The Business in Bloom: Growing Sales for the Season Ahead
So Hot: Tips for Selling Adult Costumes NCA Welcomes New Members
March/April 2022
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CONTENTS 14
features 14 Business In Bloom How to grow sales for the season ahead By Kathleen Furore
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18 So Hot! 6 Tips for selling adult costumes departments 6
In the Industry — New Members, New Opportunities
24 Snapshot — Taylor Maid Beauty and Theatrical Supply 26 Product Parade 28 My Favorite Costume
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March/April 2022
N C A A D M I N I S T R AT I O N BOARD OF DIRECTORS President
Director
Immediate Past President
Director
Pam Markel Illusive Skull Costume Castle 1314 Morgantown Ave. Fairmont, WV 26554 info@illusiveskull.com 304-476-7927
Marion Bradley Discount Costumes 1736 Watson Blvd Warner Robins, GA 31093 balloonsnpartiesinfo@ gmail.com 478-396-1204
Vice President
Courtland Hickey Chicago Costume 1120 W. Fullerton Ave. Chicago, IL 60614 courtland@chicagocostume. com 773-528-1264 Dwayne Ibsen Ibsen Costume Gallery 4981 Hamilton St. Omaha, NE 68132 402-556-1400 Fax 402-556-5727 ibsencostumes@ gmail.com
Director
Janine Caufield Caufield’s 1006 West Main St. Louisville, KY 40202 Janine@caufields.com 502-727-5682
Treasurer
Louella Torrence Drop Me a Line Costume Shop 3600 Catherine Ave. Allentown, PA 18103 dropmealine@rcn.com 610-360-5498
Director
Brandon Lilly The Life of the Party 4025 S. Mason St., Ste B. Fort Collins, CO 80525 brandon.lilly@goodsforgeeks. com 970-414-0857
Director
Terry Sinopoli Arlene’s Costumes 1156 Culver Rd. Rochester, NY 14609 terry@arlenescostumes.com 585-662-9942
Gene Flaharty Mehron 100 Red Schoolhouse Road Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977 845-426-1700 Fax 845-426-1515 gflaharty@mehron.com
Like the NCA on Facebook! Go to www.costumers.org and look for the Facebook link at the bottom of the page! March/April 2022
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2022 STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Buyer Member Benefits: Courtland Hickey, Chicago Costume Vendor Benefits: Terry Sinopoli, Arlene’s Costumes Membership Recruitment: Brandon Lilly, The Life of the Party Revenue: Louella Torrence, retired Publications and Publicity: Janine Caufield, Caufield’s Nominations and Awards: Marion Bradley, Discount Costume Bereavement, Disaster and Grievance: Janine Caufield, Caufield’s Policy & Procedures: Gene Flaherty, Mehron History: Dwayne Ibsen, Ibsen Costume Gallery and Louella Torrence, retired
FROM THE VAULTS of the NCA Editor’s note: In anticipation of NCA’s 100th birthday in 2023, we are reprinting interesting historical articles. The following article by C. Arthur Landes, owner of Landes Costumes in Indianapolis and an NCA founder, was published as part of an early version of the NCA’s policies and procedures hand book. The National Costumers Association of the U.S, Canada, England and Ireland came into being through the dream of one of its founders, Samuel H. Harrelson of Kansas City, Missouri, affectionately known as “Major” Harrelson. He traveled the country selling “Cowboy and Indian” costumes that he manufactured. When he let it be known that he too was a costumer, he was appalled at the reception given him in many costume shops. Many of the owners had the idea that a visiting costumer was there for the purpose of stealing designs, ideas and business methods. This attitude worried the Major. He had the vision to realize that the only way the industry could better itself was through the exchange of the ideas, methods and designs. After discussing the problem with those costumers who would listen to him, he planted the idea of establishing an association. The purpose of the group would be to exchange methods, designs, and any information that would be of benefit to the industry. Seven men joined him at the first organizational meeting at the Washington Hotel in Indianapolis, including C. Arthur Landes. After three days of discussing the possibilities of such an organization having a chance to prosper, they adopted a Constitution and a Set of Bylaws. On August 24, 1923 all eight men signed this Constitution and Bylaws and the National Costumers Association began its existence. In the first years the NCA grew quickly, far surpassing expectations. Early conventions were in Chicago, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Kansas City, New York, Detroit, and Washington D.C.
