Anyone ever make a purchase from costumebase?

Has anyone made a purchase from costumebase (on ebay)?

What was the quality of the merchandise? Would you recommend buying from them?

I'm looking to get some Sith/Anakin Robe/Tunic/Tabard/Etc.

Any suggestion on where to purchase, quality, reasonably priced gear?

 

is this going to be a costume just for fun, and going to cons and stuff?? Or are you trying to get into the rebel legion or 501st????

If rebel legion or 501st is your goal I would say stay away. Its not good enough for the 501st and I am sure the rebel legion would be just as picky.

But if its just for fun, then go ahead

 

I've had experience with them. Their quality is still lacking a bit, although I hear that it has vastly improved over the years. I can't stress enough of the excellence of their service. They do have great customer service. There is no question. They are a pleasure to deal with - at least it has been my experience, anyway.

Here lies the problem with them. Sizing. Their size charts tend to run small. I ordered the ANH desert Luke costume in the size that I thought would fit me according to their size chart. And let me tell you I was like the "fat man in a little coat". And the other thing is that their belts do kind of look cheesey. It's is that fake leather stuff. Kind of hokey, but could work. The biggest distraction is that they have their logo stamped right onto the belt. Their officer's uniforms, while look ok, really aren't that accurate. Especially if you order the size that you think you are and come to find out that you are a bit wider than what the costume will accomodate. And their Imperial rank badges are complete crap... nowhere near accurate at all.

Sure they are a seemingly good deal. And I suppose it all depends on which specific costume you are looking at getting determines whether you should take advantage or not. The ANH Luke costume is really good quality. A buddy of mine has one that he troops in and it is very much acceptible. But that was a hit in a series of several misses. Don't get me wrong, I really do like the guys. But I don't think that their quality really is of the caliber that 501st, RL and JA members really need them to be.

- Bill

 

It's just for fun really.

I'm always interested in products with an exceptional price/performance ratio. Anyone can spend alot of money and get the best. I think it's more interesting to pay as little as possible and look almost as good as someone who spent 3x+ more.

I have a Vader Rubies Supreme that's been heavily modified. It's been really fun getting it up to snuff, and while you'll often hear people say bad things about the Rubies Vader, it really is a good base costume if you can get it on the cheap, and your willing to paint, modify, and replace the plastic with aluminum.

I can get an Anakin Tunic, Robe and Belt for $150+ shipping, which is about how much I would pay for 1 high end robe. I'd rather have something I can wear and not have to worry about messing it up.

That said, any advice would be appreciated. If you had $200 to spend, where would you get a robe, tunic and belt?

 

Well if it is mostly for fun and you aren't intending to join the 501st, RL or JA with it. THat it is something just to have, then I think it is a wise move to go with your gut on this. Just remember what I said about the sizing.

Honestly, if $200 is all you are willing to spend on a Jedi costume with belt accessories, then perhaps costumebase is the way to go. You could buy all the material yourself and possibly make it with that budget. But if you are doing Anakin as a costume specifically, there aren't any boots out there that are remotely close that won't cost you nearly that much. But if you are just wanting some generic vinyl boots, * www.easterncoastcostumes.com *(or 911costumes.com)has vinyl boots cheap enough that coul pass for Jedi boots. We're talking like less than $39 + S&H.

*Normally I don't mentions sites in an open board, but this is a generic costuming site, a wide myriad of costumes and footwear to choose from. Moderators, if this is not acceptable to mention, please edit appropriately. Thanks!

- Bill

 

Hmmmm....the rule of thumb here about unlicensed costume is that posting name might be okay as long don't post link to their website/address.

Anyway, I live in Singapore so CostumeBase aka Pan-In-The-Box is just a few Train Station away. Personally, I'll say they are reliable when comes to online purchases and I do recommend them for those looking for "quick" costume, not particular about accuracy and got money to spare but not for time.

As for their ware, remember that they are a Cosplay Costume Shop, so may not pay that much attention to details as we do. What they produce next depend in the buyers, current or potential, demands or what is the "hottest" costume/character at the moment. If I remember correctly, their wares are Made In China (or other Asian Country) and they usually go by look when choosing the design to be used or fabrics/material to use for their wares.

