/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

[Anonymous No.6854914]

hey guys, so I have solved some of the major problems about cosplay.

this is my second post, just wanted more opinions before i start having the site developed

What I would like to know is, which solutions would you use?

Problem: Cosplay is expensive!
Solution 1: Website where you can trade costumes with other people, which will tremendously reduce the amount you have to spend on cosplay. There will be a ranking system for members
AND/OR
Solution 2: Used costume store where you can both BUY and SELL used costumes

Problem: Untrustworthy cosplay stores
Solution 3: A site that works like ebay except its only for professional costume commisioners, where they can post any costumes they can make for free as a bid or single price. there will be a ranking system

Problem: I can't find accurate picture references of my cosplay character
Solution 4: Website which is a database of characters with a wide selection of references, all accurate.

Problem : I can't find fabrics or materials
Solution 5: Online Store with fabrics, cosplay materials, zippers, buttons, and everything else you need to make a costume

Problem : Who should I cosplay as?
Solution 6: Website that lets you select your body figure, hair style, and other physical features and then matches you up with a character with the same features. You'll never have to worry about this again and you can pull off the most realistic cosplays

Problem : Theres not enough cosplay conventions to go to
Solution 7: Website that shows all the cosplay event close to your location
And/Or
Solution 8: Website where users can make + find cosplay groups in their local area.

Problem : Bad quality, hard to style wigs
Solution 9: Online high quality wig shop where the wigs are specially made to be styled easily

So, which website(s) would you use? Feedback is welcome

I will pick the ones you guys like, and start building the websites. I will post here again when I am finished

All the best,
Bryce
Founder of Cosplay Gamer

[Anonymous No.6854925]

bump

[Anonymous No.6854944]

[Anonymous No.6854945]

2 requires capital on the site's behalf for a warehouse. 5 and 9 also requires a warehouse and stock. 1 can still be subject to lies, half-truths, understating, etc, Same with 3.

4 would be the easiest to setup. You can use a booru but more focused on design sheets/official art (gathering said art would be the only hard part which is why you'd have it be an open submission booru). 6 is a maybe if you pull off the system correctly. 7 you have animecons.com Granted it doesn't show smaller events. 8 can be filled in by things like Facebook so I don't know if you'd want to invest the time/effort

[Anonymous No.6854952]

>>6854945
thank you for the great advice! very helpful, and noted

2 can be done by only users selling and buying to eachother, therefore, theres no need for a warehouse. i can do 5 and 9 with dropshipping

[Anonymous No.6854963]

>>6854952
Ah. that's different then. Was thinking of 2 like it was a store where your organization judged and bought costumes and then sold them to others.

5 and 9 could definitely be useful for people. There's quite a number of places to source wigs from nowadays so I'm not sure 9 would be the best choice. You'd have to do more study into whether 5 would be popular enough but I can see it as a good resource depending on prices and availability(compared to people's local Joanns and whatnot).

[Anonymous No.6854974]

>>6854963
thanks again!

so far 4 and 5 are tied with 3 votes each

[Anonymous No.6854990]

>>6854974
You could probably do both since 4 only requires using existing booru framework and then you can hopefully crowdsource the actual images. Well, that and a server.

[Anonymous No.6855000]

[Anonymous No.6855007]

4. Already exists, for the most part.
There's sites, like Animepaper.net, that host galleries of official art work, typically high rez, and including a lot of concept art. The only downside is that they tend to be poorly organized so if you want to cosplay a side character or special costume for a series with a lot of art, you have to do some digging.

6 is just rather pointless. Hair style shouldn't matter because except for bald/very short haired characters, you should use a wig. It's also frowned upon to cosplay something you have no knowledge about. There's already databases for anime character where you can search by hair colour and length, as well as certain other features like cat ears.

9 and 5 don't need new sites dedicated to them. There's already a list of reputable wig sellers floating around, and I'm pretty sure the same exists for fabric. It'd just be redundant to make a new site for either of these.

The only thing I really support or feel would be a worthwhile venture would be an Ebay for -exclusively- cosplay, though it wouldn't be a bad idea to throw used anime and gaming stuff in there too. Basically an Ebay for everything con-related, and mostly for used goods.

