[Lady_Aeris]

Acen prep part 1!


recorded yesterday more to come!

[Voxx]

MWA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

Went to Hancock Fabrics today for last minute cosplay fabric and I got all the fabric I needed for a full suit for TWENTY DOLLARS!! Holy moley I am soooo happy I waited! There was a huge sale and I should have paid nearly 60 dollars+ for the fabric I got it for 20 bucks. EEEEee!!! I'm so happy.

[this_chick25]

Average cost per cosplay (last 5 years) : $250-300.

I'm... somewhere around budget this year...

I think...

[Mr. N]

SongstressLenne, on Apr 30 2010, 04:06 PM, said:

I'm way below budget this year since I held off doing a really big costume. I'm usually around $100-$250.00 each year.

I'm at about $75.00 for my Pino bunny costume so far. Maybe another $10.00 for slipper covers for the shoes and $8.00 for stuffing the ears and hoodie. Hoorah

A cosplayer below budget! We should give you a medal or one of those champion chip pro wrestling belt! Maybe you could teach the rest of us how to save money...lol... For real tho good job! Im jealous...

[Voxx]

SongstressLenne, on May 6 2010, 10:01 PM, said:

It's a lot of bargain hunting for fabric I spent a total $30.00 on the fabric for a full bodysuit ^^

Thats the way to go. Always check out sales and other stores prices. ^.^ Thats what I do. I cant wait to see your Pino!

[Demon Slayer]

I just spent $30 to get 10 yards of fabric today... I already used my stupid coupon for a smaller cut of fabric, not thinking I would need it, which was frustrating. Oh, and I spent $80 on wigs (the one I ordered looked nothing like I thought it would, a pity really).

Though I think that's really the extent of my expenditures for ACen... I'm probably somewhere in the area of around $150 all told for two outfits. I think I have definitely done more expensive in the past.

[Yukinari]

in the past 2 years I've spent over $750 bucks on just 2 cosplays, my Darker than Black cosplay cost me $500 by buying ALL 18 PIECES separate but its hard to believe that i don't have Hei's mask yet ether and my Sasori cosplay cost me $250, it was just hard to get stuff on time but it was easy other than that.

[Aiko☆Noble]

You know, I sometimes contemplate commissioning costumes, then I
think to myself, "Well, if I'm really good at catching deals, I can spend
LESS than it would be to commission, and I can make it myself! "

...Then I start getting to Jo Ann's and picking out all the things I'll need
for the details, outfit, notions, props, etc. and I just watch the receipt
rack up. I think they just tack on some extra zeros at the end for good measure.

I really don't mind buying things like contacts and wigs, because I *love*
those things, especially wigs, and I'd buy them anyway for no reason at all,
just because they're so pretty and amazingly fun to style!

So I end up spending a lot more than it would cost to commission an outfit,
stress over making the whole thing (it's usually about a week 'til the con :|),
and run around like a chicken with its head cut off, getting help from everywhere
and everyone until the costume magically is completed.

Tl;dr - Cosplay stuff usually costs me $200-$300 an outfit.

[keitaro-849]

i know i did... that chii cosplay was $250 and it made me broke lol but it was like so pretty i had to buy it ._.

[Kasin]

I think I spent alot...IDK, around $500 on stuff.

[manga1]

Good gravy people, any idea how many series I could buy with that kind of money today, that is like 7 big box sets at 500 dollers and the anime does not cost as much as it used to. I use scrap wood for my props and do closet cosplays I have many that are easy to come up with though no one recognizes the characters because they are obscure.

I have one 250 doller suit that I use and change out the props and a few old assesories and that is how I cosplay for my incomplete lockon stratos I spent about 60 on the leather for the vest 9 dollers for the gloves and 5 dollers for the shirt at walmart the prop is some old oak I cut from one piece and two sides from an old pattern that was used for shelfs that broke from being screwed on to the wood too many times.

If you want some props I could make you some if there are any takers. I do guns for now mainly but swords should not be too hard to do.

message me here if you are interested in my offer.

signed Jeremy manga1

[keitaro-849]

manga1, on May 27 2010, 11:38 PM, said:

Good gravy people, any idea how many series I could buy with that kind of money today, that is like 7 big box sets at 500 dollers and the anime does not cost as much as it used to. I use scrap wood for my props and do closet cosplays I have many that are easy to come up with though no one recognizes the characters because they are obscure.

I have one 250 doller suit that I use and change out the props and a few old assesories and that is how I cosplay for my incomplete lockon stratos I spent about 60 on the leather for the vest 9 dollers for the gloves and 5 dollers for the shirt at walmart the prop is some old oak I cut from one piece and two sides from an old pattern that was used for shelfs that broke from being screwed on to the wood too many times.

