Members’ Memories

NCA Members Share Memories from Years Past, Predict What the Future Holds

Many NCA members have been part of the Association for decades — and they have many memories of fun times spent with fellow costumers. On the following pages, several members tell their favorite stories, share what they’ve gained from membership, and predict what the next century will hold for the industry.

(Clockwise, from top left): Magic Caterpiller Ride, Center Stage Costumes & Magic, 1998; group shot; Xylia, Elfin Queen of Autumn by Kathryn Cain, Center Stage; “Trudi” Cain, 2008; Louella Torrence with new members, 1993; Rocky Torrence’s campaign sign.

Ken Fox and Ken Epperly Magic Makers Costumes Huntington, West Virginia

Joined the NCA in 1980

In March of 1979, two pharmacy technicians decided to open a magic and novelty shop, as they were both magicians, too. Ken Epperly was good at math and science, while Ken Fox enjoyed traveling to countries and majoring in history. By ordering a Philip Morris catalog, we were invited to our first NCA area meet at Morris Costumes. We bought 10 costumes, pictured on Polaroids and taped to a poster board.

Ken Epperly taught himself how to sew and tailor men’s suits from his grandmother’s Singer home sewing course. We joined the NCA in 1980 and 36 years later we own 10,000 rental costumes.

Our favor- ite memories at conventions, might be meeting Johnny Carson’s makeup artist, Dolly Parton’s wig maker, Bob Mackie’s assistant, and receiving the Unsung Heroes award in the first Academy Award ballroom at the Regal Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. As education director Ken Fox carried Liberace’s gold lame’ jacket (his first costume) for his manager Jamie James’ lecture at a Las Vegas Convention. But our best memories were being in the showcase contest, dressing for president’s banquet, seeing other shop tours and meeting costumers from 50 states, even Hawaii and Alaska.

Every NCA member benefits from convention education classes and the networking from fellow members. Ken Epperly was a board member, head of the market, and vice president. Ken Fox was education chairman for years. We ran the plot service and printed three volumes for members to own, and we hosted two area meets in Huntington, West Virginia. The results: we gained a lot of information and met many creative members by being involved.

We greatly benefited from little things, and from the old timers too: learning how to sew a French knot from Helen Aune; learning to wear an ink pen corded around your neck so you’ll never lose it from Dorothy Kiggins (I didn’t lose it for 30 years!); learning the correct way to iron a tux shirt from Ron Wickham; and learning to use a wire pet brush on animal heads and costumes from John Schenz — all valuable tips you can use every day.

What is the future of the NCA for the next 100 years? Will there be live movie stars or only CGI and lifelike computer animation? Will musicians and concerts be performed by holograms? Will robots and machines construct costumes? Will parents print out children’s costumes that they can cling to their bodies like paper dolls? I trust the human brain and heart will always be needed to know history, textures, engineer patterns and have creative imagination to control and use the robots, machines and holograms.

The NCA is like a giant tree, the members are the many branches, the 100-year-old roots are the organization, the networking and conventions harvest the fruits from all the branches.

Dizzy Dean, the baseball player once said, “It ain’t bragging if you really did it.”

From those 10 costumes evolved two year-round stores, four Halloween mall stores, four outgrown locations, 5,000 web pages for shipping nationwide with orders for the White House, Ringling Brothers Circus, the Liberace Museum and regular customers in Ireland, Germany and Dubai. All from a business in little old West Virginia!

We credit the NCA for 60% of our success — the other 40% comes from hard work and creative output with loyal coworkers for 36 years.

We hope the NCA tree continues to grow and sustain for the next 100 years!

