Costume Jewels : Halloween Adventures scares up disguises, makeup and accessories for inventive trick or treating.

The ghouls are gathering, folks, and this year it’s scarier than ever. Gore prevails this Halloween. It’s chilling to know that the Black Ninja Warrior costume is still a big seller and that Freddie Krueger has become a perennial. There are “People Pizzas” and prosthetics that emulate screws through the skull--or anywhere else you want them, the grislier the better.

Thanks to “Jurassic Park” and “Aladdin,” however, Halloween this year won’t be all a bloody mess. Dinosaurs, including the purple phenomenon Barney, are very in, and at Halloween Adventures you can buy a Barney outfit for $24.99 to $29.99. Jasmine and Aladdin are the same price.

Halloween Adventures is a chain that opens stores in several Southern California locations each August, builds up a frenzy during the last two weeks of October, then quietly slips away until next year at the same time.

The inventory is deep with one of the larger groups of masks and headpieces anywhere, running from $1.99 for a simple half-mask to $400 for a complete head in their Collector line, which features dragons and other predators.

The packaged costumes, all made in the United States, cover many themes. Even the size range is a broad one, from infant to size 56. Prices run from $14 to $50. The Budget line sells for $14, Economy is $25, and for $50 you get the Deluxe package, which generally means more accessories.

The Storybook group is predictable, with Goofy, Mickey, Minnie and Cookie Monster for about $25 and Big Bird for $36.99.

Actually it’s the accessories here that can lead one to a solid bargain, particularly for adults. How about standard street wear and a character head? Any couple could have a ball with the excellent Laurel and Hardy heads for $59.99 each. A Boris Yeltsin mask for $29.99 needs only a business suit to complete it, and feather masks for $9.99 can top some old ball gown to become a fairy-tale character.

The makeup and wig departments are terrific, and with a smidgen of imagination could provide the entire costume for the budget minded. The five-foot-long blond Lady Godiva wig is a kick. It calls only for courage and sells for $24.99. Or just dress up the dog. For $12.99 to $29.99, Max can be any of 10 varieties of spook, from Devil Dog to Hound Dog.

Where to Shop

What: Halloween Adventures.

Locations: 16907 Devonshire St., Granada Hills; 18644 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana; Oaks Mall, 222 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks; 2845-D Cochran St., Simi Valley; 24201 W. Valencia Blvd., Valencia.

Hours: Varies among locations. Call individual store.

Cards: MasterCard, Visa.

Call: Granada Hills, (818) 831-5025; Tarzana, (818) 343-2506; Thousand Oaks, (805) 374-0068; Simi Valley, (805) 584-8391; Valencia, (805) 287-9743.