If you want some props I could make you some if there are any takers. I do guns for now mainly but swords should not be too hard to do.

message me here if you are interested in my offer.

signed Jeremy manga1

that depends lol how much do you usually charge?

[Mystline]

$500.00 is the most I'll spend next year.

[R1KKu]

I think the most Ive spent on one costume was around $300, considering that I bought $200 contacts to go along.

I try to keep all my costumes under $100. When I get a coupon, Ill go and use it to buy one cut of fabric and maybe a few small notions. Then Ill come back with another coupon and get another cut of fabric.

[rikku894]

I try not to go too overboard...because for one my parents yell at me saying it's a waste of money >.o
With my first cosplay (timeskip Yoko) i was lucky enough to find some items at goodwill..but the boots and wig alone probably cost like $150.
But I'd have to say so far, the most expensive cosplay I have is my Alice in Wonderland one

[GLaDOS]

FFFFFF my reply disappeared.

ANYWAY.

Here's some tips.

- THE MOST EXPENSIVE FABRIC ISN'T ALWAYS THE BEST FABRIC TO USE. A lot of people make this common mistake, thinking that the more expensive a fabric is it's better for their purposes. Stop thinking like that. It isn't. Rarely, if ever. EDIT:Also, something goes here about the level of comfort for your costume and the fabric it's made from. I'm extremely sleepy as of typing this but sometimes you need to sacrifice price for comfort. If it's a bit more expensive to make it out of... oh, gosh, I don't know, cotton vs polyester (which is wrong, I mentioned I'm sleepy) BITE THE BULLET. You will THANK yourself for buying the more expensive fabric when you're not chafing in uncomfortable places.
- THE MORE YOU MAKE OF YOUR COSTUME YOURSELF, THE LESS EXPENSIVE IT WILL BE. People that take commissions for costumes will overcharge you because they know you can't make the costume yourself and don't know any better than to let them buy whatever they want for the materials and things like that. You're also paying for labor charges, and when you do it yourself your payment is the costume. And if you can't make it yourself, PRACTICE. That's the only way anyone gets better at anything!
- DON'T BUY YOUR WIGS/PROPS FROM A COMPANY THAT SPECIALIZES IN SELLING WIGS OR PROPS. They will charge you more for the same reason. I buy -all- my wigs from ebay and haven't paid more than 25 - 30 dollars for them including shipping and handling. As long as the wigs are made from kanekalon fiber you will be all set.
- THRIFT STORES ARE YOUR FRIEND. Don't be a priss and refuse to go to a second-hand store because you feel like it makes you a scrub. THRIFT STORES ARE GOLD MINES. If you do not find ONE thing for your costume, you will find another. Shoes, shirts to modify, bedsheets to use as a yard of fabric - you will pay up to 60% less for a bedsheet for fabric than you would a yard or so of fabric from a craft store. True story.
- SCULPEY IS AMAZING. Just sayin.


Here's some links to a few websites that specialize in awesome things that are reasonably priced:"

http://www.avantgauc...wing/index.html - A list of patterns for lolita dresses/clothing
www.clockworkcouture.com - Steampunk/Victorian fashions
www.ikickshins.net - Wigs, hair extensions, jewelery, charms, etc
www.sockdreams.com - Stockings, socks, spats, etc

Hope this helps.~

This post has been edited by GLaDOS-tan: 28 June 2010 - 03:04 AM

[Emberlynn]

I buy all kinds of stuff from thrift stores ... take it home and cannibalize it.

you have to have a different set of eyes when you're in a thrift store. you really have to think outside of the box.

I've been cannibalizing sheets for years for one thing or another. (and I'm older than 98% of y'all!)

I go yard saling for the same reason.

>BG<

[Kitsu-chan]

IF I win my Ebay auction, I'll have spent between $60 to $80 on a Digivice & still need to make Mimi's Season 1 outfit. Plus there's Azula's armor which I plan to make out of leather & Watanuki's kimonos. Then there's my wife's Toph cosplay & possibly Kurogane.

I fear what this years cosplays are gonna cost. Cosplay + Mortgage = dead wallet

[The Forumcat]

huh... I feel spoiled. I got my Misa Cosplay out of my school wardrobe (YES for private school dresscodes) so that cost only the $34 for a wig and $5 for the pleather bow (my bow was pleather... it was GREAT), and I stole my Beyond Birthday cosplay out of my dad's closet ... anyways, if I was still in school right now I wouldn't have to spend a dime, so long as I raided my roommie's or the theatre department's make-up stores... oh, and I've spent $120 on sunblock keeping myself d-L-iciously pale. THANKFULLY I have multiple methods of getting cash and haven't beggared myself or my parents cosplaying. I hope my haircut next week isn't too expensive... it shouldn't be, since the place I use dramatically reduces price for people who are donating to locks of love (I'm kissing 28 inches of wavy, healthy auburn hair GOODBYE for cosplay...)

