Ben Cooper, Inc. was a

privately held A privately held company (or simply a private company) is a company whose shares and related rights or obligations are not offered for public subscription or publicly negotiated in the respective listed markets, but rather the company's stock is ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

corporation A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and r ...

founded in 1937 which primarily manufactured

Halloween costume Halloween costumes are costumes worn on Halloween, a festival which falls on October 31. An early reference to wearing costumes at Halloween comes from Scotland in 1585, but they may pre-date this. There are many references to the custom durin ...

s from the late 1930s to the late 1980s. It was one of the three largest Halloween costume manufacturers in the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

from the 1950s through the mid-1980s.Rinker, "Halloween Costumes Worth Scaring Up By Collectors," ''The Morning Call'', November 10, 1996. The company's inexpensive plastic masks and vinyl smocks were an iconic American symbol of Halloween from the 1950s to the 1970s, for which Cooper has been called the "

Halston Roy Halston Frowick (April 23, 1932 – March 26, 1990), known mononymously as Halston, was an American fashion designer who rose to international fame in the 1970s. His minimalist, clean designs, often made of cashmere or ultrasuede, were a ...

of Halloween"Shapiro, "Trick and Treat! Ben Cooper Bags Millions as the Halston of Halloween,"
''People'', October 29, 1979. and the "High Priest" of Halloween.

Corporate history

Ben Cooper - translucent mummy mask - early 1960s

Founder Ben Cooper was born on the

Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in 1906. He studied accounting and briefly sought a career as a

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

before founding a theatrical costume business in 1927."Halloween Costume", in ''Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion,'' 2004, p. 167. Cooper designed costumes and sets for the legendary

Cotton Club The Cotton Club was a New York City nightclub from 1923 to 1940. It was located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue (1923–1936), then briefly in the midtown Theater District (1936–1940).Elizabeth Winter"Cotton Club of Harlem (1923- )" Blac ...

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

and several editions of the

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air ...

. With live theatre becoming rarer in the 1930s due to the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and Halloween becoming a more popular holiday, Cooper established Ben Cooper, Inc., in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, in 1937. The firm assumed control of A.S. Fishbach, Inc.—which had a

license A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

to produce costumes based on characters owned by

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

such as

Donald Duck Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor shirt and cap with a bow tie. Donald is known fo ...

and

Snow White "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as Ta ...

—in 1937 and began selling Disney costumes under Fishbach's Spotlight brand. The two companies formally merged and incorporated as Ben Cooper, Inc., on December 8, 1942. By the late 1940s, Ben Cooper, Inc. was one of the largest and most prominent Halloween costume manufacturers in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

.Fendelman, "Vintage Halloween Costumes," ''Country Living,'' October 1, 2007. Its costumes were generally very thin fabric with a silk-screened image on the front that sold for less than $3. The company began selling its costumes through large retailers such as J. C. Penney,

Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...

Woolworth's Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to: Businesses * F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores * Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shops ...

, and five-and-dime stores. Costumes often sold for $1.25 ($ in dollars). At the time, the most popular costumes were traditional Halloween figures such as devils, ghosts, skeletons, and witches. In the 1950s, television characters such as

Davy Crockett David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician. He is often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Re ...

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

, and

Zorro Zorro (Spanish language, Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed a ...

were more popular. As parents became more concerned about safety in the 1950s, the company responded by creating its "Glitter Glo" costumes, dresses, and jumpsuits with large amounts of blue

glitter Glitter is an assortment of small, reflective particles that come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Glitter particles reflect light at different angles, causing the surface to sparkle or shimmer. Glitter is similar to confetti, sparkle ...

glued to the front (which would reflect the headlights of oncoming automobiles). The company banked heavily on the popularity of President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

and

Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A po ...

, but had to destroy thousands of masks after Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963. Ben Cooper - Empire Strikes Back boxed costume C-3PO - 1977

In the 1960s and 1970s, Ben Cooper, Inc., was one of the "big three" Halloween costume companies, along with Collegeville and the H. Halpern Company (Halco).Rinker, "Unmasking the Value of Old Halloween Costumes," ''The Morning Call,'' October 23, 2007. The company became known for licensing popular film and television characters and getting their images onto store shelves quickly. For example, it licensed

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...

, a virtually unknown character at the time, in 1963. The company also licensed the

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

character in 1964. The company produced a very popular

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

mask in the late 1960s, which sold as equally well as its

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

mask even in the late 1980s.Kleinfeld, "The Weird, the Bad and the Scary", ''New York Times,'' October 15, 1989.
/ref> The company produced a

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

mask in 1987, anticipating Bush's election as president by a year. In 1979, Ben Cooper, Inc., was still the largest Halloween costume company in the U.S. That same year, the firm issued its first costume based on a character in an R-rated motion picture, the creature from the film ''

Alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...

