We all know Halloween is for candy. But aside from regrettable overindulgence, the holiday is also known for a trend that’s more under the radar: thrifting for that perfect homemade costume.

The National Retail Federation estimates that 68 million Americans will spend a total of $2.5 billion on costumes this year, both store-bought and homemade.

For more creative types for whom a premade “naughty devil” or “sexy teenage mutant ninja turtle” from Party City isn’t doing the holiday justice, secondhand stores are an affordable one-stop destination.

October is the highest-performing sales month for Goodwill, according to Michael Meyer, vice president of retail and marketing. Last year, North American stores saw a 6% increase in sales between September and October.

“We see an uptick beginning in September and traffic is strong through the weeks leading up to Halloween. The biggest surge tends to be two weeks prior to the actual day,” Meyer says.

Salvation Army, which sells used and donating clothing internationally at 1,226 thrift stores, also sees a spike in sales in the run-up to Halloween. “We start our fiscal year off with a bang because October is our best month,” says Salvation Army administrator Major David Wilson. He also noted that some people only shop at thrift stores once a year to get inspiration for their Halloween costumes.

According to Goodwill’s 2015 Halloween poll, more than half of respondents prefer do it yourself, “merged” costumes. Think homemade zombie Elsa. Goodwill even publishes a booklet that suggests ideas on how to build your own costumes like ghosts and cowboys.

“It's always nice to be able to make a costume instead of spending $70 or $80 on one, but I feel like they've gotten really popular in the past three years or so when it became more easily accessible to find [costume ideas] with YouTube and blogs becoming more popular,” Internet personality Rachel Levin who makes DIY videos told Yahoo Finance.

Of course, it’s not just large-scale chains that are getting the heavy foot traffic. Beacon’s Closet is a New York vintage and consignment store with three locations in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan. (Beacon's Closet made a notable appearance in an episode of "Broad City" last season). Founder Carrie Peterson says Halloween is the busiest day of the year for the stores, and sales last weekend were up 10% from the previous weekend. “We expect sales to be up another 10% from this past weekend, going off previous years,” she says.

Costumes du jour

So we know the classic, low maintenance (and come on, lame) homemade getups: cat, ghost, witch, catwoman (if you’re feeling adventurous). But can thrift stores track the costumes that will trend this year?

Salvation Army’s Wilson told Yahoo Finance that the FX show “American Horror Story” has been the inspiration for several costume ideas over the last few years. “Last year people came in wanting to look like Kathy Bates, [who played Ethel Darling, a bearded woman who performs in the Freak Show]. Men with beards came in looking for wigs and frocks. This year, I’ve seen people want to look like Lady Gaga [who plays Countess Elizabeth this season]."

In truly a sign of the times, Levin says, “I think social media and emoji-based costumes are a big thing this year too.”

Emoji costumes are definitely a thing. 20 and 30-somethings try to replicate emojis like twin dancing girls and various facial expressions.

For Beacon’s Closet, Peterson says customers’ requests are more offbeat. She has had people recently inquire about pieces for 1960s model and actress Edie Sedgwick, Margot Tenenbaum (Gwyneth Paltrow’s character in “The Royal Tenenbaums”) and adult babies (we don’t know why either).

But lots of shoppers seek out thrift stores precisely because they don’t know what they’re looking for. “We have a huge selection and don’t need to emphasize that we’re a Halloween destination,” Wilson says. “Prices are low and they get something unique and different. It’s a win-win situation.”