The 1968 Ben Cooper Costumes catalog is called “Spook Town”.
The Ben Cooper company manufactured Halloween costumes from the 1930’s through the 1980’s in the USA. For a time, Ben Cooper was one of the top 3 costume makers in the country, alongside Collegeville and the H. Halpern Company. The company was self-named.
The Chicago Tylenol murders hurt Ben Cooper, and they suffered losses because of the scare it threw into parents about Halloween candy. While there was a slight recovery, it was not enough to save the company. Ben Cooper filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1988 after losing many licenses to competitor Collegeville.
In early 1989, Ben Cooper’s Georgia facility burned down, with between 2 and 3 million dollars worth of inventory inside. Their insurance policies cancelled. Many appeals and court dates occurred, yet in April 1989 they were able to pay off all creditors in full.
1991 saw the company relocate to Greensboro, North Carolina. Within 7 months, the company again filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This time they cited relocation costs, the recession, and bank loans not coming through quickly enough. This bankruptcy they did not recover from. Rubie’s Costume Company purchased Ben Cooper in 1992.
1968 Ben Cooper “Spook Town” Catalog
#1201 Asst. Witch, Fairy, Pirate, Skeleton, Black Cat, Clown, Monster, Devil
#1001 Asst. Pussy Cat, Cinderella, Clown, Pirate, Witch, Bunny
#300 311 Skeleton, 309 Devil, 312 Ghost, 323 American Hero, 313 Witch, 330 Jungle Man, 316 Clown, 320 Astronaut, 322 Gypsy, 325 Fairy Princess
#360 Line 363 Tiger, 364 Black Panther, 365 Grizzly Bear, 361 Giraffe, 367 Lion, 366 Zebra, 362 Leopard
#340 Line 342 Mickey Mouse, 352 Eighth Man, 344 Cinderella, 345 Green Lantern, 248 Morticia, 356 Birdman, Frankenstein, 343 Betwitched, 349 Atom Ant, Aquaman
#160 “Tiny Tot Pajama Costumes” Line 161 Sleepy Bunny, 163 Sleepy Bear, 162 Puppy Dog, 166 Li’l Clown, 177 Li’l Trooper, 165 Li’l Ghost, 173 Li’l Indian, 169 Li’l Devil, 173 Li’l Tiger, 176 Li’l Chief
#180 “Line Larger sized Pajama Costumes for the larger or older tot” 183 Tiger, 188 Fire Chief, Clown, Ghost, Trooper
#290 Line 299 Snow White, 295 Captain America, 293 Shazzan 292 The Thing, 298 Mary Poppins, 297 Fairy with Wings, 296 Bozo the Clown, Hulk
