New Halloween animatronics store opens at quirky Texas mall

Just in time for the spooky season (which we unofficially decree as September 1 here at MySA), a new Halloween store will open its doors at a San Antonio mall that has been growing its list of tenants who sell all things haunting and quirky. Reaper’s Collections, a store specializing in animatronics and props, will host its grand opening on Sunday, September 1 at Rolling Oaks Mall.

AJ Perez, the owner of Reaper’s Collections, grew up loving Halloween. He began collecting fun masks over the years and would wear them year-round if he could. Perez told MySA he didn’t think he could turn his passion into a career until he met people in the horror industry who manufacture masks and animatronics. 

When he was 21 years old, Perez decided to invest in his interests and set up a table at horror conventions and festivals at Rolling Oaks Mall. After some mentorship and help from family, Perez, now 25, is making his dream a reality with his first brick-and-mortar at Rolling Oaks Mall on the city’s Northeast Side at 6909 N. Loop 1604 E., San Antonio, TX 78247. 

“It is a dream come true after all this hard work of just starting from a small table and wanting more right then and there,” Perez said. “It took some time but it wouldn’t have happened without the support of my family and friends. It’s all of them who put in their hard work and effort to help me get this to where it is today.”

Reaper’s Collections, on the lower floor of the mall near Creepy Classics, welcomes guests with a huge 15-foot reaper at its entrance that lunges forward and sputters out mists from its mouth (it for sure gives creepy, but wow-factor vibes). Along the walls are other large animatronics, such as a 10-foot looming ghoul and a 7-foot towering clown (yes, it’s all my nightmares come alive).

“One thing that sets us apart is our animatronics,” Perez said. “They are very high-quality animatronics. Usually, people always compliment them on how they never break and last out in the weather.”

In addition to the tall eerie props, Perez said his shop has an array of masks that customers likely won’t find at other Halloween stores. The store gets its masks from Ghoulish Productions, Trick Or Treat Studios and Morris Costumes, all of which put a lot of effort into the art and design form of an item, Perez said. This year, the top sellers are the Terrifier (with Art the Clown) and Texas Chainsaw Massacre selections. 

At the store, guests will also find a singing skeleton band (animatronics, of course) that can play any song via Bluetooth (we got it to play Vicente Fernández for a puro spooky time). 

Inside a purple tent at the back of the store, Catt Johnson, AKA the Psychotic Psychic, offers tarot card readings for purchase (I had my cards read and I left with my jaw on the floor as she told me things I needed to hear). Johnson travels from Dallas and plans to be at Reaper’s Collections nearly every weekend, including on opening day.

Three years ago, Creepy Classic Videos, a business that has been around since 1999, moved from Wonderland of Americas to Rolling Oaks Mall. With them, Monster Con, which bills itself as one of the best little horror cons in Texas, followed. The annual event has been set inside Rolling Oaks Mall since with this year’s festivities planned for September 28-29.

Spirit Halloween also took over Sears and plans to open its doors at the mall in early September. Perez said he picked Rolling Oaks Mall over any other mall due to its growing clientele and customers. 

“I would love for everybody to see the hard work and sacrifice that we all did of bringing this brick and mortar here,” Perez said of Reaper’s Collections. “This is not your typical store and most of the things you find here won’t be anywhere else. If you can’t make it, I would recommend for everybody to at least come for Monster Con. We will have a ton of vendors and it’s a great way to support me and other small business owners.”

Starting Sunday, September 1, Reaper’s Collection will be open during mall hours from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. The store will run until the first week of November. It will be open year-round online at reaperscollection.com.