Last January, I received my partial fursuit from CosmellCosplay. It was a fantastic experience and I highly recommend CosmellCosplay to anyone looking for a fursuit who might be interested in her style. The $5,000 price tag on my partial fursuit definitely gets reactions. A friend recently asked why I spent that much when he got his stunning suit for $2,000, and honestly, it’s a fair question that anyone shopping for fursuits probably wonders about. Here’s my take on when the premium might be worth it.
First, a higher price means a better service for many reasons. My fursuit maker is a full-time maker, and these higher prices help keep her business alive. Lots of makers are hobbyists, which is perfectly fine, but if a maker makes 12+ suits a year, they will inevitably be more skilled than hobbyists. More expensive artists are more likely to offer modifications, on-the-fly changes, partial repair coverage or advice, and better communication. For instance, my glasses broke, and the artist is making and shipping me new ones free of charge. If I had paid less, maybe they would have charged me for that. I was also the first bat the artist had made (an unusual species), so they had to make a new head mold for my foam base, but they were okay with making it because I paid more. They also used new techniques like magnets in the neck fluff (detachable collar) or 3D printing for my glasses to better represent my character. If I had paid less, maybe they would have limited my options to available head bases, or designed a more clunky collar, or gotten glasses that didn’t match my ref sheet.
Second, I wear my suit a lot. Around 5 times a week, sometimes for 9 hours straight. Since I wear it for leisure and outdoor events, it needs to be light, comfortable, cool, with good hearing and vision, and others need to understand me when I speak. These are more practical requirements, and the higher premium ensures these features. My suit feels very good to wear for long periods of time. I almost never have a handler (non-suiter to assist me while I suit), so I need to be independent. Also, my suit has a fan in it, so that’s nice c:
And finally, and probably the most important reason, I paid that much because I liked the artist’s style. I knew it had to be her the second I laid my eyes on her stand at Furnal Equinox. It’s the style I wanted. When we get a suit of a character we love, we’re giving life to this little guy or gal. There’s no price for that.
So, what should you spend on a partial fursuit? There’s no magic number. It’s entirely up to you and what feels right for your situation. The most important thing isn’t the price tag but whether you absolutely love the style. I’ve seen people fall head over heels for $1,500 suits while feeling lukewarm about $10,000 ones. Your fursuit’s emotional value and connection to your fursona cannot be measured in dollars.
While higher prices often mean better service and quality, that’s not a hard rule. Always check reviews on fursuitreview.com before committing to any maker, regardless of their pricing. There’s obviously much more to cover about choosing makers and even the DIY route, but hopefully this gives you a clearer picture of how fursuit pricing works.
Thanks for reading!