For Cleveland Haunt Club President Jeff Hartz, Halloween is a lifestyle.
Hartz, a traveling horror art dealer, said he has dedicated his adult life to celebrating his favorite time of year.
His Bay Village home is “decorated” and contains a number of horror artifacts, including a bathroom in the style of 1954’s “The Terror from the Amazon.”
On August 17, the Cleveland Haunt Club held its ninth annual Haunted Garage Sale.
The group has over 32,000 members on Facebook, most of whom are enthusiastic horror fans, just like Hartz himself.
“For many of us, for me and my fiancée, and for many of my friends, it’s like this every day,” he said. “Who doesn’t like that Halloween feeling, that October feeling?
“The atmosphere, the joy and the horror. I feel it.”
“This year’s garage sale featured 130 different vendors in the parking lot of Crushers Stadium, 2009 Baseball Blvd. in Avon.
“We’ve been planning this for eight months,” Hartz said. “Me and some of my friends brought this from Michigan.”
“There was a group in Detroit called the Motor City Haunt Club. I went to several of their meetings and told them I would steal everything they did.”
The Cleveland Haunt Club and the Motor City Haunt Club became sister organizations, Hartz said.
The garage sale, the club’s largest event of the year, brings together dealers and buyers from across Northeast Ohio.
According to Hartz, the club managed to get some celebrities from the world of horror to attend a meet-and-greet event.
“We also have two celebrities (at the event),” he said. “Two years ago we had Butch Patrick from ‘The Munsters.'”
“This year we have Ryan Lambert and Andre Gower from ‘The Monster Squad’ here. We brought them from LA and they are happy to be here.
“It really has become a whole festival.”
Ronell Grimes, owner of Upper Moon Creations, which serves Cuyahoga Falls, Akron, Canton, Massillon, Barberton, Fairlawn, Norton, Navarre and Wadsworth, has been active in the horror art scene for about three years.
After losing her job due to the coronavirus pandemic, Grimes said she needed a hobby to fill the time.
“I started during COVID,” she said. “I got interested in resin art and started making Ouija boards and incense holders.”
“It slowly evolved into 3D printing, but I try to do everything horror-related. I just love horror. I’m not sure (why).”
Grimes said she has been attending horror art shows for several years, but this was her first visit to a garage sale.
She said she would definitely return to the Lorain County horror classic.
“Each piece takes about two to three, sometimes four days,” Grimes said. “I’m especially proud of my Ouija boards, they’re my babies.”
“But since then I have grown fond of my dice towers and my wine holders.”
The garage sale also offered a horror version of a classic car tour.
Numerous individually designed hearses from the surrounding area were on display.
Dane Nestor of Monroe, Michigan, said his hearse, nicknamed “Meridith,” has become his daily companion.
The hearse was originally purchased for practical rather than aesthetic reasons, but Nestor insists it is the best car he has ever owned.
“I was originally looking for an SUV,” he said. “I was looking for something that I could carry my kayaks in and that was a little more fuel efficient.”
“It was definitely a utility vehicle. It’s a great party wagon if you want to go out and camp somewhere.”
Nestor, 27, said the 1994 Cadillac Fleetwood is not only fully functional, but is also undergoing a full restoration.
They hope to have the vehicle ready for burial use within the next five years, he said.
“When I got it, it actually had some pretty faded blue curtains and everything,” Nestor said. “I redid all the curtains for it.”
“I’ve been looking into funeral science at Wayne State University. The idea is actually to open my own funeral home called Meridith Funeral Home and Mortuary.”
Next year
Hartz said he and the rest of the Cleveland Haunt Club look forward to the garage sale all year.
He said he hopes the event will continue to thrive in the years to come as more people share the club’s Halloween spirit.
“It means we’re spreading Halloween joy and sharing it with people who enjoy this time of year,” Hartz said. “(I love) seeing the joy that everyone feels, the happiness, seeing these people all celebrating Halloween and having fun.”
“That’s the pleasure for me.”
The Cleveland Haunt Club hosts events every month, Hartz said.
Anyone interested in joining the club can visit www.clevelandhauntclub.com.
