Frequently Asked Questions About Cowan Costumes
- Designing Your Costume Character
- Production Capabilities
- Production Time
- Costume Pricing
- Our Guarantee
- Character Maintenance
- Optional Items
- Character Management
Designing Your Costume Character
Q: What if I don't know what type of character I want?
A: We will start by sending drawings from our illustration library to be used as idea starters. Once you have an idea of what will work for you, we'll begin to refine the design.
Q: What if I know what I want but I don't have any artwork?
A: Our artists have the ability to work closely with you to put your vision on paper.
Q: What if I already have the design and artwork?
A: Great! We love to take existing artwork and bring it to life. We will insure that the character duplicates the artwork. For a free quotation, simply send us your artwork and we will be happy to prepare a proposal.
Production Capabilities
Q: What if I need 1, 20, or 1,000 costume characters?
A: No Problem! We are as adept at creating a single character as we are at manufacturing in mass production. So whether your business has one location or many, we are fully capable of meeting your needs.
Production Time
Q: How long does it take to build a character?
A: Production time for most single character projects is 8-10 weeks. However, it varies according to the needs of our clients, availability of materials, complexity of design, and our current work load.
For multiple character projects, mass production can begin within 4 weeks of prototype approval. This allows time to acquire materials and establish assembly procedures. A production schedule is then developed based on your delivery requirements.
Costume Pricing
Q: How much does a custom designed character cost?
A: The initial investment for most first time or prototype characters averages $5,000.00 to $7,000.00. Once your design has been established, we will bid your project based on design complexity and recommended materials.
Q: Do I get a discount if I order more than 1 character?
A: Absolutely! If you order duplicate characters now or later, we will gladly reduce the price. The more characters ordered, the more the discount.
Q: What if I have a limited budget?
A: Call us anyway! we'll make every attempt to work within your budget.
Q: How do I pay for my costume character?
A: We offer several ways to pay:
- Traditional Method - We require a 50% deposit when the order is placed. After you receive the character and are 100% satisfied with the quality of our work, we'll send an invoice for the remaining amount.
- Credit Card - We accept MasterCard and Visa.
- Payment Plan - Just let us know at the start of the project and we'll create a plan that works for us both.
- For international clients: A bank wire transfer is required. The balance must be paid before the character is shipped. Please be assured our 100% satisfaction guarantee still applies.
Our Guarantee
Q: Do you offer a guarantee?
A: You bet! We guarantee that you will be 100% satisfied with the quality of our work. We guarantee our products to be free from manufacturer defects for 90 days from the date of customer receipt. Thereafter, any problems will be evaluated on a case by case basis before determining problem resolution.
Character Maintenance
Q: How do I clean and care for my costume character?
A: Your character will arrive with an Operator's Manual written specifically for your character. The manual includes instructions for assembly, dressing, cleaning, and storing your character as well as performance and marketing tips.
Q: Do you offer refurbishment services?
A: We offer costume maintenance and refurbishment services for all of our characters as well as those made by other companies. The extent of the work performed is up to you, but normally includes: total cleaning, repairs, and replacement of parts where necessary. Should you wish, your character can be set up on a maintenance reminder program.
Please contact us for further details.
Optional Items
Q: What else can I buy for my character?
A: From cooling vests to storage systems and much more, we offer a wide range of items to assist you in making your character program successful.
A complete list is available in your Operator's Manual or call to have one sent to you.
Costume Character Management
Q: My character will be attending events around the country. Can you help me coordinate the travel arrangements?
A:Sure we can. Tell us where it needs to go and when it needs to be there. We'll take it from there. We'll even store your character between events. Contact us for more details.
