Edward's Convention Tips: Cosplay Advice

Finally, the end of my 3 part series on convention preparedness! My cold is nearly gone and I'm ready to write this! This one is all about cosplay!

Cosplay Advice

Saving Money

I make all of my cosplays, which can get pretty damn expensive pretty quick. So I've figured out some ways to save my pennies whenever possible!

Coupons!!: I don't coupon clip with ANYTHING else, but I do for Joann fabrics! I have signed up for both their e-mail and regular mail coupons. If you have a smart phone, you can download their app and get even more! Also, if you have a friend who doesn't sew, you can have them sign up for coupons and have them send them to you (if your friend doesn't mind, that is) I get coupons from my mom and from a friend. So needless to say, I have LOTS of coupons all the time. I have saved A LOT of money with coupons. Probably hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Also, be wary of Joann's "sales." I dislike when they have things on sale sometimes, because usually they only take of 30% off or less. And if it's on sale, you can't use your coupon (Most coupons are 40% off). Same goes for "red tag" fabric. So don't buy sale items unless they are 40% off or more. Otherwise use your coupon.

Also, important note: You may think that the material is going to be what gets you, but really it's all the notions! With anything you make you'll need thread, fasteners (buttons or zippers), you might need ribbons or trim. And all that adds up really fast. Buttons are very pricey and thread is about $3 a spool. If you're cosplay has multiple colors (which many of them do), you'll need thread for each color. 4 colors, and you've spent $12 just on thread!! So be sure to save those notion coupons too!

With all my coupons, I can usually get away with spending less the $30 on a complete cosplay.

Modify: I have not done this, but I know lots of people who buy clothes from thrift stores and modify them! I think that's a great way to save money! Also, when you go to thrift stores, check out their sheets, curtains, and fabrics section. You might find some material that would work great for your purposes!

Walmart: Some Walmarts have a fabric section, and those ones always have $1 a yard fabric. That's about as cheap as you are going to find fabric! I got all of my Sailor Moon fabric for $1 a yard. So if your Walmart has a fabric section, lucky you! They moved our Walmart and didn't put a fabric section in the new one! 

Wear the cosplay before the con

Just wear it around the house. And I mean THE WHOLE COSPLAY. Get a feel for what it's going to be like at the con. It's best to figure out your problem areas before you're actually at the con and then realize, "Oh crap, I didn't put a snap crotch in this Sailor Moon leotard and now I'll have to get completely naked to pee..." () So do yourself a favor and wear your cosplay around for a day.

Which leads me to my next point...

Get your cosplay done early!

For exactly the reason I stated above and because it's really stressful trying to get a cosplay done at the last minute. I know lots of people who work on their costumes in their hotel room, only hours before a big photo shoot. I can't do that. Besides, I want to spend my time enjoying the con, not sitting in my hotel room frantically sewing. And know your limits. Don't agree to make 8 costumes in a month. Unless you know for absolutely sure you'll get them all done, with time to spare, don't do it! So you can't join this group this time around. Oh well! There will always be another con where you can! It's just cosplay. It's for fun. Don't stress over it.

I've also known some people who were like "Oh I don't think I'll go to the con AT ALL, because my cosplay isn't finished!" What? Who cares! There are LOTS of people who go to cons who never cosplay! Conventions do not equal cosplay. You can have lots of fun in plain clothes at conventions. And no one expects anyone to cosplay. It's just a fun alternative.

Don't wear the same cosplay all weekend

It gets stinky. You may think "Oh, I showered and put on deodorant." But your cosplay is still collecting all your sweat and stinky-ness. After 3 days it can be a little ripe. If nothing else, buy some Fabreeze or something, and spray that baby down each night! Also, many cosplays aren't exactly comfy to wear. I know after wearing my Sailor Moon boots for 3 days in a row my feet are very angry with me. So I try to switch around my cosplay so my body doesn't hate me afterwards.

