What the Acquisition of Rubie’s Costume Company Means for the Licensing Industry

A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge approved the sale of a majority of the assets of the Rubie’s Costume Company, the largest costume designer, manufacturer and distributor in the U.S., and several related entities to an investment group.

Rubie’s will emerge as a newly formed entity owned by strategic operator and managing partner Joel Weinshanker, founder, National Entertainment Collectors Association, with funds managed by Atalaya Capital Management LP and members of the Beige family.

 “We would like to thank our stakeholders and the hundreds of employees who will be taking the new journey with us,” says Weinshanker. “We look forward to elevating the properties of our licensing partners with quality and innovation and we will strive to provide our retail partners with the best products and the best tools to service their customers.”

The sale allows the 70-year old company to utilize its supply chain and its more than one million square feet of North American manufacturing and distribution space in order to service its many thousands of accounts. The new management will look to leverage its innovation and creative capabilities and utilize omni-channel retailing capabilities to continue Rubie’s best in class performance. 

Founded in 1950 years ago in Queens, NY by Rubin and Tillie Beige, Rubie’s is a market leader of both licensed and proprietary products. In addition to costumes for Easter, Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, bachelorette parties, and more, its vast assortment of licenses includes “Marvel Comics,” “Star Wars,” “Jurassic World,” “Star Trek,” “DC Comics,” “Barbie,” “Disney,” “Elvis Presley,” “Stranger Things,” and many others.  Rubie’s costumes are sold by retail partners throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, Asia and Australia. 

“The future is bright at Rubie’s,” says Weinshanker. “We will continue to dominate the Halloween space, and make it even clearer to everyone that there is only one place like home for Halloween – Rubie’s.”

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