Cosplay (Taobao, Alibaba and Ebay)
Ethical consumerism is the act of deciding whether to allow your ethics and morals to influence your purchasing decisions. While ethical consuming is a personal choice, it never hurts to be aware of where your products come from and how the cost has been offset. In a world where almost everything is cheap, there is a hidden cost to the cheapness.
Cosplay is the act of wearing a costume. Some people incorporate role playing, photo shoots and other subsidiary activities. Anyone can cosplay, they just have to wear a costume. Accuracy and craftsmanship are often values here.
Taobao, Alibaba and Ebay are online market mechanisms for people to purchase their costume components, often at a cheap competitive price to other importers.
Labour — Production and Supply Chain
Taobao, Alibaba and many sellers on Ebay purchase or manufacture their products from factories and warehouses (often from China). They then sell it to the consumer who may have purchased the item either directly or through a shopping service. While the next step varies depending on the consumer, the product is usually shipped off to the consumer.
The products manufactured can range from costume components to entire costumes. The main issue is that there is often no transparency or oversight in the manufacturing process. From what we know about the manufacturing process, there is a high chance that the item is produced cheaply in dangerous conditions (e.g the factory is not adhering to any set of occupational health and safety standards, poor ventilation) by vastly underpaid workers.
When it comes to manufacturing and supply, often the workers earn a wage that is just enough to get by with hours that would seem unreasonable. They work knowing that they are expendable and the moment an unexpected event may occur (injury, ill health, death), they could be replaced by any other amount of “willing” workers, so few take action. Their low wages and hard work make it possible for people to purchase products for extremely low prices.
As a consumer, it is very hard to take action upon this issue. Many consumers may not speak Mandarin or Cantonese and may find it hard to communicate with their seller.
Researching the manufacturers and requesting information upon their supply chain may help you discover information. Refusing to shop from a manufacturer or seller who is known to perpetuate abuses is a handy action. Shopping from those who are known to encourage good work practices supports them.
As a cosplayer, you might also consider commissioning your product from a local commissioner if you prefer to purchase your costumes. While the price will be higher, if the commissioner is good — you’ll be guaranteed a good quality product that resembles the source material.
Environment (Materials and Product Consumption)
A lot of cosplay materials and components may require plastics. This is especially true of wigs. The manufacturing, the shipping and the end product itself may place a toll on the environment.
The applicable actions would be maintain, reuse and reduce would be applicable. Buying secondhand and locally are also alternatives. There are sizable cosplay communities in many different locations. Many cosplay products can be “reused” when sold to another person. Reusing cosplay products for other purposes gives the cosplay product a longer life span, especially if the products are regularly maintained.
Lastly, many wigs may actually be salvageable. There are currently a few charitable initiatives that will take in (natural) looking wigs and restyle it for clients. However, it is best to confirm with the charity what type of wigs they require.
Consumer Rights
Enforcing your consumer rights is fairly difficult over the online shopping sphere due to geographic and jurisdictional restrictions. Most consumers, if they have purchased a faulty product or their product has never actually been delivered, prefer to just absorb the cost.
Actions you can take include purchasing from sellers within your jurisdiction, to make it much easier to enforce your consumer rights. Researching the reputation of a seller can make it easier to guarantee the quality of the products they sell.
Conclusion
In my opinion, it is perfectly fine to continue buying from Ebay/Taobao/Alibaba. For many purchasers, it is the best option for them. However, purchasers should keep in mind the factors that made their product so “cheap” to purchase.
