Hi! Found this topic interesting, so hope no one minds I start the thread. ^_^

Most of my costumes are usually cloth-based, and without props, so my budget is concentrated on that, and on the labor (since, obviously, I can't sew if my life depended on it. Unless it's cross-stitch... but that will be really weird.) Since I buy cloth in Divi where it's relatively cheap, I can have a budget of 1000php and still have lots left over. :P (Personally, the most expensive cloth I've bought was 35" width chinese silk... which cost 200-250php a yard. T_T But I digress.)

Anyway, I think the most expensive costume I've had was my very first Yuna FFX, back in 2001 when FFX wasn't even released yet and I had so much trouble trying to figure out how the design on her skirt looked because there weren't that many screenshots out yet. :P So I had only one pic to base my design on, and because I really really wanted to get it right, I looked for the right shade of purple for the skirt, had the cloth mechanically-pleated (or whatever my mom calls that process) and EMBROIDERED. The embroidery alone cost me around P1200, and they almost got the design all wrong, too! T_T I had to have them do it again. But it was all worth it, because that skirt became one of my most favorite costume pieces. If I ever get the chance to cosplay that again (when there aren't too many Yunas anymore :P) I'm going to have her obi hand-painted or embroidered as well. ^_^ I don't think anything's too expensive for a costume, if in the end it's all worth the hard work and money you paid for. Of course, you have to do your part in trying to budget things, but if the quality's worth it, then why not?

I'm not sure what the appropriate prize is... maybe yung pambawi lang ng costume costs? :P Personally, I just like it when people ask me for pictures. If I see a really good picture of myself in a mag (which is rare, because I don't photograph very well) then that's prize enough for me. ^_^ Babaw ba?

Why join cosplay? Because... it's a reason to dress up in something that on a normal day will raise people's eyebrows. I laud Tessa Prieto-Valdes because she has the guts to do that.

Wow, parang "Get-To-Know-Me" ek-ek ng Friendster.

Average expense of all my costumes... P2000. ;_;
Cheapest is my latest, the jolog-built Tachikoma: P1000
The most expensive is obviously the APU: P3000
Technically my Sauron Armor costume i built for a friend of mine for the 2nd Sci-Fi Convention in Rockwell is the cheapest because it is made completely out of material left-overs and paint from my APU.

Anything over P2000. ;_;

Its not the prize that im after, its the recognition (has bitter flashbacks of Anime Explosion 2000 in which he realized Yuu Watase in NOT a mecha fan). ;_;

Two things: My passion to create, and my passion to let others enjoy my creation. But most definitely i owe a lot to my friends who share that same passion with me. ;_; (cries with joy)

Yowzer!


B)

;_; almost p2500 +++ magastos ako eh ;_;

P2000++ <_<

TRIP TO JAPAN!!!!!
OHOHOHO :lol: JOKE!
maybe to compete in other countries specifically Japan... WAHAHAHA Trip To Japan pa rin... Taray!!! :lol: cge, kahit singapore na lang... :lol:

eto seryoso.. cguro kahit onting pambawi man lang sa mga gastusin sa pang araw araw na buhay... -__- and please add some freebies too! :P

to dress up and be someone you are not... for pictorial purposes [vain ako eh] --;
to meet new people.. tee hee! XD

On the average...i think i spend between 1k-2k. depends kasi on what id like to cosplay. if its heavy on props, (like the beelzebmon, omg the feathers ;_; )... mas mahal. more trips to divi and other places, kasi pamasahe or cost ng pagpunta roon inaacount ko rin eh. Kung patahi lang, lesser i guess kasi 1 trip lang ang ginagawa ko-to the costumer!

i find it convenient sometimes i-iwan ko na lang yung pagpapatahi sa isang costumer, kaso hindi naman ako makakareklamo kung mali yung telang nabili nila, diba?

