Throwback Thursday: Scary masks, homemade costumes and Cabbage Patch Kids in 1984

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — With Halloween just around the corner, this week’s Throwback Thursday takes us back to 1984, when shoppers in the Cape Fear region were searching for the perfect costume.

From scary masks to homemade creations, a WWAY Consumer Watch report showed what was popular and how much families could expect to spend more than four decades ago.

For those looking for something scary, stores offered a variety of masks ranging from $3 to $25. Wigs were also available, with prices between $6 and $16.

Premade Halloween costumes could cost as much as $40, but many shoppers were getting creative and putting together their own outfits.

Stores stocked everything from monster ears and hands to glow-in-the-dark makeup and hair color, giving customers plenty of options to create a unique costume.

For parents who preferred to sew their children’s costumes, Cabbage Patch Kids were a popular choice.

A Cabbage Patch Kids costume pattern cost $4, and the finished costume could be made for less than $15.

Of course, not everyone wanted to wait for a homemade costume. The 1984 report also featured a young trick-or-treater who had already purchased her Cabbage Patch Kids outfit.

The story was reported by WWAY’s Karen Marie for Consumer Watch.

Next week’s Throwback Thursday will stay in 1984 for a look at a Halloween safety story that might seem a little unusual today.

This segment is part of a weekly Throwback Thursday series that features stories from WWAY’s historical news archives. That archive can be accessed here.