September 10th,2012. Tribe opens registration online to past masqueraders.  19 minutes later…..they are sold out.  If the Internet had ears it would  have heard the collective scream of hundreds, if not thousands of carnival newcomers who just had the door to their first choice in carnival Bands slammed shut in their faces.

Some still lie on the floor, in the fetal position, next to their fallen laptops…..stunned in disbelief.  Others have given up hope and have shifted  their attention to another band.  Others still have simply given up altogether on their carnival dream (cruise to Mexico costs less).

Well don’t give up hope yet!   For those of you who have more stick to it-ness and  are willing to fight for a cause there is hope.

Several sites exist that cater solely to the carnival sell or trade  aftermarket.  They facilitate swaps and sales of costumes.  The sites I know of are:

 Carnival junction

Fineahband

Sign up! Subscribe to their rss feed for the band you want and check daily (or hourly depending on your level of need).

Remember though that this is aftermarket…..simliar to the way the mafia would operate.  People will double….even triple costume prices! They know they hold your dream costume and are willing to tear out a fistful of your short and curlies in markups on the price.  If you are lucky, you may however find a good samaritan who sells for a reasonable price or even the same price as Tribe!

Other options are asking friends to keep an eye out locally in Trinidad and checking with [email protected].  She manages a few costume sales each year as well.

As for me and the rest of the lehwego crew?  Our costumes are safe and secure.  We are making sure our carnival is FULLY stress free this year.

Keep the faith….you can still get your costume!