Monsterguts.com: Making the World a Scarier Place, One Haunt at a Time

Monsterguts. Sounds gross, doesn't it? Well, it is. Or at least it can be. Monsterguts.com is an online retailer "created by haunters for haunters." If you are a Halloween enthusiast and a do-it-yourself (DIY) haunted house person, this is the perfect site for you.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Dean Davis, the owner and operator of Monsterguts.com, to find out how he got started in this business and what it's like to run your own haunting supply store. After all, this is a magazine for cemetery lovers-and what better way to show your love for cemeteries than to build one in your own yard!

MDP: Tell me about Monsterguts.com.
DD: Monsterguts.com is a one-stop shop for the do-it-yourself prop builder who is looking for the parts necessary to build his or her Halloween creation.

MDP: How ever did you get started in this business?
DD: I realized one day that I spent more time hunting for prop parts than actually building props and thought that other people were doing the same. Monsterguts.com was the solution to the problem.

MDP: Is this business something you do full-time? What did you do in your previous work life (or still do on the side)?
DD: Monster Guts demands a lot of my attention, but I still work my other job as a funeral director. Both Monster Guts and the funeral home I work at have flexible hours, and one has never interfered with the other.

MDP: How long have you been running Monsterguts.com?
DD: Monsterguts.com actually began as an idea almost five years ago. At the time, I was doing woodworking as well as being a funeral director to help pay bills. I was making cremation containers (those are what the deceased are put in prior to being cremated) for local funeral homes. Eventually, my woodworking expanded to funeral home furniture. For my Halloween display that year I needed some classic "toe-pincher" coffins. After I made them, the thought came to me that maybe I could make and sell more coffins. That was when Monsterguts.com was conceived. I shifted the focus of the business from woodworking to what is known today as Monsterguts.com. The funny thing is I don't make coffins any longer, I just haven't the time.

MDP: What do your customers think of the site?
DD: Customer support and feedback of the website has been very positive. People like the idea of a place they can go to get all of their prop shopping done at once.

MDP: Are your average customers professionals or mainly folks who merely enjoy making their homes into the talks of their neighborhoods?
DD: Most of our customers are home haunters.

MDP: What are your biggest sellers?
DD: Believe it or not, styrofoam heads are one of our big sellers. I think it's because styrofoam heads serve a double purpose. Haunters can use them as a place to put their Halloween masks. Prop builders also shape and detail them into monster heads to be used on props.

MDP: What do you think draws people to creating elaborate haunts?
DD: There are many reasons. To some, it's a passion, something that's been in their blood for years. For others, they want to be "that guy" or "that girl" in the neighborhood whom everybody comes to know as "the Halloween House". Some folks like to see the reactions on visitor's faces when they see their elaborate haunt. For other people, it's a creative outlet. And then there are those haunters that just love scaring the heck out of people. I'm one of those people.

MDP: Do you think demand has grown in recent years for Halloween products and haunting products?
DD: Absolutely. Halloween has enjoyed being the second largest holiday next to Christmas for many years. It seems to be growing more in popularity each year. Someday it may even surpass Christmas.

MDP: Since we are a cemetery magazine, I have to ask what kind of influence cemeteries have on this business.
DD: A very large influence. The scene most commonly used for a Halloween setting is the graveyard. Put some headstone props in your yard, have a fog machine pushing some fog between them and you have a classic setting. Another influence is that many home haunters build their own gravestones out of foamboard.I know a lot of these haunters go to cemeteries to draw inspiration. Cemetery monuments are an often overlooked artform, but home haunters appreciate the ornate details of headstones because they often duplicate them for their own purposes.

MDP: As a Halloween fan from day one, I must admit it would be a dream come true to run my own Halloween store (I did work at one part-time last fall, and had a blast). All the business stuff aside, does owning this store bring out the kid in you?
DD: I've never completely grown up, which may help explain why I love Halloween. It is a business, but it's also playtime because I enjoy it so much.

MDP: Is there anything else you'd like to share about your experiences with Monsterguts.com?
DD: Home haunters are sometimes considered strange and demented, with a touch of darkside. One thing I've learned from this business is that such labels are completely false. Rarely do you find people so generous, kind and humorous, and more down to earth than you do with home haunters. I am proud to serve them and be counted among them.

Visit Monsterguts.com to learn more.
Email: contact@monsterguts.com
Address: Monster Guts, 13 Snake Meadow Hill Rd., Moosup, CT 06354
Phone: (860) 230-7297
Store Hours: 9 a.m - 5 p.m. EST