''. The company suffered heavy financial losses in the early and mid-1980s. Beginning on September 29, 1982, seven people died after taking the painkiller

Tylenol Tylenol may refer to: * Paracetamol (acetaminophen), a medication used to treat pain and fever * Tylenol (brand) Tylenol () is a brand of medication, advertised for reducing pain, reducing fever, and relieving the symptoms of allergies, cold, ...

. Investigators discovered that someone had tampered with the product, lacing it with

potassium cyanide Potassium cyanide is a compound with the formula KCN. This colorless crystalline salt, similar in appearance to sugar, is highly soluble in water. Most KCN is used in gold mining, organic synthesis, and electroplating. Smaller applications includ ...

. Terrified parents nationwide refused to allow their children to celebrate Halloween the following month, and sales of costumes plummeted and did not recover for several years. Ben Cooper, Inc. formed the Halloween Celebration Committee along with eight other manufacturers of Halloween costumes, masks, makeup, and accessories and (in cooperation with the Toy Manufacturers of America) published the booklet "13 Great Ways to Celebrate Halloween" in order to reassure parents and help stimulate interest in the holiday again. Despite this setback, in 1984 the firm was still the largest supplier of Halloween costumes in the United States. The company recovered around 1987, as total sales of accessories, costumes, and makeup rose at an annual rate of 20 percent a year.

Toys

Apart from Halloween costumes, Ben Cooper's other major venture was toys, primarily of the rack toy variety. In 1974, they made

Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on Frenc ...

jigglers, sold loose in a counter box. In 1975, they made Shark!, a rubber shark with a rubber man clearly inspired by the popularity of ''

Jaws Jaws or Jaw may refer to: Anatomy * Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth ** Mandible, the lower jaw Arts, entertainment, and media * Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker'' * ...

'', for which Imperial Toy Corporation had the actual license. In 1980, they produced a set of "

Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...

Super Heroes A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses Superpower (ability), ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the World peac ...

Action Figure An action figure is a poseable character (arts), character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are ...

s," which were also flexible, non-articulated "jigglers," depicting

, The Thing,

Doctor Strange Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...

, and the evil

Red Skull The Red Skull is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and its predecessor Timely Comics. The first version, George Maxon, appeared in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 and #4. The main ...

, the latter two possibly appearing as toys for the first time. They were sold loose from a counter display box.

Bankruptcies and sale

The increasing sales in the late 1980s were not enough to stave off bankruptcy, however. Ben Cooper, Inc.'s financial problems became so severe in 1988 that many customers left the firm and diverted licenses and business to its biggest competitor, Collegeville. The company filed for

Chapter 11 bankruptcy Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, whe ...

on March 13, 1988. As a privately held company, little financial data was available on its profit margins. However, one press report estimated the firm's profit margin below 10 percent in 1989. On January 6, 1989, the company's facility in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

burned to the ground, destroying (the company said) $2 million to $3 million in inventory ($ million to $ million in dollars).Scism, "Court Lets Costume Firm Seek Jury Trial On Claim", ''Greensboro News-Record,'' May 16, 1991."Major Bankruptcy Ruling Stands", ''Business Insurance,'' June 3, 1991. Cooper's two insurance companies canceled coverage of the firm and refused to pay, citing inaccuracies in the insurance policy.''In re Ben Cooper, Inc.'', 896 F.2d 1394, 1396-1397. The bankruptcy court refused to consider Cooper's claims against the insurance companies. Cooper appealed the court's ruling. Ben Cooper, Inc. emerged from bankruptcy in April 1989 after paying all its creditors in full. The

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory comprises the states of Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The court has appellate juri ...

determined in February 1990 that the issue of the insurance coverage was "core" and thus should be heard by the bankruptcy court. One of the insurance companies appealed to the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

. In a

per curiam In law, a ''per curiam'' decision (or opinion) is a ruling issued by an appellate court of multiple judges in which the decision rendered is made by the court (or at least, a majority of the court) acting collectively (and typically, though not ...

decision, the Supreme Court held that a serious jurisdictional issue had been brought to the court's attention by legal briefs, forcing it to vacate the appellate court's decision, remanding the case back to the appellate court, and asking the appellate court to consider the jurisdictional issue. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals considered the jurisdictional issue, found in Cooper's favor, and reinstated its original ruling in January 1991. Just days after the appellate court's second ruling, executives of Ben Cooper, Inc. announced they were moving the company to

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...

