# Why are sparkycando's prices so high?



## Animalcrackersthehuman (Sep 6, 2019)

I don't mean this with any malice or anything, I'm just curious as to why Sparky's fursuits cost so much? I've seen lots of other fursuit makers who make similar things for much cheaper and I'm just kinda confused, thanks in advance!


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## Skittles (Sep 6, 2019)

Whoa! I googled this to see what you meant. That is CRAZY high. :O


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## Flauschwurm (Sep 6, 2019)

It's up to every artist to set their price. If you think it's too high, don't complain, and look for a one in your price range.
Since they seem NZ Based, maybe living wage, materials and everything Is more expensive than it is somewhere else. Also, I believe their stuff is incredibly inidivdual and highly detailed, so that might hike the price up as well. Considering just how smooth and perfect the heads look alone. This must take many weeks of work.


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## Massan Otter (Sep 6, 2019)

I'd be surprised if anyone is getting rich making fursuits, and I feel that with the hours of skilled work that goes into them, it's more likely that many newer makers aren't setting their prices at a level that's sustainable over the longer term.


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## Animalcrackersthehuman (Sep 6, 2019)

Flauschwurm said:


> It's up to every artist to set their price. If you think it's too high, don't complain, and look for a one in your price range.
> Since they seem NZ Based, maybe living wage, materials and everything Is more expensive than it is somewhere else. Also, I believe their stuff is incredibly inidivdual and highly detailed, so that might hike the price up as well. Considering just how smooth and perfect the heads look alone. This must take many weeks of work.


ohh that could make sense, you make some good points!


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## Deleted member 82554 (Sep 6, 2019)

Because there are dumb shit's in this fandom that are willing to pay those prices. That, and in NZ she is catering to a very niche community, it's hard to make profit even with her insane pricing.

But lets be real, when it comes to quality her fursuits are like the Cadillac of fursuits. And I should know, I've tried one on...


She is such a delightful person by the way...


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## Armerkat (Sep 6, 2019)

There could be many reasons why Sparky's prices are a bit higher than some other suitmakers. 1. NZ cost of living may be higher, 2. Prices of materials there may be higher, Or 3. Her fursuits built like tanks and look damn good. She has put her sabertooth through fursuit hell and it still looks like it was just made yesterday. I am pretty sure that you get what you pay for from her. 

But if you want to complain about a fursuit makers prices, DON'T. If their prices are more than you want to pay, then just don't commission them and find another maker at your price range.


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## LameFox (Sep 7, 2019)

full disclosure: I have _no idea_ who that is.

It's entirely possible that this person has just built up enough trust and recognition that the demand for works from _them personally_ exceeds the demand for the product in general, and since it's not the kind of work where you can keep a low price and take on an increasingly higher volume of orders to make more money, raising the price just makes sense.


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## StealthMode (Sep 7, 2019)

Maybe people were willing to pay that much for a fursuit? So they set the price high because of that? I do know that a furry artist did something like that once


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## zeusaphone (Sep 7, 2019)

Maybe it has to do with the quality/price of the materials used in the fursuits. Plus, they may have to price their suits higher in order to get at least average income.


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## VX666 (Sep 7, 2019)

FYI, New Zealand business compliance costs for their new government regulations and operating expenses jumped several ten thousands folds over the past ten years. 

The costs of almost custom made products, including fursuits reflect that.

To be around the $75,000 range per suit is typical.

I don't know about Sparky so I cannot comment on that particular maker. 

To compare to wardrobe professionally made in the US union film and entertainment industry, each fursuit costs about $10,000 out the door.


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## Armerkat (Sep 8, 2019)

VX666 said:


> FYI, New Zealand business compliance costs for their new government regulations and operating expenses jumped several ten thousands folds over the past ten years.
> 
> The costs of almost custom made products, including fursuits reflect that.
> 
> ...


$75k is not a typical price for a fursuit. Most expensive fursuit I've seen was $12k. And it was a quadsuit made for Dutch Angel Dragon: Sniper. About the average full digigrade suit will be around $2k to $5k. Sparky's suits are around $3k to $6k. Her prices aren't that much higher than other makers, so really the complaining about a maker's prices is useless bickering. As I said before, if you don't like the price of a maker's quote, then don't complain about it, just find a different maker that is within your budget. Every maker has the right to set their own prices. Supply and demand, and free market.


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## Animalcrackersthehuman (Sep 8, 2019)

Armerkat said:


> $75k is not a typical price for a fursuit. Most expensive fursuit I've seen was $12k. And it was a quadsuit made for Dutch Angel Dragon: Sniper. About the average full digigrade suit will be around $2k to $5k. Sparky's suits are around $3k to $6k. Her prices aren't that much higher than other makers, so really the complaining about a maker's prices is useless bickering. As I said before, if you don't like the price of a maker's quote, then don't complain about it, just find a different maker that is within your budget. Every maker has the right to set their own prices. Supply and demand, and free market.


I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining, if that's the price Sparky believed her suits are valued at then that's reasonable, I'm just curious as to why it differs so much to other makers, because they're not 3k - 6k they start at $13k NZD her website here:
https://www.sparkycando.com/get-a-suit


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## Water Draco (Sep 8, 2019)

Sparky normally auctions her commission slots and pre-mades which go to the highest bidder. Sparky makes a very good quality product which many find highly desirable which is reflected in how much people willing to bid for the opportunity of a suit made by her.