For example, Anakin's ROTS Costume Tunic is made from Cotton Drill and they added "Sponge" to the Tabbard & Obi. The pants are pull-up pants (I know the real Obi-Wan's one isn't ) and Robe some kind of Cotton Drill or Cotton "Canvas-like" fabric.

For the the Imperial Officer Uniform, it made from some soft Polyester Suiting Fabric (but the shop owner said they are gonna change it soon) and sadly for certain piece, the back has 2 pieces to it (Top & Botton) as the seamstress want to save material. The Front closes with Velcro which shows on the Right Side (the seamstress sew it right through the 2 layers of fabrics!). Overall, I'll only give it 3 out of 10 but then again, I usually can't wear Ready-Made Costume so tailor or make myself my costumes, hence more particular about accuracy right down to the seams.

The rest, opinions will comes when I get to see them as they don't have all the costumes put up on eBay at their shop due to limited storage space and possible "Imperial Entanglement". Anyway, most of their SW Costumes customers are not local.

As for whether the Costume can be used to enter 501st or RL, I think the Jedi Costumes (Obi-Wan & Anakin) have a good chance as their intended character or random Jedi Character. My friend got in with his tho' he did add on more parts or modify some to be even more accurate. Rest have much lower chance and IMHO, shouldn't be allowed unless extensive modification is done.

Just my 0.02.

 

Darth_Eagle, thanks for the input. Much appreciated.

 

Hi Richt,

I purchased one recently, paid $110 total for a complete Maul costume (cloak, belt, pants, tunic/vest, etc.)--everything but the gloves and boots (which I already have anyhow... at least, ones that will work). As far as I'm concerned, it looks fine, fits nicely, and the sewing is solid. If you're wearing it for fun, it's more than acceptable. Especially if you're not planning on running around in it all but maybe 3 times a year (if that).

I don't know what 501st groups and Rebel legions require for entry... but the way I see it Richt--I agree with you. Paying tons more for a costume just to get the "right" seams or identical material that they used in a movie... is just plain ridiculous. And by the way, if someone WAS trying to go for a "screen accurate" costume... do tell: what shot? Differing materials/costumes were used from one shot to the next. How do I know this? Simple. Blockbuster films are rarely shot in a day. Additionally, they are often shot in many locations (sometimes all about the world). Also, some costumes are made for comfort, some are made for ruggedness, and some are made to be destroyed. So... a "canon" costume is pretty ridiculous, ESPECIALLY for an action-adventure movie. Unless you're talking about the "best" looking costume the actor ever wore for any shot... which, although subjective, would be a step in the right direction toward "canon". Which is essentially what people do. Sort of like "hero" saber props. The ones that looked the purrtiest. Not the props that got bashed and dropped during fight sequences... no no--not those.

But the concept of a "canon" costume to be bought by a fan vs. a basic, and thus "non-sanctioned" costume (or whatever)... is one of $$$$$$. It's pretty simple when you think about it. Costume companies get "in bed" with any given fad-maker (SW, ST, Predator, Harry Potter, whatever), and then groups start making rules about what is "allowed" or not. You cannot have much variety--you *must* stick to the group's rules... but just for ENTRY. This is called a cartel. If you want in to the cartel, you must pay a bunch of fees and adhere to ever-increasing and evermore stringent "entry" rules. If you don't want in to the cartel... you don't get a bunch of benefits that would be otherwise available... since you are essentially--on your own.

Entry into the cartel requires no special skills or previous backgrounds... only $$$$ for the mostpart.

Anyhow. I liked what costume I received just fine. I dare anyone to be able to tell the difference from 10 feet away or more, especially if I was moving around, wielding a saber or doing a back tuck or b-twist or something. But yeah, sure... if someone nailed me to a flippin' cross and did the same with a "canon Maul" dude... the gig would be up... my costume would look more "plain" I suppose. Then again, Maul's costume is all black. What could be more plain than that.

...and I still wouldn't pay more for another costume if someone told me "you'd better go get the 'right' one, you weasel'... hehehhe

 

Bought a black imperial officer uniform from them. The imperial caps aren't that great (rather large and square as opposed to the ones in the movies that were more rounded) and the tunic could use some modifications so that the mandarin style collar does constanly fold under everytime I put it on, but the belt is awesome. Also the seller is really good with combining shipping and I was able to get a good deal.

