The busy neighborhood shop becomes costume central for Halloween, with hundreds of costumes and accessories for sale and rent.

In business in the same for nearly 30 years, the Gershaws, who were high school sweethearts in Milwaukee before moving to Colorado, have seen the changes in the popularity of costumes over time.

"We've gone thru all the phases of Batman, whatever new movie comes out, that's what everybody wants. This year, we've done a lot of 50s and 60s retro stuff - people really like the 50s, 60s and 70s," Judie said.

The tool and equipment company they became a franchisee with 29 years ago went under after a couple of years, and three individually-owned local stores took the same name, All Season Rent All.

In developing their business plan, the couple had but a few costumes - Santa Claus, the Easter bunny and the like, in the array of tools and various types of equipment. One of Judie's mentors in the business said that costumes were a coming trend.

"October was such a slow month for us, because all the garden equipment was done and the parties and the holidays hadn't started.

I always said that I grew up playing with dolls and paper dolls, and now I'm dressing up people," she said.

They started in slowly 15 or 20 years ago, cautiously, she remembers, because they didn't know how it would go.

Then, a Colorado Springs vendor called with a big order that had been returned and asked is they would sell the costumes for her. At the time they only rented costumes. Sales went well, and they gradually moved into costume sales.

"We still rent like 800 costumes, and the difference between us and the so-called 'big guys' is that we have everything here all year along. And one day it dawned on me - why are we sending people to the chain stores for their accessories, their masks and their wigs when they could rent it here when they buy their costumes?"

They have hundreds of costumes for sale and about 1,500 pieces for rent - all year long.

"So if in February, if somebody needs an Abraham Lincoln hat, we've got it, or if they need a pair of glasses for Ben Franklin for their school report, then they come here - or if they need 50s stuff for a sock hop," Judie said.

The standards are always flappers, gangsters, and pirates, according to Curt Lawson, the assistant manager.

"He's the memory machine," Judie says, "he can remember customer's names from 20 years ago, and he can remember their dog's names and sometimes their address."

The most fun part of the business, Lawson submits, is definitely the customers.

"They're all in a good mood - they're all going to a party." Lawson said.

But it's also work, Judie reminds him.

"Getting all of this stuff out - our store is transformed into a different store, and at the same time we're conducting our regular business."

Shelves of masks and accessories stand along racks and racks of costumes. Judie, Roger, their son, Matt, who's the manager, Lawson, one other full-time and several part-time employees run the operation.

"It was very tough at the beginning, because Yosemite was a dead-end street, Arapahoe Road was two lanes ...one day we almost gave up when someone returned something, and we had a negative day," Judie recalls.

"When we went into this business, we really knew nothing about it - I just saw a sign one day saying rental franchise available, and we thought the franchisor will hold our hand and teach us, but that wasn't true. But the rental industry happens to be a wonderful industry

People are very supportive and cooperative. When we first opened a couple of rental people came in and offered us any help, any assistance that we needed," she added.

An international rental association provides a monthly magazine and correspondence and referral assistance.

"People come in and if we don't have something, I'll tell them where they can find it - it's called the 'Miracle on 34 th Street' way of doing business. If you're Gimble's, you refer them to Macy's and vice-versa, and it comes back to you always. Because the ultimate goal is to help the customer, and having been in the rental and costume business such a long time, I know who's got what."

Smaller shops like theirs have been affected, by both the Internet and the big box stores that come into business just for the season.

People sometimes go to the big stores for selection and price, then come to them she says, for an accessory piece, and often find they have cheaper prices and also note the other difference - service for the customer. It's important, she says.

Roger agrees, after three decades, it's all about people.

"It is the most fun business to be in - it really is. I'm semi-retired, but I - well, we doenjoy meeting the customers."