PRESIDENT ’S LETTER Presidential Greetings from Fairmont, West Virginia
Winter is gone and spring has arrived. My winter has been mild, but I won’t miss the small amount of snow/ice storms we had or the cold. When I think of spring, I think of new beginnings. Fresh cut buds bloom, animals awaken, and the earth seems to come to life again. We are drawn outside to the warmth and light of a new day. Let’s apply that to our stores. Spring is a time to freshen up our stores, making them more inviting for potential new customers and existing ones. It is a time to “spring clean” and brighten things up. Spring cleaning recalls four things to me: 1. Rearrange! Move merchandise around if possible. Put items in different places throughout the store. Customers will think you have new stock. 2. Capitalize on the wonderful features of your stores: big windows, existing displays, counter areas, etc. Make customers look up, around and down. Substitute dull for colorful and bright. 3. Appeal to your customer’s five senses. Think about adding a pleasant air freshener, playing music, and improving your lighting. 4. Clean, clean and clean. Get rid of the dirt and dust of winter. Repackage retail costumes that might need a new lift. Dust the tops of those displays and racks that are high up, and straighten up your merchandise in the cases. 5. Repair those areas of your store that are showing wear and tear. Sometimes just a new coat of paint in certain areas is refreshing. 6. Spring clean your employees: educate them about new products you have ordered, remind them of your expectations for them as employees and compliment them on a job well done. Remember we all need to look at our store’s appearance inside and out, from a customer’s viewpoint. Then make changes as necessary. On another note, I wanted to let you know some of the new items your board of directors are planning. We are all working hard to expand your member benefits and help you get the most out of your membership. More webinars are being planned with some super exciting topics. Stay tuned. We are in the process of adding some new links to the plot service for those of you who do theatre. Measurement sheets, measurement instructions, and an example of a rental contract will all be added. In the future we hope to also add makeup plots for some of the musicals that are heavy in that department. If you know of any new shows becoming available, please email Gene Flaherty at gflaharty@ mehron.com. Most exciting of all, we have expanded our circulation of The Costumer magazine to more than 1,000 readers. It was decided to send the magazine to members as well as potential members around the United States in the hopes of bringing in more members. Ed Avis and Kathy Furore work so hard planning and executing great informational articles for us to enjoy. Well friends, in closing, I want you to start thinking about the National Costumers Association’s 100th Birthday. Believe it or not we are turning 100 years old in 2023. We are planning a big celebration to honor its birthday. Details will be forthcoming in your e-contacts and future magazines. Stay safe, work hard, and don’t forget to smile. Respectfully, Pam Markel, President National Costumers Association Illusive Skull Costume Castle, Fairmount, West Virginia March/April 2022
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NCA National Headquarters Ed Avis Executive Director P.O. Box 13347 Chicago, IL 60613 708-218-7755 pub@costumers.org
The Costumer Publications Office Ed Avis Associates P.O. Box 13347 Chicago, IL 60613 708-218-7755 pub@costumers.org Ad Sales Ed Avis 708-218-7755 pub@costumers.org Editorial Inquiries Kathleen Furore 708-267-0023 kfurore@yahoo.com Art Director Michelle Crisanti michelle@mc2chicago.com ©2022, National Costumers Association. The Costumer is published by the National Costumers Association, Inc., with headquarters located at the above address, a nonprofit and incorporated association of costumers located in the United States, Australia, Bahamas, Canada, India, Ireland, Mexico, and Great Britain. No responsibility is assumed for the opinions expressed or claims made by the authors of articles or by advertisers. Appearance in the magazine does not constitute endorsement by the National Costumers Association, nor its officers or representatives.
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in the industry Beat the Big Box Stores with New Exclusives Program
Are you looking for a way to beat the competition from “big box” stores, Halloween pop-ups, and low-price internet sellers? The NCA has a solution: Our new Exclusives program, which has launched with three exclusive masks from Zagone Studios.
Here’s how the program works: Zagone Studios has created three masks that ONLY are available to NCA members. When you put these in your store, you can be assured that no non-NCA member stores will have them. And Zagone Studios has filmed videos and made other web-ready promotions for them so you can easily post them on your site or thirdparty sites. See details of the masks — Sick-O Clown, Silver Go-Rilla, and Grand Dad — in the Product Parade that begins on page 26.
Our Survey Proves It: NCA Members Buy a Lot
NCA members play a huge role in the costume industry, based on a February survey of their buying habits. Answers to the question, “Approximately how much money do you spend on new inventory each year?” ranged widely, from below $10,000 to nearly $1 million, but the average was about $150,000. If that figure is extrapolated to the entire NCA membership, the organization’s members as a whole spend nearly $15 million a year! Another question asked members to rank factors that go into their decision to purchase products. Not surprisingly, quality came out on top. That was followed by, “The product will be unique in my store (in my community),” which speaks to the sentiment among NCA members that they need to sell interesting products that are not easily found at the more general retailers in their community. The availability of discounts for NCA members and the in-stock status of the products also were ranked as very important by members. March/April 2022
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Morris Adds Jazwares, Halco
Morris Costumes has enjoyed a growth spurt over the past six months. The company, which makes its own décor items and distributes other manufacturers’ costumes to retailers, is now handling distribution for Jazwares and has acquired Halco. Jazwares is a significant addition to Morris’ distribution line because the company has the license for Marvel costumes, including Captain America, Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk and Iron Man. Jazwares also has a Star Wars line. “We’re excited about the Jazwares line,” says Scott Morris, president of Morris Costumes. “It’s a quality line and we think it will be well received by the consumer.” In the case of Halco, Morris Costumes made an outright acquisition. The company, best known for its Santa suits, had been run by Terri Greenberg and was owned by her family for 70 years. Greenberg is staying on as a consultant to ensure a smooth transition. All of the company’s operations have moved to Morris’ location in North Carolina. “We are happy about bringing Halco into the Morris family,” Scott says. “They have fantastic family values and a deep concern for product quality and delivery. The product will continue to be made in the same manner and with the same quality as always. It’s second to none.” Morris Costumes itself was sold to Oriental Trading Co. in March 2021.
Planning Underway for NCA’s Centennial Celebration
The NCA is going to be 100 years old in 2023. And when something reaches the ripe old age of 100, you should throw a party — and it is a party we want to throw! We want everyone to come — current members, retired members, and prospective members. It will be a weekend of reuniting with old friends and meeting the new members who are continuing the NCA legacy. And don’t forget the BIG cake! And a lot more! So, 2023 will a big year for the NCA — plan to be part of it. Stay tuned for details.
History of NCA Being Written
A lot has happened in the NCA’s first 100 years! We are working on the history of the NCA. If you have any stories that are interesting, funny, strange, or helpful about the NCA, we would love to hear them and include them in the history. We’ll also publish stories in upcoming issues of The Costumer magazine and NCA Today e-newsletter. Please send your stories to Louella Torrence at dropmealine@rcn.com. We can’t wait to hear them!