I wish they had more sizes, I bought an xL, but I'm pretty wide in the shoulders, so I'm thinking of getting an XXL next time. And in the grey color instead.

 

The only gripe I had with the hat was that it was too big and the greeblie didn't look right. But I already had a good greeblie so swapping it out was no big deal.

Graytale.... it is obvious that you aren't up to how the 501st and Rebel Legion operate. They strive for excellence, they strive for the appearance of what is seen on screen. What they do not want is somebody coming in with some cheaply made outfit that looks like it was slapped together using pajamas and bathrobes - not when there are other members who have shelled out a lot of time, money and great effort to look as if they have just stepped out of the big screen.

And this isn't about being elitist. It is about having pride in your craft. There are no fees to pay to join these organizations. These aren't memberships dues organizations like the Boy Scouts, and they certainly aren't forced-fee regulation organizations like Unions.

This is an organization that is bent on community and fellowship with the fanbase of Star Wars. I actually being equated to being affiliated to a "cartel" as offensive. We are a premium costume club for the purpose of charity work. Being part of a premier costuming club implies that one would have a premium-grade costume to befit the role.

Now, nobody is saying that it is wrong to get a cheaper grade costume. I think that if you want something that looks fairly decent and you are happy with it, who am I to speak out against it. Its your money, your life and I respect that.

- Bill

 

Wha-ha-hat!? Where on EARTH are you getting your information!? And which groups are you talking about!? The 501st, Rebel Legion and Jedi Assembly are absolutely FREE to join. The only requirement is that you have a high-quality costume. And I've seen MANY people put together GREAT high-quality costumes for relatively little money. The difference is that they CARE about how the costume looks, and will take the time to make it look screen-accurate or even just GOOD (lots of non-canon costumes exist in all three costume organizations). Acceptance into any of the groups isn't difficult - you just have to look like you CARE about what you're wearing, rather than being looking like an idiot in a bathrobe and galoshes, or like you slapped a bunch of tupperware onto a bodysuit.

Richthofen, if costumebase seems like a good deal, and it meets the requirements you want for a costume, by all means go for it. Whether or not you want to be involved in any of the costuming groups is irrelevant. (And, for some reason, those groups are getting a lot of flack on these boards that they don't deserve. They're made up of great people - a great deal of whom post here in this forum.) It's really about what you WANT. If you'd rather pay for a costume than make one yourself, no one is going to think less of you. Having fun wearing it is what's important. And, hey, if you decide you want to join any of those groups, get a good pic and submit. Why not, right? But don't let that be the basis of whether or not you buy from costumebase. Rather, just listen to the folks who have dealt with them before (which, it seems, you're doing), and ignore all the 501st/Rebel Legion/Jedi Assembly crap.

Just. Have. Fun.

 

I would have to disagree with you on that. If your purpose is for your own enjoyment, then there are no standards. However, if like the RL/501st, you want to be a part of using SW for charity work, then having an accurate costume can be the difference between being a generic Jedi or a face character like Anakin. Since most of us don't look like carbon copies of the characters we portray, having an accurate costume is a very important part of creating the illusion that you are that character. Actors depend on costumes to help them fit into the role and costumers are kinda of like that on a smaller, pro-bono scale.

Again, I beg to differ. Most costumers craft their costumes even if they don't sew the fabric or make the props themselves. A great costume takes a ridiculous amount of hard work and skill on the part of the costumer. I think this would qualify as having a special skill and obviously, experiences factors in, since Rome(and great costumes) were NOT built in a day.

Also your definition of cartel is incorrect. Cartel means 1) A combination of independent business organizations formed to regulate production, pricing, and marketing of goods by the members.
2) An official agreement between governments at war, especially one concerning the exchange of prisoners.
3) A group of parties, factions, or nations united in a common cause; a bloc.

So if you mean the 501st/RL/TJA are the 3rd one, united in doing charity work in SW costumes. Then, I guess we are a cartel of SW fans trying to use SW to do some good in this world. Considering the state of the world today, it really is not a bad thing.

