Thread: Best costume deal you ever got?

Without it being free, what's the best deal you've gotten so far on a good quality costume? Brag about your crazy deal finding skills!

I got two bedlah sets for less than $140 (together not separate), shipping included. Right place at the right time ..g.:

the $100 red vintage abla from liesbeth. i added the crystals to the bra & belt to mimic the design on the skirt.
picture is of me in the egyptian red abla from belgian liesbeth, with sandrine of switzerland, after our show in byblos restaurant, saigon, vietnam (owned by lebanese laura). the costume is now home with me in the usa. haha!

Vintage coin bedlah and skirt - $84 including shipping.

Great Loop - $200 including shipping

Abla silver & gold bedlah with attached skirt for $100. It needed a bath.

This could get long. I rarely pay more than $200 for any of my costumes. But then I am a vintage girl and when I have money I stalk E-bay and swap meets both virtual and physical.

{{{HUGS}}}

This is my Chrysler Building Bedlah which I got from E-bay for $65 and than spent 3 months redoing the bra. . .

I bought a totally one-of-a-kind set from one of my earlier teachers. I paid around $200, I believe. I don't know if that's necessarily a deal, but it's a reasonable price for a piece that's twice as shiny as any expensive Bella. They just don't make bugle bead fringe like this anymore!

Satin, the skirt on that one looks fantastic! (sparkly! :) )

Thanks! It's actually a sheer black chiffon skirt with turquoise....wait for it....glitterdot harem pants underneath

I found a barely used Sim for $300, and a Cost-Less coin bra cover with giant drape (all in the 24kt gold plated coins) for $100.

My last purchase was from a local dancer, it's teal with gold/silver/turquoise design.

I have some minor alterations to do on it, but no big deal. She came to my house to deliver it in person and sold it for the amount of... $70.




Just bought a veil on eBay today to match it perfectly!!! ..g.:

Qamar

I got a pretty and unique bedlah for $25. It shed sequins like my Jack Russell shed white hair, and required a lot of work, but it was well worth hours and hours and hours of fray check application. And, I have a hand-made real coin set that was $50 on Ebay. It's just the right degree of showing it's made a by a dancer for me to love it. Finally, there is *the* veil, an Akai that Jes listed on Ebay for a dollar when she felt like giving a gift to her customers. Never seen a more beautiful veil.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Thanks! It's actually a sheer black chiffon skirt with turquoise....wait for it....glitterdot harem pants underneath

Keep wearing those glitter harem pants and you won't need to buy any glitter gadgets for your cooch!! Sorry, I couldn't resist ..l;,

I don't have pictures of it right now. I'll put some on tomorrow. I have a jeweltone and black zebra print beladi dress that I got for 60 bucks. It has a bra, a head scarf, and a hip scarf with holographic gold sequins/palettes. I have to make an adjustment for the bra but other than that, the dress fits like a dream. I was so lucky to find it!

I bought a piece of antique assuit for $10 on ebay ~ 1999! It was listed as a "embroidered silver table runner".

More recently, and realistically, I bought a beautiful pink dress here on the bhuz swap page for I think $150 that has gotten me more compliments than anything currently in my costume wardrobe.

Originally Posted by Fotia

Keep wearing those glitter harem pants and you won't need to buy any glitter gadgets for your cooch!! Sorry, I couldn't resist ..l;,

Little did those party guests know I was wearing a matching merkin underneath!

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Little did those party guests know I was wearing a matching merkin underneath!

HILARIOUS! you are so cute!

Vintage bright orange cover up for $8.

Eman Zaki costumes @ wholesale back in early 2000's.

My purple vintage bedlah that I got for $70, best value and easily my favorite costume!

I was searching for costume fabrics at the thrift store and found a vintage red belt for $25. It was in bad shape, so I took it apart and am reusing the beads in a new belt

Originally Posted by TanyaLV

HILARIOUS! you are so cute!

hee hee, thanks!

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

I bought a totally one-of-a-kind set from one of my earlier teachers. I paid around $200, I believe. I don't know if that's necessarily a deal, but it's a reasonable price for a piece that's twice as shiny as any expensive Bella. They just don't make bugle bead fringe like this anymore!

you're gonna laugh satin, but this cossie STILL haunts me! (from when it was up in swap a couple years ago)...........

OMGoodness, sooo many come to mind! But for now...