Dwayne Ibsen Wins Lifetime Award
Dwayne Ibsen’s list of accomplishments reads like a Who’s Who of the costume industry: 18 years as a theater teacher and director; Director of move than 400 theater productions; Designer, creator and builder of thousands of costumes in more than 40 states; Former National Costumers Association (NCA) president; Winner of more than 18 category awards; Winner or runner up of five coveted Grand International Awards. So it was no surprise when Ibsen, who founded Ibsen Costume Gallery in 1981, was honored in February with the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Performing Arts category
during a virtual presentation of the 16th annual Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards (OEAA). “I am honored a little bit overwhelmed to have been selected for this honor,” Ibsen said when accepting the award. He went on to thank myriad individuals “who have taken me to the place I am today,” and credited his mother for his love of all things theatrical. “My mother decided I was going to become a performer,” he recalled. “It was my parents who started this whole thing!” Costumers who have interacted with Ibsen throughout his lifetime in the costuming industry acknowledge how welldeserved the honor is. “Dwayne is simply a creative force, incredibly talented and a truly dear friend of 30 years, says former NCA member Jim Miller. “His creativity and talent aside, he is wise, kind, wicked smart, a great colleague, life advisor and always there to listen. From our first meeting, he opened his mind, his business and offered advice without hesitation. I simply say, my heartfelt bravo and well-deserved congratulations!”
Spring Fling Planned for May
Would you like to spend time with fellow costumers? Then plan on attending the NCA’s Spring Fling on May 5 - 8 at the Dutch Host Inn in Sugarcreek, Ohio. This is an informal annual event organized by members. For more information, contact Pam Markel at 304-476-7927 or Louella Torrence 610-360-5498.
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in the industry Seen a War Movie Lately?
You Probably Have Seen the Work of NCA Member Eastern Costume By Ed Avis
When it comes to uniforms in quality movies or TV shows, there’s no such thing as “kind of ” right. Uniforms are either right or wrong. That understanding has driven the success of new NCA member Eastern Costume. “We are known as the place that does it correctly,” explains Nick Edler, general manager/ procurement for Eastern Costume in North Hollywood, California, a company that provides costumes that are used in movies, TV shows, music videos and other productions. “With military uniforms, there is always a right answer, and the networks and movie houses trust that we will get it right.” Eastern Costume traces its success in uniforms to its founder, James Livie. Livie is a Marine Corps veteran who was giving flying lessons in the late 1980s when his in-laws introduced him to costuming. He liked the business aspects of costuming and identified a niche in uniforms. He launched the business in Florida — hence the name Eastern Costume — but soon moved it to Los Angeles to be near the movie industry.
A Varied Apparel Lineup
Today the company is about evenly divided between uniforms such as military, police and FedEx — and civilian clothing. The company carries uniforms from World War I to the present day and civilian clothing from the 1930s to the early 2000s. The civilian clothing is also used in movies and TV shows, which is why their collection does not include current-day clothing — wardrobers can just buy modern clothing at a clothing store. “We do mostly period stuff on the civilian side,” Edler says. “It ranges from casual to business to sportswear to more formal wear. And within those categories it’s based on style, such as hippy stuff.” March/April 2022
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The civilian costuming business is growing in importance for the company, but they’re still known for the military side. “Jim spent a lot of years watching TV and the movies and saying, ‘I was in the military — that’s not what they wore…that’s not what you would wear in the dessert, you wouldn’t wear the patches that way,” Edler says. “Our main goal is to portray the military accurately.” The company does not limit itself to American uniforms. For example, in 2019 the production company working on a movie about the conflict in Afghanistan ordered several Afghan honor guard dress uniforms. The real thing was not available, so Eastern Costume bought Swiss army honor guard uniforms and tailored them to match the Afghan uniforms. “We get creative when we have to,” Edler says. “We’ll go that extra mile to make a uniform work.”
Sourcing Inventory
Edler says the company finds its uniforms from many sources. It helps that Livie is a veteran and has developed relationships with many vendors who can supply up-to-date military uniforms, he adds. The military frequently changes uniforms, so it’s essential for Eastern to stay on top of current wear. They also have a variety of sources for their civilian clothing collection. “We get approached to buy a lot of things,” Edler says. “Sometimes if a vintage store goes out of business we’ll buy the inventory, and we get a lot of walk-ins. Recently a family came in whose mother had passed away and they wanted to see her wardrobe go to a good use. We also buy a lot of costumes from shows so that they don’t have to house the assets.” And that leads to another part of Eastern’s business: In addition to providing the costumes, they offer production space where TV and movie companies can conveniently set up shop
and develop their wardrobe without the usual back-and-forth between a costume supplier and production house. Eastern provides the “cages” where productions can store their wardrobe and stage the costumes for the filming, and fitting rooms where the actors can try on the costumes. “They can do everything short of the actual filming right here,” Edler says, adding that earlier this year they doubled the amount of space available for production. Do famous actors sometimes come in for fittings? “Yeah, but we’re not one to kiss and tell,” Edler laughs. Eastern Costume employs 15 people, including many veterans. They have one full-time tailor and a handful of other costumers who can help as needed. Everyone wears multiple hats, says Edler, who joined the company 8 years ago after a dozen years playing drums in a band in Nashville. Business at Eastern Costume has grown considerably in the years Edler has been there, he says. “I think 20 or 30 years ago a lot of costume houses were doing the majority of costuming for one large feature and a few TV shows, but now the designers are spreading the work out among different costume houses,” Edler says. “And with all the streaming services you have a lot more content. There’s just a lot more quantity than there used to be. I would say the output has quadrupled since I’ve been here.” Edler says he’s looking forward to becoming part of the NCA family. “I’m a big believer in community and being a part of it, and I want to help build it. It’s an arts-based community we are working in, and we all should be proud of what we’re doing.”
