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Should You Rent a Mascot or Purchase New?


A mascot costume gives your company, school, or organization a recognisable face, something that both kids and adults can interact with, and is an ideal way to build your brand. Once you’ve decided that a mascot is the way to go, the next decision you’ll have is whether to rent a mascot or buy one.
Rent a Mascot Costume
As with all business decisions, there are pros and cons to renting a mascot costume for your organization:
Pros:
  • You don’t have to outlay a large amount of capital, which is good for small or new companies that have cash flow restraints.
  • Renting is ideal if you’re planning to use a mascot for a one-off promotion or occasional events.
  • You won’t need to maintain the mascot costume or see to repairs of it, which obviously is a money-saver.
  • Renting a mascot costume allows you to see if utilising one helps to grow your business; you can change your marketing plan and try other options if it seems to be a no-go.
Cons:
  • If you make frequent use of a mascot costume, you’ll end up paying more in the long term. The mascot costume you want may not be always available from the vendor.
  • Each time you rent a mascot costume, paperwork needs to be completed and payments made, taking up valuable time and effort.
  • Other organizations may use the same mascot costume that you do, causing confusion in the minds of the public and making for ineffectual branding.
Buy a Mascot Costume
On the other hand, the benefits and disadvantages of buying your own mascot costume are:
Pros:
  • Your mascot costume is custom made, meets your specific needs and requirements, and is an excellent reflection of your organization. In other words, it is compelling method of branding.
  • Buying a mascot costume is a long-term investment of your money. It’s a good return on investment and allows for regular use.
  • It allows for good forward planning and you can coordinate marketing events around your mascot.  
  • As your business grows and develops, you can recycle or revamp the mascot costume if necessary.
  • There are no ongoing rental costs.
Cons:
  • Buying a mascot costume involves a relatively large initial expense.
  • A mascot costume needs to be kept clean and in a state of good repair if it’s to make a good impression on your customers.
  • You may need to take out insurance against theft and damage, which is an additional expense.
  • Storage may be a challenge as mascot costumes tend to be bulky and are sometimes fragile.
  • You’re committed to the mascot, and if it ends up not appealing to the public you may have spent unnecessary money.
Making the Decision
One of the important things to do when you’re choosing a mascot costume, and whether your organization wants to rent or buy the costume, is to communicate with the vendors you have on your short list. Ask questions about quality, warranties, after-purchase service, shipping, and repairs. Whichever route you decide to take, that is, whether to rent a mascot costume or to buy one, ensure you get the best value for your money when promoting your enterprise.
If you’re interested in finding out more about mascot costumes or would like to place an order, contact Hogtown Mascots at 1-877-622-8422 or complete our online contact form. We’re based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but design, build, and ship mascot costumes to anywhere in the world!