Note: I put this in GD instead of the EE for a good reason. First of all, it'll get more publicity here than in the EE. Second, we're asking for investors, not selling a specific product (yet). So mods, please don't relocate this thread.

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A friend and I have decided to go into business for ourselves making stormtrooper costumes. There's a slight problem: even if you make your own, they're still ridiculously expensive.

To make the molds, vacuum table, etc., and to get parts/tools such as a heatgun, polystyrene sheets, velcro, eye lenses, etc. it will cost somewhere between $650-800 to produce the first costume, not including ruined pieces from the first few runs while we try to get it right through trial and error. It will also take several months of hard work to complete a full costume.

Fortunately, we only plan on making two or three complete costumes, and those will be for ourselves and a demonstration model. Once the molds, vacuum table, etc. have been completed, making the armor itself is fairly easy and inexpensive, just time consuming. We'll sell armor kits and let the buyer complete the costume himself (body glove or similar under-armor costume, velcro to assemble the armor, gloves, boots, etc.). We should be able to sell these kits for $300-400 and begin making a profit with the fourth or fifth set sold. Generally stormtrooper costumes sell for $500-1,000 and helmets alone cost $350-400 usually, often more. It takes 20 hours to assemble a complete costume from start to finish, not including the construction of the molds, vacuum table, etc.

Problem is, we need money to even begin this project. I don't have a job during the school semester, and my partner doesn't make enough to cover the cost of starting up. We need investors. We also want to allow customers to pre-order costumes; send us the money now so we can get everything we need to make the costumes, then get your costume kit for less than everyone else will pay once we're in full production.

Included are pictures of example products:


This is pretty much what we'll be selling. Just the armor and helmets. Likely we won't even assemble the helmets if we sell them as parts kits; this is less work for us and lets the customer make sure it fits him/her exactly. Completed helmets can be sold seperately for less than the whole armor set. Instructions for locating the items needed to complete the costume (bodysuit, boots, etc.) will be included along with assembly instructions.

If this works and we get a lot of customers, we'll expand into doing other types of costume, such as the Mjolnir armor from HALO and HALO 2, Predator costumes and facemasks (the helmet/mask, not the face of the predator itself), etc. as well as custom jobs. Heck, I bet the ninja from Metal Gear Solid would be fairly simple to do.

So... Anyone here interested in sending large sums of money to two goobers about to embark upon a business venture of questionable success, spend several months to a year waiting on your costume, and then pay shipping and handling to have it mailed to you?

Any plans for Princess Leia Slave Girl costumes???

Quoted: Any plans for Princess Leia Slave Girl costumes???

It's a possibility. Do you have any boobies we can ogle use to make a mold for the bikini top?

locked see my post