NCA is growing! In addition to Eastern Costume in Hollywood, in the past three months we have been pleased to welcome these new or rejoined members: Abracadabra, New York City Balloons Etc. and the Costume Emporium, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Costume Corner Shop, Rowlett, Texas DLP Unlimited, Sandy, Utah Fantasty Costumes, Chicago Floretta’s, Atlanta The Junkman’s Daughter, Atlanta Les Folleries Fleuries, Granby, Quebec Make Believe Costumes & Dancewear, Jacksonville, Florida Milwaukee T-Shirt Vendors, Milwaukee Perfect Enterprise Product Distributors, Hallandale Beach, Florida Solstice, Nevada City, California costumers.org
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in the industry NCA Welcomes New Vendor Members
We’re pleased to announce the addition of several companies to our growing list of vendor members. Make sure to support these companies when buying inventory for your stores.
Manic Panic: Rooted in Punk
Tish (left) anf Snooky Bellomo
The NCA has many fantastic vendor members with interesting back stories, but few can match the origin tale of Manic Panic. This New York-based company, which sells a line of hair color in three styles and 60 colors, is led by sisters Tish and Snooky Bellomo, who launched it while immersed in the ‘70s-era New York punk rock scene. The sisters were singing and dancing in the off-Broadway show The Palm Casino Review when they met Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, co-founders of the punk and new wave band Blondie. “They came back-stage after the show and asked us if we’d like to come to their rehearsal,” Tish says. “And so, a couple of days later we went to the rehearsal, and then we were in the band.” The sisters were back-up singers in Blondie for about a year. The group briefly disbanded after some key performers left, and when Harry and Stein restarted the group, the new version did not require back-up singers. March/April 2022
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By then, Tish and Snooky had another gig going: They had realized that the “look” of the punk scene, which they were masters of, fascinated a lot of people, so they opened a retail store, Manic Panic, to sell hair color, clothing and other punkrelated merchandise. “We just figured it out as we went along,” Snooky says. “It was the first punk store in America.” Eventually word spread about the quality and variety of the store’s hair dyes, and by about 1980 they were wholesaling those products to other retailers. A turning point came in 1994. “Our supplier of the hair dyes started selling to our customers behind our backs even though we were supposed to be the exclusive distributor, and they weren’t able to ship to us in a timely fashion anymore,” Snooky remembers. “So, we found the person who originally made the formula for the dyes and he created a new set of them to our own specifications.” From that point on the sisters had complete control of their product. Today, they sell dye in multiple formats, including semi-permanent dye, temporary spray dye, and “Dye Hard,” which is combination of temporary dye and hair gel. The sisters are excited to be NCA Vendor Members: “We’re independently owned and operated and have been for the last 44 years,” Snooky says. “We love the idea of mom and pop stores — that’s our roots, that’s where we came from. We love independent stores.”
Mustaches: The Hairy Truth — Mustaches and Beards Add to Your Bottom Line
What do kings, Santas, hippies and cowboys all have in common? They’re all known for facial hair. Beards and mustaches are essential components of countless costumes, which means they could potentially add to your bottom line. And Mustaches, based in Lithuania, has everything you need to create or expand your store’s fake facial hair department. “We have 1,500 SKUs of fake facial hair, probably any mustache or beard you can imagine,” says owner Tomas Siuipys. Siuipys’ business began 25 years ago selling balloons. The company expanded to other party- and costume-related items, and eventually had 12 retail locations across Lithuania. That business was successful, but Siuipys started noticing that many
Blinky Products: Accessories Boost Add-On Sales
customers wanted quality beards and mustaches — and the company didn’t have much to offer. Since the factory in Lithuania already existed, the company designed some beards and mustaches, added them to the line, and exhibited the facial hair at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Germany. Sales took off — a fact Siuipys attributes to the decision to focus on quality. “Our beards and mustaches are handmade and very thoroughly combed,” he says. “And they’re very clean. They’re not itchy when you put them on your face. Another thing that distinguishes us from lower-quality products is that we use 3M surgical tape to stick them on. That tape is anti-allergic and it sticks very well.” Today, Mustache’s product line includes all the standard hair colors, ranging from ginger to black to salt-and-pepper. Rainbow colored beards are popular at pride events, and national flag colors are great for patriots. Siuipys says his best seller is the classic walrus mustache. The products ship directly from the Mustaches’ factory in Lithuania, which Siuipys assures is not a problem. Because the products are very light and small, even a large order fits in a small package that arrives in the United States in just four to six working days. Perhaps best of all is the discount Siuipys offers: NCA members get 30 percent off the wholesale cost, and the minimum order is just $300.
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When you imagine customers in your store shopping for Halloween, you probably envision them buying costumes. But the trick-or-treating experience these days goes beyond dressup. You also should think about selling pumpkin-shaped candy holders, cauldrons for candy and décor, and assorted other addons — all available from Blinky Products. The company, which joined the NCA in January, has been making plastic goods in their Massachusetts factory since the early 1970s. “The company was founded by an elderly couple, the Wilbers, because they were worried about the safety of trick-ortreaters,” says owner Pat Magnus. “They came up with a handheld pumpkin with a blinking light inside it and said, ‘Let’s call this a “Blinky,”’ and that’s how they came up with the name.” Today Blinky Products is known for more than the original Blinky. The company makes plastic cauldrons in six sizes, a Santa boot that is used as a gift basket or poinsettia planter, and a line of products for spring and summer, including pails and shovels for the beach. “We never require a minimum order because a smaller store may not have as much floor space as a larger store does, and we don’t think they should be penalized because they can’t meet a minimum order requirement,” Magnus says. Blinky’s current success is largely due to Pat Magnus’ mother, Patricia Magnus. The Wilbers had grown the company over a couple of years and had regular orders from retailers — then Mr. Wilber passed away. His widow did not want to run the company alone, so she contacted Regis Magnus, Pat’s father, who owned a plastic supply distribution company. Regis presented the opportunity to his wife, Patricia, and she jumped at it.
