Horror Collectibles Never Die

For many, Halloween is one day a year. For the rest of us, Halloween is reserved for days that end in “Y.”

Outside of the Halloween season, horror fun is not so frightfully out of this world. Minor League Baseball teams, from the Binghamton Rumble Ponies to the Springfield Cardinals, celebrate Summerween in their stadiums. Coined in 2012 by Disney Channel’s Gravity Falls, the holiday is gaining traction offline and no longer just reflective of “social media’s insatiable need for content,” as The New York Times claimed in a July 2024 article. Last year, the Jersey Shore BlueClaws encouraged kids to come to the stadium in costume for trick-or-treating and gave fans spooky jerseys. This year, the Brooklyn Cyclones will give 2,500 fans a Kodai Senga Ghost Bobblehead featuring the famed Mets pitcher wearing a classic ghost sheet costume.

People like to be scared year-round. A 2020 study published by the Association for Psychological Science suggests that horror can provide a sense of control, amid other psychological benefits. This constant craving for chills has fueled a growing market for horror-themed merchandise. From screen-accurate props and limited-edition figures to apparel and home decor inspired by classic slashers and modern thrillers, the demand never fades. For many, owning a piece of their favorite fright film or game allows them to embrace the thrill long after the credits roll. As horror continues to evolve, so does the creativity of its merch, offering fans increasingly immersive and chilling ways to display their dark devotion.

“‘Best-selling’ and ‘fan favorite’ are often one and the same when it comes to horror collectibles,” says Anna Van Slee, collectible company Sideshow’s vice president of business development and strategic initiatives. For many collectors and companies, the most popular item is a favorite for a reason.

“This is always a tightrope to walk when working with a license, and the pressure increases with how big (and rabid) the fandom is,” says Julie Doverspike, director of games brands at Goliath, a games company with licensed horror offerings. “We are very thoughtful and deliberate when developing to make sure that we are not going too far in either direction. We do this often by diversifying our playtests to include both big fans and newbies alike and make sure that it is loved and approachable by all.” 

Much of the horror merch is made by fans themselves. Trick or Treat Studios’ Marketing and Public Relations Manager Alyson Furst emphasizes that the company’s roots are in horror fandom. Before founding the company, Justin Mabry was a collector of horror paraphernalia, starting with masks of Halloween villain Michael Myers. Mabry started making horror masks when he was 13 years old.

“People like to collect everything, but then there are the really hardcore fan groups,” adds Trick or Treat Studios’ Creative Lead and Graphic Designer Sam Furst. “Michael Myers has the biggest fan group we have as our audience.”

But they are very aware that there’s more to horror than the most popular franchise. “We’re not only going to do a Michael Myers or an Art the Clown figure, but we’re also doing Beast of Blood and deep cuts for long-term fans,” Alyson Furst says. “That’s a big part of our company culture.”

Trick or Treat Studios has something for everyone. Their products feature licenses spanning genres and generations, including Candy Man, The Corpse Bride, Saw, The Crow, True Romance, The Devil’s Rejects, Evil Dead 2, and Frosty the Snowman, who is decidedly not scary. 

Goliath’s Doverspike also sees that being a fan first and an employee second is often helpful in creating a great product for collectors. She notes that the Goliath team consists of horror fans who are passionate about making games in licenses that they love and have a passion for in their personal lives.

Fans and collectors are noticing the added value of companies like Trick or Treat Studios and Goliath creating products curated with passion. ”We’re seeing pieces clearly made by horror fans, as they are so nuanced and subtly genius,” says Onastacia Roe, a creator in the horror space who posts as @onastaciaroe on Instagram and TikTok. ”Every piece of your wardrobe can now be horror merchandise from dresses to shoes to bags to skirts to jewelry to lingerie.”

Roe is also the co-creator of Ghoul Group, a community that provides a space for fans to enjoy horror culture together in New York City. Roe says she collects everything, but prioritizes collectible figures and has a particular affinity for dolls. Among her favorites are Living Dead Dolls, Monster High Skullector Dolls, and a custom Blythe doll that looks like her. 

“Not only does adding collectibles to my room make me feel inspired and safe to be surrounded by what I love, but my room is also where I shoot my horror content, so I’m always looking for items that will stand out on screen,” she adds.

