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The Floating Ghouls are a series of animated Halloween decorations originally made from 2002-2013 and currently being remade in 2017-2023. Each Ghoul or Ghost is suspended from a hanging black pole. When activated by sound or motion, the Character moves up and down while Blue LED lights shine down on the ghost and makes spooky noises. Ghouls made from 2002 through 2007 have 4 LED lights and 3 motors that move each hand and the head, and those made from 2008 through 2010 have 2 LED lights and 1 motor which controls the head and rails that control the hands. The 2002-2010 poles are made to be broken down in thirds, which makes them easy for storing after the season. Some have LED lights in the eyes for an added effect.

There are single-string models as well, which lack a pole entirely and utilize a mechanism similar to that of a Dropping Skull or Spider. These models were initially only made from 2009 to 2013, however 2 mini versions were made in 2019, similar to a smaller single string ghost with a kaleidoscopic head that was sold in 2012. Another was made in 2021 and exclusively sold by Spirit Halloween. There are many different variants which are listed below.

In 2017, Gemmy and their sister company, Sunstar Industries, rebooted the floating ghost series. These ghosts are much different than their 2002-2010 counterparts; the pole is in one piece and cannot be disassembled for storage, the pole lights flash blue, the strings are nylon and more durable and the ghosts overall are larger in size than their predecessors. These 'second generation' ghosts have been produced every year since 2017, with new versions released each year.

4 LIGHT MODELS (2002-2007)

  • Ghost (Scary) 2002-2007
  • Skull (Black Scary Ghost(Walmart Exclusive)) 2004
  • Ghost (Friendly) 2002-2006
  • Girl Ghost (Female Ghost) 2004-2006
  • Grim Reaper 2004-2007
  • Grim Reaper (with red LED eyes) 2005-2007
  • Grim Reaper (Skeleton) 2007
  • Grim Reaper (Skeleton with green LED eyes). 2007
  • Grim Reaper (Chained Skeleton with red LED eyes(Michael's Exclusive)) 2007
  • Pirate Skeleton 2006
  • Pirate Skeleton (with red LED and swords) 2006-2007
  • Skeleton 2005-2007
  • Skeleton (with red LED eyes) 2006-2007
  • Witch 2007
  • Witch (with green LED eyes and pink/purple cloth) 2006-2007
  • Phantom (Spencer’s/Spirit Halloween Exclusive) 2007
  • Donna The Dead 2007
  • Donna The Dead (Bride) 2007
  • Zombie Skull (with Red LED eyes) 2007

2 LIGHT MODELS (2008-2010)

  • Ghost (Scary) 2008
  • Grim Reaper 2008
  • Grim Reaper (with Red LED eyes) 2008
  • Grim Reaper (Skeleton with Green LED eyes) 2008
  • Skeleton (with Red LED eyes) 2008
  • Donna The Dead 2008
  • Donna The Dead (Bride) 2008
  • Donna The Dead (with Blue LED eyes(Michaels Exclusive)) 2008
  • Mummy (Target exclusive) 2008-2010
  • Skull (Target Exclusive) 2008-2010

SINGLE STRING MODELS (2009-2013, 2019)

  • Ghost 2009-2010
  • Ghost (White Eyes) 2011-2013
  • Reaper (Skeleton) 2009-2011
  • Reaper (Pumpkin) 2009-2011
  • Reaper (Hockey Mask) 2009-2010
  • Ghost (Small) 2012
  • Ghost (Mini) 2019
  • Vampiress (Mini) 2019
  • Hanging Creepy Floating Ghost 2021

RECENT (SECOND GENERATION) MODELS (2017-2021)

  • Skeleton (White) (2017)
  • Skeleton (Black) (2017)
  • Lady (2017)
  • Lady (Black Light Bride(Lowe’s Exclusive)) (2017)
  • Ghoul (Cartoon Ghost) (2018)
  • Clown (2018)
  • Lady (Gothic) (2018)
  • Scar Mouth Lady (Lowe’s Exclusive) (2018-2021)
  • Phantom (Long Hair) (2019)
  • Phantom Ghost (Faceless) (2019)
  • Creepy Girl Doll (2019)
  • Clown (2019)
  • Witch (2019)
  • Bride (2019)
  • Ghost Head Trio (2023-2024)

Gallery (Original Models)

Gallery (Modern Versions)

