By Kevin Coughlin
Halloween reminds me of a Christmas thank-you that is long overdue.
It’s for the most popular gift I gave last year: A bag of plastic kazoos that set me back about $3.
My family was feeling festive on Christmas Eve, and we marched with our magic instruments to a neighbor’s doorstep for an off-key rendition of We Wish You a Merry Christmas that’s still ricocheting across Long Island Sound.
Only one place could have supplied such serendipitous Yuletide inspiration.
Del’s Novelty.
Since the late ’60s, this shop near the intersection of Elm and Morris streets has tickled funny bones of all ages with Halloween masks, whoopee cushions, fart spray, fake eyeballs, naughty bachelor party items and countless other tacky treasures.
In the halcyon days of the late 2000s, when I still had an expense account, I always wondered what the bean counters made of my bizarre vouchers:
“Pirate hook for movie.” “Skull for MacBeth scene at library.” “Fake Oscar for Film Fest.” “Movie clapboard.” “Dragon hat for Halloween event.” “Butterfly net for video.” “Fake blood for zombie ride.” “Pirate costume for parade.” “Clacking false teeth, George Washington impersonation.”
The list seemed endless.
Fake shotgun for brother’s truck…fake handcuffs, billy club and sheriff’s badge for nephew… Groucho glasses…bald wig…fart machine… Viking helmet…colonial tricorn…St. Paddy’s beads…plastic fireman’s hat…
And then, the fire.
For Phil and Kathy Del Giudice — and for generations of Morristown trick-or-treaters–this was The Nightmare on Elm Street.
The January 2015 blaze, on the most bone-chilling night of the year, destroyed a business in Phil’s family since 1949. His father and uncle ran a butcher shop there, Del’s Market. After a devastating flood, it became a novelty shop. That was sometime in the late ’60s, according to Phil, who is president of the Morristown Partnership.
Phil personally sold novelty items at Del’s starting in 1979. His wife Kathy worked joined him there when their two sons left for college.
- Thank you, Del’s Novelty!
Earlier this month, a backhoe made short work of the charred remains of Del’s Novelty and an adjoining shop, B.W. Clifford’s, leaving a gap-toothed grimace in the middle of Blachley Place.
Now, as I try to milk one more Halloween from my well worn “pirate” costume (18th-century loungewear, by George!), I am scrambling for a few finishing touches.
I want to run to Del’s.
But all I can do is offer belated thanks. Thank you, Phil and Kathy.
Thanks for the kazoos. Thanks for the memories.
And if you two ever want to open a satellite shop, I have a closet-full of inventory.
MORE ABOUT ‘THE NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET’
I was just thinking the other day that I needed to pick up this and that for Halloween and then I remembered – Del’s is gone. Life in the Morristown area is just not the same.
Del’s was always one of our favorite places as kids. It was close enough to walk to and we had allowance burning holes in our pockets! It was always a toss-up, go to Del’s or the Sugar Pine Shop? Sometimes with very careful budgeting we hit both!
Paper goods and paper hats for parties. Special effects for special events were always handy on Blachley Place. My source of candles, countless balloons over the years and of course our Halloween treats. If they didn’t have what you needed on hand they would order it for you. Miss you, DEL’s.