/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

Anyone ever tried booking an AX AA table under primary-only booking when you weren’t the primary last year? Do they really cancel illegitimate tables? I can’t be convinced that they actually check the names.

>>10237100
why don't you try it and get yourself flagged by their aggro staff

>>10237100
Watch Chris Cayco’s video on Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con. I don’t have a time stamp but Chris revealed he got a table for AX by using his friend’s unique sign up code. So it’s possible as long as you know someone who doesn’t plan on doing AX anymore, or don’t mind the risk of getting banned when they give up their code.

>>10237100
To unlock the AA registration page, you will need the passcode that are unique to every primary artist. If you know any primary artists who are not using their’s, sure give it a shot.

anyone want to share what your unexpected situation that happen as an AA amateur?

Do custom shirts and stuff sell well enough these days? I only saw 2 vendors with them and no artist with any and the con I volunteer for this year
I have an idea for some custom "nerdy" or "weeby" panties, but I've never seen anyone selling anything other than shirts with that type of stuff on them is it because it doesnt sell or just no one has really bothered with it before?

>>10237440
There are plenty of people that have started making their own apparel, so yeah, if you've got an eye for fashion, go for it. They definitely sell.

Can't get any worse than those fucking ahegao shirts anyway.

As for panties, you should check with whatever con you want to sell at to see if that's OK to sell. Some cons might be a little hesitant about that being allowed. Even then, I'm not sure about the selling power about that. But hey, if they're cool and they come in a variety of sizes, I can see some interest for it.

>>10237440
It's expensive to manufacture clothing products; the base cost plus the cost of stocking sizes is massively greater than doing shit like charms/stands or prints. Plus everyone wants to do all over printing and other shit like that. It's really risky to make those products and not be 100% sure they'll sell. Go around and get some quotes and moq's on the type of clothing you want and you'll see why most people don't get into it.

>>10237499
I sort of figured if those dumb ass hats with the big plastic letter, and anything with the ahegao on it can get as popular as they are then surely theres a market for panties/shorts/shirts that have the same dumb shit on them
>>10237521
I was planning on doing as much of the manufacturing as possible myself, I already have some experience with screen printing, but yea in order to get shirts at a decent price per shirt you have to order like 100 at a time its definitely a bit staggering

>>10237440
Sure, shirts do well. Just actually sell something good, not just a random image in the middle of the shirt like you'd find at walmart for $15. Look at omo-cat or ocean in space.

>>10237623
This. If it looks like you could have just gotten it made on Redbubble or any of those other MTO shirt sites, it's not going to garner much interest.
You could use those sites as a testing ground to see if apparel is something your audience would want, but speaking as a consumer for this, I find them pretty run-of-the-mill.

Prints are definitely the hot thing right now. I'd kill for some cute weeb designs that incorporate micro polka dots or stripes.

>>10237617
>I was planning on doing as much of the manufacturing as possible myself, I already have some experience with screen printing
I pray for you anon. I've done screen printing myself for a bit and that was at a place with proper facilities for it, I can't imagine how exhausting it would be to do it at home with large quantities. Obviously as a test run for whether or not they sell at all it's probably an ok idea, and screen printing is definitely more professional looking than transfer paper etc. but I think with clothing it really is worth it to pay up to get good quality and more varied designs (unless you're an absolute wizard at screen printing, what you can do with it is very limited especially if you do it at home), because those will sell better than something that's either obviously very homemade or cheap.
I ended up sounding a bit negative sorry, I personally actually really like seeing unique takes for clothing and apparel at AA's so I genuinely wish you the best of luck, but again I feel especially with clothing the idea and execution is only a part of it, while quality and actual wearability will be what makes someone buy it. It's probably a good idea to do some experiments first if your idea is actually feasible to do with screen printing by yourself before going all in.

>>10237440
Also keep in mind that you have to be super hygienic and careful with something like underwear, anon, a lot of people are already pretty picky about their clothes but undies are next level. You have to know exactly what's in the fabrics and you have to make sure your printing and handling methods are safe for extended contact with sensitive skin. Don't just go to walmart and buy a 12 pack of panties to slap screenprints on, that's gross. It sounds like a cute idea but you have to really think it through. Most people aren't really going to want to put their genitals up against something they bought from a sketchy artist alley vendor.