Travel tips

Get one of these suitcases:

This is the best suitcase ever!! A friend of mine used to be in the corporate world and had to travel with suits all the time. But she doesn't do that anymore, so she gave me this suitcase, because she knows I cosplay and thought it would be helpful. WHICH IT IS! As you can see, the main section is perfect for suits, or in our case cosplays. The top has hanger clips and it has straps to hold everything in place. It has tons of pockets for accessories, regular clothes, and toiletries. It zips closed to keep everything safe and it folds in half with a carrying handle and a shoulder strap. I only need to bring this one suitcase when I travel for cons now!

So try to find one of these! You may be able to find one at a thrift store or something. Or your parents might have one. I know my parents have this exact same suitcase. Try not to buy one new, because luggage is usually really expensive.

Wigs: First of all, when you get your wig, DO NOT throw away the hair net or the bag it comes in!! You need to save that for storing them and for traveling with them. There are two ways I travel with my wigs: In the bag they came in or on a wig head.

I use the first method for wigs that don't have any heavy styling. The first wig shown is my Aurora/Briar Rose wig. It just has lots of curls, which aren't affected by being flattened. I first put the wig in the hair net, and then gently fold it in half and place it in the bag. It's important to put it in the hair net first! Otherwise it will become all tangled up into a big mess. This is a nice method because you can just stick it in one of the pockets of your fancy suit case.

OH GOD! I've suffocated and decapitated Sailor Moon!

The second method I use for heavily styled wigs. As you can see, Sailor Moon is the one on the head in this photo. I place the wig on the head and pin it in place with wig pins or with long sewing pins. Then I put a hair net on top of the odango and her bangs and another to collect her pig tails (as delicately as possible). Then I put a plastic bag around the pig tails and another on top of the whole mess. I've found that this is the best way to keep it from becoming a big knotted mess when I travel. I recommend this method for complicated wigs that must be in a particular shape. I usually put all my heads in a cardboard box (hahahahaha), then that way they aren't knocking around in the back seat of the car.

Wig heads are easy to find. You can get them at thrift stores or at beauty supply shops like Sally's for pretty inexpensive. My mother in law used to style wigs, so she had a billion wig heads just laying around her place, so lucky me!

Whatever you do, DO NOT just throw (or even gently place) the wig in a plastic bag and then put it in the car. You will weep bitter tears of regret when you open that bag at the hotel.


Take good care of your wigs! They aren't the cheapest thing and you want them to last as long as possible!


Well that's all I can think of for cosplay tips! I hope that you found these tips helpful! Do you have any tips or advice you'd like to share? Put them in the comments!

Next week I'll be doing a cosplayer interview! I hope you all will enjoy it!

Love,
Edward

Edward's Convention Tips: Good Advice

This is part 2 of my 3 part series about convention preparedness and general advice! Check out part 1, tips on how to plan before the con, here.

As I said in part one, this is not a "comprehensive, everything you need to know, do and prepare for at conventions" type of post. There are lots of lists like that already out there on the wonderful world wide web if you do a google search. This is just some advice and things I've found help me a lot. Some of these tips are on other lists and some of them aren't.

So please enjoy part 2!

Some Good Advice 

The Con Bag

I always, always take my "Con Bag" with me to conventions. It's just a messenger bag that I carry around with me while I'm at the convention. It's super handy for carrying snacks and most importantly, all the little do-dads I buy from Artist Ally (AA) and the Dealers Room (DR). It's also good for holding any paper work you might collect (business cars, schedules, etc.) and for holding my money pouch and cell phone. I also usually carry a manga around with me for those moments when I find I haven't much to do.

My "con bag." I bought it at my first convention. I like it because it says "Pika Pi" on it. XD

I like having a con bag because I can buy things or have things on me, without having to go back to my room all the time. And a most of the time I don't get a hotel room when I go to the local conventions, so it saves me going all the way out to my car to store/grab things. It's very handy! It can sometimes be a pain. Like, when I'm wearing Sailor Moon (with her long pig tails) and someone asks for a picture, I have to take the bag off. And then as soon as I get the bag back on again, someone asks for another picture. But that is the way of conventions when you cosplay, I suppose.