ive been hearing about ultra expensive costumes, rumor rumor! B)

sometimes they mahal kasi inuupgrade mo sila/make the costume better. i think ill let a forum-mate speak about that na lang ;)

siguro sa akin, anything 4k up...i think may costume ako na ganon, pero kasi its the price of two costumes :P

THAT will be the day!...hahah...dream na lang tayo ;)
dapat trip for you and a friend...para di masyadong lonely :wub:

ive yet to see a cosplay with a trophy or certificate of some sort recognizing your efforts. okey na rin siguro iyon. money is always appreciated B) SWAG (meaning freebies) okie okie na rin siguro basta hindi ~corporate giveaways~ :sadako:

main reason of joining cosplays...? philosophical-existential question ah..

you wouldn't want to know. yung last costume ko sobrang matakaw sa tela and i was so traumatized at the amount that i spent ;_; . i vow not to pull any more stupid stunts like that. so far that last cosplay was the most expensive (and dumbest) stint i ever pulled, which reinforces ashram's statement on those "expensive thingees". but that was the first and the last.

i agree with the rest of you guys. going over 2000 is highway robbery. kunsabagay...i started out cosplaying na tela talaga ang material na ginagamit since i'm just a neophyte compared to you guys who do everything for themselves -__- . thankfully nag-mature ako (totoo ba ito?? XD) and i'm already beginning to divert my attention to cloth-hungry costumes and start experimenting materials wise.

sakin kahit cheap trophy lang, ayos na (and maybe throw cash in there ^^;). i think naman every cosplayer wants to be recognized even with such a small token. it makes them feel that the hard work is very much appreciated.

1. be ultra weird for a day
2. hang out with friends who have the same interests as yours (trust me...nakakaburat kapag wala kang officemate man lang na hindi nakaka-intindi sa mga interests mo. heck people think i'm some psycho here or something --; )

tessa has a collection of wigs that would make any cosplayer happy. believe me, i've seen it. she's lucky that she's rich at puro designer made pa ang mga "costumes" nya. :P

ugh , I spent 3000 on my edea thinge .... I think I don't remember ...
All I remember was when I won the money I had to use it all up to pay back the people (eg. parents) that I took the money loans from.... Ugh ;_;
BUT at least I didn't have to spend for a prom dress....

Pero that Jue thing cost me 250 .... whahahaha the haggling power of a tiangge master .... whahahahahahaha XD (not the mention my wonderful free make-up artist--->mum) :P

I say anything over 2500 is really too much .... you can't really take the risk these days ..... ;_;

URM, suitable prize .... CASH would be nice .... very very nice :lol: but it's also nice to have something to remember the event by .... like a nice shiny up-to-waist-trophy or a huge certificate (puwede narin ung maliit na trophy or A6 sized certificate) XD

The reason I join cosplays, have fun without the onslaught of having a hangover the next day XD

Maybe we should also throw in this question...


whats your most expensive costume to date?

B)




follow up rin...

was it worth spending that much?


...baka ma-instigate (tama ba un term na un) ulit yung rich kid-eva robert dun sa kabilang forum ...

most expensive costume = the hinoto costume :angry: nakakaimbyerna ang lahat ng ginastos ko para dun.

was it worth it? yes and no. yes...coz no one has ever cosplayed hinoto yet. and i did earn the attention i wanted (bwahahahaha...i'm so vain XD). no..dahil i wasn't able to move around that much dahil inaapakan ang damit ko. and i hate not being able to go to the johns when i need to!!! ;_; tsaka pina-rampa nila ako ;_; ;_; kaya ko nga ginawa yung character na yun ay para maka-iwas ako sa stage ramping.

[QUOTE]
ay grabe, magsama tayo !!!! ;_; look on the bright side at least you could eat and drink :lol:

and sa pinost ni acewildgal..... ;_;
sorry .... whahahahahaha .... ang prissy ko ba for pointing that out ....
naisip ko lang kasi XD

the crusader [ragnarok]

ang dami nya kseng props --;

NO --> sobra sa gastos! fucker! and nag out source pa ako... ;_;

YES --> same reason ni I-Yah.. im the first female crusader in the philippines. nyaknyaknyak! :lol:

Grabe, eto ang nagsira ng ulo ko sa pag budget ng P1000 lamang! ;_;
Pero sobrang worth it. Pasensya ginawa kong comedy.