It might be a bit of work setting up and you'd have to make sure Chinese companies don't get a hold of it and try to monopolize the market like they do on etsy, though.

[Anonymous No.6855019]

>>6855007
thanks very much. im not very familiar with the cosplay community so the criticism helps.

[Anonymous No.6855052]

one more opinion?

[Anonymous No.6855083]

>>6855019
Who is that Link?

[Anonymous No.6855104]

4 and 6 sound like they'd be good in unison. You could probably have the characters' approximate height/weight with the pictures. I say approximate because even when the artists give that information about their characters, it's most likely wrong and the artist is just just estimating themselves.

[Anonymous No.6856325]

>>6855104
I agree, thats a good point

[Anonymous No.6856332]

[Anonymous No.6856341]

the count is so close.. can you guys just vote for your favorite?

[Anonymous No.6856391]

[Anonymous No.6856406]

[Anonymous No.6856419]

[Anonymous No.6856453]

[Anonymous No.6856560]

[Anonymous No.6856619]

i would use solution 6

[Anonymous No.6856687]

[Anonymous No.6857107]

[Anonymous No.6857459]

it's really hard to buy a costume second hand off someone else because even with measurements, they've made it specifically to suit them. theres just a lot wrong with this that makes it clear you're not a cosplayer.

[Anonymous No.6858057]

>>6857459
i admit, im not a cosplayer. thats why im asking you guys

[Anonymous No.6858718]

[Anonymous No.6858807]

need a few more votes before I can decide which websites win

what do you think?

[Anonymous No.6858964]

>>6857459

Even still, there's a chance that there is someone out there with your measurements

[Anonymous No.6858975]

>>6858964
yeah, and you could make it filter your results by your measurements

[Anonymous No.6859014]

[Anonymous No.6859033]

[Anonymous No.6859102]

[Anonymous No.6859209]

still looking for feedback!

[Anonymous No.6859213]

>>6859209
I want to throw her down and fingerblast her meathole.

[Anonymous No.6859246]

>> 6859209

I'd buy that for a dollar!

[Anonymous No.6859268]

>>6856325
6/10
good effort

[Anonymous No.6859637]

6 because then we can stop having shitty "WAT SHUD I COSPLAY GAISE XD" threads with hordes of attention whores.
7&8 would be ones I'd probably use, though.

[Anonymous No.6859700]

>>6854914
Off Topic, but man I would pay serious coin for a Warhammer 40k costume made with that kind of quality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxV6Mh1XYqA

[Anonymous No.6859808]

>>6859700

Woah, a Terminator! The most I've seen is normal SM/CSM armor

Ive actually given thought to just learning metalworking myself and doing this. It really doesn't seem that hard, just really metal sheets sandwiching some kind of non-heat insulating material I think, since plastic wouldn't give that authentic feel. As the conception evolved, I realized for extended wear, some kind of cooling and water device inside would be needed. Before long, I realized you'd have to make an actual goddamn suit to make it real real.

[Anonymous No.6859823]

[Anonymous No.6859902]

>>6859700
Why not just do it, then?
It isn't strange at all. There's several people commissioning me for some right now. LOL

Prop makers are willing to make it for you usually, just ask if you can commission them!

[Anonymous No.6860050]

>>6859808
Why would you learn metalworking to make Warhammer armor? It seems rather impractical.

[Anonymous No.6860143]

>>6859808
No moron would make metal Warhammer armor.

[Anonymous No.6860223]

>>6860143
Especially since you could just use a metal foil to give it a metal surface without all of the weight, cost, and complications of workmanship.
It's also incredibly easy to work with if you're careful.

[Anonymous No.6860316]

OP here, any more opinions about the first post?

[Anonymous No.6860629]

[Anonymous No.6860635]

>>6854914
All of these ideas are outright terrible, impossible to accomplish with any sort of satisfactory quality, or they've all been done already.

/cgl/ doesn't really care about your little business proposal. The things you're trying to offer could be done with a wiki and a handful of links.

[Anonymous No.6860643]

>>6860635
Don't speak for /cgl/ when your opinions are yours. Thanks.

[Anonymous No.6860650]

>>6860635

I think it's a pretty neat idea.