Manufacturers know what fans want and are dedicated to providing detailed and accurate collectibles. Noting that Sideshow’s collectibles are premium items, Van Slee says, “Some might think Beetlejuice’s face paint is white and that his eye sockets are blacked out, but that is not the case. Detail is everything.” In the case of Sideshow’s Beetlejuice Sixth-Scale Figure ($330), his makeup is yellow with white highlights and complex shadows, like decayed flesh. He has bruising around the eyes, with layers of purple and brown.

The Sideshow team is committed to extensive research. During creation and execution, they work from the source material, interview makeup artists, and visit archives. 

Aaron Margolin, senior global brand manager at Jazwares, agrees: Attention to detail is a must across the board. The company makes toys and collectibles featuring the Five Nights at Freddy’s brand. “I always say that fans know when a ‘circle is not a circle,’” he explains. “Fans can always tell if something is off, so we need to make sure that every figure and every plush is right.” Fans can expect plush with glow-in-the-dark embroidery and collectibles that echo prizes from Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.

An interesting challenge that companies face is balancing fan perception of the characters versus what actually appears in the content, according to Alyson Furst. Collectors often find that marketing materials don’t always match the final product, and Trick or Treat Studios is committed to delivering complete accuracy. “We do a lot of figuring out what’s best there as well, which is kind of a cool thing because horror movies have such dramatic lighting,” she says. “It changes the looks of a lot of things.” Even then, Sam Furst adds, “There’s no way to please everybody.”

Terrifier 3, released last year, is set during the winter holidays. (The franchise’s final installation, Terrifier 4, is currently in development.) The third film was a global smash, grossing $90.3 million according to Box Office Mojo. At Spirit Halloween, fans could purchase a life-size animatronic Art the Clown ($199), a 12-inch static prop of Baby Art ($54.99), or a neon LED sign ($49.99) inspired by the film. As of April, these finds are still in stock online, and surely Art the Clown must approve. In an October viral video posted on social media channels, actor David Howard Thornton visited a Manhattan Spirit Halloween dressed as the character he plays in the film. As Art the Clown, he merrily shopped for decorations, nodding with satisfaction at the store’s replicas. The fan-favorite villain surprised fans, posing and acting alongside his namesake animatronic, scaring adults — but not a delighted kid.

Art the Clown is everywhere. Funko produced four Pop! figures, Hot Topic sells a blind box offering four collectibles ($15 each), and Mezco Toyz’s LDD Presents released Terrifier: Art the Clown Blood Splatter Edition ($60), a blood-stained 10.5-inch figure with five points of articulation. It joins the company’s figure of The Little Pale Girl, released last year in honor of Terrifier 2’s secondary antagonist, known for spreading chaos.

“I didn’t see that one coming,” Alyson Furst says of Art the Clown’s popularity. “I feel like he may end up being kind of the Freddy of this generation.”

Trick or Treat Studios has a lot to offer fans of Terrifier, from masks to hacksaws, enamel pins, and Art’s iconic (and disgusting) teeth. The company has several collectibles, including the 5-inch Blood Bath Action Figure, which reveals blood splatter when sprayed with ice water. 

“We were involved with the first movie when it was very small; nobody knew it. We were the first to make anything for it, working directly with [director Damien Leone]. So it’s been cool to see it blow up like that,” Alyson Furst says.

Virality may be par for the course regarding a successful property. Last year’s Nosferatu inspired niche merch: a perfume collab with Heretic Parfum ($125); T-shirts; and replicas from the film, including Ellen’s pendulum earrings ($89.95), her locket ($36.98), a sigil ring ($78.95), and the titular Count Orlok’s sarcophagus ($20,000). 

The custom-made, limited-edition, twin-size coffin is a full-size replica that sits on a wooden base with an intricate interior and exterior. Focus Features assured fans in its press materials that the foam lid is easy to open and close. A handful of fans purchased the 250-pound sarcophagus, which includes a certificate of authenticity.

For less money and at a smaller footprint, moviegoers could purchase the Nosferatu Coffin Popcorn Bucket ($39.95) at major theaters. “Fans, now, almost expect it and even conceptualize their own ideas for bucket designs and beg for their creation. It truly just adds to the entire movie-going experience,” Roe says. “The Nosferatu bucket just sent horror fans into orbit! We all needed that coffin popcorn bucket more than anything.” The popcorn tins were so popular that another limited run was produced this year; AMC Theaters and the NBC Store will ship tins May 30 for June arrival.

