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Halloween buffs know it’s never too early to plan your fright-night decor. That’s why starting now can help ensure you have the best haunted yard in your neighborhood. At 12 feet tall, Skelly, the viral Home Depot skeleton, is one Halloween animatronic decoration that towers above pretty much everything. The skeleton has LifeEyes (LCD eyes) that move and blink, creating an eery life-like appearance.
With 4.7 stars from over 1,100+ reviews, Skelly is the talk of TikTok. Unfortunately, if you’ve checked out the $299 12-foot-tall Home Depot skeleton, you know it’s nearly impossible to get your hands on. In fact, it’s even out of stock right now. But don’t worry — we’ve got the details on the best times of year to find Skelly the Skeleton in 2023, and we’ll update this post as soon as he’s in stock.
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How much is the 12-foot skeleton from Home Depot?
Skelly has a $299 price tag. The Home Depot skeleton, introduced in July 2020 at HomeDepot.com and in stores a month later, belongs to the Home Accents Holiday line. In addition to its menacing height and eerie eyes, Skelly has a few other features:
- Outdoor and indoor use
- Posable arms
- Timer function: six hours on/18 hours off
- Water-resistant
- Operated by battery and adaptor or plug-in
Note: Assembly requires two to three people and takes one to two hours.
You can dress up Your Skelly.
One of the best things about Skelly is you can dress him up to fit any holiday. Here are some of our favorites if you need to leave him up past Halloween:
- 12-foot Skeleton Valentine’s Day Hat & Shirt, $69, Etsy
- Large Posable Skeleton Witch Outfit Decorative Accent, $21.99, Wayfair
- 12-foot Skeleton Santa Hat, $37+, Etsy
Or you can also learn to make your own outfits like this Grinch one:
@alexandriacraton Part 1 of 12ft skeleton grinch costume! Making the pants. #12ftskeleton #grinch #12ftskeletonclub #12ftskeletoncostume #diy #fyp
Home Depot does sell other Halloween giant creatures, too.
Over the last two years, Home Depot has introduced several gigantic animated creatures to keep Skelly company. Here’s a look at their latest Halloween additions from 2022:
- Inferno Pumpkin Skeleton, 12-foot tall, $379
- Towering Phantom, 15-foot tall, $399
- Hovering Witch, 12-foot tall, $299
- Immortal Werewolf, 9.6-foot tall, $399
- Illuminated Wizard, 12-foot tall, $199
How to care for Skelly the Skeleton:
Home Depot recommends storing Skelly back in the box when not in use. Be sure to take pictures as you take parts out for assembly so you can remember how they go back in. If your skeleton gets dirty, use a nonabrasive brush and wash it with mild soap and water. Rinse off with a garden hose. Do not use bleach or a power washer, as both can damage the skeleton bones. Although Skelly is water resistant, if you’re expecting windy weather, lay your Skelly on the ground.
Can I get replacement parts for my Home Depot skeleton?
Yes, if your Skelly loses a limb or other part, you can contact Home Depot for replacement parts via email at customerservice@svius.com. Be sure to include the following:
- Your name and shipping address
- Name of the decor
- Purchase date
- Store where you bought it
- Model number (if you have it)
- Photo or video (if you think it’ll help explain the issue)
Not happy with your 12-foot Home Depot skeleton? You can return it, according to the Home Depot return policy.
Related: Check out our Home Depot Deal of the Day and sale hacks.
How to find Skelly, the Home Depot skeleton:
Although Skelly the skeleton is harder to find than the latest Squishmallows, we have several tips that might get you the 12-foot-tall skeleton in time for Halloween.
Note: These dates and times are from 2022 and may vary this year.
Can I preorder Skelly?
Sorry, Home Depot doesn’t have preorders for the skeleton.
Can I order the Home Depot skeleton online?
Yes. The skeleton is available for shipping or store pickup. Be aware that the box for the skeleton is 41″x44″x29″ and weighs about 93 pounds, of which 60 pounds is Skelly.
Note: In response to flippers buying multiple skeletons at a time and reselling them at astronomical prices, Home Depot implemented a one-per-person policy for the 12-foot skeleton.
Sign up for in-stock alerts for the 12-foot giant-sized skeleton.
Be sure to sign up to get an email alert for Skelly or any of the other gigantic creatures. Since these items sell out so fast, we’ve heard the alert may not get to you until after they’re out of stock again.
Call your local store for in-stock information.
Many searchers say they got lucky calling nearby locations for in-stock information when HomeDepot.com shows the 12-foot skeleton is out of stock online.
Search for the Home Depot skeleton in different areas of the store.
Like some Skelly fans, you may find the skeleton in various places in store, such as the outdoor furnishings and indoor plant sections.
Check online during Home Depot’s Orange Friday in July.
Last year a new stock of the 12-foot skeleton dropped with their Moonlit Magic collection during the online-only Home Depot Orange Friday promotion on July 15, 2022, at 12:01 a.m. ET. Items from the Home Depot Halloween collection weren’t available in stores until the end of August/beginning of September.
Watch for a few other restock dates.
In addition to the release in July, Home Depot also shared the following back-in-stock dates in 2022:
- April 29
- June 16
- Sept. 26
Follow Home Depot on Twitter and Facebook.
Follow Home Depot on Facebook and Twitter to catch in-stock alerts.
Join Facebook Home Depot skeleton fan groups.
Skelly has made his rounds on social media over the last few years, with several groups and fan pages dedicated to the 12-foot tall skeleton. Members of Skelly Facebook fan groups and pages often share live in-stock alerts for online and in stores. You may also find Skelly for sale cheaper than on sites like eBay. Here are a few Facebook groups you may want to follow or join:
- 12 Foot Skeleton owners group (public)
- 12 Foot Skeleton Owners (Skelly & Inferno) (private)
- 12 foot skeleton group (private)
- 12-foot tall Home Depot skeleton (public)
- 12 Ft Skeleton Halloween Club (private)
- 12 foot Skeleton group (public)
Buy Skelly on eBay or Amazon.
If all else fails and you desperately want your Skelly now, over 100 of them are available on Amazon for $550+ or eBay for $100 – $900 over the original $299 store price.
Shop Lowe’s Halloween collection.
In our search for Skelly, we found Lowe’s has several rumored larger-than-life animatronic creatures for Halloween 2023. However, none reach Skelly’s height or fanfare. Here’s a peek at some of the reported taller additions for this year:
- Cemetery Angel, 8 feet tall
- Screeching Tree, 7 feet tall
- Chained Zombie, 6 feet tall
Note: In 2022 Lowe’s dropped their Halloween collection on July 1, two full weeks ahead of Home Depot.