Timeline

  • 2002: Scary Ghost, Friendly Ghost
  • 2003: Scary Ghost, Friendly Ghost
  • 2004: Scary Ghost, Friendly Ghost, Scary Ghost (Black Cloth), Grim Reaper, Female Ghost
  • 2005: Scary Ghost, Friendly Ghost, Female Ghost, Grim Reaper, Grim Reaper (LED Eyes), Skeleton
  • 2006: Scary Ghost, Friendly Ghost, Female Ghost, Grim Reaper, Grim Reaper (LED Eyes), Skeleton, Skeleton (Red LED Eyes and Black Cloth), Pirate, Pirate (with LED eye and Swords), Witch (Black Cloth) , Witch (Purple Cloth)
  • 2007: Scary Ghost, Grim Reaper, Grim Reaper (with LED Eyes), Skeleton Reaper, Skeleton Reaper (with LED Eyes), Witch (Black Cloth), Witch (Purple Cloth), Skeleton, Skeleton (with LED Eyes), Pirate (with LED eye and Swords), Chained Reaper, Phantom, Donna the Dead (Purple Cloth), Donna the Dead Bride
  • 2008: Scary Ghost, Grim Reaper, Grim Reaper (LED eyes), Skeleton Reaper, Skeleton Reaper (LED eyes), Skeleton, Skeleton (LED Eyes), Mummy, Skull with Hair, Donna the Dead (Purple cloth), Donna the Dead (Black Cloth) Donna the Dead Bride
  • 2009: Mummy, Skull with Hair, Ghost (Single String), Ghost (Blue Eyes) (Single String), Reaper (Single String), Pumpkin Reaper (Single String), Hockey Mask Ghost (Single String)
  • 2010: Mummy, Skull with Hair, Ghost (single String), Reaper (Single String), Pumpkin Reaper (Single string), Hockey Mask ghost (Single string)
  • 2011: Ghost (Single string), Reaper (Single string), Pumpkin Reaper (Single String), Hockey Mask ghost (Single String)
  • 2012: Ghost (Single String), Reaper (Single String), Pumpkin Reaper (Single String), Hockey Mask Ghost (Single String), Small Ghost with Kaleidoscopic Lighted Head (Single String)
  • 2013: Ghost (Single String), Reaper (Single String), Pumpkin Reaper (Single String), Hockey Mask ghost (Single String)
  • 2017: Scary Skeleton Ghost, Scary Skeleton Ghost (Black Cloth), Ghost Lady, Ghost Lady (Canada Exclusive)
  • 2018: Scary Skeleton Ghost, Scary Skeleton Ghost (Black Cloth), Scar Mouth Lady, Cartoon Friendly Ghost, Clown, Gothic Ghost Girl
  • 2019: Scary Skeleton Ghost, Scary Skeleton Ghost (Black Cloth), Scar Mouth Lady, Clown, Clown (with Red Cloth), Long Haired Phantom, Faceless Phantom, Creepy Doll Girl, Witch, Bride, Mini Ghost (Single String), Mini Vampiress (Single String)
  • 2020: Scar Mouth Lady
  • 2021: Hanging Creepy Floating Ghost, Scar Mouth Lady
  • 2022: Unknown
  • 2023: Head Trio
  • 2024: Head Trio

Trivia

  • There are three floating ghost series: the originals, which ran from 2002 to 2010, the Single String Ghosts, which ran from 2009 to 2013, and the new series, which ran from 2017 to present day.
  • From 2009 to 2013, floating ghosts suspended by a single string were produced by Gemmy. These ghosts lacked a pole altogether and instead used a dropping skull mechanism that lowered them up and down in a floating motion. It is possible Gemmy switched to single string models during the last year's of the first floating ghost series because they were cheaper to make.
  • The Pumpkin Reaper and the Ghost from the Spirit Halloween exclusive line were later rereleased with less quality.
  • The Pumpkin Reaper's rerelease had a noticeably less detailed face molded in thinner plastic, a worse paint application, and entirely different hand molds.
  • On original (2002-2010) ghosts, the string will inevitably snap with use. It takes a while, but eventually the string will become stressed with many activations and snap from the inside. The reason for this is because the string is made of a fishing wire like material. A telltale sign of this is when the string on your ghost reaches the very bottom (if the head or hand affected moves down lower than the others). This problem is easy to fix, and there are a few tutorial videos on YouTube. The 2017-present ghosts dont seem to have this problem, as they utilize a more sturdy, dependable nylon string that can support the weight of the head and hands easily.
  • Another issue is the belts wearing out. Over time and with much activation, like the string issue, the belts inside the pole that lower and raise the head and hands wear out and lose control over the head and hands. You can tell a belt is wearing out if the head or hand(s) of your ghost slowly slips down after an activation. This repair is slightly more complicated than a string replacement, however it is still not overly hard (and again, there are tutorials on YouTube). This occurence has not yet been seen in 2017-present ghosts.
  • The Floating Female Ghost is the only Floating Ghoul to have any eyebrows.
  • The Floating Witch's face mold was also used for the Shaking Spirits Witch and the Hallo-Wings Witch.
  • Outside the USA, the Donna the Dead Bride was sold at ASDA.
  • The Red, Purple and Black Floating Zombies are prototypes. It is possible only one of each version exists.
  • 2017-present ghosts are distributed by Gemmy's sister company, Sunstar Industries. Despite this, they are still actually manufactured by Gemmy.
  • Since their reboot in 2017, the floating ghosts have had major upgrades from their original counterparts. They now have smaller poles that are already assembled (the originals had poles that came in two pieces), they seem to be larger than the originals, and they seem to be more sturdy, to name a few differences.
  • The Floating ghosts are one of the most popular halloween lines in the Gemmy fan-base. Prior to the line's reboot in 2017, fans consistently contacted Gemmy after they were initially discontinued in 2010 in attempt to restart the line through popular demand.
  • The 2019 long haired phantom bears resemblance to Samara from the movie 'the Ring'. It is possible the character was an inspiration to the ghost.
  • The 2019 witch has same phrases to the Cauldron Witch.
  • The Floating Phantom Ghost (2019) is the longest (at 60 inches in height) floating ghost to this date, followed by the Floating Phantom (2007), the Floating Skeleton(2005), and Floating Black Gauze Donna the Dead(2008).
  • Strangely, the stock image for the purple witch shows it having blonde hair. The produced versions all have gray hair like the normal black cloth versions.
  • 2008-2010 ghosts are more likely to get tangled string than original 2002-2007 ghosts. There are also less parts in the pole to disassemble when performing a repair such as a string replacement.
  • While the majority of modern Floating Ghouls are manufactured by Gemmy’s sister company Sunstar Industries, they are still included as part of the series.
  • The 2023-2024 Floating Ghost Head Trio is referred to by some retailers as "the heads of Halloween forgotten, current and hereafter", likely a reference to the Ghosts of Christmas past, present and future from the book A Christmas Carol.

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