The cost of a crown

It is a no brainer that beauty pageants come at a hefty cost. Just to make things simpler I’ll discuss the cost of a Glitz Pageant.  Breaking down the cost of everything you would need to participate in a Glitz Pageant. According to Dorothy Poteat, director of Southern Elite Pageants based in Chapel Hill, NC, the very low end of the spectrum is between $400 to $500, minimum, per glitz pageant. The midrange is $1,500, but she's seen parents drop $3,500 or more in preparations for one big day.  A glitz pageant six times a year can easily run $10,000. The entry fee alone varies from $50 to $500, depending on the level of the pageant. The contests also charge for competing in separate categories, such as talent and casual wear, each an additional $20 to $30. Factor in the outfits (as many as six per pageant), promotional photographs, coaching (typically $50 per hour, at least once a week), dance, voice lessons and travel expenses. Bellow is a breakdown of the cost for beauty pageants essentials:

Coach: Lessons typically cost around $100 per hour from a top coach.

Pageant hair: You'll need to purchase a wig, a wiglet, a fall, or a mini-fall. Get one made of real human hair. Sometimes you can find a used one on Ebay.

Dress: These dresses aren't cheap. A used competitive dress for a child will cost from about $500 to over $1,000. A new custom-made dress, of course, is usually significantly more. If you're not ready to purchase a dress, you can rent a good one for around $75 to $150 per pageant.

Flipper: A flipper costs about $250-$300.

Shoes: Little girls in short dresses need plain white Mary Janes with a matte finish.

Hair and makeup: Price varies widely from pageant to pageant. At a small local pageant, you can get a good artist for around $65. At a big national pageant, this same person will charge more because of demand.

Tanning: The average price for tanning is around $25.

Jewelry: Little girls will need a pair of simple simulated-diamond studs. The older girls will need a pair of cluster earrings or a pair of dainty dangling earrings. You can easily make your own necklace like this or buy one from a pageant person.

Number pin: The cost for such a pin is nominal, usually from $2 up to over $10.

Hair adorments: Most little girls wear a hair bow that matches their dress.The bow should have a few Swarovski stones on it to make it sparkle

Pageant photos: The judges see and judge the photos before they ever see the girls. This is the judge's first impression of your contestant, so make it a good one.

 Eden Woods, a well-known contestant in Beauty Pageants, she is a recurring on the television series Toddlers & Tiaras. Eden’s mother, Mickie Wood, has turned Eden’s beauty pageants into a second career. She has spent up to $ 3000 on a dress and in totale the Wood family admits of spending $ 70 000 on beauty essentials, such as spray tans, fake hair and photos.

"Yes, the past can hurt, but the way I see it, you either run from it, or learn from it." - Rafiki, The Lion King

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=8128371&page=1

http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/toddlers-tiaras-beauty-pageants-debt-costs-1278.php

http://habee.hubpages.com/hub/Kids-Beauty-Pageants-What-Youll-Need-to-be-Competitive