[LordMoe]

It seems like some of you invest a lot of money into your costumes, especially for something that is only used one day per year and maybe never again.

I often see people purchasing very high priced masks or costumes. Do you wear these things every year? It would seem a waste not to use them as much as you can if you payed a lot of money for them.

 

[UnOrthodOx]

Well, my costume has been 5 years in the making, and among those 4 put together, probably $150 has been spent (100% made by me). 4 different masks, that have been transformed into 4 different scarecrows. Not bad for $30/year.

 

[S1n1sterTech]

well I spend different amount each year, how ever cant really talk bad about doing that because the same thing can be said about something like a wedding dress, then things cost ALOT of money and are only used for one day. But with a Halloween costume you can be super creative and you can get alot more then what you pay for if you not buying them nasty store bought costume....well most of them are nasty

 

[LordMoe]

well I agree with that last statement. I think I've bought one costume in my life for Halloween, the rest I just put together stuff around the house. I'll buy some fake teeth or make-up here and there though.

 

[TheCostumer]

Years ago I had my costumes made because I wanted something well made and the exact character I wanted to be

But after Hurricane Katrina and today's bad economy, I most definitely don't do that anymore.

I have just taken my French aristocrat outfit and turned it into the Vampire Lestat bu adding a vampire red line cape, an amulet and a pair of fans, all for under $60.

I also created my Martha Stewart character ( with four outfits and the kitchen apron). The most expensive items were the MS wig and the MS apron. All the rest from top to bottom I got from thrift stores. The whole thing cost less than $100.

I even have purchased some simple outfits from Party City types like a friar's costume. Nothing too hard.

Will I do another investment in a costume in the future? I probably will but until then being frugal is the password.

TC

 

[Halloween Princess]

I used to buy store bought and spent between $30-$50. Now I put them together and it probably costs more but I am all about the details. It's worth it to me. I do try to reuse items and save my costume pieces for future use if possible.

 

[alucard]

Well, I think if I tried to put a number on it, I don't know if there is enough space here for the zeros! LOL! Seriously, I put out major cash about every two years for something new. Then try to perfect it the second year to justify the cost. I think I spent 4 or 5 hundred trying to design my Darth Vader costume and about 2 or 3 hundred on my Ghostbusters costume easy. This does not include the gas money or time spent looking for "parts"! But it's worth every penny in my opinion.

 

[Wolfman]

Nothing outlandish for myself, personally. As the host of our Haunt, I have been the Ghost of Elvis in the past, and a decent wig costs around $50.00. The Jumpsuit can be cobbled together for very little money. Our ScareActors are another matter, however. I figure, if somebody cares enough to spend that much of their Hallowe'en Night scaring kids with us, they deserve the very best. Last year's version of "Psycho the Clown" cost about $80.00, without the Chainsaw. This year we are outfitting a pack of Werewolves for a little over $300.00 for five people. Oh, but they will be the highlight of this year's show!

 

[Brimstonewitch]

During my son's first Halloween 15 years ago, there had to be at least 50 power rangers. I decided from then on the kids could be whatever they wanted but it had to be homemade. There were two years we had to buy costumes due to budget and time limitations, but they were so depressingly pathetic we swore never again. We try to make them from scratch every year with the exception of some "parts" bought because we don't know how to create our own, but we cannibalize them as much as possible to personalize it.

It probably costs us around $50-$100 per costume each year depending on fabric and what I already have laying around the house. Also we have reused fabrics for other costumes as well as incorporating the old costumes into the haunts each year when we can. So I figure the recycling justifies some of the costs.

 

[freudstein]

It's not about what you spend; you can buy hundreds of ready-made costumes online and wind up looking the same as other Halloween-ers.

I like to shop around online with my own creativity in mind. I piece together my own costume with various items, and I don't have to spend lots of money that I don't have! You can always re-use something you have done in a previous costume in a new one. And try to make the most of items you already have.

Saying this, there is absolutely nothing wrong with splashing the cash if you have it, it's completely up to the person in question. And you can always sell off what you don't intend to keep/use again.

 

[RedSonja]

My costumes are usually handmade or put together by myself, with some store bought accessories, usually. The price can vary. I think some years I've spent less than $100 and others, I'm sure I've spent well over $300. This year, it'lll be less, since I'll be doing Spock and I already have some of the stuff....see, I'm reusing my costume!

 

[MorbidMariah]

I used to work in professional theatre doing costume construction, so I put alot of effort into my costumes. However, I am also a major bargain shopper. So I will usually spend $100-$150for the materials for my costume, but without my ultra-thriftiness, it would've cost about $200-$300. I really enjoy the experience of making the costume, so for me, the cost is not only for the costume, but the hobby of constructing clothing. Ends up being alot cheaper than going out all the time.

