How to Find Cosplay Supplies Cheap

Breaking out into the cosplay world can be pretty darn expensive, here's a few ways to find what you need without hurting your wallet!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer
• Internet
• Newspaper
• Car
• Gloves (Optional)

1. Let's assume you have already gone through the torment of researching and planning your costume. You should have a list of what you need for the costume, if you don't make one! It is very important to have a list so that you don't overspend.

2. For fabric, go to Jo-Ann Fabrics or Hancocks Fabrics and sign up for their coupons both by mail and online. Just a tip for you, Michaels and Jo-Ann Fabrics accept competitor coupons as well! Also make sure you're aware of what kind of sales they're having and look through the Clearance section! Jo-Ann's is known for having discounts on top of already clearance marked items.

3. Look online! There are hundreds, if not, thousands of sites that will sell you anything for cheap. They key is finding the cheapest one. You can find them through word of mouth, but just a tip from me to you, here are the sites I found to have great prices for what they have:
   
   www.CosplaySupplies.com
   www.Ebay.com
   www.McGillsWarehouse.com
   
   On Ebay, make sure you read the item being sold thoroughly and check the Seller's Feedback so you don't have a bad experience!

4. Newspapers are still pretty helpful every now and then. Look through the Classifieds for unwanted Sewing Machines or Supplies. You can also look up Garage/Yard Sales and make a few trips to see what kind of unwanted nick nacks they have that'll help!

5. Rummage through some old clothing or items through the closet, garage, storage, etc. You'd be surprised what you might find that'll be helpful! I would highly recommend wearing gloves if you go through a garage. Spider bites are no fun!

6. This pretty much applies to Los Angeles and cosplayers near there, but for the cheapest cosplay supplies in a large area, go to Fashion District in downtown Los Angeles, CA where you can haggle prices for great quality fabrics and supplies for almost next to nothing!

Tips & Warnings

• Ask your cosplay friends where they get their supplies. Some might have extra and may be willing to help you out.
• If you go to Fashion District in LA, dress down and look like you don't have much money. You can low ball the price and more likely get it when you look poor.
• If you go to Fashion District in LA, take out cash from your bank prior to going. The ATM's down there have high fees generally ranging $2.75-$4.00 per transaction. Yikes! Also, you'll need money in advance for parking.
• If you go to Fashion District in LA and you want to find the cheaper parking garages/lots, it's usually best to find them just on the outskirts of the district. The more inside you are, the likelier expensive it will be.
• If you go to Fashion District in LA, bring friends with you. They can pitch in for parking and for gas making it a much less expensive trip!
• If you go to Fashion District in LA and you find what you're looking, tell the seller you'll be right back to get more cash or make a probable excuse. When you leave, look at other stores to see if they have the right fabric. If they do, tell them the other store down the street wants to sell the same fabric to you for the quoted price and ask if he/she can do better. Trust me, I am 95% certain you will find the same fabric at another store!
• If you go to Fashion District in LA, where comfortable shoes. You're going to be walking a LOT with most likely really heavy bags!
• If you go to Fashion District in LA, bring snacks and drinks. When you're done or if you need to take a short break from shopping (and it'll happen!) go back to the car and dig into your own food supply. Food nearby can be pretty expensive!
• If you go to Fashion District in LA and you plan on shopping for a few hours, get there early between 8-9AM for cheaper parking. If it's just to pick something up or if you know you're going to be there less than an hour, go between 4-6PM, that's when it's cheapest! The worst times to go are between 11AM-3PM for parking.
• If you're looking through the newspaper, read the article thoroughly so you know what exactly you might buy.
• If you're looking online and you're unsure of a certain color of fabric or accessory you'd like to buy, email the site and ask if they can send you a sample or swatch so better your confidence in buying. They will most likely do it if they're a business selling site rather than a private (sellers on Ebay for example).
• If you're looking online, see if they accept PayPal. Always be cautious giving credit card information online. With PayPal, it's easier and safer for the buyer and seller!
• If you're looking online, be aware of S/H fees. They can be pretty darn steep, sometimes steep enough to not make a difference if you go to another site with a slightly higher price, but a much lower S/H fee.
• If you're going to a Fabric/Craft store, make sure whatever you get is returnable and has a reasonable return policy. Sometimes you might find a better deal elsewhere after you've already made the purchase!
• If you're going to a Fashion/Craft store, sometimes you might find damaged merchandise on/off the shelves. If you find one and it's what you need, go to the check out counter and ask for a discount. Jo-Ann's can offer anywhere between 25-75% off, depending on how badly it's damaged of course (that includes fabrics!).
• When rummaging, wear gardening or thick gloves to protect yourself from bugs or spiders. It also keeps your hands relatively clean and free from cuts if you're picking through sharp objects.
• When rummaging, make sure you're rummaging through stuff that is okay to take. If it's you're own stuff, that's okay, but if it's others', ask for permission first.
• Do not go to Fashion District alone at night. It's okay to go during the day (though I still don't recommend it especially if you're a girl), but once the sun sets, you'll see more and more homeless people and thug looking people out on the streets.
• Be careful of sharp objects, loose items you may have to step on, bugs, and/or spiders while rummaging.

Resources

• Ebay
• Cosplay Supplies
• McGills Warehouse
• My Site

[Blackinkheart]

on 10/17/2009 Great advice on cosplay supplies! 5 *s and a rec. Definitely great sites, and great advice on damaged goods, etc. Thrift shopping can really do wonders for your wallet too, and you can find some AWESOME stuff if you just take the time to look :D Thanks for the article! I"ll recommend this to one of my friends who's trying to budget and cosplay!

[Nephilian]

on 10/11/2009 A lot of information on cosplay supplies here, great job!

[2besure]

on 9/11/2009 Thanks for the information on cosplay!

[texasparky]

on 9/11/2009 Heck of a lot of great tips for finding cosplay supplies on the cheap! Good work.