Large Costumes - Life after the CON?

[Nismo]

Just something I was thinking about that many of you have probably had to make a choice about.

So you spend time and money to build a magnificent but (HUGE) Costume/Cosplay

Example my current build is Bumble (from rudolf the classic stop motion movie) and my daughter wants to be Yukon Cornelius for Halloween
she is 2 1/2 years old and 33" tall so I took a screen shot of Yukon and Bumble and scaled Yukon to 33" tall giving me a movie correct proportioned bumble to lumber around with her in.

(I will post a build thread eventually)

anyway Bumble in the real world is 7' 1" tall 3' 4 3/4" wide at the Chest with an arm span of 7 feet

the head alone came out to be 2'-4" tall.

anyway so Huge- and not my first huge Build Iv'e done a big Lego Man but he was mostly cheap cardboard so I just trashed him afterwards.

but this one is turning out to be a pretty good quality costume 3/4" L200 Foam very light weight good, shape and my wife has been sewing all the fur covering should turn out to be a pretty professional looking mascot build.

So after our local costume contest happens and Halloween I am unsure what to do with him?

1) I'd like to sell him but I am unsure of the market for a Bumble costume
2) if I just store him it will just take up space and probably never get used again
3) Scrap him out/cut him back up and have tons of scrap foam for future projects

4th option I have been thinking about is contacting our local children's medical center and see if I can donate Bumble to them either as a stationary Christmas decoration (cause he can stand on his own if you mount the feet to a board or something. or he can be worn, however they want to use him. At least then I know my efforts would still be getting some love and providing joy for some kids.


so RPF'ers what have you done with your BIG BUILDS afterwards?

 

[IMALIVENOW]

I haven't had a ginormous build myself, YET! But i think i would either keep him or contacting that children medical center...

 

[Doh2]

Sorry, no help here... but can't wait to see photos!!

But the hospital donation does sound like a great idea.

 

[George]

I would suggest you try and eliminate your options in this order:
1).Try the Hospital
2).Try sell it
3).If previous options failed AND you have no need to keep your costume,then cut it up and recycle your foam *. Short storage period problem solved

(* That is if you didn't paint and coat your foam)

 

[Nismo]

I would suggest you try and eliminate your options in this order:
1).Try the Hospital
2).Try sell it
3).If previous options failed AND you have no need to keep your costume,then cut it up and recycle your foam *. Short storage period problem solved

(* That is if you didn't paint and coat your foam)

Yeah that is what I am leaning towards- and the majority of the foam is not painted just under a fur suit- it’s mostly to provide shape and not the finished surface you see.

I also have multiple friends who are downtown business owners so he might become a store front display for Christmas if nothing else works out

 

[MB Trooper]

I build a (almost) full sized Mandoshawan from the Fifth Element. I was quite big. I did try to sell it after words but big costumes, unless of a very common character, are usually a very personal thing. I eventually broke him down, kept the head and reused all of the parts that I could and trashed the rest. It was great fun to build and wear so it was worth all the effort anyways.

 

[Doh2]

Wonderful job, MB!

 

[Ein]

I have a collection of mostly creepy mannequins in my house wearing all my old costumes, mostly because I can't imagine there's much of a market for them.

 

[cdr6]

Which brings up the question of what do people do with any of their costumes after the big event? My alter-ego is a Civil War map maker and I get several wearings a year out of it, but what about the serious costumers? Lots of good work on these pages... what happens to them?


"Kindly Old Major Rhodes" wants to know...

 

[Nismo]

I build a (almost) full sized Mandoshawan from the Fifth Element. I was quite big. I did try to sell it after words but big costumes, unless of a very common character, are usually a very personal thing. I eventually broke him down, kept the head and reused all of the parts that I could and trashed the rest. It was great fun to build and wear so it was worth all the effort anyways.
View attachment 672597

Nice!- Yeah I had no plans to make money off this like you said the build is mostly the enjoyment anyway so I have no expectations of that happening but I’d like my work to get appreciated as much as it can if that means becoming a store display or what not.

But if that can’t happen I can definitely recycle tons of foam out of this build

 

[mdb]

I don't make things to trash them! I get it, but it does mean everyone gets viewed as making disposable costumes to the point I now have to say no I make armour- I use leather and I use fibreglass and it's built to work like armour. Also silk, no one trashes that. Or shouldn't.

So I generally build my work with an eye for storage. So I make everything modular. I can get my Blood Dragon armour in a small space by stacking the vambraces inside the pauldrons, inside the greaves, inside the knees, inside the things, inside the chest.

My Lekku generally lie on a shelf at the top of my wardrobe.

My Mina gown is built as a bodice with drapery, and a skirt. The original is all one piece and with all the pleats and drapery to maintain is best stored on a mannequin- with a train that extends about a yard behind that's not your usual display! https://mattmulcahey.wordpress.com/...-underwear-at-the-museum-of-the-moving-image/
That's how the originals are on display currently and is really the best way. As you can see the gowns take up a lot of space compared to the armour
I made my gown in parts so I can hang the skirt to keep the pleats pristine, and all the leaves likewise nice and flat.

I also hang my hoop skirts flat so they can be hung flat against a wall behind the gowns.