This man thrifts all year to create free Halloween costumes for kids

Christophe Waggoner has what he calls a “shopping problem.” Not for himself, though. All year long, he scours Texas thrift stores for children’s Halloween costumes.

“I’m looking for anything shiny, sparkly or furry,” he said. “I’m always keeping an eye out.”

For the past nine years, Waggoner has collected thousands of Halloween costumes, and every fall, he hosts an event in Austin where children — plus adults and dogs — can pick out Halloween costumes for free.

“Seeing the kids there, that’s amazing,” Waggoner said. “That’s the whole point.”

Waggoner doesn’t just collect the costumes. He washes, repairs and sometimes redesigns the garments, figuring out ways to make them feel brand-new.

“I get them, I’ll wash them, if they need to be restitched, I’ll do that, and sometimes I’ll just change them outright,” he said.

The annual giveaway, which Waggoner calls “October’s Child,” began in 2017. A year earlier, he had moved from an apartment into a house — his first time having trick-or-treaters at the door.

“I was so excited that I was going to have trick-or-treaters because I’ve always loved Halloween,” he said.

That night, he noticed a disparity in costumes. Some children arrived in brand-new Star Wars attire, while others were not as well-outfitted.

“You just know they don’t have access to the same things,” Waggoner said. “I was looking at kids that were looking at other kids. They were just wishing and admiring.”

At the time, Waggoner, 62, was working as a “mystery shopper,” visiting stores as a research customer. He started to use his work shopping trips as an opportunity to buy Halloween costumes.

“I just made it a point that all my purchases would be Halloween stuff,” Waggoner said.

He also started stopping by second-hand stores in search of old costumes several times a week, paying out of pocket to build a collection. By the following September, Waggoner had gathered more than 100 costumes and accessories. He hosted the first event in his garage, spreading the word informally and on social media.

A group came with six children from a foster home, and they each gave Waggoner thank-you cards. He decided then it would be an annual effort.

“I thought it went so well,” he said.

Nearly a decade later, October’s Child has grown into a major community event. At this year’s event, held Sept. 27, hundreds of families from in and around Austin showed up.

There were more than 2,000 costumes available, organized by category — from princesses to superheroes. There was even a section for dogs.

“There were times I had to carry boxes over my head because it got so crowded,” Waggoner said, adding that a school gave him permission to host the event on campus.

Nothing makes him happier, he said, than listening to a child when they pick out a costume.

“I love when you hear a kid go ‘woah!’ You know they’re truly excited,” Waggoner said.

People often bring their old costumes to the event, but Waggoner insists on washing and repairing them himself before giving them out the following year.

“I don’t want them to feel like they just got hand-me-downs,” he said. “I want them to be as close to new as possible.”

Waggoner uses a dog brush to comb out costumes with fake fur, and he soaks wigs in fabric softener, which he said makes the fibers relax for easier detangling. He spends nearly $5,000 a year on storage for the costumes.

While restoring thousands of costumes can be tedious, Waggoner said it’s worth it. He often dyes costumes to give them a different look.

Local families have made October’s Child part of their yearly Halloween tradition. For the past four years, Brenda Guitierrez-Hodgkin and her daughters have volunteered to help run it.

She and her daughters, Kalista, 14, and Christina, 8, help manage the hats and masks.

“There’s so much merchandise,” she said.

Guitierrez-Hodgkin said Halloween costumes can be pricey, and parents often express their relief at avoiding the expense.

Guitierrez-Hodgkin praised Waggoner’s dedication.

“He doesn’t care who you are and where you come from, all he sees are the smiles, and he wants to create more smiles,” she said. “This man has such a big heart.”

His commitment goes back to his childhood, he said. The oldest of six siblings, Waggoner grew up in handmade costumes and learned how to sew at age 12.

“It’s doing something for people, but it’s also helping save the planet,” he said. “So many people will get a costume and will never wear it again.”

Waggoner recently established October’s Child as a nonprofit and has started receiving donations. Good News ATX was the first publication to cover the effort.

Keri Stern, who has attended the event each year with her three children, now helps collect costumes, too.

“My favorite part of the events is talking to the children getting the costumes,” she said. “The kids are so excited because they’re not limited.”

Stern has watched Waggoner’s idea evolve into a community fixture.

“It’s pretty spectacular what he’s done,” she said. “He gives his heart and soul.”

Next year will be the 10th October’s Child, and Waggoner said there are still thousands of costumes out there waiting for him to find and collect.

“I can’t imagine not doing it,” he said.