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When you start your search for a mascot manufacturer, you’ll find dozens of companies based in the United States, Canada, and around the world. You might wonder, “What’s the difference between an American Mascot Company and one located overseas?” The location of your mascot manufacturer can affect the quality, design, support, and speed at which you receive your mascot. Some companies may offer a lower price up front but charge significantly more for shipping. Some companies will get you the mascot in only a couple of weeks but not provide you with the design or quality you were looking for. If you’re investing time and money into a mascot that represents your brand, you want a partner who delivers results you can count on. In this article, we’ll share why choosing a USA-based mascot manufacturer—especially if you’re in the United States—can make all the difference.
One of the most important aspects of your mascot costume is the quality. When you invest in a custom mascot you want to make sure it embodies your brand and that it will last for a long time. Some overseas companies will provide you with cheap prices that can be very tempting. Unfortunately, these mascots are often too good to be true. Oftentimes these cheap mascot costumes are not customizable and will fall apart easily. Purchasing one of these cheap overseas costumes means you’ll constantly be repairing your mascot, which can be quite a tedious process. A mascot made in America will last far longer and will save you money in the long run. It is a bigger investment up front, but you won’t have to make repairs nearly as often. If you are interested in learning more about what a mascot costs, check out our mascot prices blog that explains what you can expect from each price level.
Many of the mascot costumes that you’d purchase from overseas companies are stock mascots. With a stock mascot, you get a premade costume off the shelf, meaning that nothing is really tailored to your company or brand. Mascots are known for standing out and being unique. The Geico Geko, Milwaukee Brewers Racing Sausages and Pillsbury Dough Boy are all very different mascots that clearly represent their organization. When you invest in a mascot, you want to accomplish the same goal.
Another thing to consider is that there is a chance that the costume you see on the website may not look the same as the one you receive. This is a huge risk that people take when ordering a cheap, off-the-shelf mascot. Occasionally we see one of our mascots from our gallery copied and pasted onto someone else’s off-the-shelf mascot website, usually selling for only a few hundred dollars. Don’t let those cheap prices fool you! We’ve heard countless stories from people purchasing these oversees knockoffs and getting burned. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
With a custom mascot costume made in America, everything from colors, shape, logo, and other details are all matched to your brand. American mascot companies are going to offer the most customization when designing your mascot.
Once your mascot is produced, the next important aspect is shipping. If you purchase a non-American mascot you can face a few challenges and uncertainties. One of these challenges is getting your mascot through customs. Once a shipment makes it to customs, you won’t know how long it will take them to get to it, and you won’t know when you’ll receive the costume. If you’re on a tight deadline this can be a big problem.
The next thing to consider is shipping costs and tariffs. International shipping can greatly increase the cost of your mascot. Tariffs seem to be changing all the time, so it can be difficult knowing what the exact cost of your mascot will be. When you purchase domestically, you can eliminate this uncertainty. Besides, after you purchase the costume, you may need to ship the mascot back to your supplier at some point for replication, cleaning, repairs, or warranty issues. If this is necessary, avoiding customs and the cost of international shipping will save you quite a bit of money over time.
While going through the mascot design process, there will need to be a lot of communication back and forth with your mascot company. Designing a mascot costume can be a very complex process, especially if you’ve never purchased a mascot before. The process can be overwhelming, and you may have lots of questions. If you purchase a mascot overseas, you will likely run into a language barrier which can cause even more confusion. On top of that you will also have to consider time differences. If there is a big time difference you will have a shorter window to communicate with your sales rep. This results in delayed responses which makes the process go by slower. Simply put, quicker responses will equal a quicker process, which can be achieved by going with a closer mascot manufacturer.
Finding the right mascot manufacturer is a crucial decision when you are deciding to invest in a custom mascot. You want to ensure that you are not only receiving the perfect mascot, but that you also have a smooth purchasing process. By choosing to go with an American Mascot Company you can get the quality you need, the customization you’re looking for, and all while avoiding insane shipping costs.
If you need help getting started with choosing an American Mascot Company, consider Olympus Mascots. We are based in Milwaukee, WI. Where your mascot costume is produced within walking distance from your mascot specialist’s desk. The proximity between our mascot specialist’s desk and the production floor will allow you to receive constant updates as to where the mascot is in the process. Our team is filled with experienced professionals with immense knowledge and expertise. We’ve been in the mascot industry for almost 6 whole decades, so we are masters at guiding you through the process and answering any questions you may have.
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