 

[Monster-Maker]

I usually don't wear a costume for Halloween, but this year I only spent around 40$ for mine.

 

[psox16]

It's not about what you spend; you can buy hundreds of ready-made costumes online and wind up looking the same as other Halloween-ers.

I like to shop around online with my own creativity in mind. I piece together my own costume with various items, and I don't have to spend lots of money that I don't have! You can always re-use something you have done in a previous costume in a new one. And try to make the most of items you already have.

Saying this, there is absolutely nothing wrong with splashing the cash if you have it, it's completely up to the person in question. And you can always sell off what you don't intend to keep/use again.

NAILED IT! It doesn't necessarily matter how much you spend on a costume. What's really important is how CREATIVE you are with what you've got. I think I spent less than ten bucks on my costume last year and it was fabulous! I just got everything at a thrift store and did some sewing. I am also a poor college student with extremely limited funds. So, don't feel bad if you don't have the money for $100 costumes or more. You can still look awesome! Although, if you can budget for that... by all means... go crazy! Someday that will be me!

 

[Cheebs]

Throughout the years including childhood, I've bought everything in a store or borrowed from others for pieces of a costume or now I make it myself from scratch. Currently I probably spend about $30 on fabric and then lots of labor on my part. Last years costume only cost me $5 with some labor since it was a fabric I picked up before the summer and we had foam pieces lying around already (I was a wind-up doll). The year before I was my own version of Little Red Riding Hood and that was a little up there but we ended up using the wolf mask for another prop later on. The bf ended up using his whole teddy outfit (which cost over well over $150) as a new prop this past year. We made a duct tape form of his body, stuffed it in the bear costume, stuffed it with other materials to make it sturdy and propped it up against a wall.

I just think if we can reuse the stuff or even hand it down to our own children in the future, then its all worth it.

 

[bones jones]

I probably average $75 a year on my costumes. But my old costumes turn into my new props, so its never used just once. A few years back I went as the monk from DaVinci Code. The next year I built him a body, game him a head and a sword, and now he holds the decapitated head of a vampire spilling blood into a fountain.
My old wizard and pirate costumes, along with my wifes old witch costume are easy prop additions. Although getting a second use out of her old "ladybug" costume probably won't ever happen.

 

[Tuff_Ghost]

I used to work in professional theatre doing costume construction, so I put alot of effort into my costumes. However, I am also a major bargain shopper. So I will usually spend $100-$150for the materials for my costume, but without my ultra-thriftiness, it would've cost about $200-$300. I really enjoy the experience of making the costume, so for me, the cost is not only for the costume, but the hobby of constructing clothing. Ends up being alot cheaper than going out all the time.

This is the same for me. Costume creation is a big hobby of mine and has been since I was first put on costume crew in 9th grade for a high school theater production. I'm typically very pious about everything I buy, but costumes can become my exception. I usually haunt thrift-stores and the like, but if I find something that I know will make the costume extraordinary (and that I know I will regret not buying later) then I'll splurge. Also, I like to get involved with events year round that involve costumes, so I usually end up getting a lot of mileage out of whatever I make.

For instance, I bought a high-quality wicked witch of the west costume two years ago for Halloween that cost $120. I wore it to host my party that year, to take my niece trick or treating (except I morphed it into Lizzy Borden), to Dickens on the Strand in Galveston, Texas, and finally, this Halloween one of my cousins borrowed it to be the Wicked Witch again. Because its a simple, black, Victorian dress, I can pretty much alter it to be anything within those bounds. So, I would say that was a solid investment.

 

[The Real Joker]

Every year my costume is put together from found parts at thrift strores - check out my Joker costume thread from last year - and this year my Ghostbuster costume will easily cost over $200 - including the homemade Proton Pack - and the actual costume itself will cost me easily around $100!

Accurate Tru-Spec khaki flightsuit = $35 plus shipping
Black combat Boots = $25
Ammo belt + dye = $15
Knee Pads + dye = $15 [ to be used as elbow pads ]

So yeah, plus I can wear it to conventions as well )

 

[GDfreak]

Way too much. This year it's probaly gunna reach around $400. But thats because of the contacts.

 

[MedeaViolia]

I dont tend to spend more than £10 on my own costum purely because I spend a small fortune during the year on wigs & costuming due to being a drama teacher.

My daughter's costumes are a completly different kettle of fish. I tend to spend anything from £20 to £100 on hers, depending on what it is.

I make everything myself so the cost it is all down to the material Her pirate costume last year cost about £60 and I already had a lot of the material for that lieing around!

I dont thing cost is important though, its the style. Some of the best costumes cost less than a tenner while you get some cheap looking stuff that costs hundreds.

Who on earth wears costume once a year?! It's a dull life if you dont get dressed up occasionally for fun & no reason at all.