Caufield’s Novelties is not just the place for an endless Halloween costume selection in October. It provides costumes for events like community theater and school productions, Santa and Easter Bunny costumes, Mardi Gras beads for local bars, and decorations for St. Patrick’s Day parades. And more pertinent at this time of year, it has become internationally recognized as a supplier of its own brand of horse- and jockey-themed party supplies.
In the 1980s Derby-themed merchandise became licensed under Churchill Downs, but Caulfield's selection of party supplies mostly included paper products and tableware, so Tracy saw the opportunity to once again adapt to the market and branded Caufield’s Novelties supplemental horse-racing-themed products. These items range from party decorations to jockey caps and costumes. These are sold wholesale to party stores in states where horse racing is big, like Florida, New York, and California. Tracy says that they ship hundreds of orders daily, and that Derby-time rivals Halloween as her busiest time of the year.
One of her most rewarding experiences came in the form of an email from a woman in Washington state. A Louisville transplant, this woman wrote to Tracy after receiving a shipment of Caufield’s Novelties horse and jockey party decorations that she was looking to “introduce the fun of horse racing cross-country, one Derby party at a time.” Caufield’s also has recently had a surge of international orders, ranging from locations such as London, England and Sydney, Australia. Even from thousands of miles away, people want to have a bit of the Derby action.
Illustration: Danny Bolin