.Scism, "Greensboro Gains New Jobs As Costume Maker Relocates," ''Greensboro News-Record,'' January 8, 1991. The company said at this time that it had 35 permanent employees, and manufactured and supplied more than 4 million costumes in the previous year.Scism, "Bankruptcy Repeat No Treat for Costume Manufacturer," ''Greensboro News-Record,'' October 31, 1991. It said it controlled 70 to 80 percent of the licensed costume character costume business, and was partnered with companies such as

Children's Television Workshop Sesame Workshop (SW), originally known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), is an American nonprofit organization that has been responsible for the production of several educational children's programs—including its first and best-know ...

(producers of

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...

, and Walt Disney Studios. It said the reason for the move was to be closer to Southern textile factories and cutting shops, so that it could move away from the environmentally harmful vinyl costumes it had obtained from Asia and toward more acceptable natural fabrics. The company hoped to invest $6 million ($) in building its new Greensboro facility, and said it would apply for a $600,000

Community Development Block Grant The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), one of the longest-running programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, funds local community development activities with the stated goal of providing affordable housing, anti-po ...

to help defray costs and provide jobs to low-income workers in the area. Rubies Costume banner 1115 Bwy jeh

On October 30, 1991, Ben Cooper, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy yet again. The company's chief executive officer said the cause of the second bankruptcy was due to relocation expenses, the

early 1990s recession The early 1990s recession describes the period of economic downturn affecting much of the Western world in the early 1990s. The impacts of the recession contributed in part to the 1992 U.S. presidential election victory of Bill Clinton over incu ...

, and delays in obtaining bank loans. The company was not able to survive as an independent firm, however, and was bought by Rubie's Costume Co. in 1992.Szadkowski, "New Superheroes Suit Up With Halloween Standards," ''The Washington Times,'' October 11, 2003
Everhart, "Halloween: A Family Business," ''Selling Halloween,'' February 2007.

Collectibility

Products made by Ben Cooper, Inc. remain highly collectible. Collectors prize the boxed costumes with mask the most. In 2002, photographer Phyllis Galembo published ''Dressed for Thrills: 100 Years of Halloween Costumes & Masquerade,'' a book of text and photography which features some of the costumes produced by Ben Cooper, Inc.Miller, "Mask Oriented," Salon.com, October 30, 2002
see also, generally: Galembo, ''Dressed for Thrills: 100 Years of Halloween Costumes and Masquerade,'' 2002.

Footnotes

Bibliography

*"Antiques and Collectibles." ''The Bergen Record.'' October 31, 2002. *"Ben Cooper Files to Reorganize in Chapter 11." ''Daily News Record.'' March 14, 1988. *"Chalkware Owl Could Bring As Much As $20." ''

Spokane Spokesman-Review ''The Spokesman-Review'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Spokane, Washington, the city's sole remaining daily publication. It has the third-highest readership among daily newspapers in the state, with most of its readership base in ...

.'' June 11, 2004. *"Cooper Agrees to Pay Unsecured Creditors 100%." ''

Daily News Record ''Daily News Record'' (or ''DNR'') was an American fashion trade journal published by Fairchild Publications, Inc. ''DNR'' started in 1890 when Edmund Fairchild used the wealth he had accumulated selling soap to purchase the '' Chicago Herald G ...

.'' October 26, 1988. *DeCaro, Frank. "Grown-Up Goblins: Halloween Fantasies Let the Ghoul Times Roll for Stressed Out Baby Boomers." ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

.'' October 25, 1987.
Everhart, Jane. "Halloween: A Family Business." ''Selling Halloween.'' February 2007.
*Fendelman, Helaine. "Vintage Halloween Costumes." ''

Country Living ''Country Living'' is an American lifestyle and home magazine published by the Hearst Corporation since 1978. The monthly magazine focuses on food, home renovation, home decor, DIY and lifestyle. The magazine hosts four Country Living Fairs a ye ...

.'' October 1, 2007. *Fricker, Dan. "Raisins Are Sweet for Costume Maker." ''

The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after ''The Express-Times''. In 2020, the newspaper permanently closed its Al ...

.'' October 26, 1988. *Galembo, Phyllis. ''Dressed for Thrills: 100 Years of Halloween Costumes and Masquerade.'' New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2002.
"Ghoul Gear."
''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

.'' October 25–31, 1973. *"Halloween Costume." In ''Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion.'' Valerie Steele, ed. New York:

Charles Scribner%27s Sons Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner's or Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing American authors including Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Marjorie Kinnan Rawli ...

