How a commission works
Brief the build, pick a maker, and keep your money protected until the piece is in your hands.
From brief to con floor
- Brief the buildCharacter and exact version, front/back/side references, your measurements if it's wearable, the con or shoot date and a budget range.
- Compare makersFoamsmiths, printers and sewists reply with a price and a timeline. Look through their past builds, completed jobs and reviews before you choose.
- Accept a bid and payCard payment goes through Stripe. Your payment is protected, and the maker isn't paid until you've confirmed delivery.
- Unbox and confirmFollow progress photos in the app while it's built. Once the piece arrives and you confirm delivery, the maker receives the payment.
Con in 6 weeks? Get your armour started today.
Custom armour, helmets, weapons and accessories. Con season drives the demand, and makers price rush work at a premium — so post early.
Post your build →You're early, not late
Market figures are industry estimates (Market.us, 2025).
Why commission a cosplay build here instead of in a DM
Paid when the build arrives
You pay when you accept a bid. Your payment is protected, and the maker is paid once you confirm the piece reached you.
Makers bid on your build
One brief reaches every verified maker with the skills it needs: foam, printing, sewing, paint or wigs. Compare price, timeline, reviews and past builds side by side.
The bid is what you pay
Buyers pay the maker's quoted price. The Spool List adds no buyer fee on top.
Reviews from finished commissions
A maker's reviews are tied to completed orders, so every rating comes from someone who actually commissioned them.
Helmet needs modelling first?
Add the design work to your post. A maker who does CAD modelling, 3D scanning or STL repair can quote on that before anything gets printed.
A dispute path, not a ghosted inbox
If a build stalls or doesn't match the agreed scope, raise a dispute from the app. The Spool List reviews any that the two of you can't settle.
Every commission on The Spool List is a job with a written scope, so 'screen-accurate' means what you both agreed it means, in writing, before money moves.
Armor and full builds take time, so the maker can post milestone photos in the app (the sanded helmet, the primed chest plate) before anything ships. The maker is still paid in one payment once you confirm delivery.
If a build stalls or turns up wrong, the dispute process looks at the agreed scope, the progress photos and your messages. That's the part a DM on Instagram can't give you.