“My mother bought the company in 1975 and rented a garage to start filling the orders,” Magnus remembers. They made the Blinkys themselves using a plastic blow molding machine in that garage. Within three years they had outgrown the space and purchased an old printing shop as their new factory. Regis Magnus’ plastics company — Plastic Distribution Corp. (PDC) — was located next door, so they had a ready supply of raw materials. Pat Magnus was just a kid then and loved that his mother owned a company making such fun things. “I would bring garbage bags full of Blinkys into my classroom and hand them out to the kids,” he recalls. When he turned 12, he became an employee, first painting faces on the pumpkins, and later working the blow molding machines or grinding up rejected products so they could reuse the plastic. In 2003, he hit the road as a salesman for the company. In 2010, his parents retired and he took over the business. “Once NCA members get to know me, I think they’ll like my service and my company,” Magnus says. “We’re a familyowned business just like them, and we love working with other independent companies.” Ed Avis is the publisher of The Costumer.
Other New Vendor Members In addition to Manic Panic, Blinky Products and Mustaches, the NCA is pleased to announce that the following companies have joined or rejoined the NCA as Vendor Members in the past six months:
Aeromax aeromaxtoys.com 877-776-2291
Goods for Geeks www.goodsforgeeks.com 970-414-0857
Appliques with Glitz www.appliqueswithglitz. com 888-344-5480
Loftus loftus.com 800-453-4879
Duval LLC (Visual Effects) www.visualeffectsind.com 718-324-0011
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Sassy Royals Hats www.sassyroyals.com 337-540-3098
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Business in Bloom
By Kathleen Furore
How to grow sales for the season ahead The Santa suits, New Year’s Eve décor, St. Patrick’s Day leprechauns and shamrocks, and Easter Bunny costumes have been put away...and Halloween is a distant thought, at least to customers ready to embrace the warm, more leisurely pace of life summertime brings. But what does that mean for your business, which likely relies on those big holidays for a big portion of sales? While summer might not have the same costuming cachet as winter and spring as far as holidays are concerned, there are plenty of opportunities to keep business in bloom. And with the Summer of 2022 the first summer that communities will be fully opened since Covid rendered summer celebrations practically non-existent, it is sure to be one your customers will be embracing!
otic pets) that revelers can pick up for their Memorial Day and 4th of July parades and other celebrations.
Pride Parties and Parades. June is Pride
Month — what better time to showcase rainbow flags, banners, balloons and attire than during this monthlong celebration?
Graduations. June is a big month for graduation
Patriotic Celebrations. Red, white and blue are the colors of summer. Make sure you’re stocked with flags, picnic supplies, accessories and costumes (Uncle Sam, Betsy Ross, and even costumes for patri-
parties! And lately, those celebrations include not only celebrations for high school and college grads, but for preschool, elementary and middle school students, too. Contact local schools to find out if they need décor for their commencement exercises. And be sure to stock merchandise dated with the graduation year — Class of 2022 glasses and cups, for example — which is what Caufield’s in Louisville, Kentucky does, according to Owner Janine Caufield. Graduation banners and balloons also are great ideas (think about offering personalized options, too). costumers.org
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concert,” she says. “And we sell anime wigs and accessories, villains and hero costumes and accessories for cons.” Renaissance festivals also provide a business-building opportunity, she adds.
@smile 19/123er.com
Kids’ Camps.
Festivals, Concerts and Fan Cons. Tracking
Every community has them — so why not make your business part of them? Check with your local park district and area schools to see what they’re offering. Theater camp? Make sure organizers know you can provide full costumes, accessories and props. Art camp? Consider offering a “learn to face paint” session for camp counselors, with discounts on paints for participating organizations. Day camp for little kids? Ask about setting up a face painting and/or temporary tattoo table one day on-site. And whatever approach you take to summer selling, don’t forget the important role promotions play in building business. “We have done discounts on holidays, or if there is a Friday 13th in any month, we have done a 13 percent off in-store only coupon. We have done a Halloween in July sale, and this year we are trying to plan a runway costume sneak peak of new and exciting costumes and wigs,” says Caufield, who notes that the new item show might not happen because of supply chain challenges.
what’s on tap in her community is the approach Caufield takes to keep customers coming all summer long. It’s one all shops should take to make sure they don’t miss any opportunity for add-on sales.
“We search to see who’s coming to town, what is at our local libraries — for example, a Harry Potter event at the library... Elton John is coming to Louisville, so we will stock up on costumes and accessories for customers to wear to the concert.” —Janine Caufield, Caufield’s
“We search to see who’s coming to town, what is at our local libraries — for example, a Harry Potter event at the library,” Caufield says. Other opportunities this savvy business owner will tap: “Elton John is coming to Louisville, so we will stock up on costumes and accessories for customers to wear to the March/April 2022
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Caufield also says the shop is revamping one of its rooms with new displays, which offers yet another chance to promote the business. “We can announce, ‘Caufield’s is getting a makeover!’ and post new items as they come in,” she explains. “We have picked up new vendors we have never purchased from and are trying new items that we think that would sell all year not just on a season. I think you have to get your name out into the community and get involved.” Kathleen Furore is the editor of The Costumer.
