The cosplay costumes and wigs market size was valued at USD 35.20 billionin 2022 and is expected to reach USD 80.85 billion by 2028.
What Is Cosplay?
In simple terms, ‘Cosplay is a performance art in which participants dress in costumes and make-up, representing characters from anime, videogames, television, literature, film and comic books. In addition to creating authentic costumes, the cosplayers also act in character and are usually subject matter experts on characters they are role playing’
Famous cosplayers include
1. Yaya Han
2. Stella Chuu
3. Captain Cosplay
4. Jayem Sison
5. Junkers Cosplay
One of the biggest gatherings of cosplayers you will see are at the MCM Comic Con events held in various location around the world.
In this article you will find a list of different ways that you can earn an income from acting out your favourite fictional character/s and potentially earn an income from it.
1. Sell your cosplay outfits
For example, a Predator alien costume on Etsy can sell for up £1,500 or £1,700 for a Storm Trooper outfit on Ebay. So if you are proficient at making costumes or you know how to buy and assemble then on a budget, then flipping them on marketplaces is something you should consider.
2. Sell cosplay merchandise
Just like selling costumes except ‘merchandise’ covers a much wider spectrum of related items. A Kamen Rider helmet alone on Ebay can sell for £260 and a Genshin sword can retail for up to £87 on Amazon
3. Offer your cosplay services
a. This can include- Offering to role play somebody’d favourite fictional character for a specified date and time.
b. Sending photos or videos of yourself dressed as someone’s favourite character.
c. Video calls
d. Making props and accessories of your customer’s favourite cosplay subject
4. Commissioned cosplays
This is when you are hired to make a cosplay costume for someone else because they may not have the time, resources or requisite skills to make their own. What you charge will depend on the complexity and detail the end customer desires
5. Convention appearances
Many conventions offer compensation to cosplayers who participate on panels, workshops or events. This can also include signing photographs and photo opportunities with fans.
6. Social media sponsorships and brand deals
Just like any other influencer category, if you have engaging content and a large enough follower base, this increases your chances of catching the attention of potential sponsors. A brand may want you to feature in a campaign dressed as a certain anime/comic book character, or tag their product in a post for a negotiated price.
7. Affiliate marketing
In short, for every sale you make through your affiliate link, you will earn 5%-15% commission compensation. The link can usually be placed in your social media bio, posts or your website.
I found the below site that you can search for a list of all comic con events that are happening worldwide