Yowzer!

B)

di ko talaga ma-imagine kung paano mo na-budget lahat yan. what are you? some haggling expert? :P

nga. lol. haggling master! >_> yung sa balmung ko nga, wings pa lang 1k na halos eh. ;_; divisoria ka rin ba namimili? saang area? Sa tela lang kami nakakamura eh. yung 20 pesos per yard :D

Not really, im also a begging expert and a scrounging expert. XD Some of the parts there i got from begging from friends or strangers for spare rubber or materials. Others (like the chicken wire and some of the styro) napulot ko lang sa basurahan ng mga kapitbahay. Serious. --;

Yung rubber sheet nabili ko sa Marikina, meron akong map and instruction on how to get to a particular shop called Estanislao Merchandise. You'll find it here: http://www.geocities.com/costumedfreak/map_marikina.htm

You can also find maps and places to buy in Divisoria, just follow this link. ;)

If you guys want to know the exact amount i spent, its this:

> 8pcs 1x1 yards of blue rubber - P30 per pc - P240
> 1pcs 1x1 yards of white rubbert - P30
> 1 bottle of GRECO 88 turbo glue - P90
> 3 styro balls size 10 - P90 each - P270
> 1 styro sheet 1x10x16 - donated
> half yard 8mm white rubber sheet - scrapped from old stock
> half yard 6mm black rubber sheet - scrapped from old stock
> 3pcs 10feet 1/2 inch diameter PVC blue pipe - P40 per pc - P120
> 3pcs 10feet 2/3 inch diameter PVC blue pipe - P60 per pc - P180
> 4pcs multidirectional wheels - scrapped from old chair
> Bamboo - P65 a bundle
> glue stick - scrapped from old stock

So total gastos = P995


Enjoy! Yowzer!


B)

uy ! alam ko yan ah ! addicted sa amoy ng greco !!!! whahahahahahaha!!!!! --;

turo ba yan ni sir mel ? parang nagshoping ka sa marikina at commonwealth ah !!! :lol:

Astig. Sa Marikina na lang ako bibili. Mas accessible kaysa sa Divs. >_> Lol. Subukan ko kaya mag-mecha. :lol:

Sige mag-mecha ka na rin! ^__^ Practice ka nang mag-rubber! Pero ingats lang sa GRECO 88, ang tapang ng puchang yan, as in didikit talaga daliri mo sa goma, sakiiit! >_<

Practice makes perfect. :)

Yup! Laking utang na loob ko sa kanya for introducing to me that place. Nope, mas masarap ilanghap ang rugby kesa Greco. :P


Yowzer!


B)

YES!!! we just love Marikina city and its unConventional Cosplay Wares!

and im living in the godsmack middle of this fine young city, :lol: fehehe, imagine the cosplay material eye candy i see with just my daily strolls... B) :wub: ;_;

>On the average, how much do you guys spend on your costumes?

2000php


>What would you consider too expensive for a single costume?

15000php? lolz. ^_^""

well para sa kin, 4000php masyado nang mahal yun.. unless worth it talaga.


>What do you think would be an appropriate prize for winning in a cosplay?

trophies are okay. cash prizes and freebies wouldn't hurt as well. i think mas okay kung maraming prizes para ma-recognize yung maraming tao and their hard work.


>What is the main reason why you join cosplays?

to get some girls... ^_^""

seriously, i want to express my creativity and be my fave character for a day. i get a lot of friends from it din. moreover, i feel the more 'veteran' cosplayers should have a sense of responsibility to boost cosplay standards here in the country in terms of quality and popularity, noting that the idea of cosplaying is still pretty young.