Overall, the pros out weigh the cons by far, and it's really a nice thing to have.


I also have a "con pouch." It's a little coin pouch I use to put all my important things in, like my credit/debit cards, ID and monies. It's handy too. Because, if you don't know, in real life I use a retro metal lunch box as my purse, and a metal bandaid box as my wallet. Which are both pretty impractical to carry around a convention all the time. The bag and pouch seem to work best for me.

Emergency Bag

This bag contains anything that one might need if you had a cosplay malfunction. Sewing needle and thread (preferably the colors of the cosplay you're wearing), hot glue gun with glue sticks, super glue, safety pins, extra buttons or beads (if applicable), a comb for your wig, hair spray, bobby pins, etc. etc. There are lots of things you might need in this bag, depending on your cosplay. There are almost always "cosplay repair" rooms at the convention, but they might not have that one thing you need. So it's good to be prepared. I use a big makeup travel bag to hold all these things, along with my makeup.

Going with friends

Whether or not you want to go with friends is really up to you. But I have some suggestions either way. 

If you are an introvert, you should probably consider going with friends. Introverts tend not to randomly go up to strangers and make new friends, so you could be bored or lonely if you go by yourself. For me, I'm an extrovert, so going with friends is not such a big deal, because I ALWAYS make friends at the convention. Going with friends is, of course, more fun! Because I have people I know I can be silly with.

If you decide to go with friends, make sure you go with people who are into this stuff. I've gone to cons where the person I was with was not nearly as interested and entertained as I was, and I was constantly finding myself worrying about them and if they were having fun. Completely forget to pay attention if I was having fun or not. And really, you can't have much fun if you're worried or focused on someone else. So keep that in mind if you decide to bring someone with you.

Also, if the someone you are bringing is only going to be there for a day, or a few hours, make sure they have their own transportation! It's not as fun if you have a time limit and have to take them back home. I've missed out on a few things I wanted to see, because the person I was with had to be home by a certain time. 

But the beauty of conventions, is that most everyone is happy and friendly! It's so easy to make new friends if you just talk to people. If you're like me, making friends will be no problem. But if you are very shy or an introvert, you might consider going with some other nerds.

Take Care of Yourself  

I think every "What to do at Conventions" list or blog says this, but it is VERY important, EAT AND SLEEP! There is no way you will have as much fun if you are hungry and tired the whole time.

I mean eat more then just ramen and pocky the whole weekend. Eat REAL food. I listed some suggestions in the Planning portion of this trilogy that are quick and easy, but also filling and better for you. I'm not saying ramen is absolutely forbidden (I like ramen too), but don't eat it for every meal. It's not good for you.

And don't just take a 2 hour power nap and call it good! Get a good night rest! I know that if you're over 18, you'll most like go to the late night events. (I always stay up late and sing karaoke until my voice gives out XD). But most of the events at cons don't start until 10am or so, so you have plenty of time to sleep in. Also, you might find yourself with an hour or 2 where there are no panels or events you want to go to; go take a nap! 

So don't forget about the basics.

What to Do During Down Time 

Sometimes you'll find yourself between events or panels and you've already checked out the AA and DR a dozen times, and wonder what to do with yourself. Here are some suggestions.

Eat: Have dinner or a snack, or go out to lunch with friends.

Check out the Anime Room: All conventions have a room where they play different anime all day and night. So if you're bored, go check it out.

Brush your wig or change your cosplay: It's important that if you have a wig that is shoulder length or longer, that you brush it through out the con, otherwise, by the end of the weekend, it will be a terrifying mess and it can ultimately ruin your wig. So during your down time, run a comb through your wig to catch any tangles before they get really bad. Also, if you have more than one cosplay, now is the perfect time to change.

Take a nap: After a late night of singing karaoke, it might be good if you take a nap if you find you have enough time between events.

Check out the arcade or table top gaming room: There is always an arcade or gaming room at conventions where you can spend some time.

