CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

I think that merchandise people or whom ever makes cosplay costumes should put a store for all your 'anime' needs in your local mall.

would this be a good idea or bad idea? , most people cant afford to buy their costumes off line and such.

In theory, it's probably not a terrible idea, but I don't see a store like that having an influx of customers. Cosplay is a pretty esoteric hobby, and for a store like that to stay open, they'd either have to have really high prices or they'd have to be in the right place for lots of customers. Not to mention the fact that a costume shop could serve the same purpose. Still, if they were located in the right place, I could see a little cosplay store working out, maybe. XD

...well, I make my costumes myself, as does a fair portion of the cosplay community. Additionally, many masquerades don't allow costumes that are mainly store-bought into the workmanship portion of the competition (or into the event at all, in some cases). So unless the store would cater to things like unstyled wigs or difficult to find accessories, there wouldn't be nearly as many customers as they'd need to stay afloat, even if cosplay was a bigger hobby.

we're *sort of* getting a place like that soon. Its more a costume store, but it looks like more expensive merchandise than your typical store, and has more... adult styled costumes. I'm hoping for some really really good quality props.

I think that's a great idea. I have no access to any areas that sell cosplay items and I hate buying stuff off the internet.

A costuming supply store? Yeah, that'd rock. A cosplay outfit store? NO. Sucks the creativity and individual effort out of it. Plus, what if you can do it better than they can?

.rai//

What if there was a middle ground? Like, a costume supply store that made a deliberate effort to accommodate the needs of cosplayers?

Just wanted to point out -- for those of you adverse to buying online and/or sewing, you don't NEED to do those things to cosplay. :3 My Allen Walker costume was 100% thrift store and craft store bought. The only part that involved something a touch more specialized was the white wig, and the costume paint for the hand. Which will soon be replaced by a painted glove that you can make from a regular elbow-length glove.

Good times. ^-^ Just takes a bit of ingenuity. My roommate did something similar with her Iruka costume.

And RE: a costume supply store. I would be all for that, especially a place that sells higher quality wigs/wig styling supplies and costume/theatrical makeup. It's a pain to always have to order my wigs online.

Blitzkrieg1701 wrote:What if there was a middle ground? Like, a costume supply store that made a deliberate effort to accommodate the needs of cosplayers?

The problem with that idea is a little thing called Capitalism. And it's gangsta partner-in-crizzle, Supply and Demand. You see, the cosplaying community is rather, well . . . how do I put this nicely? . . . economically diminutive. There aren't a lot of us and we're all broke. XD I don't know why I said "us" since I haven't cosplayed yet . . . call it wishful thinking . . . They couldn't make any money doing it. It's expensive to be in a mall. Even a regular costume supply shop would struggle. Have you ever seen a big costume shop on prime real estate? Odds are that you haven't. It's not what the New Zealanders call . . . "good for making money" . . . sadly.

.rai//

[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]Sounds like a great idea to me--if I can find a pair of goggles like these:



...for under $20, I would go for it! (Don't ask why I want a pair of goggles, I just think they're cool!)[/color][/SIZE][/font]

Goggles are love. I need more of them. I have one crappy gas-station [yes] pair that I got on the way home from MetroCon. It was late, I had money . . .

.rai//

KhakiBlueSocks wrote:[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]Sounds like a great idea to me--if I can find a pair of goggles like these:



...for under $20, I would go for it! (Don't ask why I want a pair of goggles, I just think they're cool!)[/color][/SIZE][/font]

If you're willing to do a little bit of work: http://www.brassgoggles.co.uk/brassgoggles/?page_id=133

Debitt wrote:If you're willing to do a little bit of work: http://www.brassgoggles.co.uk/brassgoggles/?page_id=133

Ummm...I don't think so!

KhakiBlueSocks wrote:Ummm...I don't think so!

There are a multitude of online goggle resources for goggle enthusiasts. If you search, I'm certain you could find something that could easily be modified to suit your purposes. If you want some, you can PM me. I've got a few bookmarked.

KhakiBlueSocks wrote:Ummm...I don't think so!

8D Well you said $20 or under, yeah? Don't think you can get much cheaper than that, you have to admit.

If they did, I would want to buy cloud's buster sword! 8D

sparx00 wrote:If they did, I would want to buy cloud's buster sword! 8D

that would rock peanuts. i would love to have clouds sword(s).

what would make me happy as a pig in endless fields of mud would be if i can find the one he duel wields again Sephiroth(besides the main one).


would anyone know????

I haven't bought a cosplay outfit yet, but I assemble lookalike items and call it cosplay. *shrug* Because I can't sew.

Saj wrote:that would rock peanuts. i would love to have clouds sword(s).

what would make me happy as a pig in endless fields of mud would be if i can find the one he duel wields again Sephiroth(besides the main one).


would anyone know????

I know. Because I saw a real one. :3

At AI 2007, he was one of the many Clouds' there, probably the third or fourth one. He had a real bustor sword, but he had to keep it in the holster as policy of the con. But he was allowed to show it outside. Very heavy, and very sharp. XD

I personally would just like a place that could supply fabrics and specific parts to a costume. I make all mine, and this would be REALLY helpful for some of the tricky parts in my costume.

I don't cosplay....so I wouldn't go there XD I would rather spend my monies other things that I won't just use once and stuff... (I don't go to that many cons)

Although, it's fun to see, I am just not the kind of person that will actually dress up.. XD

Would it work? I dunno...it might!

well unfortunally i can not sew worth crap! i mainly go to cons to see and ask people about their costumes.. lol... i will make my own costume one time, i really want to cosplay as shigure sohma so thats a pretty easy start i guess. anyone agree with me? start with easy things like a mens yukuta { kimono} and then start on the harder stuff. its not that i dislike store bought or people making their own costumes, i just dont have the skill.

It would only work,IMO if you included not only materials for anime
cosplaying but for Sci Fi and Fantasy Costuming as well.For example you would get a lot more people in if you had Star Trek related items such as Vulcan ears and Starfleet uniforms along with the anime cosplay items.
To be quite frank it seems to me that cosplaying isn't large enough to really be worth a store being opened in some places.Another thing to point out wheter anime cosplaying or Sci Fi customing most people still perfer to make their own.
So one would have to really have a good selling point if one wanted to reach the target audience for such a store.

I will say maybe if a store was started I would think it should have a website for mail orders.
I would say start one store somewhere. Let it work up to maybe starting another store somewhere else, then it could a chain of stores in different cities around the country.
Now I have cosplay outfits that started with a uniform from Japan for the Tokyo Fire Service medical personnel that a friend sent me. The shirt and hat fit but the pants wouldn't so I had to find the color and size that would fit and added a belt to make it right.
I also got some shoulder patches so I made up the orange uniforms of the rescue service.
I would have like to have a firefighter uniform of the Edo Period but my friend said it cost me to have one sent from Japan.

I could see the need for such a store if and when anime started to become more popular in America than it currently is at this point.

well yea thats what i meant " ALL" types