Starting with costume photo services on Fiverr

A while back, I have started offering costume photo services on Fiverr.com which can be expanded to be videos as well. These services are highly focussed on specific costumes and are more intended for either promotions or birthday wishes or similar things.

At the moment I only offer a pink bunny photo service just to see how this works out. The plan is to add a few more characters to the mix but avoiding any trademarked characters to avoid legal issues. Video will also come in time, but my internet connection needs an upgrade first. Basically anything that fits me of my collection is an option.

Getting ready for Halloween weekend

If this year is anything like the last year, then Halloween weekend will be crazy again. Due to several losses, security problems, thefts and other issues, my finance this year is limited what new costumes for Halloween concerns. The customs import duty of 40% does not help much either.

This year should go smoother due to wireless tablet PC and mobile phone for availability checking and reservations. My website has also date filters to show what is still available for selected dates so that the general public can get their answers quicker. This in turn will save me time to talk with everyone asking questions.

The big problem now is deciding what costumes to get based on requests and hoping that I pick the right sizes and hopefully they will get rented. Finance being the main issue and time is a secondary issue unless I wait much longer. The costume shops also have stock levels and also get busy which causes more delays.

What I will be wearing and where I will end up for Halloween parties this year is another matter. Last year I was about to put on a costume, then someone showed up who wanted exactly that one. In such cases, I let the paying customers have the first pick.

New availability date filters on website

A new date filter for the upcoming two Fridays and Saturdays has been added to the website above the pagination where costumes are displayed. Custom Halloween dates have been added as well. This is mostly to make it much easier to instantly see what is still available for the busy weekends since most people want costumes for Friday or Saturday.

This filter has also been added to the other costume categories to prevent having to select it again. There is of course a disable option.

Losses and price adjustments

Recently there have been too many losses in either costume parts or due to damages or parts never returned. This now finally resulted in a very long overdue price increase. Most costumes are now 150 Rand to rent instead of 100 Rand.

Another recent loss was a costume that came back with large white paint spots. It looks like oil based paint. The costume itself is red and black. Whatever I do except replacing the material will ruin the material even more if I try to get rid of the stains.

What is even more annoying is that people want super cheap prices when my prices are already too low and also much lower than competitors. Last month alone my costs in damages was around 3000 Rand which means I had to rent out thirty costumes that were 100 Rand each to rent if I do not count the washing expenses just to recover that money.

Photos of costume parts on website

Due to certain telephone calls and costume requests it is starting to become important to start showing photos of actual costume parts on my website. For example the chest and waist section of my Cleopatra costume needs actual photos shown. As I was busy getting things in order this weekend, I also took a few photos of costumes and parts, but did not yet put them all onto my website.

Many people make use of the internet these days and also do not have the time during the day due to work or distance to actually go to costume shops to rent something. Several people have mentioned so on the phone, in emails and verbally. These costume photos are especially important for people from other cities where there are no costume shops to rent from. What does not help is that so many people promise photos and do not bother sending.

Sizes do matter a lot when selecting a costume

A lot of people who come for costumes are not always sure what size will fit them. Most people are not models or super fit as used for packaging photos of the costumes. Some people also do not have generic body shapes or age and lifestyle has had their effects. In the end, once theme, availability, personal preference and sizes are applied, the number of costumes that are real options are rather limited.

Many people also prefer no masks and many women prefers skirts and dresses, even if they are at the time wearing trousers. The long suits are not at all popular with women and fit few and look good on even less.

The things that mascot character performers have to worry about

Mascot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is a "short" list to worry about and consider for those that show up as different characters or mascots at birthdays or sports events.

Not event specific:
1. Travel time to and from the venue when you do not live there.
2. Hiding the costume before and after the event to prevent breaking the character illusion.
3. Being able to get into and out of the costume before and after the event without anyone running into the dressing room or bathroom.
4. Storage of clothing or personal items while in costume.
5. Driving in costume is very often not an option, same with getting dressed in the car unless it is a van.

Event specific:
1. Not scaring children since that could have a very long lasting effect.
2. Being aware of your surroundings due to often being wider and taller as well as having less eyesight. Mascot costumes in particular have a size and eyesight problem. Washing lines are evil when they hang too low.
3. Heat while in the costume due to time duration.
4. Children becoming naughty once they get used to a character and they get bored of the event.
5. At birthdays in particular the children tend to follow when the mascot or character leaves to get undressed. This is a problem when being cornered somewhere and sweating a lot in the costume plus time pressure.