, 2004. *"Halloween Costumes May Scare Up Profits." ''

The Charlotte Observer ''The Charlotte Observer'' is an American English-language newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and its metro area. The Observer was founded in 1886. As of 2020, it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. I ...

.'' June 1, 1995. *Kita, Joe. "Just Needle and Thread Create Stuff of Dreams — and Nightmares." ''The Morning Call.'' October 25, 1984.
Kleinfeld, N.R. "The Weird, the Bad and the Scary."
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

.'' October 15, 1989. *Kovel, Terry. "Scaring Up Containers." ''Virginian-Pilot.'' October 26, 2008. *Kovel, Ralph and Kovel, Terry. "Antiques and Collectibles." ''Monterey County Herald.'' October 22, 2005. *Kovel, Ralph and Kovel, Terry. "Comfort Helped 'Sleeping Chair' Take Wing." ''

Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...

.'' November 5, 1996. *Kovel, Ralph and Kovel, Terry. "Ghoulish Goings-On." ''Atlanta Journal and Constitution.'' October 27, 1995. *Kovel, Ralph and Kovel, Terry. "It's Hard to Put a Price Tag on One-of-a-Kind Folk Art." ''Florida Times-Union.'' October 19, 1996. *Kovel, Ralph and Kovel, Terry. "Pop-Up Books and Toys Entertain for Centuries." ''Albany Times Union.'' October 28, 2007. *Lesem, Jeanne. "Booklet Aims to Make '83 Halloween Trick-or-Treat Both Scary and Safe." ''

United Press International United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ...

.'' October 4, 1983. *"Major Bankruptcy Ruling Stands." ''Business Insurance.'' June 3, 1991. *McLaughlin, Patricia. "Costumes' Popularity Is Absolutely Batty." ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch.'' October 26, 1989.
Miller, Laura. "Mask Oriented."

Salon.com ''Salon'' is an American politically progressive/liberal news and opinion website created in 1995. It publishes articles on U.S. politics, culture, and current events. Content and coverage ''Salon'' covers a variety of topics, including re ...

. October 30, 2002. Accessed 2010-09-20. *Moody, Sid. "Television Land Outside Your Door." ''The Hartford Courant.'' October 30, 1960. *Petty, Ross D. "The 'Amazing Adventures' of Super Hero®." ''

The Trademark Reporter ''The Trademark Reporter'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal covering trademark law and related topics. It was first established in 1911 and is published by the International Trademark Association The International Trademark Associati ...

.'' 100:3 (May–June 2010). *Rinker, Harry. "Halloween Costumes Worth Scaring Up By Collectors." ''The Morning Call.'' November 10, 1996. *Rinker, Harry. "Unmasking the Value of Old Halloween Costumes." ''The Morning Call.'' October 23, 2007. *Rosenkrantz, Linda. "Chills and Thrills Have Long History." ''San Diego Union-Tribune.'' October 20, 2002. *Sandstrom, Karen. "Frightfully Collectible." ''The Plain Dealer.'' October 28, 1994. *Scism, Jack. "Bankruptcy Repeat No Treat for Costume Manufacturer." ''Greensboro News-Record.'' October 31, 1991. *Scism, Jack. "Court Lets Costume Firm Seek Jury Trial On Claim." ''Greensboro News-Record.'' May 16, 1991. *Scism, Jack. "Greensboro Gains New Jobs As Costume Maker Relocates." ''Greensboro News-Record.'' January 8, 1991.
Shapiro, Harriet. "Trick and Treat! Ben Cooper Bags Millions as the Halston of Halloween."
''

People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...

.'' October 29, 1979.
"Snow White Costumes By Fishbach." ''Playthings.'' June 1938.
*Szadkowski, Joseph. "New Superheroes Suit Up With Halloween Standards." ''

The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., that covers general interest topics with a particular emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughout ...

.'' October 11, 2003. *"Trick-or-Treating as Buck Rogers." ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

.'' October 28, 2000. *Yvaska, Steven Wayne. "Spirited Noisemakers." ''San Jose Mercury News.'' October 29, 2005. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ben Cooper, Inc. Halloween Halloween in the United States Manufacturing companies established in 1937 Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1992 Clothing retailers of the United States Defunct companies based in New York City Companies based in Greensboro, North Carolina Companies that have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1988 Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991 1937 establishments in the United States 1937 establishments in New York City Companies established in 1937 Clothing companies based in New York City