Before the days of costume prototypes displayed at a band launch (well at least for Harts) as a masquerader we had nothing but our imagination to fill in what the colouring of gold glitters and sketch of the spikes on the headpiece would look like in reality. The year 2000, the band Harts and this was my section Temptation; I played in the teal option:
This costume stood out for me for several reasons, not least of which was because the actual headpiece was much prettier in person with lots of nice fluffy plumes, but the main reason is that I distinctly remember ten years ago vowing never to pay more than $1000.00TT for a costume. Well, here I am ten years later paying six times that, though it must be taken into consideration that my costume for 2010 is frontline!
On a comparative costume to costume basis Harts prices have increased by approximately 330% in ten years, for a similar costume to Temptation of 2000 working with a price of $3300.00TT for the larger headpiece option. Using this mark up, do you think that in the year 2020 we masqueraders will be paying $10,000.00TT or $1600.00US for a regular costume?
Yes, I can hear you all stating adamantly that you will NEVER pay that ridiculous price for a costume, and I myself am thinking if that is the future price of a regular costume, what will it cost for the frontline!? Just remember that ten years ago I too swore that this costume at $995.00TT would be my last Temptation!
5 comments:
Will anyone be paying $10,000.00TT or $1600.00US for a regular costume? Sauce, anything is possible. Look at us now. I never thought people would pay $3600.TT ($600 US)with $1200 or $1500 TT downpayment at the ready. Our parents are stunned at the prices we pay for mas. Hell I'm stunned at myself.
I also vowed that I was not crossing $600.US for a backline, now here I am paying $633. The justifications: it's only a lil $33 over, I loooove the costume, the design is worth it for me, and I loooove meh mas too much to give it up (at least not yet). Yeah, yeah, I know I broke my own limit. *slap my own hand for being bad*
I started at $250.US in Poison in 2003, now I'm at $633 for 2010. Yikes!!!!!
Everyone has their own limit. Many folks have already reached theirs and they're acting on it by not playing mas or looking for a cheaper alternative to suit their budget.
My new limit is $700 US. Yeah right. Let's see how that works out.
Well if my salary goes up by 330% as well..hell yeah! :)
Hmmm….10 years from now I will be __ years old. I think I will be making way for another generation. Good luck to them! Seriously though, carnival is a luxury item (not a necessity) and so as with my other luxury purchases, I will evaluate individually. As for now, it’s one year at a time and as long as I can do it I will.
When I started playing big people mas with Wayne Berekly in 1990, I saved up for half my costume on a secondary school allowance of $5/day. I THINK (not too sure) my costume was $400.00.
I too remember the year Barbarossa brought Comme Ci cOmme Ca and I said I was NOT paying over $1000 for no damn costume, my costume that year was about $795, and my girlfriends played in an outside section that was $1095. I was appalled!
$10,000 in 2020? Who knows yes, anything is possible.
Am I the youngest male on here? When I started playing mas in 2004...I played with Harts and paid $1500 which I thought was reasonable. Now 5 years later I am paying +$4000. I myself am ashamed at the price I pay...but in the end, if you can AFFORD to treat yourself...why the hell not. Life is full of stress and carnival makes u forget about it. On the otherhand, if inflation keeps going up and the costumes somehow get worse than the rubbish that passes for a male costume now....I will NOT pay $10000.00TT for a costume!
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