by Lindsey
 | Whether it’s your first time trying a costume or your 25th convention, at some point you’re going to buy something from China. Getting certain costume pieces at an affordable price point is the bane of every cosplayer’s crafting process. Let’s take a minute to break down the pros and cons of ordering pieces from China. |
Pros:
- Low cost-- things are genuinely cheaper buying directly from Asia vs a US dealer
- Materials-- kanekalon fiber is used in most wigs vs the nylon junk party city offers
- Availability-- Cosplay/Anime is common in Asia and marketed specifically so you can actually find what you’re looking for
- Refunds-- Buying through Ebay or Amazon affords you some recourse through feedback and Paypal security helps with scams too
- Time-- saving the hours and stress over trying to make a wig, etc yourself
Cons:
- Delivery-- shipping overseas takes weeks to months with no recourse for a product being late
- Materials--often they use stock photos and aren’t a good representation of the actual product
- Risk--accuracy/quality is a gamble because you can’t see and feel it in person
- Size-- Asian sizes are far smaller than ours, always go big, L=3X big
- Policies-- no returns or exchanges are usually possible
So, the key things to remember when buying costume pieces from foreign countries:
- Research: always read feedback, ratings, and seller feedback to customers
- Timing: always purchase items over 6 weeks before you will need them
- Caution: be wary of stock photos
- Size: Go big or go home
- Judgement: Too good to be true, it probably is!