Again, incorrect, I feel. As a costume designer and seamstress, sometimes the way things are cut and sewn are VERY important to how they flow and how they hang. I know a few people that would take your bet because if you have studied the costume, you KNOW it and you can immediately tell when things are not correct. Just because something is black, does not mean it's plain or easy. Black is one of the most difficult colors to dye correctly and should not be underestimated. I have seen people wearing all black have a slight but noticeable color difference from the shirt to the pants.

 

You beat me to it, Becca. Well said.

 

I'll second the well said for Becca.

I did purchase a Jedi costume from Costume Base including a belt with pouches/food clips. Overall they are OK. Once again it's how serious do you want to be and what is your end goal. I wound up selling my Jedi outfit to someone here on the boards and upgraded my belt because I wanted something of a bit higher quality. If you are going to use it for Halloween or Cons, but not join the 501st/RL then his stuff is fine. Otherwise I suggest saving up a bit more money and getting it done by someone who does custom work which is the route I went. I can think of at least three people on Ebay who make high quality costumes for a reasonable rate.

Just my two cents so take it for what it's worth.

 

I had bought a Padme belt and 3 pouch set (with shin guards - they aren't the best) for $20 after shipping last year. I like the belt and the fact that the pouches are full functional.

 

Just my 0.02.

I agree with the standards the 501st, Rebel Legion and Jedi Assembly had set for costumes/armors that qualified to be approved to certain extend (ya, there are some minor things I'm still grumbling about).

Firstly, remember that when we go out in our SW Costume/Armor as a member of 501st, Rebel Legion and Jedi Assembly especially at "Official" Events, we are in a way representing Star Wars and LFL, whether you want it or not. LFL and its associate do also occasionally use 501st, Rebel Legion and Jedi Assembly Costumers for their events so since they can't spare the costumes or armor for that large number (or "unprofessional" Costume Talents), especially in large quantity or still good quality, they depended on the fan providing their own costumes/armors.

So a high standards of accuracy for the Costume/Armor is needed in order to "pleased" the SW Fans who are our biggest critics and reflect well on LFL or its associates or the company/event we're helping to promote. Ya, the public or casual fan may not care about accuracy and stuffs but it will warms their hearts, especially for the kids, to see something that looked exactly like seen in the movie. Personally, I had experiences this many times when the so called "Official" Costume Talents costumes (mostly Rubies or Put Together by some Costume Shop who didn't do proper research) looked like crap next to us Fans' Costumes/Armors. Ya, at some public contest, we "accurate-looking" Costumers may loose out to some "Quicksilver Bathrobe & Ribbons" Emperor Palpatine but still, some times its hard for us to even move a foot forward as people keep asking for photo opportunity with us!

And for us costumers, using a similar, if not same materials as used for the original gave us a sense a fulfilmemt and like rest had said here, make the costume look and flow more "like the original". Using the same material may also give us "Durability" as usually, Costume Department for Blockbusters will use the "best" materials for the costumes in order for them to reflect the "look" they want to potray and to survive the rough treatments they will get during filming and during storage (anyway, it's "easier" to find too such materials! Heard for LOTR, the Costume Department initially just went shopping at Spotlight for cloths!). And you had spent months and even years doing research on a particular costume, you think you will feel a sense of fulfilment wearing a crappy or far from accurate costumes? Some of us may not sew our own costume but we DID "work" for it and try our best to make sure the maker will make the costume to our specifications.

And if you are having that SW Costume for fun, then there no need for you to register with the 501st or Rebel Legion or Jedi Assembly, or care about the kind of standards they have set for Costume/Armor approval. Not everyone with SW Costume or Armor HAVE to register with 501st or Rebel Legion or Jedi Assembly; most of us register in order to have a sense of belonging and have more events to go to in costume/armor. Heck, I bet many members of such groups are "phantom" members or only join group outings once or twice a year as busy with real life.

Just my 0.02

 

AFAIK, the only instance I can ever think of where LFL gave a member of the 501st or RL a costume to wear was in the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade. Excluding the models that were chosen to wear the Padme gowns and the two Jedi on the float, only ONE person from RL or 501st was given an LFL costume, and even then it was a replica. That's it.