Read a book or manga: I always bring a manga that I'm currently reading with me to the cons so I have something to read during down time.

Do a cosplay check: Every once in a while, when I'm not doing anything else, I like to pop into the bathroom and make sure my cosplay is still looking fabulous. I make sure my wig isn't falling off, that my accessories are in place, make sure my makeup isn't smudged etc. You want to be looking your best for random photos!

Go visiting: I have lots of friends qho have tables or booths in the AA and DR, so when I'm not doing anything else, I like to go around and visit with people.

Be Considerate of Your Fellow Nerds

Shower. Please. This is mentioned on every con list I've ever seen, but that's because it's IMPORTANT! There is nothing more unpleasant than walking around, having fun, and suddenly smelling someone's three day old con funk. So please, for the love of your fellow nerds, shower. EVERY DAY! And put on deodorant. And change your cosplay. If you only have one cosplay, give it a sprits with some deodorizer. These all sound like no brainers, but you'd be surprised how disgusting humans can be. So please, think of the noses of your friends and loved ones, and please take a shower.

Here is a wonderfully hilarious (and kind of old) video of Foamy the Squirrel on this subject. It talks about more than just showering, but he illustrates it well. 

I think that's all the general adivce I can think of. If you have an other advice for con goers, please post it in the comments and I'll be sure to add it to my list!

Come back next week for part 3: Cosplay Advice!


Loves,
Edward

Edward's Convention Tips: Planning

That time is drawing near.
It's a cosplayers favorite time of year.

The time we hold so dear.
Convention season is here!! 

Haha... I wrote a lil' poem. 

Anyway! I thought I'd make a list of important tips and advice for newbie con goers. (Or it might help veterans, I don't know.) I'm certainly not a veteran, but I do have a few years experience and would like to share what I've learned so far. Now, there are LOTS of lists out there on how to survive a con. This is not going to be a comprehensive list of everything you need. This is just a list of things I've found help me prepare for and survive convention season. Some of these things I've seen on other lists and some things I haven't. 

I was going to do my entire list in one post, but it was starting to get long. So I'm going to split it up into three different posts: Planning, Personal Tips, and Cosplay advice. I'm still deciding if I'll post them over this week or if I'll just continue to post them on Mondays. I guess it will be a surprise!

So I hope you find this list helpful!

Planning

The Right Convention

For people going to their very first convention, I suggest going to a smaller con. 1000-2000 attendees or smaller. I find that these smaller cons are much more personable. My first convention was Anime Oasis. And it was the perfect size for a beginner con goer! It was large enough that it had interesting events and guests. But it wasn't so huge that I was overwhelmed. My husband's first convention was Sakura-con. I regret that decision now.....  It was just way to huge for a first timer. There is SO much to do at those big cons, it's hard to figure out what you should try to see. And there is a lot of waiting in line for events and seeing guest. With smaller cons, this is not such an issue. My favorite part about small cons is the intimacy. It's so much easier to make friends and get to really know people. My Facebook friend list doubled when I went to Anime Oasis, but I only got a few new friends when I went to Sakura-con.

Make a budget

This is important! You can't go to a con if you don't have any money. It's important to plan ahead. You don't want to be a month away from the convention and realize you forgot to save money for food. And if you don't make much money or don't have a job, there are lots of ways to save money! Here is a list of things you need to plan for and how to save money with them.

Badge- Be sure to buy your badge AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE! The earlier you buy it, the cheaper they are. At some conventions they sell badges for the next year for a super cheap price. That's the best time to buy them. The WORST time to buy is at the door. They are most expensive and a lot of times you have to wait in line.

Hotel- Hotel rooms can be VERY expensive. And don't forget the hotel tax that they add on. The best way around this is to bunk with several other people to split the cost. I won't condone "room stuffing" (that's cramming as many people in a room as humanly possible, +1), but that is a route some con goers take. Keep in mind, if you get caught, you could get kicked out of the hotel and not be aloud back again!

