
DecayingAngel,
Great screen name! Welcome to the site. Most probably look at my love affair with Halloween as being ranked rather low on the list of reasons to think I’m a kook, probably cause there’s lots of other good reasons to think of me that way. But, yeah, most think I’m pretty kooky.
Thank you so much for entering.
May 7th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
I have to say that this comment by GhoulishCop slayed me!!!!!…..
“GhoulishCop Says:
May 3rd, 2011 at 9:43 pm
You get a haunted house! And you get a haunted house! And YOU get a haunted house!”
And what’s more, I know that if it was within your power, John, you would do exactly that!!! LOL!! Always generous, always sparking and encouraging our love for Halloween and always thinking of others- John, in those ways you are the most wonderfully predictable man I know!!! Thank you for counting me in!!
May 7th, 2011 at 10:36 pm
Camile,
So you saw the humor in that one, too! I thought it was great, cause I’ve heard Oprah use that exact phrase during her Favorite Things episodes, minus the haunted house part, of course.
You’re right, Camile. I would love to do that and I’d never even think twice about it. Thank you so much for your kindness and kind words, my friend. You are totally entered. Thanks for being a part of the giveaway.
May 10th, 2011 at 10:32 am
This book looks amazing, I would love a copy. I am just discovering this community of Halloween enthusiasts and am delighted to find I’m not the only one daydreaming and making plans in May!
May 11th, 2011 at 3:23 pm
Beth,
Welcome to the site. Very happy to have you as part of the community! There’s lots of us who live Halloween year round here.
Thanks for entering the giveaway.
May 13th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
Count me in! I love Halloween and everything Halloween related and can’t wait for it to get here this year – so that I don’t look like the weird neighbor with my gargoyles out all year long.
Jerri
May 14th, 2011 at 1:11 pm
Jerriann,
Thank you for your entry and for visiting Season of Shadows. If your neighbors think you’re weird for enjoying your Halloween decorations, that just means you’re associating with the wrong people. Spend some time with us here and we’ll make you forget all about those neighbors’ opinions.
May 15th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Hey John,
I`ve been busy trying to buy my house, work, and run my wife back and forth to four different doctors everyday of the week, after the 2 car accidents she has been in. Neither of which were her fault. But I have found some time to do one of my favorite things and that is visit your site. I really enjoy coming here and seeing all the new and wonderfully dreadful things you find and giveaway. I personally would like to think you for this site and all that you do for it.
I have a request please. If and when you have time , can you and the visitors of this site start a list of Halloween related and Halloween books for others to enjoy. I too am a lover of Halloween books especially ones with the more macabre things . How to book are great too.
Thanks again for all that you do.
ssflipo13
May 16th, 2011 at 12:01 pm
Please enter me in the giveaway too! And I can totally understand your health issues; I think we may have been in the hospital having our gall bladders out at the same time – March 21?. Luckily for me, I had mine out before I ever had a bad attack, and my recovery time was almost nothing. Hopefully you’ll be back in full swing well before Halloween.
May 16th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
ssflipo13,
I hope your wife is doing well and feeling better. Congratulations on buying your home! Thank you for entering the giveaway, for your kind words and for visiting. It’s always awesome to hear from you. I consider all the regular visitors to be like one big family here at the site.
That’s a great idea about making a list of Halloween books. I don’t really have a collection of my own going, but I know of a couple of good ones (counting this one) from the giveaways. Maybe visitors can recommend even more when I post that as a future entry. Thanks for the cool suggestion.
Halloween Anna,
Thanks for visiting and for participating in the giveaway. You beat me by just a month in having your gallbladder removed. My surgery was on April 22nd. Glad to hear you’re feeling fantastic! And thanks for the kind well wishes.
May 18th, 2011 at 9:21 pm
Cool giveaway, John. Like everyone else here, I try and collect Halloween magazines and books, and some of my favorites to look at include home haunting, craft, and food items. Even though we used only a few, it’s always neat to see what other people come up with. I only wish I knew more Halloween enthusiasts back here in Pa. The old fashioned Halloween party and celebration seems to be a thing of the past in the area, and I’ve been carrying the torch, lol. Also being a supernatural fiction and Halloween writer helps.
May 19th, 2011 at 11:37 am
Paul Melniczek,
It seems Halloween’s heartbeat really resides more in the eastern part of our country, especially in New England, so I’m amazed there aren’t more Halloween enthusiasts near you. We definitely enjoy Halloween out west (I’m probably one of the rare few out here who lives it every day), but the desert southwest isn’t really known for fall and giving off the whole October vibe.
Good on you for making sure the old Halloween traditions live one. I’m sure being ensconced in the paranormal and Halloween, through your work, totally helps! Thanks for entering.
May 20th, 2011 at 11:32 am
Oooo, what an awesome giveaway! You do such great giveaways, John! Please put my name in the skull for this one, too!
May 20th, 2011 at 11:58 am
Stephanie D,
It’s my pleasure! I’m glad you’re enjoying the giveaways. It’s great hearing from you. Thanks for participating.
June 3rd, 2011 at 5:23 pm
Your website is kick ass!!!!!!!
June 4th, 2011 at 10:29 am
LaDonna Hohman,
Thank you so much and thanks for entering.
June 7th, 2011 at 8:38 pm
Please enter me in your drawing. Although artistically inept myself, I greatly appreciate the creativity of others. It’s wonderful to find like minded people. My family, friends and neighbors have learned to live with my Halloween fever, but they think I’m just a little strange.
June 7th, 2011 at 10:24 pm
Deena,
Welcome to Season of Shadows. Thanks for entering the giveaway. Be proud of your “strangeness.”
June 11th, 2011 at 4:34 pm
Just found your site. Awesome.
Yes, I obsessed.
June 12th, 2011 at 10:07 am
Judith,
Thank you and welcome to the site.
June 21st, 2011 at 8:08 pm
I would love this. I could get oodles of ideas to make my place look spooky (spookier than it does now)
June 22nd, 2011 at 12:23 pm
Jeanette Jackson,
I know whoever wins this one will love it and the book should definitely help give some spooky decorating ideas. Thank you so much for entering.