Category Report SO HOT! 6 Tips for Selling “Adult” Costumes and Accessories
By Ed Avis
Kids getting ready for trick-or-treating or Halloween parades are of course a giant market for your costume shop, but let’s be honest — adults buy a lot of costumes, too. And in many cases, they want their costume to be flattering or downright sexy. And for some costume businesses, the sale of sensual wear goes beyond costumes and includes lingerie, corsets, and such. Adult costumes can add significantly to your bottom line, but you have to stock the right costumes, display them well, and let customers know you have them. Whether you inventory adult-themed costumes and accessories already, or have decided you want to start, the following tips can get you started on the road to boosting your adult costume sales:
#1 Remember that “sexy” means different things to different people.
Gorgeous models dressed in skimpy cheerleader outfits might be the cliché image of adult costumes, but not everybody wants that look or can pull it off successfully. To truly serve the Apollo and Venus from Dreamgirl adult sensual costume market, consider stocking a wide range of flattering wear. For example, Make Believe Costumes & Dancewear in St. Augustine, Florida sells a lot of hippy outfits to customers who want to look good without being overtly sexy, says Julie Gump, the store’s owner. Other costumes in that category, depending on how tight or skimpy they are, could be uniforms, Egyptian clothing, and pirate outfits. March/April 2022
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#2 Match your “raunchiness” level to your community.
Adult costumes — and lingerie, if you extend your adult line to that level — exist on a spectrum of sexiness. If you serve a customer base that is comfortable with a high level of sensuality, you will probably sell a lot of costumes and clothing on the top of that spectrum. But if you are concerned about offending community members by being too daring, you should probably avoid the overtly trashy outfits and those that might push the envelope of propriety. “We don’t sell the sexy Girl Scout stuff or the schoolgirl uniforms,” Gump says. “I’ve never carried those little trashy things.”
#3 Make a tasteful display.
When Illusive Skull Costume Castle in Fairmont, West Virginia decided to expand their line of corsets, bustiers, garter belts and sexy stockings, they created an area called the “Baby Got Curves Boutique” based around a beautiful old oak display case. “We filled the case with corsets by sizes and on the wall behind it we hung specific corsets, such as for Valentine’s Day, and tons of stockings,” says Pam Markel, the store’s co-owner. “And we decorated the top of the counter with small decorative suitcases, like you were going away for the weekend. We also had vases of flowers and old perfume bottles.” Markel says they completed the classy look with pink chiffon draped around the space. At Make Believe Costumes, Gump says she uses her store’s mannequins to exhibit some of the adult costumes. She even
Starline Costume’s Plus Size Cruel Madam
Illusive Skull’s “Baby Got Curves” Boutique
has one “large busted” mannequin that shows off the potential of certain wear, though she says regular mannequins work just as well.
#4 Stock plus sizes
People come in all sizes, and they all want to be flattered when wearing adult costumes. That means you should be stocking plenty of plus-size adult costumes.
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“All women want to look good at Halloween,” says Dani Fitzgerald, CEO of Starline, which has a line of sexy costumes that go up to 5X. “They want to look cute or sexy, and they deserve that. Our plus-size costumes give them that opportunity.” Fitzgerald says her company’s sales of plus-size costumes have more than doubled in the past year, testimony to the importance of stocking them in your store. Fitzgerald adds that plus-size costumes don’t need to look any less attractive than regular size costumes. “We found that redesign is not necessary in most cases,” she says. “For example, our bodysuits in the plus sizes are still form fitting and highlight a woman’s curves. Keeping our regular styling in the larger sizes has been very successful for us.”
ing men’s costumes include rock star, caveman, construction worker, Hugh Hefner, astronaut and police officer. If your store serves the LGBTQ community, the range of sensual men’s costumes greatly expands. Another option when stocking your adult section is to include costumes that come in pairs. Examples include Egyptian King and Cleopatra; cowboy and barmaid; Hugh Hefner and Playboy Bunny; Batman and Catwoman; and pirate and wench.
#6 Don’t forget to include your adult line in your marketing.
And make sure to include the fact that you carry plus sizes and men’s costumes. Customers might assume you specialize in kids’ costumes, since that’s what first comes to mind when Julie Gump features more “modest” costumes at Make most people think of a costume shop. Believe Costumes & Dancewear By showing off some adult wear in #5 Don’t forget the men your social media posts, on your website and as part of other The focus of adult costumes is often women, but men want promotions, you might discover a new category of customers to look attractive, too. “For guys, King of Egypt, hippy, disco altogether. and definitely pirate stuff sells well,” Gump says. Other flatter-
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Business Basics Be Welcoming: Tips on Serving the Drag Community
By Ed Avis
Serving the drag community is part of the mission of many costume businesses. Costumers who succeed with the drag community share some key characteristics: They demonstrate an understanding of the culture; they offer products that help those customers express their personas; and they provide training to those exploring the culture. “The drag market is pretty big for us,” says Kathy Sprague, co-owner of NCA Member Safari Pearl in Moscow, Idaho. In addition to offering products and education to people interested in drag, Sprague produces the drag troupe the TabiKat Toms. “With COVID declining, live drag events have bounced back with a vengeance. This month we’re going to two different college campuses in our region and doing a Drag 101 makeup clinic.”
What is Drag?