Unless your intent is to put waifu prints on them for dudes to jerk off onto and never actually wear, which might be a better market really.

>>10237933
It somehow completely slipped my mind that the converstation was about underwear spesifically. I can't imagine many people would be willing to buy underwear that's visibly printed by the artist themselves as opposed to coming from a factory. Screen printing at home is pretty viable for things like t-shirts and bags, but for underwear it raises a lot of questions because they'll no longer be very hygienic since they're out of the bag and tampered with.

Anyone else tabling at CRX later this month? Looks like the set up is a little different from last year (6' tables instead of 8', no back draping, but a lot of space?) Sounds a bit odd to me but I've only tabled at two other cons. There's also the very vague "it's a street festival!" theme that they're encouraging us to participate in. Still debating on if it's worth the effort to try and fashion something without any other knowledge of what this ~crunchy city~ theme is supposed to look like.

>>10238053
forgot the sceen cap but it's in the artist packet if anyone was curious

Got rejected from animeNYC again, (two years in a row) and was checking out the artists that did get accepted on twitter and it’s all tumblr tier art.
I’m convinced they want a “so diverse” cast of artists to get brownie points with the community.
Which sure, do their thing, but it is disappointing seeing “literal who”s who have shit art.
Pic related, this person actually got in.

>>10238062
lol faggot, like, get a sex change lmao

>>10238062
I reached out to them for feedback on my app. I think you have a better shot going if you do original works or have a web comic. Been seeing web comic artists get in regardless of skill level.

>>10238062
Yeesh that art is so ugly

>>10238071
Doing the same! Magfest got back to me when I did and I swapped stuff around the following year to better appease them. Hoping AnimeNYC replies.

>>10238062
sucks to be a local artist and get rejected when someone like this gets a table and probably won't even make table cost back

>>10238062
Continuing on about how they mainly picked tumblr-style artists:

>>10238182

>>10238184
All these are different artists as a reminder

>>10238185

>>10238186

>>10238195
At this point I’m not even salty anymore, seems like a good majority of the artists are pretty shit. At least the few good ones will definitely make good profit in comparison.

But on another note I could understand these people getting accepted to a comic-con, but an anime convention when they’re style isn’t remotely anime? Kinda thoughtless if you ask me.

>>10238195
ngl I actally like this one

>>10238184
style is ugly but it's drawn well at least

>>10238182
>>10238184
>>10238195
I actually like these three. The Mob Psycho one in particular is executed very well.

>>10238202
Not really? If they're still drawing fanart and making fanmerch for anime properties like the MP100 or the FMA piece, they are still catering to the interests of anime con attendees. I don't think it's thoughtless on the con's part to let in people with toony style especially because I feel like style is much less of a factor for most anime cons.

Honestly, if you're this salty you can show us your art, anon. Even if your art is anime styled, it just... could be bad.

>>10238216
>much less of a factor for anime cons
That’s because it’s an ANIME con, not a COMIC con where the style would fit.
These people won’t even break even don’t bother pretending to defend them.

>>10238216
I think those three are good too, though the only style I dig is the Mob Psycho one. Salty anon needs to understand that their personal taste isn’t objective fact. Allowing for more diversity of style is a good thing that shouldn’t tip towards one single way or another.

>>10238225
That's my point, anon? Anime cons usually don't care about your art style. They usually check for fandoms (aka are you drawing fanart of anime?) and proficiency (aka is your art good?). There are a some comic cons that discriminate against anime styles specifically but it's usually not the other way around. And even then anime artists get into comic cons all the time.

You could be using all this time you're wasting being angry on 4chan to improve your art instead. I reverse searched the MP100 artist since I liked their art and they have 20k followers so I don't think they'll have a problem turning a profit.

>>10238225
DA here. I can agree with you on that first example you posted being below par, to put it lightly, but some of these others look fine - not godtier but acceptable at least.
Personally I'd much rather buy GOOD art of my favorites not anime art of my favorites. Those two things may or may not coincide. If I really wanted anime art I could just buy official merchandise...
(I'm not even sure "anime style" is particularly meaningful. "Anime" can be pretty diverse.)

>>10238184
This one is really good? If we're going off skill I don't see why it's a problem that this person got in. I would definitely consider buying this piece if I was at an anime con.