>most expensive costume to date..

i guess it would be my lucifer battle costume (with the upgraded wings). second would be the vivi-chocobo costume.

cheapest was the sakuya kira costume since leather jacket/pants, samurai and some make up lang naman yun.^^ the ken hidaka costume comes in second.



BC

:panda:

Awwwwwwwwww................. you live in the middle of marikina !!!!! LuCkY!!!!!no only matl haven SAPATOS galore also !!!!!

I'm sticking to greco .... masamasakit, fasssst acting , puwedeng gamitin on stalkers and maniacs.... results immediate! :P (mahalimuyak pa !!!! whahahahaha!!!)

The first incarnation of the Gundam Girl cost (in forgotten estimates) :

Rugby Rubber contact cement (1bottle PhP30) PhP30
Toy machinegun (PhP65) PhP65
Toy swords (PhP35 x 2 pcs) PhP70
Wood screws (50centsx200pcs) PhP100
foam rubber (1SquareMeter Php60 x 2sheets) PhP 120
Greco instant superglue (PhP65 x 3bottles) PhP 195
Acrylic paints (1liter bucket PhP80 x 5colors) PhP 400

sub total of PhP980

and the tailored Gundam swimsuit cost PhP300
-----------
total PhP1280


and those prices were way back in 2001, Gundam Girl version1 was our cheapest costume...

i cannot, for the life of me, visualize how you did all that stuff. hmm...siguro mas mapapadali ang mga cosplay projects ko rin kung hindi ako gumagawa ng mga ganyan illegally. hay! parents! --;

hay iha, dapat magladlad ka na ng kapa

come out of the closet! (cosplay closet, that is :P )

kung mahal mo ang iyong ginagawa,
maiintindihan naman iyan ng iyong mga magulang,
kaunting pagpapaliwanag lang ang kailangan.

I must be lucky to have my dad support me then. ^_^;;; Although my mom is exasperated with my cosplaying and my sisters just hate animé (;_;), at least I have a fan here at home.

Of course, knowing that I've got cosplayers for cousins sure helps. :P Kung sana nga lang hindi siya magastos. ;_;

My first costume was actually free because I just mixed and matched pieces together. (Yuck, I sound like those fashionistas in the society pages of our daily broadsheets. --; ). My Sailor Suit and the matching boot coverings cost me about PhP2000.00 (my dad and I made the boot coverings ourselves, so this could be less); my Youko Kurama costume cost between PhP2000.00 and PhP3000.00 (both were first used in 2001). The last costume I've had made, the Maria Tachibana Hanagumi-fuku, cost almost PhP3000.00.

<realizes she no longer remembers anything about the costs>

Let me try to recall the most approximate estimates ok? ^_^; <scrambles for receipts>

Joyce .... *kikay* puwede ba .... I'm one of those matrialistic bitches noh!

whahahahahahaahahahaha ............ :lol:

Kikay ba??? :o

Akala ko "conyo" e. ^_^ :P :lol:

Peace!!! :peace:

...Sige na nga, kikay na nga!!! XD

BTW in the cosplay scene I'm JOY. Sa UP lang ako JOYCE kasi nagkataong tatlo kaming Joy doon. Nagpapasalamat na ako sa Nanay ko na Jocelyn pangalan ko ... it's easier to derive Joyce from there. :P Nililinaw lang po! ;)

That beelzebmon costume, i think was the most, time and money cosuming ;_; its an odd mix of cloth, leather, feathers, rubber AND recycled materials (such as pwet ng bote ng flavored h20 at piknik ;) )

Worth it, kasi nung 1st time na sinuot ko iyon, a nihon-jin working for toei animation recognized me as one of their works! (digimon kc)...nanghingi ng photo... ;_; sinulit ko ulit siya sa WAA cosplay...baka sulitin ko ulit siya this year...

at least were not into drugs or something...i agree with poli, sooner or later your folks will appreciate your dedication and love for cosplay... --; ngayon nga madalas kasama ko mom ko sa cons... --; --; --;