Drag refers to dressing and using makeup to highlight a gender identity, usually of the opposite sex. Drag is often associated with the LGBTQ community, but there are some straight drag performers. “Drag queens” wear clothing and makeup that exaggerate female characteristics, and “drag kings” dress to exaggerate male characteristics. In most cases, queens are men and kings are women, though some are transgender. A common mistake is to associate the drag community with transgender individuals — they are not the same. Being transgender is not just a matter of dressing up in different clothes or wearing makeup; rather, it’s a permanent identity. Transgender individuals also may be good customers for clothing and makeup that accentuates gender, but that’s not what makes them transgender. In contrast, when drag queens or kings remove the clothing and makeup, they resume their day-to-day identity.
Create a Welcoming Space
Understanding and respecting the drag community’s culture is essential to creating that environment for customers who participate in drag events or are interested in drag products. “Your first step in servicing this community well is to not make any assumptions about your customers,” Sprague says, adding that her store serves both drag and transgender custom-
ers. One way to demonstrate your sensitivity to gender issues is to have your employees wear nametags that specify which pronoun they prefer, Sprague suggests. “That’s a good opener. That makes people feel comfortable.” You can research drag culture online to learn the basics. Sprague also suggests reaching out to the community itself. You can make connections through a queer bar or community center, and/or get in touch with local drag queens or kings and look through their social media to see what looks they have and what products they may need.
What Products Should You Carry?
Makeup that highlights gender is a key aspect of a drag identity. Most basic makeup kits contain the elements someone dressing in drag requires, but there are things they may need more of. Foundation, translucent powder, fixing spray, and bright colored blush, eye shadow, eyeliner and lipstick are important makeup elements these customers purchase, according to Tim Pearson, showroom manager and head makeup artist for costumers.org
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Kryolan in New York City, who says about 40 percent of his store’s customers are from the drag community. “It’s not one size fits all,” Pearson says. “You need to make sure that you’re able to give them an option that gives them the coverage they want and an option on how to set the makeup the proper way. There is a lot of powder, a lot of heavy coverage makeup.” Sprague says she is working on a custom kit of makeup that will include the products like foundation sticks and bold-colored makeup needed for basic drag looks. The drag community buys more than makeup, however. Drag kings often want chest binders that reduce the size of their breasts and “packers,” which make it look like they have a penis. Drag queens often want breastplates — silicone upper chest forms with breasts — or foam breasts. “You’re hiding one thing and adding another,” Sprague explains.
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Artificial hair, or crepe hair, also sells well in the drag community. Both drag queens and kings use wigs to emulate the opposite sex, and many drag kings use fake mustaches, stubble or beards. Giant false eyelashes also are popular among some drag queens. Similarly, hair dye is important because it allows drag performers to vary their look or create a particular persona. “We do a lot with crepe hair,” Sprague says. “The nice thing is you have every single color out there, and they’re not buying just one shade of crepe hair. We teach the kings how to blend their own hair color. We show them how to do stubble with the crepe hair, and that’s a huge add-on.” Many drag performers also buy costumes. Dressing up is a key part of creating a drag persona, and if you watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, you’ll see that outrageous clothing is often part of the show. It is important to stock plus sizes — men wearing clothing designed for women often need larger sizes. The same goes
for hosiery — stock the largest sizes available if you want drag queens to buy them.
Educating Customers
One way to foster sales of drag products is to teach courses on the topic. If you lack the expertise to do that, try finding someone in the community who can help. Safari Pearl offers Drag 101, a class that includes information about the history of drag, etiquette in the dressing room and with the audience, and makeup and hair basics. Sprague
says her company conducts two or three classes each semester on different campuses in the area. “We deal with a lot of college students, and if they want to perform in one of our drag shows, the first thing they have to do is take Drag 101,” Sprague says. “We go over rules and behavior and we do a makeup tutorial. It’s peer teaching, so we have one of our established performers work with a newbie, help them pick out their foundation color, help them pick out everything that they’re going to need.” Experienced makeup artists can teach drag makeup, even if that’s not their specialty. “If you do old-school theatrical makeup and you can contour and highlight and do old-age makeup, you can do drag makeup,” Sprague says. “Especially with the kings, they’ve got to contour like a maniac. They’re trying to cut that jawline harsher. So, if you know old-school makeup, you can do a lot.” A final thought: Members of the drag community may already be shopping in your store. Making them feel welcome, and offering products they need, can help your business become a go-to spot for customers interested in drag — people who might have been a previously overlooked part of your community. Ed Avis is the publisher of The Costumer.
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Snapshot Taylor Maid Beauty and Theatrical Supply Provo and Orem, Utah taylormaidbeautyandtheatrical.com
By Kathleen Furore
Rick and Paula Taylor pose in front of their Provo store.
“If we can’t make you beautiful, we will sell you a mask.” That tagline sums up the approach Rick Taylor has taken for 47 years at Taylor Maid Beauty and Theatrical Supply, the business he launched in 1975 in University Mall in Orem, Utah to fill the void he saw in the area’s costume and beauty marketplace. “It was one of the first costume rentals stores in the state,” March/April 2022
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says Taylor, who was introduced to the beauty business at age 15 when he started sweeping floors at Frend’s Beauty Supply in Studio City, California. Within a few years, he was named manager of the business, which supplied many of Hollywood’s biggest stars and studios. In addition to working with those stars on television and motion pictures, Taylor also helped outfit them for Halloween.
Halloween makeup is a Taylor Maid Specialty.
“When we were doing costuming and makeup in Hollywood, actors and actresses would come in for Halloween — that was before Halloween was thought of anything beyond a holiday for kids,” Taylor recalls.