Can anyone at Anirevo attest to artists being treated badly? I just want to gather as many opinions and reviews as possible.
>pic related posted by a FB friend

>>10238256
$2.50 for a fucking fruit

>>10238262
it’s probably through the convention hall cafeteria which jacks up prices

don’t get too discouraged. we got waitlisted for anyc last year and got contacted sometime in september. most of the AA last year was really good, i’m betting a lot of these shit artists won’t pay up. (in fact, it wasn’t even just us, a ton of people got taken off the waitlist, search on twitter)

>>10238261
Funny timing, I was seeing on twitter an attending artist talking to another AA friend who's facing troubles with AR. Like they paid $400 or something for some bigger table, and on last notice they got a smaller table but no refund of differences. Check out @James_SomeGuy on twitter, took me some digging, not the original tweets I saw but it's likely related.

>>10238261
>>10238281
Also @doodlebugdebz and @cannibalxashi tweets

>>10238184
>>10238195
How is this "tumblr tier" art, unless you think styles that lean more western cartoon than either anime or painterly are automatically out of place? None of the posted artists are lacking except >>10238062 and >>10238185, so maybe that person knew somebody on jury.

>>10238278
lol this. Food vendor monopolies like at most venues always lead to atrocious pricing.

>>10238225
Oh, in that case it sounds like you're anal about stylistic purity and this isn't about unqualified people getting in at all. It's not even like this particular western art is Thundercats Go looking stuff or pointy 90s CN cartoons; going off what you posted here, like >>10238195, there's a decent chunk of actual anime and manga that's either older or less mainstream that wouldn't look "anime enough" to you.

I'm now also curious to see your art because people who are this up in arms about 'anime style' are often really into its specific shape language but can't grasp the underlying forms and skills well enough to produce good content

>>10238202
>At this point I’m not even salty anymore
Anon you spent a lot of time going through each artist to post their work in hopes that others will shit on them too, you are the very definition of salty. Maybe post your own work to get some feedback on what to improve on instead of trying to feel better by shitting on those you think are worse.

>>10238225
I don’t sell fanart or really draw in an anime style and I turned a profit last year. Got in this year too and hope to do even better.

Rejection sucks anon, we all feel bad when it happens but tearing down people who made it doesn’t improve your work at all. I find it helpful to look through who did get in and see what they have that I lack. Doesn’t always work, but hey, you can’t win ‘em all.

>>10238256
Holy shit apparently I need to apply here next year?

>>10238262
These are almost the exact pricing at my job's vendor so as far as over pricing goes it looks consistent. Your mainly paying for convenience anyway, it's not like there's an extensive kitchen at conventions.

>>10238202
Anon, I gotta join in on the shit talking here, these are all really good. Even the first shit one looks like they at least used a reference for the bg, so points for that.
And I don't know what's up with the salt mine up your ass, but none of these are 'tumblr style'- that calarts cartoony style with the fucking bean mouths. These genuinely have their own style to them, like I could recognize one from the other plus all the anatomy is good . The graphics bgs and coloring is all amature and I'd never buy these online, but I would totally buy from all these artist in person. Even the shitty kid art one cause it really looks like they're putting effort into it; if they had a zine or comic, I'd pick one up.

And really, good for this con for picking different styles. I hate having too many anime uguu choices that all have clearly chosen aethestics and star shines over beginner level anatomy rules.
I too am curious what your polished art looks/ what art you think is convention worthy, excluding obvious professionals

>>10238184
this is miles better than 90% of AA's "sexy anime boy pinup facing left"

For those of you who have online shops and go to cons, which is more profitable and which do you prefer?

I started an Etsy a month or so ago and lined up two small cons later in the year expecting to make more money from the conventions, but my online shop has unexpectedly taken off and I'm wondering if I should forget about the cons and focus on internet sales instead.

>>10238438
use to be 50/50, but my etsy shop has really improved while con sales have stagnated. Cons are still worth going to, its nice meeting fans in person and just generally fun going to cons.

>>10238429
>this is miles better than 90% of AA's "sexy anime boy pinup facing left"

>>10238444
I mean they are not wrong. The style of their faces isn't appealing to me but everything else about it is great.

>>10238062
Oof

>>10238062
Okay this one is shit but the others are pretty nice, they're stylized and it might not be to your taste but there's some skill involved. Why don't you show us your art if you're so convinced you deserved the table more?

