Cosplay Prices - A WTF Rant/Discussion

[Glacirus]

Well...

After looking through some websites, I'm laughing to myself in hysterical depression at prices for cosplays. Some are as low as 80~something US dollars, while others shoot up into the 300-400 range! And that's with S+H being free. >.<

Is it just me, or does this seem ludicrous!? I don't care how few of a cosplay you sell. Something that's simply a shirt, light outer jacket, plush horns, and pants, should NOT cost me over $300. Fair pricing NAO!

.... It's almost at the point I'm willing to learn to sew on my own. Supplies have got to be cheaper than this....  

[Aurora Sonata]

They are usually cheaper if you make the costumes yourself, but making them can be pretty tricky and tedious sometimes.  

[egoxromantic]

I agree.

And I'm all for sewing, I simply have no one to teach me how.
The worse part about that is my dad now has a girlfriend who was an ex-costume maker, but I don't want to ask her for too much help because she's just that- my dad's girlfriend. They've been together for a while, but I don't want to start harassing her with cosplay projects. >.>

Oh, so I guess that was my rant right there. It was half a 'Grr! I wanna learn how to sew!' Rant.  

[Stop Touching My Fetus]

Mhm. Have you tried ebay at all? They have some sellers that do cosplay items.  

[Sugar Pucks]

While I can see the problem with paying a lot of money for what could potentially be a sub-par pre-made costume, you do need to consider how much time, energy and money goes into making costumes.

I know that the majority of costumes you can buy online these days are factory-made, and are just a little off, but when you see very nice costumes made by one dedicated person and then you get sticker shock, take into account that they bought the fabric, the notions, potentially bought or drafted the patterns, and went through all the work of sewing it together.



Costuming has never and will never be cheap.  

[SakuraRico]

egoxromantic

I agree.

And I'm all for sewing, I simply have no one to teach me how.
The worse part about that is my dad now has a girlfriend who was an ex-costume maker, but I don't want to ask her for too much help because she's just that- my dad's girlfriend. They've been together for a while, but I don't want to start harassing her with cosplay projects. >.>

Oh, so I guess that was my rant right there. It was half a 'Grr! I wanna learn how to sew!' Rant.

Actually, harrassing her with cosplay project would be a good way to not only you get closer to her, but her also to your dad if you like her ^^

So you do everyone a favor ^^  

[Maruul]

Yeah, for those of us who lack the time/talent/motivation to make a costume, money can be a killer.
That's really all I have to say. I have a whole two costumes, one of which was pieced together from Goodwill, the other was bought online for about $90.  

[Sith Faced]

I completely understand, cosplaying is a very expensive hobby, regardless of whether or not you sew your costumes yourself. I myself have purchased two cosplays, but I intend to learn to sew (I'm signed up for sewing classes this July) to cut costs and be able to cosplay more of my favorite characters that tend to be less known, therefore the 'factory' made companies tend to not sell.  

[ll dell Orso ll]

Some sites offer discounts...
I haven't actually bought for myself, but I keep an eye out for my friends that buy theirs online. For instance, one site recently had a special that they give 25% off the cosplay. So you end up getting free shipping for a lower price cosplay and saving about $5 or so...  

[Extreme Cuddler]

Wow I guess I am considering myself lucky. The most I have spent on a cosplay is like 20$ and that was only paint and stuff everything else was free, I use stuff that I find or that people give me.
I have no cosplays anymore (1 is ripped and the other I lost) but I have 2 that will be done by next week 4 Anime Expo. Its Absol Ginjika and Bomberman.

I assume the popularity also has something 2 do with the pricing.  

[Sugar Pucks]

I forgot to mention this in my first post, so I'll just add another one.


If you want quality cosplay, and can't sew and don't have a lot of money, make friends with people who can, and do them favors. mrgreen

(There are also some people, like me, who will do it on the cheap because they love doing it.)  

[egoxromantic]

SakuraRico

egoxromantic

I agree.

And I'm all for sewing, I simply have no one to teach me how.
The worse part about that is my dad now has a girlfriend who was an ex-costume maker, but I don't want to ask her for too much help because she's just that- my dad's girlfriend. They've been together for a while, but I don't want to start harassing her with cosplay projects. >.>

Oh, so I guess that was my rant right there. It was half a 'Grr! I wanna learn how to sew!' Rant.

Actually, harrassing her with cosplay project would be a good way to not only you get closer to her, but her also to your dad if you like her ^^

So you do everyone a favor ^^

I don't know. She helped me with one thing... and seems to take an intrest in my strange outfits...
but she's probably mocking me behind my back or something. xD  

[Extreme Cuddler]

Doctor Iris Rowley

I forgot to mention this in my first post, so I'll just add another one.


If you want quality cosplay, and can't sew and don't have a lot of money, make friends with people who can, and do them favors. mrgreen

(There are also some people, like me, who will do it on the cheap because they love doing it.)

I have friends like that LOL,but I knew them before I cosplayed and before we started going 2 cons  

[Sadistic Rainbows]

Doctor Iris Rowley

I forgot to mention this in my first post, so I'll just add another one.


If you want quality cosplay, and can't sew and don't have a lot of money, make friends with people who can, and do them favors. mrgreen

(There are also some people, like me, who will do it on the cheap because they love doing it.)

That's what my loving grammy is around for. whee heart  

[Hypocritical Persecution]

egoxromantic

I agree.

And I'm all for sewing, I simply have no one to teach me how.
The worse part about that is my dad now has a girlfriend who was an ex-costume maker, but I don't want to ask her for too much help because she's just that- my dad's girlfriend. They've been together for a while, but I don't want to start harassing her with cosplay projects. >.>

Oh, so I guess that was my rant right there. It was half a 'Grr! I wanna learn how to sew!' Rant.

If you ask her to teach you how to sew, she won't be helping much, and it'll save you loads of money.

Asking her to do it for you is a whole 'nother thing xD

A plus about your dad having a girlfriend who was a costume maker is she knows her way around things, and if you ever have trouble making a costume, you most likely won't have to ask around!