A giant chocolate Frankenstein's monster head is haunting Costco shoppers this Halloween season, but the real scare may be its $54.99 price tag.
The viral "Monster Mash Chocolate" from Ten Acre Gifts weighs 5.5 pounds and comes filled with more than a pound of body part-shaped gummies that shoppers smash open with an included handy, dandy wooden mallet.
While many are obsessed with the over-the-top Halloween treat, as news of the unique find began to spread across social platforms, so did discussions about whether the product was a "Costco buy or bye?"
Shoppers who purchased the "Monster Mash Chocolate" and posted about it, like Travis Strong, did so sheepishly.
"Well, I had to make a Costco triptoday for pretty much one specific item, and I have
to thank Breanna Dill for sending me the damn video and letting me know Costco had this," Strong wrote in a Sept. 5 post. "So thank you, Breanna. You have officially contributed to my fat boy persona and continued sugar addiction."
He added: "... Thank you so much for supporting my poor life decisions and feeding my sugar addiction."
Beau Coffron, who goes by Lunchbox Dad online, revealed in a Sept. 1 reel that he and his son bought a monster to see what was inside.
"Run to Costco for this Halloween treat. We've never seen it for sale before," Coffron said. "It's a five-pound chocolate Frankenstein head filled with a pound of gummy candy. We couldn't believe it when we saw it, so we had to pick one up, take it home, and break it open."
USA TODAY has reached out to Ten Acre Gifts for additional details about the product's availability.
What's inside the 'Monster Mash' chocolate head?
The Frankenstein's monster-inspired chocolate head is filled with over a pound of body part-shaped gummies. In order to get to the good stuff, you must smash through the bright, green-colored chocolate shell with a miniature wooden mallet that's included in the package.
Ten Acre Gifts' "Monster Mash Chocolate" is made with 100% real Belgium chocolate and weighs 5.5 pounds.
According to a post from food and culture publicationFoodbeast, the head contains about 71 servings of chocolate and approximately 64 servings of gummy candy.
Ten Acre Gifts' retail partners include Costco Wholesale, Target, Sam's Club, Home Goods, CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, Home Goods, JCPenney, Michaels, Burlington, Sierra Trading Post, Five Below, Dollar General, Kohl's, Gabe's, Hobby Lobby, Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, World Market, Ross Dress for Less, Cracker Barrel, T.J. Maxx, T.K. Maxx, Albertsons, Marshalls, Dillard's, Bealls and Macy's Backstage.
Shoppers divided by hefty price tag
A point of contention for shoppers, amidst all the excitement, is the price tag. Dozens of content creators, like Food Beast and Costco New Deals, rushed to share the find with their followers, who were either amused, horrified or both.
While most commenters couldn't help but point out how on-theme the edible creation was, others were downright haunted by the price. Others found that conflicting emotions could coexist: "I must be cheap because I won’t be paying $54.99 for this. Very cute though love it!"
Another commenter echoed a similar sentiment: "I wish. But I can’t afford it."
"Man Costco gets the most unique things. No way am I spending over $50 on chocolate for a child though," someone else added.
Chatter surrounding the ingredients, specifically the claim that it was made with 100% Belgium chocolate, not Belgian chocolate, appeared to have stoked some concern among a couple commenters. Commenters were also skeptical about the taste and shelf life of the body-shaped gummy pieces inside the head.
The price of the "Monster Mash Chocolate" appeared to be the primary drawback among those who commented.
"Costco- shop smart save money. Also, buy this extremely overpriced piece of candy for $60 after taxes," one commenter wrote.
Another quipped: "$55?! For some chocolate and gummies? Sucker born every minute."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Costco buy or bye?' Shoppers divided about chocolate monster head