I honestly don't know why they leave sign ups open for MONTHS for Animenyc. That's pretty ridiculous.

>>10238062
When you say rejected were you put on the waitlist or straight up rejected?

>>10238441
You make a good point. I'm a social retard but I will practice and make the effort, it is nice to find other people into the same stuff.

>>10238184
Off topic kinda,
does FMA stuff still sell at cons?
I noticed its on the IP takedown list but only for etsy,

>>10238499
This is so awkwardly unappealing to look at in so many places.

>>10238062
you always post the same whiny shit whenever you get rejected yet never post your art

>>10238377
this

>>10238915
this.
post proof that you're 'better'

>>10238202
>>10238195
>>10238186
>>10238185
>>10238184
How do you even know if the art you're posting from their social media is the art they're applying to the convention with?

>>10238979
Very good point! Anon could be posting old art or WIPs.

>>10238597
Nayrt but desu it's also worth going to cons as exposure. You get to meet other people who might promote your work, and back when I was only a customer, I found and followed tons of artists because I saw them at cons.

>>10238136
So AnimeNYC got back to me! They couldn't go in depth about my submission but it was nice of them to respond

>>10239145
Yes! They got back to me with the same response. I'm glad I got a reply too. I think the key thing they are looking for is 'diverse', and that's super hard to plan a portfolio in a different styling than what you've been building.

>>10239145
>nice of them to respond
I don't want to sound shitty, but it's a copy/paste response. Kind of the bare minimum they can do unless they just forgo responding at all. 1,500 applications sounds ridiculous, I can't imagine that volunteer jurors can give so many entries the time/scoring they deserve, I really don't get why they leave AA reg up for 6 months. I appreciate Magfest at least trying to give personalized feedback if you ask.

>>10239149
Given that they want to select varied artists there’s really no particular way to do your portfolio that would boost your chances. Interestingly it sounds like they intentionally leave some space for less skilled artists, presumably out of a spirit of helping them get started.

>>10238062
Anon don't take getting rejected (or waitlisted) personally or assume it's because your art isn't good enough or you are not skilled. >>10239145 If this response proves anything it's that those beginner tier artists "tumblr tier style" artists were chosen for a reason, because they are beginners or their style is different. That what Anime NYC was aiming for, to give beginners a fighting chance with table placements. You can agree or disagree with their chooses but at the end of the day know this much, you can't assume things about your submission or status based on who got in over you. Being waitlisted doesn't automatically mean your skills are lacking as cgl likes to assume immediately sometimes it could very well mean a variety of things, it could just be rotten luck. They only way you can know exactly why you weren't chosen is from the jury themselves, and even they may not be able to give you a solid answer.

Not too long ago a jury staff anon came and explained that skilled artists get waitlisted all the time because they simply don't have the space for everyone and extending the AA may not be the best answer for that type of situation.
I hope this put things more into perspective on Anime NYC's jury process and what they look for when choosing applications. Not every Jury is the same mind you. You could get chosen one year then waitlisted the next year. AA table placement even with Jury is still a gamble at the end of the day and the only thing you can do on your part is present yourself in the best light, keep growing, and put your best foot forward not just for AA but for yourself as an artist, as a person. This applies to people that get into conventions consistently as well. You can never stop growing. Ever

>>10239152
>but it's a copy/paste response.
I'll take it over complete ghosting any day. It was still nice of them to send me a copy paste response instead of nothing at all, and it clearly wasn't automated since it took some time to come back so they at least looked at the email I wrote instead of throwing it in the trash immediately.

>>10239156
anyc judge anon, why U let in people who wont make their table back and whose stuff no one wants. its cruel

>>10239168
I'm not a judge for ANYC.

>>10239156
Agreed with this.
Gonna also put that aa has always seemed like the beginner/novice artists spot and if you know that you can make a profit then why not apply for a dealers/creators/vendors table? On the chance that your art is really good, maybe they don't want intdimidating artists tabling next to the children's section when you should be looking to up your business game and get a dealors table. It also makes sense to me to if you gonna make 3k+ in profits you should be paying for a better table rather than a 100-200$ table. I mean like anyone at con should be able to sell at least like 20 $10 prints.

