ok ok i think i've got it y'all, HERE'S the gameplan that #ZweitesichSuits shoulda followed but didn't:
create a business of off-the-shelf fursuits in flexible sizing with velcro, with the aim of being that partial fursuit entry level market
because it's off-the-shelf, you can work economies of scale, and do more like assembly line work instead of every item bespoke from ground up. i would say modular systems would be great here. e.g. head base can fit this snout, this jaw, these horns, etc >
working your own intercompatibility means that you can change things on the fly. maybe also work at doing some parts that are removable and can slot in/out, like horns, or different eye styles that can be popped over top, or angry eyebrows lol.
use fabric scraps for these bits and bobs, and ALSO for doing higher-than-party-city-by-a-lot quality ear headbands.
then you hit up the con with the partial fursuit heads, headbands, paw mittens, and plush tails >
have the 'base set' be the matching tail, handpaw gloves, and ears, for maybe idfk 50 or 60. keep it under a hundred.
that way it's an attractive impulse buy to not only furries, but also to people who want a more nekomimi look, are flirting with furry-ness, just want to be the best quality Slutty Cat on halloween, whatever
and THEN the foam heads are your upsell, made to match the base sets. that's where you can sympathetically talk about how involved the headpieces are, etc.
and if you figure out the system for switching out details - like maybe velcro patches that can sit in the faux fur for beauty marks, scars, etc., horns, different bits to slide over the eye or do different eye colors like a Blythe doll's eye chips - then you get to upsell your upsell. because if someone's already spending 80 dollars for a foam head, why not add in another 20 for those cool horns?
the tiered and escalating pricing means you'll get a lot more traffic at cons >
because you'll have those cheaper options for impulse buys, but if someone wants to make it one of their big con purchases, you can also get that working.
off-the-shelf will mean low customizability, BUT it means that you can serve the entry level market which is apparently not really being served at all right now. and with the flexibility of the base set, you'll get non-furry or not-quite-furry-yet interest too.
OK SCHEMING HAT OFF, idk there's yer bidnes idear somebody