Back in our day, trick-or-treating meant hunting for full-sized candy bars with an empty pillowcase, an orange UNICEF box, and a coveted Ben Cooper plastic costume. Sure those masks had no ventilation and the coats our moms made us wear ruined the effect, but man, those were the (spooky) days. Here’s a look back at some of the best ensembles from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. Which one did you have?
We didn’t even know She-Hulk was a thing.
Jem from Jem and the Holograms.
“Show’s over, Synergy!”
Road Runner
Beep, beep! Can’t catch me!
A Popple
Remember these little guys? Did we ever figure out if they were teddy bears with tails?
Barbie Cowgirl
“I’m a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world.”
Wonder Woman
Even the Lasso of Truth won’t be able to save you from this trainwreck of a mask.
Princess Leia
The force was strong with this costume, but good luck fitting a cinnamon bun hairdo under that mask.
Pound Puppy
Who could resist those (pound) puppy dog eyes?
Cabbage Patch Kid
So that’s where cabbage patch kids came from!
He-Man
By the power of Greyskull! Now that we’re older, we have a deeper appreciation for built-in abs.
Glo Worm
Unfortunately, the costume didn’t come with that special inner glow.
Lisa Simpson
This was the costume if you had a pesky big brother and constantly felt like the smartest person in your family.
Chuck Norris
There was no tougher costume than the Karate Kommando himself.
Cornelius or Zira? Who knows, we could never tell them apart …
The Fonz
Frequently mistaken for Richard Nixon or Ronald Reagan by those answering the door.
Scooby-Doo
The irony was, you couldn’t fit ANY sandwiches in your mouth through that mask.
Morticia Addams
Were you Team Munsters or Team Addams Family?
The Hulk
Based on the Marvel comic, not to be confused with the Lou Ferrigno/Bill Bixby TV series.
If this post makes you feel all warm and fuzzy and nostalgic, we’re happy to report there is a cult following for vintage Ben Cooper costumes on eBay, so have at it. When your kid complains about how “itchy” their $90 Plush Minions costume is, you can break into a righteous “When I was a kid …” speech with the goods to back it up.
