As Halloween approaches, many people look to sell their old costumes and find places to purchase new ones. Cosplayers are no exception to this.
Alycia Wiens has been hosting an event called Cosplay Garage Sale in Edmonton for the past three years. With the success she and her team had, Alycia brought this idea to Calgary this past weekend.
The sale is a place where cosplayers and nerds alike could come and sell their old or unused costumes to others that appreciate the craft and breathe new life into these old pieces.
Wiens says she started these markets as a way to help her friends in the cosplay community as well as other nerds and anime fans to have a place to just be themselves, sharing their love of dressing up with other like minded people.
She also wanted to create a place where the costumes, along with other creations that were made, could be sold or given to people that would care about the artistry and time that went into the craft, rather than letting them go to second hand stores and ending up in landfills.
Many who attended the event were thrilled to be able to meet other like-minded people. Sellers like Jason Whittworth also see value in helping the next generation of cosplayers find a place to cosplay affordably and safely.
“It’s a great way to hand them down to a new generation that wants to get into it and, you know, a better budget for them,” Whittworth said.
Wiens hopes to make this market an annual tradition in Calgary like it is in Edmonton and is planning to hold one again in the spring time before Otafest.
All unwanted pieces are also collected at the end and donated to drama groups in the area, providing the next generation of cosplayers some great pieces at even greater prices.