Carol Pocock

Mr. Fun’s Costumes and Magic Emporium

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Joined the NCA in 1980

Al and I had begun our careers as high school teachers, he teaching speech and government, and me teaching math. We both loved theater and Al directed the plays at school and acted in the little theater in town. But we had left teaching by 1980 and owned a Fun Services Franchise, doing school carnivals, fund raising, etc. It was a small franchise trying to develop a new concept, and we met so many people who were creative and willing to share what they had learned. One of our franchise members encouraged us to try the Halloween business as it was just taking off. He also encouraged us to join the NCA. We were eager to learn as much as we could about this new business, meet people who were earning a living in costuming, and be successful in this new adventure! We started going to area meetings and conventions and only stopped when Al was no longer able to travel.

Some of my best memories are of the wonderful people we met, some still my dearest friends, all the places we traveled to for conventions and area meetings, visiting other shops, and the fun we had! Hosting our annual ”Spring Fling” at our Lake House and then our condo in town, for twenty years was a special joy to us both. Seeing Freddy from Forum and Artie from Rubies fighting over who was making the best spaghetti sauce was hilarious! There were so many other special moments at our gatherings! Witnessing the creativity of some of our members at the conventions and area meetings was breathtaking to me! And, of course, the classes, where we learned, or tried to learn, so many tried and tested things from other members.

I can’t go down to one benefit, so I have two! Getting to know people in this challenging but exciting business, so we could share ideas, get advice, be inspired, and sometimes, supported and consoled was one benefit. The second was being a member of the Buyers Group, started by my friend Harold Maxwell. It helped us be competitive in a difficult business.

Looking ahead 100 years is tough with the world changing so quickly! So, I tried to look back 100 years for a start and see what hasn’t changed. People still like to dress up with costumes and/or accessories. People still like the theater, and costumes are needed for that. People still like to have themed parties. People still like wigs, make up, masks, etc. to change their appearance. Having gone through the isolation of the COVID pandemic, I think most people now realize how important human contact is to our well being. I think that will still be valued in 100 years. Seeing all the advancements in technology, I can’t begin to imagine what will be possible in 100 years! I see shopping, fitting, store inventory, sales, advertising all being done electronically, as they already are, but with all kinds of improvements. I see costumes being created by AI. I can imagine people at a party being dressed by electronic images while really wearing a comfortable pair of shorts and a t shirt! I also see hair, makeup, etc done that way, just don’t ask me how!! I see costumes and fashion totally intermingled, as has already been happening in my lifetime. But just as books have not disappeared, with all the other ways to “read” a story, I think people will still want to see and touch things and appreciate quality.

My hope for the NCA would be for it to help our members navigate the changes and be innovative in taking advantage of new technology for all aspects of the business. I also hope the members will continue to share their experiences and ideas and encourage each other. Nothing can compare to that.

Donna White & Arlene Stephens

Arlene’s Costumes Rochester, New York

Joined NCA in the late 1970s/early 1980s (“It’s been a long time. We don’t know the exact date.”)

Arlene and Donna originally joined to better the business. They knew they had a lot to learn and looked to the NCA and its ideas for tips and suggestions.

Lorraine Brown Fabian Costumes Fair Haven, Vermont

Joined the NCA in 1988

I was supposed to have a sponsor, but I did not know any other costumers. There may have been two others in Vermont. I cannot remember how that was handled. I always felt that I learned more in one week of convention than by taking a course in college. Having other costumers to ask for advice was invaluable. The NCA used to have a wonderful youth program…I would take my two girls with me every year.

Outside of learning more about sewing, fashion, business and traveling I made friends for life. My daughter-in-law always said I was with my “peeps “ when I was at NCA events. I consider myself lucky to have these memories.

Arlene and Donna loved going to convention. Eventually their sister Shirley Painter (Costumes by Suffolk in Long Island, New York), their nieces Terry Mayfield (Fantasy Costumes in Decatur, Alabama) and Lisa Jochnowitz (Capital Costumes in Albany, New York), as well as Donna’s daughter Cindy Sinopoli and Bette Mitcheltree (Donna and Arlene’s cousin) started coming. They got to meet many other people from across the country who were working in their field, and they truly had a great time and learned so much!