I honestly think the hair is my biggest cost for this, though.

[GITS SAC Motoko]

I try to limit $100 dollars for cosplay, because I constantly look for sales. If I spend more than that I'd be flat broke living in a box with an awesome costume on. XD!!!

[Saturn's Pheonix]

On all my cosplays Ive been doing I have set aside exactly $1000 spread over the course of 12 months on everything together. Seeing as to some cosplays have been in the works for over 1 year it gets pretty hectic. My problem though is when I work with one fabric and than I wreak it or run out and its not available anymore so I start from scratch with a new fabric and lets not get into the cost of props. Im on a strict budget as a struggling teacher but I try at least and I barely can afford the amount I set aside as it is. This years group of costumes is already at the limit without counting the fact we are still so many months from December. I keep reminding myself this is why I hold down 2 jobs.

[Gwydion]

I try not to go over $100 on each costume because I just can't afford it. ^_^;; I think I've only gone over once. This time, though, I'll probably be way under, thanks to easier/simpler costumes than most I've done recently. I think I've spent about $40 on my sis', and I don't have a whole lot left to buy!

A lot of times I'll end up spending more than I think I should, though. With some costumes I made for ACen '09, I thought for sure mine would be significantly cheaper than my sis', but it turned out to cost about $20 more. :P That's what happens when I put things off...

[Millions_Knives]

this year im sending considerably less
%30 based on cubic footage
even more for more complex designs
yay
new construction technique

[cactusmomma]

Here's a thought. Several times throughout this year and at various cons.. how would a fabric swap sound? Myself and some others do this on a general basis and it has become a great help.

We could arrange them in several places in the region, such as:
Madison, WI
Downtown Chicago, IL
Merrillville, IN

AND if you'd like, take photos and measurements of what you have to post into a thread and arrange whatever you need to do to make the swap. As with any 'transaction', please make sure it's with someone you know you can trust! I don't want to hear 'hey, this guy sucks for shorting me' at all.

Thoughts?

[Mystline]

My budget can only be $200.
For three costumes. 0_0
Luckily, my christmas present is America!
I might be able to have the prized $500...if more people in my party pitch in for Acen's hotel room. =_=

This post has been edited by Mystline: 07 October 2010 - 07:04 AM

[R1KKu]

cactusmomma, on 09 September 2010 - 12:55 AM, said:

Here's a thought. Several times throughout this year and at various cons.. how would a fabric swap sound? Myself and some others do this on a general basis and it has become a great help.

We could arrange them in several places in the region, such as:
Madison, WI
Downtown Chicago, IL
Merrillville, IN

AND if you'd like, take photos and measurements of what you have to post into a thread and arrange whatever you need to do to make the swap. As with any 'transaction', please make sure it's with someone you know you can trust! I don't want to hear 'hey, this guy sucks for shorting me' at all.

Thoughts?

That sounds like a good idea. I always end up buying fabric that I either use very little of or none at all... and all my tupperware boxes are overflowing with fabric at the moment.

[this_chick25]

cactusmomma, on 09 September 2010 - 12:55 AM, said:

Here's a thought. Several times throughout this year and at various cons.. how would a fabric swap sound?

[snip]

Thoughts?

OMGYES!!

I have SOOOOO much fabric I have little/no intention of using (cancelled cosplays/commissions, overstock, and of course the obligatory "omg this is such a cool fabric and it's so cheap I have to buy it now" purchases). I may even have the stock of a small store (serious).

I'd totally be up for a swap (or flea market session).

[CurseOfTheLeek]

I spent quite a bit on cosplay last year. For the first four years I went I probably spent <$150, the further back, the less I spent. It's not a stretch to say I spent $400 dollars on my costume last year. I didn't have any of it commissioned, but from paint to fiberglass to brushes to card stock to sandpaper (sooo happy my stepdad had a power sander) to a motorcycle visor, a pair of tin snips, markers, polyurethane resin, straps, buckles, jogging suit, fabric, stuffing, a respirator, rubber gloves, actual gloves, glue, tape, and bourbon - it adds up quickly. I definitely do not regret it though, I'd wanted to make it for the past two acens and finally worked up the nerve to do it. Plus, spending that over the span of a year lessens the blow, you buy a little, use it up, and buy what you need when you run out. I would really not want to spend that much again, but moreover I don't have the time this year to make something similar : (

That's not to say I didn't spend $75 on a sh t ton of wool fabric to make Russia's coat. It was awesome looking and on sale...

man this thing is awesome -> (never knew if or when I'd get to use it)