Cosplay - Buyer Beware

Everybody who knows me knows that I love shopping and cosplay. I can't sew for beans (I can fix a ripped seam or a button, but that's about it), so I'm more of a scavenger when it comes to costumes. Several years ago, I came across Cosplay Magic's ebay store, and it made me very suspicious.

They were selling costumes at $20 a pop, but charging $60 to ship from Asia to North America. Then I went to their website and found that they were selling the same costumes for $80, but offering free shipping. Red flag! First of all, it does not cost $60 to ship a simple costume from Asia to North America. $30, maybe. They were trying to make it look like a bargain, when it actually wasn't. I even contacted them to inquire as to why they did it and all they gave me was some bull that didn't actually answer my question.

Here is another example I found on ebay from a different seller:

Take a look at the price of the costume versus shipping. DO NOT TOLERATE THIS! You are being gouged for shipping to make up for the costs of having the outfit look like a bargain. It's not. You can do better if you shop around. Check your local thrift stores for parts that you can assemble and customize. I don't recommend paying full price for costume parts ever, unless you plan to use those individual pieces in your daily life.