 

Ya...I know several people that can tell within 25', even my untrained eyes on the 2 costumes i've studied well can tell the difference....of course, i have OCD about a few things, and costuming (in a former life uniforms/AR670-1) is one of them.

That's why if make all of my stuff off of the same bolt if at all possible, given that i'm a Nihilus costumer, he's all black save for the mask, and saved color variance by using the same bolt for most of the entire costume.

As for costumebase....if it's just for fun...go for it. Even if not, there's a good change (i'd have to see their stuff), that you could possibly modify some of the pieces to upgrade the accuracy.

 

I can't speak for the RL side of things, but on the 501st side all the costumes worn by the 501st were their own costumes, save the Imperial officers who were marching along side the troops. Those were provided to them by LFL... at least the tunics were, that I know of. And they had to be returned.

Also, every 501st and RL member were flown down there, courtesy of LFL. Some of the perks of belonging to a franchise-recognized organization...

- Bill

 

I was there too, though I didn't march. I spent the entire time building the darn floats.

On the RL side, it was only our lovely GentleBant that got to wear the TPM Flame Handmaiden dress provided by LFL because she was having costuming malfunctions with her own. Everyone else was in their own costume.

 

Not all of the "Rebels" marching were Rebel Legion members. Han was not Rebel Legion. LFL cast a wide net for th Rebel call out... as the notice was sent out to TFN Fan Force groups too. I actually heard about the call out through TFN Fan Force before I got the notice from Rebel Legion. Screen accurate costumes can come from many groups, not just the Rebel Legion and 501st (Yay TFN!)

 

And they didn't have to fly in any of the local people from Southern California, either. Seems like they have a lot of people from that area in the Parade. Because I know most of them who were, being a SoCal girl, myself.

 

Well, I think depending on the size of each 501st Garrison or Outpost, LFL flew in from 1-5(?) people from each Country. And that also depend on how well they presented themselves in the "Nomination Video" and how accurate are their Costume/Armor. I know that for Singapore Outpost (now Garrison), 2 of our Troopers, a Stormtrooper and Biker Scout were selected. From our neighbour, Malaysia-Brunei (that is TWO Countries FYI), only 1 Stormtrooper was selected while the Philippines & Japan seems to have 2 Reps each according to the 501st Rose Parade Video.

 

This (among other things that have been pointed out) is completely and utterly wrong. How do I know this? Making multiples is something I've done on many occasions. I am a professional costume technician and wardrobe consultant for film and theatre. Regardless of what treatments a costume may recieve for its end look, each copy of a single costume is made out of the same materials and is made in the same manner. It doesn't matter if one version is for a 2nd unit body double, one version is torn to shreds or burned, or one version is completely pristine; they all start out the same way. Why? It's one of the biggest words in film costuming: Continuity. Different fabrics react differently to different things (surprising? no). Cotton and silk for example, look different, take dye differently, react differently to environmental stresses, need to be treated differently, and are all in all, not the same. And they're both natural fibers.

This is true, but doesn't actually have relevance to your point.

But amazingly enough, costumes are not cemented into the ground, and can travel with a shoot. How do I know this? I'm currently on location in Los Angeles for a shoot that just got back from shooting in Washington DC, Miami, and New Orleans. We used the same costumes in every location. In fact, I just finished working a 13 1/2 hour night shoot, which is why this post sounds snarkier than normal.

Some costumes are made for these things. However, this is a design choice, and does not vary from costume to costume that you see on the shoot. Again, continuity. If a costume is especially delicate, but has to go through alot of crap, there will simply be more versions of that costume to maintain continuity when one is destroyed.

Not at all. The only time you might see slight variations in a costume is when vintage pieces are used, and exact duplicates are impossible. This doesn't happen all that often, but I'm not discounting the occurances. In fact, even with all of the vintage pieces used in the new Star Wars trilogy, the only vintage discrepancy I can think of off of the top of my head is a slight bead variance between the embroidered front panel of the AotC Packing Gown.

 

I agree with you completely Xath. Further proof can be seen on the "Costumes" section on the ROTS DVD documentary, Within A Minute.