You probably know that the day after Christmas is the largest shopping day of the year. But did you know that, for clowns, it’s the day after Halloween? No, seriously! All of the things that the marketers didn’t sell for Halloween by October 31 will be on fire sale. And there are goodies galore for the discriminating clown.
First, let me tell you what you don’t want to get. Don’t waste time with the “makeup” kits, even the clown ones, that are on sale there. They are not greasepaint, and will not do for professional clown use. They will look pale, see-through, and will wash off with soap and water. Likewise, do not waste your money on the wigs that you see there. Again, they will not hold up to professional use.
So, what do you want to buy? Clown props. Let me give you some examples that I found walking through my local Wal-Mart.
Clown props
- Angel Wings – fluffy angel wings in a variety of sizes and styles, including a motorized pair that flaps (these are the ones that I’m going to buy, personally). What to do with these? Well, I plan to use mine in a clown skit (Ticket to Heaven), although you could also use it as a walk-around prop for parades, picnics and so on.
- Cowboy Hats – either to use for myself (I have a ‘cowboy’ variation on my costume), or for ‘costuming’ helpers at performances – I already have 2, but a dozen more might come in handy for audience participation
- Magic Wands – I already have some magic wands, such as a Break Away Wand , multiplying wand, etc. – whenever I do stage “magic” I always like to do audience participation, and hand out multiple wands, and I can always use some more – some of these light up, some look very ‘little girl-ish’ (which makes them appropriate to hand to big strong he-man types), etc.
- Various costume accessories such as crowns, tiaras, oversized glasses, etc.
- Last year, I found some palm-sized rubber chickens for a dollar (American) apiece, filled with the stuff that ‘stress balls’ are filled with – they make perfect juggling props. “Look! They’re poultry in motion!” “Oh, ignore him, he’s just rubber-necking,” or “He likes to get out and stretch his legs,” etc.
And of course, your local Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart, Shopko, Dollar Store, etc. will likely have other things. Walk through the selection, and ask yourself, “What could my clown do with this?” You might be surprised by the answers.