[Anonymous No.6860658]

>>6860643
Yes, because the overwhelming response against all the pointless pic dumping equals /cgl/'s collective acceptance.

>>6860650
Most of the ideas are "Let's start up a whole online business that makes and sells a thing that is specifically listed for cosplay!"
or
"Let's make a site that attempts to compile a ton of one thing that we could never actually reliably get our hands on!"
or
"Why don't we make something that already exists or that people have no use for!" because, y'know, people are always desperately looking for their local homestuck cosplay group and they just can't find anyone at the con they are attending who cosplays from the same series...

This isn't solving any of the problems with cosplay, nor is it actually possible for any one person, let alone one with no connections in the dozens of different industries he's trying to jump into, to do these things.

[Anonymous No.6860674]

>>6860658
OP here

I made this to serve a genuine purpose while building up my business at the same time.

I wanted to solve your problems, so I read a 70 page thread on cosplay dot c0m full of people saying what they hate about cosplay

i took 9 things and came up with ideas that i think can work, but i didnt know if cosplayers would like them. thats why im asking this forum, because i want your feedback

[Anonymous No.6860686]

>>6860674
Unless you intend to buy a wig-making factory or open up a chain of craft stores that somehow offer more fabric and zippers than every other craft store that already exists, then there's no point in 5 or 9

Unless you can somehow set up a method that is easier and more secure than e-bay or the dozens of already existing cosplay shops, then 1, 2, and 3 are all pointless.

Unless you think you can single-handedly make an encyclopedic collection of every anime, video game, and comic character from the past 30 years and then find reference pictures for all of them, then why bother with 4 or 6?

Then there's 7 and 8... Which there already exists tons of convention listings, which you can find with 2 seconds on google, and if you're looking for local cosplayers to group with, that's what the forums on convention websites are for. Otherwise, who the hell is itching to find strangers to play dress up with?

[Anonymous No.6860706]

6.

[Anonymous No.6860737]

>>6860686
I am fully aware that the website will need to be better then the competition. and im completely fine with spending my time and money to make it happen

[Anonymous No.6860742]

>>6860706
thank you!

[Anonymous No.6860977]

[Anonymous No.6861071]

[Anonymous No.6861073]

>>6860223
>>6860050
>>6860143
>>6859902
Is there certain person that can handle that kind of request for a commission?

[Anonymous No.6861090]

>>6860977
I really like this a lot.

[Anonymous No.6861113]

>>6860977
so beyond epic. wow

[Anonymous No.6861131]

>>6860977
>>6861090
>>6861113
Anyone have source on this? I couldn't find anything with reverse image search.

[Anonymous No.6861422]

[Anonymous No.6861455]

>>6860737
Fucker, you can't even type as competently as people on 4chan. I doubt you can build and run a website that is even half as good as the amateur-ish shit that already exists.

[Anonymous No.6861489]

>>6861455
nice projection of your own thoughts

im sorry that some people aim a little higher

[Anonymous No.6861825]

>>6861073
It's possible, but you'd be better to do it yourself. The difficulty of getting it done makes it far more satisfying.

If you have problems with joint articulation and similar, or any problem /cgl/ can't help you with, the armor threads on /tg/ and making a new thread on /diy/ will get you the help you need.

Personally, I'd go with a lightweight shaped plastic of some kind, then just glue down some suitable foil. You could probably find a sticky-backed metal foil in the right color. Then you clearcoat that bitch with car clearcoat, and then scratch and dirty it up as needed for your preferred battle-worn look.

Good luck. Don't be an ultramarine, they're for faggots.

[Anonymous No.6861834]

>>6858975
>>6858964
>>6857459
These are all true, but there are some cosplays where that is much less relevant.

[Anonymous No.6861838]

>>6861825
Not him, but as much as I enjoy making cosplay as a hobby, it CAN get very tedious. Now that I am no longer a poor student and am earning more than three times the average US household income in a job I certainly don't hate, I might as well just commission. I have a comparative advantage at my job and a comparative disadvantage at actually making good cosplay props. Thus, the most rational option is to just commission it, as the time would be more productively spent working.

[Anonymous No.6862068]

>>6861489
Inspiring all sorts of confidence here.

[Anonymous No.6862118]

[Anonymous No.6862259]

>>6861825
Those are horrible method suggestions.