I know one person who after placing a bid for a Sparky commission slot could not bare the thought of being out bidded so they went strait back and bid the buy it now price. They just had to have a Sparky suit no matter what.
I believe sparky after that started not to offer a buy it now price on auctions.

You also have to remember that suit makers are often self-employed and it may be there only source of income. Also there business costs are not just the materials. Of the top of my head I can think of: cost of the workspace, power, heating, water and sewage, equipment, maintenance, business tax, accountant, telephone, internet, hosting and email, insurance, customer service... It all eats in to what little you make.


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## quoting_mungo (Sep 8, 2019)

Animalcrackersthehuman said:


> I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining, if that's the price Sparky believed her suits are valued at then that's reasonable, I'm just curious as to why it differs so much to other makers, because they're not 3k - 6k they start at $13k NZD her website here:
> https://www.sparkycando.com/get-a-suit


That would be about $8k US with today's exchange rate. Not that out of keeping with other high-demand makers' prices. (Pretty sure I've seen a few makers who start at $10k US, and that was like 5+ years ago.)
Also, as someone mentioned, availability and cost of supplies will be a major factor - things may have changed in the last few years, but as I recall, most Aussie/NZ makers will order their fur from the US in order to get quality fur. That adds up.

According to Sparky's website, it's ~4 months for a suit, which honestly is a pretty good turnaround for a high-demand maker. So assuming no cost for materials (which obviously isn't the case), that would be $2k US per month. Being self-employed typically is more expensive in terms of money before tax to money after tax. So what they get out in the end isn't all that extraordinary.

It's also a unique product, and one that Sparky _can't_ increase supply for. If you make, say, enamel pins, when your business starts to kick off you can simple order larger batches. Not possible here. Determining who gets a spot by auction is one of five possible ways of dealing with demand being vastly higher than supply:

Raise prices to where supply and demand are in balance (this is what most Big Business tries to do)
Sell to the highest bidder (gives the artist a chance of getting a bit bigger of a return for their time)
Have a set price, determining who gets the slot by first-come-first-serve
Have a set price, determining who gets the slot by lottery
Have a set price, determining who gets the slot by which project the artist is most interested in
I'm not going to say it's as simple as "you get what you pay for," but if you get a suit from a big-name maker, you _are_ paying for the brand as well. You don't expect to get a Hugo Boss outfit for Walmart prices, either.


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## Armerkat (Sep 8, 2019)

When I said $3k to $6k, I wasn't meaning literately. I was just throwing a price range up to bring up a point. Each fursuit maker sets their price to what they feel their suits are worth. It's not like Sparky is just trying to get the most money from her product. It's just that it is a free market and there aren't any rules or regulation to where makers have to follow for pricing. (Which I hope never happen) And Sparky does want to make a living.


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## VX666 (Sep 8, 2019)

It could also be the "Sparky" brand label

Some people pay huge bucks for the name tag. 

It just depends how much of a demand there is for that.


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## Armerkat (Sep 8, 2019)

VX666 said:


> It could also be the "Sparky" brand label
> 
> Some people pay huge bucks for the name tag.
> 
> It just depends how much of a demand there is for that.


Watch Sparkycando youtube videos, and see how much torture she puts her suit through. Her suits are worth the price. I'm not saying other suit makers aren't, it's just she actually shows how much fursuit hell she puts her suit through and it still comes out looking like she just made it yesterday.


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## Flauschwurm (Sep 10, 2019)

After all, even if you think the price is too high, you don't have to buy their suits by any means.
Sort of like, if you go to a high end clothing store, and you think the prices are too high, you just leave and buy your clothes somewhere you think it's more affordable for a similar quality.
If she is still in business, there seems to be a market for people who are willing to pay those prices for a fursuit. If it was /really/ too high, she'd be out of business or adjusting her prices.
Idk if she is the Gucci of fursuit making, but she seems to be selling, right? 

And just like with Gucci, if you dont want to spend that kind of money, you can buy anywhere else.


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## VX666 (Sep 11, 2019)

The suits are decent but they lack finer function like movable jaws and follow me eyes

That said, they look fine to me and i actually dont feel they are that expensive


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## Water Draco (Sep 11, 2019)

The no reserve bidding on the pre-made Sparky has on the dealers den is currently up to $10200 NZ 

https://www.thedealersden.com/listing/ace-the-wolf-dog-by-sparkycando-no-reserve/152400


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## Armerkat (Sep 12, 2019)

VX666 said:


> The suits are decent but they lack finer function like movable jaws and follow me eyes
> 
> That said, they look fine to me and i actually dont feel they are that expensive


Hate to correct you, but she does add 3d eyes, and almost all of suits have moveable jaws.


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## VX666 (Sep 12, 2019)

Sorry, i stand corrected thanks @armerakat


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## VX666 (Oct 13, 2019)

This article may be of some interest, related to furbuy auction trends reaching $17k per special suit and this was back in 2014. 

dogpatch.press: Responses to fursuit auction story confirm $17,500 top price.


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## Fallowfox (Oct 13, 2019)

I will never be able to afford a fursuit. :]


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## Water Draco (Oct 13, 2019)

Well in my imagination my fursuit is stunning


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