“The buckets are seeming to get more and more elevated and innovative, and oftentimes, due to the hype and excitement around them, fans will scour theaters weeks before a film is released just to make sure they get their hands on these buckets,” Roe says. The creator notes that collectors use popcorn buckets after the movie as decor and storage; Roe’s holds makeup. 

As new films come out, fans continue to gravitate toward modern classics.

“I think people are looking to dive into the ‘90s,” Alyson Furst says. “We’re surprised with the level of interest in the Toxic Crusaders line and just the new generation of collectors.”

Goliath’s Doverspike says the tabletop game manufacturer’s biggest hit is its Scream party game. The 1996 film inspires the company’s cooperative game ($19.99) that challenges players to survive Ghostface’s spree. There is also a companion app that prompts a creepy phone call from Ghostface himself to bring the interactivity to the next level. “It encompasses the spine-tingling anticipation of being chased by Ghostface,” Doverspike explains. The Scream franchise totals six films and a four-season MTV television series, with the seventh film set to slash its way into theaters next year. 

Tom Gilliland, Sideshow’s creative director, says authenticity is key to deciding what gets made. The collectibles juggernaut recently launched Frankenstein’s Monster ($585-595), part of a growing Sideshow Originals line full of horror- and fantasy-inspired limited-edition creations. Frankenstein’s Monster joins Vampire’s Lust ($680), and fine art prints ($75-200). “While we explore many hundreds of designs every year, we only move forward to develop the statues and figures that we feel make a genuine statement about the character,” he says. “We make the pieces that we would want to own, trusting that we are not alone in our passion.”

Gilliland notes that Frankenstein’s Monster has lived in the public consciousness since 1818. The 19-inch, 25-pound statue honors the novel’s roots. “What makes Frankenstein’s monster horrific is his tragic desire to belong, to be loved,” Gilliland says. The figure lurches through a snow-covered cemetery with a lantern, a shovel, and a broken skull at its feet. The statue includes Elizabeth Lavenza’s headstone, and the monster is cloaked in the pelt of a black bear and patchwork pants; electrodes emerge from his back, and he is painted with a “mixture of rotting yellows and irritated reds,” per the website’s listing.

While the horror genre is full of tropes, some horror mainstays didn’t begin as films or even classic pieces of literature. Take Five Nights at Freddy’s, for example. This point-and-click indie survival game developed a cult following, leading to a full licensing program and a 2023 feature film grossing nearly $300 million worldwide at the box office.

“We’re still in the early stages of our Five Nights at Freddy’s product line, so this is just the beginning,” Jazwares’ Margolin says. “No matter what, we know that fans are always going to want great quality products of their favorite characters in many different forms.” The line will debut this year; the film sequel Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will premiere Dec. 5.

For Jazwares, that’s not just plush and collectibles, but action figures designed for play and display, as seen in the company’s World Of series, which will include a Mangle figure with removable, interchangeable pieces. In 2026, the company will release a 6-inch collector Endo-Series of figures that focus on the characters’ iconic skeletons. Margolin says that Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise creator Scott Cawthon approves everything they design.

Jazwares doesn’t have just one horror property: a Poppy Playtime collaboration with Squishmallows will hit shelves later this year.

Trick or Treat Studios will release a Michael Myers action figure from Rob Zombie’s 2007 Halloween soon. And collectors can expect more from the Scream Greats line of 8-inch action figures, including a second wave of Killer Klowns from Outer Space. “We love those designs, and each one is so fun that we wanted to do a bunch of ’em for that format,” Sam Furst says. Trick or Treat Studios has also signed licenses for Sleepy Hollow, Fallout, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Army of Darkness — which is close to Sam Furst’s heart. He remembers the excitement he felt buying an Ash action figure made by Todd McFarlane.

“We’re not losing Freddy Krueger; we’re not losing the interest in Michael Myers,” Alyson Furst says, noting that fans are embracing old and new. “It’s a much bigger community than it ever was, and it’s great.” 

Doverspike says that Goliath is excited to keep expanding its horror offerings in the coming years: “The best part about this genre is that there are properties that span decades.”

Despite its gruesome themes, the outlook is bright for horror merch. “Horror has now moved away from being equated only to Halloween, especially outside the U.S. market,” Doverspike says. “The future is spooky, and we are here for it!”