Obviously, the discounts are great, but the girls learned so much over the years about how to run their business and found new tips and tricks. They even brought home one of their favorite suggestions, which was to start what would now be called a pop up. We were one of the first in our area to have any kind of pop up and for several years we ran at least five or six of them each year from August through the end of October and sometimes even into the Christmas season.

Arlene and Donna aren’t sure what the future will bring but do hope that the next generation of costumers will be able to carry our industry and ensure that it survives and thrives into the next hundred years!

(Submitted by Terri Sinopoli, Cindy Sinopoli’s daughter and current board member of NCA)

I fear that the costume shops that we owned in the 50s to the pandemic will never come back. The theater shops seem to be holding their own but individual shops have to diversify to be profitable. I fear that there will not be a 200th anniversary.

Louella Torrence Drop Me A Line Costume Shop Allentown, Pennsylvania

Joined the NCA in 1993

We joined the NCA because of Bill Sudor, a Franco Rep. He had been coming to our store with large black cases filled with Halloween products to sell. He also introduced us to the Chicago Halloween trade show, where he introduced us to LaMar Kerns, secretary/treasurer of the NCA, and sponsored us to the NCA. Our first convention was in Cleveland. Al and Carol Pocock were hosting and welcomed us with open arms. From then on, we never missed a convention unless we had a wedding or a baby being born.

Judi Cain

Center Stage Costumes and Magic

Gainsville, Florida

Joined the NCA in 1990 convention, where Rocky and I helped the auctioneer by trying things on. Racing Glenn Alexander at conventions to be first in when the doors opened to buy Rubies’ discounted rental costumes. Hosting a regional [convention] at my store in January and having a large turnout and a lot of fun. Rocky and I were the NCA’s Sunshine Committee and sent birthday cards to everyone. Rocky was on the NCA board of directors. He flew to San Jose alone for his last board meeting. He was blind and could no longer read. When he got there, everyone on the board took very good care of him.

The biggest benefit was networking. If I needed something, I called fellow costumers. If they didn’t have it, they would refer me to someone else. Fellow costumers were also a phone call away if I was having a problem making something, or wanted to bitch about anything (vendors, customers, shipping, or if I just finished a costume and it was short two inches in the waist!).

What happens 100 years into the future is now in the hands of the younger costumers. I hope the Halloween business gets more and more exciting and that the NCA is part of that excitement.

In 1980 I started a temporary event in the local mall called “The Gallery of Horror.” It was a Halloween Art Show with everything hand made by me and other local artists. Local theater groups, performers, teachers and churches tried to stock up on theatrical supplies in October and begged us to be a year-round store. So, in 1990 I rented a space in a strip mall and called it Center Stage Costumes and Magic.

I didn’t know much about retail, much less about costume rental. Somehow, I found out about a wholesale show in Atlanta, where I learned how to buy things we couldn’t make ourselves. Most important, I found out about the NCA! It was exciting to meet people who had similar starts to their costuming business. What a wonderful group of people they were! I joined right away and didn’t miss a convention or a regional meeting.

I loved being on the board of directors, going to meetings and making friends with some of the best people I’ve ever known. The conventions were fun. We loved participating in the showcases. Our first year, my 17-year-old daughter designed and modeled the costume that won first place in the fantasy category. A couple of years later we won the Grand International Award for a costume that I designed, a girl who worked in my shop constructed, and my other daughter modeled.

The biggest benefit was learning about business, marketing, and buying for a retail shop. But most important were the friendships I made with talented, intelligent and warm, friendly people who also had a delightful sense of humor.

My hope is that there will be more local costume shops and that temporary corporate stores will have gone away in 100 years. Local costume shops provide inspiration for creativity and fun. My store’s motto, which greeted people when they came through the door, was carved into a sign: “We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.”

I hope costume shops are still around 100 years from now to remind people to never stop playing, to always find time to have a good time. And I hope that all the costumers will gather for the 200th birthday, all dressed in costume, and have a wonderful, fun celebration of 200 years of fun!