If you live in or near the town the convention is held in, you might not need a to get a hotel room. You might be able to walk or drive to the convention each day with no problem. But keep in mind, if you are driving each day, you have to account for the gas used to drive back and forth AND you'll most likely have to pay for parking each day. Which can add up quick. I suggest pricing out how much a room will cost when you bunk with other people (don't forget the tax) and comparing it to the amount of money spent on gas and parking. Which ever is cheapest is the option you should choose. I did this recently and discovered it was much cheaper to share a room than it was to drive every day and pay for parking.

Gas/Parking- Whether you're driving across the country or across town, you'll have to plan for gas money. I suggest carpooling when at all possible to save some money. And don't forget parking when you get there. A lot of time you'll have to pay for (as mentioned above). Be sure to check with the hotel or convention center to find out your parking options and how much it will cost per day.

Food- The best way to save money on food is to eat out as little as possible. Of course you might want to go out to eat with friends at least once or twice during the weekend, but don't do it for every meal! You'll spend a fortune. I suggest bringing your own meals to save money. And I don't just mean ramen noodles either. What we did for Sakura-con, and my favorite food for cons, is to buy a small precooked ham (or you could do lunch meat or a rotisserie chicken), some sort of bread or rolls, and your favorite cheese. Then when you are hungry and get back to your room, you just slap together a quick sandwich and you're done! EASY! And much better (and tastier) than eating ramen for every meal all weekend. If you do decide to eat out with your friends, go out for lunch instead of dinner. Dinner menus are always more expensive. I plan about $50 for going out to eat for the entire weekend. Otherwise I eat whatever I've brought with me.

And don't forget snackies! Yogurt, fruit, and pocky are some great choices. I like to have light weight things that I can carry in my con bag (we'll discuss the con bag in a later post) that I can munch on and not have to go all the way back to my room.

Fun money- Of course you'll want to buy cool stuff from the dealers room and artist alley! Be sure to plan for it! If you want to save money here, be sure to ask if they have any deals. Or if you can get a discount if you buy more than one item. More often than not, they will give you a discount. Or if you're good at haggling a lot of time you can get a deal that way too. My strategy (because I'm female and I'm cute) is to look very interested, but somewhat wayward, and a lot of times men will give me discounts. That might be kind of sexist, but hey, that bag wasn't worth $35 anyway. XD

Also, a lot of times, the artist alley has a lot more unique and interesting things than the dealers room. And they are usually cheaper too! So don't brush off the artist alley as a bunch of homemade trinkets. Sometimes there is some cool stuff in there!

I like to plan about $100 for "fun money." That's kind of a lot, but I burn through it really fast! And it never seems like enough. Lol.

 Plan Your Schedule

I like to print out the schedule as soon as it's available and highlight all the events I want to go to. That way I know if things overlap and I can decide which I'd like to see more. It also helps me to see when I have down time so I can plan when I'm going to eat and change cosplays. It's important to remember to make time for eating and sleeping!! It's also important to plan time to visit with your friends! That's kind of the whole point of going to conventions!

Make a List (and check it like 10 times)

I don't know about you, but I'm incredibly forgetful. My first convention, I drove all they to the con (5 hour drive) and realized I forgot my badge. DON'T DO THAT! So now I always make a list of everything I plan to bring to con. That includes: your regular overnight stuff (regular clothes, toothbrush, shampoo, pjs, etc.), important paperwork (your badge or confirmation email, hotel info, ID, credit/debit cards, etc.), whatever memorabilia you'd like to have signed (if applicable), and an itemized list of all the items needed for your cosplays (very important! I have forgotten important items for Sailor Moon before). Lists are your friend! I'd forget my ass if it wasn't attached. Seriously.

So those are my pre-con planning tips! I hope they are helpful and aren't too repetitive of other lists out there. Do you have you're own pre-con planning tips that you haven't seen on other con-survival lists? Please share them in the comments and I'll add them to this list! Leave your name too so I can credit you!

Join me next time for part 2: Personal Tips and Advice!

Love,
Edward