Halloween Habit
Strikes in Mobile Acres
By Martha Slater

Randy and Sylvia Bradley outside their Sesame Street, Braintree, home. Halloween is a year-long project for them. (Herald / Tim Calabro)

There are no two ways about it—Randy Bradley has a Halloween habit. The Braintree man and his wife, Sylvia, are happily addicted to planning and decorating for their favorite holiday.

"He thinks it’s the ONLY holiday," Sylvia jokes.

When their neighbors say "you can’t miss" the Bradley’s home on Sesame St. in Mobile Acres, they’re absolutely right. At this time of year, most of the couple’s yard is filled with ghouls, ghosts, and freaky figures of all types. There’s also a "Dead End Cemetery," complete with tombstones Randy manufactured (including one for the Red Sox). Creepy noises issue from the sound system, and there are fog machines to help create just the right atmosphere.

"We dress up and do something different every year," Sylvia explains.

"We light it up every night," Randy adds. "We have motion sensors and some of the figures speak or make other noises. We have strobe lights in the front windows and a stereo with a 100-ft. cable plays music outside."

Inspired by the TV show, "McGuyver," Randy enjoys using everyday "found" objects to create new items (such as his famous spinning head on a turntable) for his collection. It’s grown so much that he and Sylvia had to buy a new shed, just to house it all.

As you might imagine, all this high-tech haunting also adds to their electric bill in the fall, but Randy notes with a grin, "I’ve only tripped the breaker one time!" He works on new items year-round, keeping a book filled with drawings and ideas for future projects.

The Bradleys say they spend a fair amount of time searching at tag sales for masks, skulls and other items that could be used for their display, and get the clothes for their freaky figures at area thrift shops.

"The best time to get bargains at regular stores is the day after Halloween," advises Randy, illustrating that point on a recent afternoon by showing visitors two of his latest acquisitions—a chest ripping zombie, complete with glowing eyes, and an elegantly frayed female mummy. "The zombie was 75% off!"

"For birthdays and Christmas, he always asks for things for his collection," Sylvia says.

The couple laughs as they tell about one package that arrived at the local post office, apparently startling employees there when it issued an evil cackle because a sensor had not been shut off inside.

The Bradleys have lived in Mobile Acres for 12 years and have pursued their Halloween hobby for at least half of that time.

"Basically, our indoor display moved outdoors, because many parents don’t let their kids come inside," Randy says. "We get about 70-80 trick-or-treaters each year and they seem to particularly like the vampire coffins."

The Bradleys start decorating for Halloween the third week of September.

"We start on the roof and work our way down and around," Randy explains. On Halloween night, he comes home early from work and fine-tunes the more fragile parts of his display. He doesn’t just hand out candy or watch out the window to see how trick-or-treaters react to his display—he’s an active participant in it.

"Sometimes, I like to run around chasing people," he admits with a grin.

For those who would like to see the Bradley’s display, once you turn onto Sesame St., it’s easy to find. Just ask their neighbors—you can’t miss it!