Smaller organizations with 1-5 costumes usually bring their mascots places via car or truck. Oftentimes an employee or a performer will fold the seats down in a Minivan or a SUV and transport their costume(s) that way. This oftentimes provides more than enough space for a bulky mascot’s head, while also being a cheap and efficient way to move the mascot costume from location to location.
However, many larger organizations with multiple mascot costumes and/or multiple locations may opt to ship their costumes to their destinations instead. This is more complicated than driving the costume around yourself, but can end up saving you a lot of time and hassle when done right.
In our experience, we find that shipping a mascot can cost anywhere between $250 – $500+ depending on several factors including the location, size, weight, and whether your mascot is shipping via ground, freight, or air. Shipping companies use dimensional weight when calculating how much to charge you for your shipment. Dimension weight (DIM) is calculated by multiplying the height x length x width, then dividing by the company’s DIM factor. For example, a box may weigh 10 lbs, but the DIM weight may come out to 15 lbs due to its size. You will then be charged for a 15 lbs package.