Classic Madame Abla Bright Gold Bedlah w/fringe & paillettes
Purple & Gold Lace Madame Abla Skirt Set
Both from Liesbeth for $200 total :)

Vintage "old gold" coin bedlah from the Swap Meet for $50

The Rainbow Bella from Salima for $280

The black & silver vintage Bella from Kathiya for $280 also

Vintage blue bedlah from Audie for $45

...And then there the 3 full costumes (bra, belt, circle skirts, veils) from Ebay that the seller (a man!:)) had no idea what he got when he purchased an estate sale: After total sale, it came out to about $60 per costume! ...And he just sent this big 'ole box that even had a receipt from the early '80s for one of the least "fringe-y" of the costumes that was for $135!! :))

Originally Posted by steffib

I got a pretty and unique bedlah for $25. It shed sequins like my Jack Russell shed white hair, and required a lot of work, but it was well worth hours and hours and hours of fray check application. And, I have a hand-made real coin set that was $50 on Ebay. It's just the right degree of showing it's made a by a dancer for me to love it. Finally, there is *the* veil, an Akai that Jes listed on Ebay for a dollar when she felt like giving a gift to her customers. Never seen a more beautiful veil.

OOOoooo, pix pretty-PLEASE!!! ..g.: Sounds delish!!!

i don't know if a swap counts, but i got this one from liesbeth for a gorgeous red noussa i had

also a teal eman for about $250
vintage red abla for about the same
a vintage brown dress i found at a consingment shop for about $20, which is SO usable for dance (thanks azhia :p)

Originally Posted by ruta21030

you're gonna laugh satin, but this cossie STILL haunts me! (from when it was up in swap a couple years ago)...........

That's too funny. This costume has a way of haunting me, too. I've come thisclose to selling it about a dozen times, and every time I get it packed up and start to post a listing on Swap, I talk myself off the ledge! It's way too unique and it has really good karma.

Awesome deals! I was all proud for getting two brand new sets for $60 and $75 ea, but you guys are the deal queens ..g.:

I was offered, and purchased, a gorgeous Bella in perfect condition for $250 from a former Bhuzzer.

Years ago when I was a baby dancer. I was in my local thrift store. A "red Cocktail dress" $5.00.
Looked in tag said Dahlal before i bought it. It was a mini beledi dress, I did wear it to perform with harems and chiffon skirt, I wish I had pics never did though. Years later I gave it to a dance friend it fit her perfect, like it was meant to be hers. So my 5.00 rescue wasn't bad.
2nd find
One of my first workshops I bought a black vintage handmade fringe monster. For 125.00 (which I thought was a lot of money for a cossie at the time) Its still my favorite and I'll never part with it.

Alrana

oh man so many great deals off the swap pages..my first ever bella (that i later resold here on bhuz) was $300. my other bella is a gorgeous yelllow masterpiece which i got for $275. i got a pink beauty from banatsusan for only $175 i believe and it only needed a little rework. i got a purple beauty that was marked down from around $400 to $225 from malia which used to belong to voula. red pharaonics rings in the $300 i believe (resold not too long ago). teal venus (resold) for $400 in great condition. black stars costume i got in a trade and had my seamstress rework the straps.

but probably my favorite deal ever is one the red bedlah i got from liesbeth for less than $100 i think, and i put some work into it to make this:



it is one of my favessssss and i have 3 diff skirt options to go with it, all with a flamenco-y feel to it.

... i need to shop with you all. *bows down to bargain queens*

Two vintage belts, enough accessories to use for parts when I make matching bras for the belts, a persian lace 3 panel skirt with trim, and two sets of older zills: 55$

One of the belts and the skirt, along with the bra I'm making to match:

Ozma's Costumes's Photos - Johnny's Legacy, January 2010- | Facebook

The gold belt and parts are in this album:
Ozma's Costumes's Photos - Things to look forward to in 2010 | Facebook

Originally Posted by ozma

Two vintage belts, enough accessories to use for parts when I make matching bras for the belts, a persian lace 3 panel skirt with trim, and two sets of older zills: 55$

One of the belts and the skirt, along with the bra I'm making to match:

Ozma's Costumes's Photos - Johnny's Legacy, January 2010- | Facebook

The gold belt and parts are in this album:
Ozma's Costumes's Photos - Things to look forward to in 2010 | Facebook

Wow, that Johnny's Legacy costume is really fun! Your matching bra is stunning. You are going to have a blast dancing in that. I love it! I hope you will post pictures of yourself wearing it.