“In this era, doing all of those things is the only way to stay in business. I would not be able to with just one of those.”
in Orem); several Mini Moustachery locations featuring men’s hair and grooming supplies in malls throughout the state; and some satelilite stores during the Halloween season. Customers can buy men’s and women’s grooming and hair care supplies, regular makeup, theatrical and FX makeup, costumes, and wigs; rent costumes; visit the store’s full-service salon; and attend classes including how to create gory wounds and how to apply FX makeup. At Halloween, customers can take classes that show how to create their Halloween look or have staff makeup artists create it for them if they don’t want a do-it-yourself option. “In this era, doing all of those things is the only way to stay in business,” Taylor says. “I would not be able to with just one of those.” As much as the industry has changed, Taylor’s vision is the same as it was when he “brought beauty to Utah” almost 50 years ago. “Taylor Maid’s commitment is to have the best brands and the ability to cater to the needs of each individual customer at the most competitive price possible,” he concludes. “Taylor Maid is still family owned with my sons and daughters playing an integral part in our future.” Kathleen Furore is the editor of The Costumer.
— Rick Taylor
As exciting as the business was, Taylor’s heart was telling him that California wasn’t really home. “I moved to Utah because I was tired of Hollywood – I was born in Utah,” says Taylor. “In 1975, I returned to my roots in Utah and saw the lack of beauty options available and opened one of the first costume rentals stores in the state.” What started with a single rental costume quickly grew to include thousands of rental costumes, accessories and props, along with top-of-the line beauty products he’d worked with in Hollywood. “In those early years I would drive straight through to California and back every weekend to bring the top beauty products in the country to my customers in Utah,” Taylor recalls. Our loyal customers who saw and appreciated what we had to offer grew us into the largest beauty supply in Utah with over 20 stores and the first beauty supply to be in a mall.” The company now operates two stores (one in Provo, one
Taylor Maid’s rental costumes costumers.org
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P roduct parade
NCA Exclusive Clown, Old Man and Gorilla Masks. The NCA Exclusives Program has released three masks in collaboration with Zagone Studios. The Sick-O Evil Clown, Grand Dad, and Silver Go-Rilla all are top quality, full-overhead masks crafted by hand in the United States. The masks are available only to NCA members. Order directly
Gemar Balloons. Gemar’s
from Zagone.
Periwinkle latex balloon is the
773-509-0610; jenellew@zagonestudios.com
perfect color to celebrate any
event in 2022 — Very Peri, the Pantone color of the year! It’s
more than just a popular shade — Very Peri represents a moment of transition. Blue shades are always
popular, and they represent something stable, a little cold perhaps but reliable to a fault. This new
member of the family is different. Violet-red undertones make Very Peri a little less predictable, and a little more volatile. This is a color that encourages imagination and
creativity as we create and recreate our new lives, infused with hope and positivity.
786-773-5863 ext. 3008; info@gemarusa.com
Batman and Barbie from Inspirit Designs.
This officially licensed Fortnite Batman Zero costume
includes a printed jumpsuit with padded muscle sleeves and Velcro-on thigh pouch, a belt with buckle and attached pouch, Velcro shoulder armor,
and an iconic half mask for a complete superhero look!
The Barbie Box Adult Costume
let’s your customers dress up in their favorite stylish outfit, step inside the
box, and look just the iconic toy in no time. The officially licensed Barbie Box costume comes with a supportive box tunic with
clear plastic and cut-out holes for breathing at face level. The Barbie Box also
includes 16 poles and 8 corner connectors for easy building.
516-873-9000 ext. 256;
AlexL@Fun-World.net;
https://inspirit-designs.com/ March/April 2022
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Starline Plus Size Costumes. Starline offers a full line of “sexy” plus size costumes. Best-sellers include Alluring Sea Siren (S8022X), Empress Divine (S9025X), and Rosas Day of The Dead (PK2053XL). All Starline plus size costumes are designed to flatter the wearer and come in sizes up to 5X. www.starline.la
Goods For Geeks. Is there anything more
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discount for NCA members). You will be billed upon publi-
Just a couple of sprays brushed through the wig
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toxic ingredients, safe for all wigs.
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Sunnywood — for all of your Flapper needs. Create this look
with our #4448BK Sequin Flapper,
#4439 Lace Gloves (available in white or black), and #4419 Impressive
Flapper Headpiece. All at a fabulous value, in stock and ready to ship.
Call Tammy at 815-675-9777
ext. 105; www.sunnywood.net
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My Favorite Costume George Garcia and Staff Fantasy Costumes Chicago, Illinois takes up more than a full block on the city’s northwest side.
That’s a lot of room — which means the store
not only offers the largest selection of costumes, wigs, rentals, makeup and more in Chicago, but
also serves television and film crews, cosplayers, and businesses throwing themed events in the Chicago area, too.
When asked about a favorite costume from
more than five decades in business, Garcia turned to his staff for the answer.
According to Manager Cathy Bunger, the
rental staff chose two: the custom-made
Maleficent and an Egyptian sun goddess from a line imported from Italy. Both are available for rental only.
“The train on Maleficent is over 8
feet long and is made of super
high-quality fabrics. The Egyptian sun goddess is also very high
quality — and we are the only
costume store in the Midwest
to carry this line,” Grunger
explains.
When you’re billed as “Chicago’s one-stop costume shop
What is your favorite costume? To
for over 50 years!” and the place where “there’s always a party,”
be considered for an upcoming
you’ve obviously worked with a lot of costumes!
My Favorite Costume profile,
Fantasy Costumes — a business that got its start in the
1960s when longtime owner George Garcia transitioned from selling wigs out of his car to owning five large costume stores
throughout the city — now operates just one of those locations: the sprawling 20,000 square foot store that opened in 1969 and March/April 2022
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email Editor Kathleen Furore at
kfurore@yahoo.com.
