SCA Without Breaking the Bank

(NOTE: this page is still a work in progress. Katherine Ashewode is organizing it; please speak with her before changing anything at this stage.)

The SCA Without Breaking the Bank was a website hosted by Lady Katherine Ashewode. It was shut down in 2009 with the termination of Geocities, and finds itself reborn on the East Kingdom Wiki.

Introduction

We've all seen the people with the huge pavilions, the beautiful Elizabethan gowns, the elaborate feast gear, and whatnot. The question that always hovers in my mind is "how much did they *pay* for that?" Let's face it, the SCA can be an expensive hobby. But it doesn't have to be. I'm an unemployed college student, so I've had to find ways of staying in the SCA that don't involve lots of money. This page is devoted to tips on how to stick with the SCA without denying yourself in other areas, like food. ("It's okay, I can eat macaroni and cheese every day for two months. This beautiful silk organza will be worth it.")

The tips are divided by category, but most follow a basic plan. It goes in five steps, from cheapest to least cheap, and how you should start your search. The 5-step process:

1. Get it free
2. Get someone to help you, or barter for it
3. Pay someone from the SCA to make it for you
4. Get it used at discount (garage sales, thrift stores, etc.)
5. Get it cheap (warehouse, sales, etc.)

These will be explained in detail in each section. So, let's get to it.

Sub-sections

• Something to start with (basic information and tips)
• Something to sleep in (tents and pavilions)
• Something to sleep on (sleeping bags and mattresses)
• Something homemade to wear (garb for the novice seamstress)
• Something to wear if you can't sew (garb for the sewing-machine challenged)
• Something to eat (food and feasts)
• Something to eat with (feast gear)
• Something to keep your hands busy (arts and sciences)
• Something to sing (bardic)
• Something to fight with (armor and weapons for heavy fighters)
• Something to fight lightly with (armor and weapons for fencers)
• Something to shoot with (archery equipment)
• Something to sit on (camp chairs and other furniture)
• Something period (medievalizing your encampment)
• Something for Pennsic
• Something to say (dealing with authenticity mavens)
• Something to woo (courtship)