Every year there are plenty of questions from competitors on some of the finer details of how the budget and competition works. So here are some of the frequently asked questions and their answers!

What is considered ‘found’

Any item found in a public place, that does not belong to anyone is considered found. For example, shells, leaves, items considered to be rubbish, items that have been thrown away.

The use of fabric or embellishments, items laying around in your craft box, like leftovers and scraps, do these need to be priced out or can these be considered things you had found?

Scrap material should not be big enough that you could make a shirt or skirt from one piece. Pieces smaller than this can be considered found.

Ribbons, lace and elastic larger than 10cm in length are to be included in the $100.00 budget. Embellishments like rhinestones, beads, sequins, motifs, etc are to be included in the $100.00 budget.

What about make up and wigs? Do we have to include them in the budget?

If you are wearing the usual make up you would wear for a performance and a hair piece or wig that is used in every performance, then all are considered hair and make-up and do not apply to your budget.

If you need a specific wig or specialised make up to make your act make sense/ work, or is specific to/ bought for this act it needs to be priced in your budget.

If I have an existing item and embellish it to be specific for the costume, do I only take into consideration the cost of the embellishments?

You are allowed an existing item for zero cost, so if you are using that and embellishing it then only take into account the embellishments. However, do advise on your costing sheet what your existing and borrowed items are.

If you are using an existing item that is not being costed at zero and embellishing, then the depreciated value of the item and the cost of the embellishments need to be included in the budget.

What about thread, glue, and other consumables? Do I have to include them in my budget?

Yes, a best guess at the amount you have used should be accounted for. If you don’t have receipts, and/ or if you have owned the consumables for some time, the depreciation (reduce by number of years) approach also applies.

What if I buy materials but don’t use all of it?

Only the portion of used items need to be accounted for in your budget. For example, of you bought 3m of material, but only used say, 1.5m of it, the price of the percentage I used is included in the budget only. You can show your working out as well.

If you buy a pack of 100 rhinestones for $2, and only use 10, that only contribute to $0.20 of the budget.

What if I don’t have  receipts?

If you have bought items in the past, and you don’t have receipts, or the receipt doesn’t list the individual item’s prices, or a rough idea on how much most things costed, but no proof to back it up as such.

Estimates are fine, just advise where you bought from and just put a note next to the item that you don’t have the receipt.

What if I buy from Facebook Marketplace? I won’t have a receipt.

Buying second hand is encouraged, so Facebook Marketplace is acceptable. Take a screenshot of the listing, and any negotiations if you talked the seller down in price, to use for your ‘receipt’.

What about postage? Do I have to include postage from online purchases?

Since the pandemic, there has been a significant shift in shopping habits, with more bricks and mortar stores closing. In 2020 we decided to exclude postage from purchase price and have continued to keep postage excluded.

Does everything have to be valued at the price paid at time of purchase, or do I take into consideration that things are worth less if they’re old/used?

We have a formula to calculate the depreciation (or reduced value based on time owned) to apply to items in your budget. e.g.: if you use an old bra that I’ve had for 6-7 years, you take the cost of item divided and by the number of years since purchased. For example a $20 bra divided by 7 years = $2.85

What if I buy items from and Op Shop, do I cost it at the price I paid or the retail value?

Items are valued at the price they are purchased for, so op shops and buying second hand is definitely encouraged. If items are purchased form an op shop for parts of their make up (eg. buying a dress for the appliques, or lace, or portion of its fabric) then the purchase price can be reduced to reflect the amount or portion of that purchase that was used.