And like, I don't actually know about aa for every con, but when I look to apply for a table I always prefer to buy a vendor or dealer table if I'm eligible. I like the feel of being around well established tables and think it makes my business look better. Like my game plan at cons is always to head to the vendors first then trickle down to the aa and spend what cash I have left.

>>10239152
I cant imagine how you would deali n the real world with job apps LMAO

Anai is that you? Entitled baby much?

>>10239249
No fanart allowed in AnimeNYC dealers

>>10239284
I mean, okay? If you want to be your own business you have to sell original work unless you have a license deal going on. I only sell original items with fanart stickers and mini prints as giveaways depending on how much you buy.

>>10239276
Lol anon, all I said was that it's a copy/paste response. I didn't expect them to give out personal feedback, I'm just saying that maybe no one should be patting them on the back for doing the lowest effort option, one step above not replying at all.

>>10239338
>fanart stickers and mini prints as giveaways depending on how much you buy.
lol anon, that's still against the spirit of the rule but you do you.

>>10239366
how

>>10239373
because you're still using the IP to encourage sales.

Ok, so I’ve always wanted to table at ax and I know it’s a long shot for first time applicants. But how is the ax life? It’s seems like there’s a high benefit in profits but I am genuinely scared of being trapped in a shitty slow moving avalanche of sweaty nerds. Are restrooms at all accessible during con hours? Is it hot as fuck on the floor?
I’ve only heard terrible things about ax and just wondering if it’s really even worth it to try

>>10239383
>I am genuinely scared of being trapped in a shitty slow moving avalanche of sweaty nerds
Don't do artist alleys.

>>10239383
If you don't enjoy conventions yourself, I cannot recommend artist alleys. I've done the bathroom run, had to wiggle through crowds, only to get there and be another line to just get in.

>>10239383
If 25k in four days is worth it you tell me.

>>10239509
Buddy beginners aren't making 25k first con, they're lucky to break even, don't lie to the kid. It's more like 25k in 4 days if you learn to market and your stuff is appealing, and it usually takes at least a few cons to learn how things work.

do yall u know if i can open multiple tabs to get a table for anime expo as a returning artist??? or will the code only work once with one tab. im not aiming to get more than one table obviously im just wondering if my roommate can help me refresh the page on their device

>>10239156
In addition to this, sometimes artist alley jury split up the artist alley by category like prints, crafts, etc. Print artists probably have it tougher since so many artists apply. ANYC should restrict application period to 1 month though so they get less applications overall.

Anyone in the US had to pay an import tax on shipments of merch from china yet? Saw a tweet today from someone stating enamel pins fall under a 25% tax because of trump's stupid policies, I order from china pretty infrequently so I have no idea what to expect.

How well do trinkets and charms for phones and the like do? I’m wondering if I can set up a table selling anything but posters and prints. I was thinking of making a bunch of cute phone charms, keychains, etc and maybe some more unique stuff like candle boxes

>>10239379
Are you fucking retarded?

>>10239509
I finally make enough online where I'm going to leave my job this year. So, gun to my head, no 20k+ is not worth the possible scenario where I piss myself cause the con is too packed and I'm just trapped for eight hours. But I've tabled many times before and I've been to concerts, it's just that I've /only/ heard how shitty ax is as a con and no one in my circle of friends has ever been to ax or plan to. If it's mostly terrible for ticket holders and tabling is just like any other packed con, then that's doable. Just curious to anyones experience beyond, 'the staffs shitty, earthquake, nerds smell bad'

>>10239575
Do phones even have a place to hold charms on them anymore? I'm bummed out that mine doesn't have the notch like the older models.

>>10239521
AX was literally my first con ever and that’s how much I made but okay.
It’s not impossible; a beginner can totally do it.

>>10239591
Are first time tablers seriously making this much? How god tier must you be, like damn...I’m planning on tabling for the first time ever next year and honestly just hoping to break even AND THEN SOME;; I feel like so many beginners struggle their first year, so im keeping my expectations low

>>10239591
Even if your stuff is god-like how would you even know how much stock to bring for your first con?

>>10239591
>>10239601

>Anon says they made 25k at their first con so it must be true

Don't believe everything you read on the internet kids

>>10239602
I don’t know, maybe by asking around ..?

>>10239591
Then you're an idiot. No sane person would bring over $25k in merch to their first con.

