Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Bradley Party & Variety is fully stocked for Halloween (Photos)

Now the only variety store left in Bethesda, Bradley Party & Variety is going all-out for the Halloween season, aiming to be the headquarters for costumes, decorations, accessories, party goods and more. Stop by between 3:00 and 7:00 PM daily to see the gargoyle in the front window put on a scary performance complete with sound and billowing smoke. Want to buy it for yourself? That will set you back $3999 for this movie-quality prop.
It's just a stone
gargoyle, right?

Wait a minute, the
eyes just lit up




Now it's starting to
belch more smoke
than a VW diesel
 


Costumes range from Zoolander to Superman to a high-tech Godzilla get-up that's probably going to be more realistic and entertaining than the Matthew Broderick version. Every type of ghoul imaginable to haunt your home or haunted house is here, along with an army's worth of party supplies, dinnerware, welcome mats, and scary invitations.







With no pop-up mega-Halloween stores in downtown Bethesda, Bradley Party & Variety is going to come in handy for the serious Halloween fanatic and last-minute costume shopper alike. Bradley Party & Variety is located in the Bradley Shopping Center at 6922 Arlington Road.




























20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, this is a terrible omen. Remember what happened when Dyer posted pictures of Bruce's Halloween stock?

Anonymous said...

EIGHT pictures of the same gargoyle?

Anonymous said...

I Walked by there earlier this week, that gargoyle is well worth 8 pictures, that thing is insane. It was my first time in, a really cool store with helpful staff to go with it.

Anonymous said...

The one time of year Dyer looks normal, Halloween.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Dyer is in one of his photorrhea moods today.

An animated GIF or short video would have been a far more effective way of showing the gargoyle's features.

Thankfully the mobile version of this site does not show every single picture inline.

Anonymous said...

Would like to see Tarnation Bob pick up that 'Disco Mania' costume this year.

Anonymous said...

Looks like a great selection!

Anonymous said...

I got my halloween stuff early from them, it's a fun store.

Anonymous said...

Are you saying that he doesn't have any Spidey Sense?

Anonymous said...

There are probably enough stills of the gargoyle to make a gif

Anonymous said...

Disco Man is hot. I wonder if he gets his nails done at 18/8.

Anonymous said...

Why does Dyer support the trivialization of suicide?

Anonymous said...

After the way the owners of this store ran Bruce's out of town (literally) I refuse to set foot inside, gargoyle or not. I'd hope my neighbors would do the same.

Anonymous said...

guess you didn't read the articles most of us read 5:05 am, the rent was too high, and everything else was accusation. I'ts bethesda of course rent is high… the guys at strosniders are not the landlords. I thought they took advantage of the situation too until I walked into Strosniders and their party store and asked their side. I didn't go into the party store for over a year until I asked and found out the truth, maybe you should do the same. Don't just believe what ya read without getting both sides.

Anonymous said...

Robert's going to be wearing a two-headed Aaron Kraut / Andrew Metcalf mask.

Anonymous said...

Reality - the owners of the shopping center include the former husband of the woman who owned Bruce's Variety. Aside from the high rent, it was probably not a comfortable situation for anyone. On top of that, Bruce's was dark, dinghy, and seemed dirty. The new store is bright and clean and the employees are very helpful and friendly. I have been into the new store 10 times in the past year, which is probably as many times as I went into Bruce's variety in the previous 15 years. On a couple of occasions, I walked in and walked right out because of the condition of the store.

Anonymous said...

Reality is that Strosniders was lying about the situation and still does and they will never tell the truth about the Bruces leaving. The new store people do not know anything about a variety business. Their prices are way higher than other stores(just like Strosniders). I think everyone thinks they know what happened but they have no idea. The ex-wife has no ownership of anything in that shopping center. The Strosnider family has not owned the hardware store for almost 35 years. I would never set foot in that store for the way that Bruces was treated. Bruce Variety served the neighborhood well and honestly for 60 years and deserve to be thanked for catering to meet the needs of the community. Thanks Bruce Variety!

Anonymous said...

I don't like the way that Bruce was treated, but I agree that it had become dingy. Both the "new" (now closed) Bruce as well as Bradley Party & Variety made that absolutely clear.

Anonymous said...

Robin Strosnider was once married to Richard Dimock, co-owner of Bruce Variety. She was also an owner or co-owner of Kae Robin, the more upscale greeting card/gift shop down the row. The owners of the shopping center property appear to be owned by a trust. The trustee is Sam Barrow of JBG Properties. According to this article:

http://www.gazette.net/gazette_archive/2002/200224/business/mlocal/108947-1.html

Barrow is the owner.

The Strosnider family does not own the property as best I can tell.

If that is the case, this was just an ugly episode between ex-spouses. That her last name is Strosniders doesn't make the hardware store people responsible. My guess is that they probably helped her and Dimock get the space years ago because of their ongoing relationship with the owner.

Personally I wish Strosniders would move out and find a location with better parking. That parking lot is a nightmare no matter how you enter or exit the lot. I am there all the time as the self-proclaimed Queen of Paint Swatches. If it is Sunday, I am at Strosniders, buying more paint. The parking lot drives me bonkers.