Cosplaying is sure a fun hobby to have. If you have been cosplaying for a while now, you sure know how much skill is required to get the job done, to create and model your costumes again and again. There must be some way to use your skills and make money out of them. Or should I ask, are you thinking about turning cosplay into a career? That’s even better.
You can earn a handsome amount of money from cosplaying by trading merchandise, making commissioned costumes, or just turning yourself into an online creator. If you are successful to build up enough social media following, you are going in the right direction with cosplaying.
Cosplay is a fun hobby. If you’ve been cosplaying for a while, you know how much skill goes into creating and modeling your costumes. There must be some way to use your talents to make a little money doing something you love. Better yet, maybe you’re thinking of turning cosplay into a career.
The main benefit is, you can earn money by doing the thing you love. With platforms like TikTok and Instagram, things are pretty easy nowadays.
Ko-Fi or Patreon Platforms
These both platforms are crowdfunding platforms that give creatives a place to collect donations (one-time or continuous) to fund their hobby. But you need to keep in mind that these two platforms are vastly different from each other, so it is crucial to note each of their unique benefits.
- Ko-Fi
Ko-Fi is a donation platform that actually doesn’t give any reward of any kind. Cosplayers use this platform for their one-time shot set-up and ask their fans to contribute. Suppose, if you require an extra $50 to buy your/fan’s desired cosplay suit, Ko-Fi might be the platform you are looking for. The typical fee will be deducted since the money is distributed through Paypal.
- Patreon
“Patreon” is a platform where creators offer rewards to their patrons. With the help of this platform, you can offer products and services that your patrons are interested in buying. This can be tutorials, prints, eBooks, or behind-the-scenes material.
Youtube or Twitch
Both of them are video-related platforms that can have high returns. But you need to note that both of these platforms are very difficult to crack up with. You need to have 1000 subscribers to start earning money from your videos on youtube.
On the other hand, Twitch is a live-streaming platform that focuses audiences on video game live streaming, live broadcasting of esports competitions, and music videos. It is more like an opportunity-giving platform for new cosplayers.
Sell Your Own Merchandise
Selling your merchandise comes with many advantages. Typical new cosplayers use mugs, stickers, or even artwork and custom-made designer T-shirts do the trick, But you need to keep in mind that you need to be choosy so that people start liking them and buying them. If you are not doing well on your own, teaming up with a professional online retailer or Professional cosplayer will reduce much of your headaches. Both of them can help you with their in-depth knowledge.
Convention Appearances
Before you head to convention, it’s a major consideration to be costumed with perfect looks, so if you need any cosplay accessories you need them at hand beforehand. In this respect, you can go to Craze Cosplay, which specializes in selling Cosplay Costume products, such as wigs, clothing, shoes, accessories, etc.
Cosplayers find it very hard to convince conventions that their role and presence are worthy of pay. Some of the conventions offer travel and hotel expenses as a way to pay their guests, but
normally cosplayers should be getting paid for their efforts. Professional celebrities are paid thousands of dollars just to appear at conventions, so why not cosplayers? This is so unjust. They are expected to run panels and after-parties, but the only compensation they get is from selling their merchandise.
Make Money Cosplaying with Prints
Prints may be the most popular way to earn money by cosplaying. Most people offer these as rewards ($10 or more) on their Patreon or sell them on Etsy. On your Patreon, if you offer prints as rewards, you need to ensure that your debt-to-income ratio comes alive. Giving physical rewards as prints can be costly, you may want to rethink setting a limit to how many you give away.
Earning Through Selling Old Cosplays
Poshmark and Etsy are both quite efficient and quick-to-sell platforms where you can sell your old cosplay suit, wigs, or props. Many cosplayers use Facebook to sell their old items and cosplays, but this procedure is not safe. If you do wish to sell your items through Facebook, you need to make sure to receive half of the money in advance. Even better if you manage to take the full amount. The buyer may end up disliking the cosplay outfit or change their thought and decide not to give you full payment. Sad thing is, there’s not much you can do about it.