Start your costume donation
Tell us what the costume is and we reply within 24 hours with a free prepaid mailer. Nothing to print, nothing to pay. If you are not sure it qualifies, describe it anyway and we will tell you honestly.
What a reusable costume looks like
Battle of the Sexes, 1973. A couples costume: white warm-up jackets with piping, tennis whites, headbands, wire-frame glasses, two wooden rackets. Nothing here came out of a bag. The jackets are real vintage track jackets and the whites are real tennis clothes, so the whole thing works again next October for anyone who can find a racket.
That is the bar. Real garments, put together with some thought, that an adult would pay to borrow. If your costume passes that test, we want it.
Why a nonprofit wants your costume
Most good costumes are worn exactly once. A thrift store will take it, but a $150 costume on a thrift rack in November sells for a few dollars or goes to the bale. We do something different. Donated costumes are cleaned, photographed, and lent out for next year's Halloween parties, themed galas, murder mystery dinners, and photo shoots through our rental program, FashionablyGood. Net rental profits are split across the charities on our Honor Roll at year end, and the costume comes back to go out again the year after that.
The honest timeline: a costume mailed in November is listed over the winter and takes its first rental next season. You are donating for next Halloween, not this one.
Yes, send it
- Theatrical and cosplay-grade costumes, anything you built or had made
- Period pieces: flapper, Victorian, '70s disco, '80s prom, Regency
- Full group and couples themes, sent together as a set
- Quality licensed character costumes in adult sizes
- Masquerade and masked-ball looks, capes, corsets, tailcoats, top hats
- Designer or luxury pieces you bought for a themed party and will not wear again
- The accessories that make a costume recognizable: wigs in good shape, props, hats, gloves
Take it to a local thrift shop instead
- Bagged polyester costumes under about $40 new
- Most children's costumes (premium pageant or cosplay pieces excepted)
- Inflatable suits
- Anything torn, stained, or missing the piece that makes it what it is
Those still deserve a second home, just not in a rental catalog. Not sure which side yours lands on? Email a photo and we will tell you.
Why the week after Halloween is the right time
- You still know what it is. In March that bag is "some costume stuff." In November it is a full Phantom of the Opera with the cape and the mask, and you can write that on the form.
- It counts for this year's taxes. A noncash donation counts in the year the charity receives it. Ship by mid-December and the receipt is dated 2026.
- It gets cleaned before anything sets. Makeup on a collar, fog-machine residue, one spilled drink. All of that comes out in November. By next September it is part of the costume.
Group costumes, theater closets, and event leftovers
A matched set lends better than a single piece, so if your whole friend group did the same theme, send the set together and say so. Community theaters clearing a costume closet, event planners with a themed-gala wardrobe in storage, and photographers retiring shoot props can all use the same form. Ask for several mailers at once, or email us about a larger shipment and we will sort out the labels. Everything ships; we do not do pickups.
Common questions
Do you take used Halloween costumes?
Yes. Nearly every costume we receive was worn once. We clean each piece before it is listed, so worn is fine. Damaged is the problem, not used.
Do I need to wash it first?
No. We clean everything on arrival. Washable pieces are laundered; structured, beaded, or lined pieces go to the dry cleaner.
Are Halloween costume donations tax deductible?
Yes, when you donate to a 501(c)(3) and itemize. The deduction is the fair market value of the costume in its current condition, which is what someone would pay for it used. We do not assign values; no legitimate charity does. You get an itemized receipt naming each piece and set the value yourself, with help from our 2026 value guide. Over $500 in noncash donations for the year means Form 8283 goes with your return.
Can I donate from outside Wisconsin?
Yes. Mailers go to every state. Most of what we receive comes from outside Wisconsin.