[Anonymous No.6862268]

>>6861073
Listen, it isn't that people CAN'T make metal warhammer armor - it is that it would be stupid to.

My metal-working buddy turned down someone trying to commission Iron Man armor for cons because he knows how unhealthy it'd be to walk around in that stuff.

You'd get fucking heat stroke or something in that kinda thing. It just isn't smart.

[Anonymous No.6862472]

[Anonymous No.6862538]

[Anonymous No.6862819]

[Anonymous No.6862909]

>>6860977
flip flops ruined this for me

[Anonymous No.6862938]

so, about the first post...

[Anonymous No.6863290]

[Anonymous No.6863388]

[Anonymous No.6863555]

[Anonymous No.6863586]

[Anonymous No.6863730]

[Anonymous No.6863807]

[Anonymous No.6864000]

>>6862118

>Orge

But thats an Ork, he's got dakka

[Anonymous No.6864016]

>>6862259
Then do it your own way motherfucker, I am not here to impress you.

[Anonymous No.6864023]

Solutions 5, 6, 7, and 8 exist for the most part. Same with 9, there are plenty of good wig sellers around. And what you basically described there is Arda?
Only one I'd use is solution 4 (reference picture site) but you'd need to dedicate a LOT of time and effort to get things done and it's 10000000% guaranteed that you'll miss tons of characters even if you have a huge team. It'd be impossible to actually be able to pull off. Good idea, though.

[Anonymous No.6864291]

>>6864023
Thank you for the feedback!

For 4, I would start with uploading the most popular cosplay characters first, and I would also make it to where users can submit their own characters + pictures

[Anonymous No.6864346]

[Anonymous No.6864379]

[Anonymous No.6864398]

[Anonymous No.6864455]

[Anonymous No.6864503]

[Anonymous No.6864708]

[Anonymous No.6864726]

[Anonymous No.6864787]

[Anonymous No.6864864]

[Anonymous No.6864888]

>Used costume store where you can both BUY and SELL used costumes
This is essentially the coscom marketplace, it would be great to see a better version of it though

>A site that works like ebay except its only for professional costume commisioners, where they can post any costumes they can make for free as a bid or single price. there will be a ranking system
It's a neat idea, but it doesn't prevent scamming or other issues. It would just make finding a commissioner easier.

> I can't find accurate picture references of my cosplay character
Solution 4: Website which is a database of characters with a wide selection of references, all accurate.
If people can't use google, they probably aren't going to be able to find this site. This is also a HUGE undertaking, there are tons of characters out there to be cosplayed and a variety of references for those characters.

>Problem : I can't find fabrics or materials
Solution 5: Online Store with fabrics, cosplay materials, zippers, buttons, and everything else you need to make a costume
There are a ton of these already, if you can't find fabrics or materials you aren't trying very hard.

> Website that lets you select your body figure, hair style, and other physical features and then matches you up with a character with the same features.
http://www.animecharactersdatabase.com/


>Solution 7: Website that shows all the cosplay event close to your location
http://animecons.com/

>Solution 8: Website where users can make + find cosplay groups in their local area.
http://cosplay.meetup.com/
Most communities have their own facebook groups or forums, large comms might have several groups.

>Online high quality wig shop where the wigs are specially made to be styled easily
There are a lot of these, including arda-wigs

[Anonymous No.6865292]

>>6864888
OP here. thank you so much! im leaning towards solution 3 right now but it would still help to get more opinions

[Anonymous No.6865423]

[Anonymous No.6865488]

[Anonymous No.6865617]

[Anonymous No.6865716]

[Anonymous No.6866049]

[Anonymous No.6866205]

[Anonymous No.6867013]

[Anonymous No.6867021]

>>6865716
>night_elf_druid
I don't think so, Tim

[Anonymous No.6867042]

>>6867013
That looks beyond amazing!

[Anonymous No.6867086]

>>6867042
heres the full pic

[Anonymous No.6867214]

heres the full pic but its blurry

[Anonymous No.6867251]

[Anonymous No.6867272]

[Anonymous No.6867400]

[Anonymous No.6867494]

[Anonymous No.6867518]

[Anonymous No.6867538]

LET IT DIE.