I always figured the book eventually would be made obsolete as more and more companies acquired web sites and as Internet search engines became more efficient. However, in 2000, I was still getting frequent requests for the book (the 14th Edition had just gone out of print), so I thought I would do a 15th Edition and then do a "reality check" after that to see if future printed editions were necessary. Alas, a major source of funding for the 15th Edition print run collapsed, plus I just didn't have the time to complete the Herculean task of updating all the listings, and the 15th Edition never happened.
I left the files for the book parked on my computer, and tried to keep them updated as I saw or received new information regarding various companies, but I didn't do it methodically for all the listings. Periodically, I thought about trying to resurrect the 15th Edition, but my time and finances had not improved enough to make that possible. Nevertheless, to this day, I still receive multiple inquiries per week from people wanting a more current edition of the book.
Now, with the inception of Costume-Con.com, I felt it was time to just upload the existing files and make THE WHOLE COSTUMER'S CATALOGUE available online. The WCC started its life as a handout at Costume-Con 1, and many of the editions were published to coincide with past Costume-Cons, so it seems natural that this resource should "live" on the current Costume-Con site. If you find the information in this resource useful, PLEASE SUPPORT COSTUME-CON by attending one of its conventions, or by making a donation to costume-con.com or costume-con.org.
I hope you enjoy THE WHOLE COSTUMER'S CATALOGUE Online.
--Karen Dick
Managing Editor since 1991
Because some of the listings are old, and just as a common-sense thing, you should contact the vendors in the listings before attempting to visit them, as any number of things may have happened in the 8 years since the last edition, from changed business hours to going out of business completely.
To browse the listings, click on a letter of the alphabet. If you are looking for something specific, like "shoes," or "wigs," or "busks," use the "Find In Page" function of your browser to search for the desired keyword. We hope to have a more sophisticated search function up soon.
The following letters have content in them: A, I, J, Q, Y, Z, Sa.