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Oct 20, 2026

Last-Minute Halloween Costumes in San Antonio: 5 Thrift Stores Where $15 Builds a Whole Costume

A store-bought costume at the big-box store runs $40–$60 and looks like everyone else's. UTSA's student paper priced out the DIY version this month: $5 themed tights or gloves, $2 pointed hats, $7 wigs and masks, $4 temporary hair dye, $2 strip lashes — all from a Goodwill seasonal aisle. That's a full costume for about $15–$20, and it's yours alone.

For more seasonal hunting, start with our San Antonio Halloween page. Then hit these five stops, ranked by costume usefulness.

Thrift store Halloween costume rack with a witch hat, neon windbreaker, lace dress, wigs and masks

1. Goodwill San Antonio — the price-point king

Goodwill's "Haul-O-Ween" hub is live for 2026 with a DIY costume lookbook, how-to videos, and — this is the hook — a thrifted-costume contest with a $200 Goodwill gift card prize. The winner is drawn Monday, Nov 2 (enter by tagging @GoodwillSanAntonio with your costume). And for the last-minute crowd: from Oct 25 – Nov 1, “New Good” Halloween items are 50% off at every Goodwill San Antonio retail store (per Goodwill's own events page; the discount can't be stacked with other discounts) — the cheapest costume week of the year, if you can wait that long. The Goodwill at 12332 IH-10 W runs seasonal aisles this year, per the Paisano guide. Build your costume here, then enter it in the contest for free.

2. Thrift @ The Warehouse (Pearl) — the curated vintage hunt

1203 Camden St at the Pearl, open daily 10–8 (thriftatthewarehouse.com; second location at 305 E Ramsey Rd Ste 307). Curated Y2K/goth/grunge racks — exactly the pieces that become instant costumes: leather jackets, band tees, plaid, platform boots. Pay a little more than Goodwill prices, skip the digging.

3. Texas Thrift — four SA locations, big Halloween racks

Texas Thrift runs some of the largest floors in town (4 San Antonio locations). For last-minute costume hunting, floor size matters: more jackets, more dresses, more weird accessories to riff on. Check the location nearest you and go in person — the costume-adjacent stuff moves fast the week of Halloween.

4. Thrift Town San Antonio — Thousand Oaks workhorse

2864 Thousand Oaks Dr. A steady, affordable workhorse stop for base layers: black dresses, blazers, button-downs, jeans — the neutral foundation pieces every costume needs, at workhorse prices.

5. Buffalo Exchange Outlet — everything $8 or less

145 W Olmos Dr, open Mon–Sat 10–7, Sun 11–7 (buffaloexchange.com; (210) 832-8838). This is Buffalo Exchange's outlet store: recycled fashion, vintage pieces and one-of-a-kind finds, all priced $8 or less — so a full costume base plus an accent piece still lands under the $15 formula. Windbreakers, tracksuits, denim, statement tees — exactly one thrift stop away from a retro costume that reads instantly at a party. Note: this outlet is shop-only (no selling/trading).

The $15 costume formula (works at any of the 5 stops)

  • Base layer — black dress, blazer, button-down, or jeans: $3–$6
  • Accent — hat, scarf, belt, gloves, cape, or jacket: $2–$7
  • Hair — wig, temp hair dye, or a $2 pointed hat: $2–$7
  • Face — makeup from home + $2 strip lashes: $0–$2
  • Total: about $7–$22 — most builds land near $15

Three costumes you can build in one trip

  • Witch/mage: black base layer + pointed hat ($2) + thrifted cape/jacket + dark nail polish.
  • '80s aerobics instructor: track pants + neon windbreaker (Buffalo Exchange Outlet) + temp hair color ($4) + headband.
  • Vampire/vintage goth: black blazer or dress + thrifted lace or velvet piece + dark lipstick from home.

One more reason to do it this year

Goodwill's Haul-O-Ween $200 gift-card costume contest (winner drawn Nov 2) — build it from thrift finds, tag @GoodwillSanAntonio, enter free. Costume content that pays for your next thrift run.

Get San Antonio thrift drops and seasonal guides first — join SA Thrift free for the weekly digest. Hunting this weekend? Shoppers plan their routes from the SA Thrift Deal Board.

Helpful links & phone numbers

FAQ

How much does a thrifted Halloween costume cost in San Antonio?

About $15 for most builds. The pieces price out at $2–$7 each — a base layer ($3–$6), one accent piece, and a wig, hat, or hair dye — so a full costume usually lands between $7 and $22, versus $40–$60 for a bagged store costume.

How do I enter the Goodwill costume contest?

Post your thrifted costume photo or video and tag @GoodwillSanAntonio — that's the entry, and it's free. One winner is drawn at random on Monday, November 2 at 5:00 p.m. CST for a $200 Goodwill San Antonio gift card; a photo of your Goodwill tag or receipt earns an extra entry.

When should I shop for a last-minute costume?

This week, and earlier in the day if you can. Costume racks turn over fast the week of Halloween, and the best base pieces — black dresses, blazers, capes, windbreakers — go first. Start at Goodwill for the seasonal aisles, then fill gaps at the outlet and vintage stops.

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