>>10239571
Well I've ordered and received around 6 packages of merch and supplies through Alibaba and I haven't seen an import tax? Idk where would I look to see if I had to pay that? Or is it the tax included when ordering? Cuase if so then It hasn't even gone beyond 10$ even for the few 500$ orders I placed.

>>10239575
>>10239586
I put keychains on my phone case. But they need to be very sturdy considering how life gets.

>>10239584
AX can be inept but they’re not awful, it’s just that it’s so big that there’s bound to be at least a handful of horror stories. Like any other big con, don’t wait until the ultra last minute to run to the washroom and you won’t piss yourself.

>>10239602
Take your yearly income you make on your online store and compare your views on your site, estimate it that way.

So when I reached 130k views on my site, roughly the amount of attendees at anime expo, I checked out how many items I sold during that 130k and take that into consideration for anime expo.
Also estimate how many views for your table out of that 130k you think you’ll get.
It’s really not that hard to plan accordingly anons.
>>10239613
This is why I brought the amount I did, I just planned ahead of time and it worked in my favor.

I have no reason to lie on a Taiwanese golf clubbing forum, but if you’re a beginner just know it’s possible to make this much.
You just have to know your stuff.

>>10239584
>thinking you're too good to not go make 20 grand in a weekend
If you know you'd make bank, why not go and just deal with a bit of inconvenience?? You sound high maintenance.

>>10239675

Maybe, just maybe Anon. Money doesn't mean anything to me other than financial security? I'm just gauging the mental stress for myself since I typically have fun tabling at cons. Try getting your head out of you're own ass
I just wanted Anon opinions on a con I've dreamed about tabling since I was a weeb. I'll just not go.

>>10239686
I dunno man, I like financial security. Sounds pretty good when the price to pay is just being slightly uncomfortable for a couple days out of the year. Oh no, the horror.

If you're so concerned about being able to get to the bathroom, get a helper to sit at your table for the 10-15 minutes you'll be gone. Hell, if you're making that much, you could even pay them. Seems like an obvious choice if I was in that position.

>>10239700
That's... What I've... Been doing.... I have a helper all through summer and I make enough reliably online now that I mainly do cons for fun. I just want to know about ax exclusively. I don't know why everyone is replying to me like I don't know how to find my own asshole. >>10239648 is really the only who answered my question, and I've already decided to try applying. Just from the responses so far it sounds like only one Anon has actually been to ax here. That and I guess everyone on Twitter is complaining harder about ax than it really is?

>>10239706
NAYRT but it really depends on the staff members you get assigned to your section for AX. I've gotten ones who were power tripping and gave people strikes for no reason at all and I had to go report them to the AA head and had the AA head apologize to me. If you get a chill one, you should be fine but AX is more anal than most cons about your display height and how much of your shit spills out into the shared common space behind the tables. If you have one of those displays with huge side panels, you can forget it. They will absolutely make you redo your display in the middle of the day while the aisles are packed and will not let you sell until you comply. Just follow their rules and you should be fine.

The lines for the restrooms can get pretty long but it honestly shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes tops to get in and out. The worst lines I've seen for restrooms ever were at NYCC where even the artists had to wait around 40 minutes.

Like AX used to have some really terrible years. Before the fire marshal got on their asses, the chairs used to be almost back to back. And everyone remembers the AC debacle from a couple of years back. This year they made attendees wait in line for 5+ hours due to poor line control that Thursday was deader than normal.

So what you see on Twitter is true, but I think you're definitely letting your imagination get the best of you. You'll be fine if you want to try tabling there.

>>10239665
If you were already getting 25k sales from online alone you're not a beginner in any way.

If someone goes to buy something mistaking it for another character or series, do you correct them or just roll with the sale?

>>10239758
Try to correct them if I can, but sometimes I either don’t realize they thought it was another character until money is in my hand and they’ve run away or they’re so chatty I can’t interject.

man, recent threads have been RIFE with roleplayers. stop indulging them.

>inb4 some rper goes 'lolol are you mad because you don't make 6 figures at your average con???'

>>10239711
thanks anon, legit thats a breath of fresh air. i dont mind hunkering down for 6-10 hours but if it was gonna be straight packed start to finish with the emergency exits blocked my anxiety would kill me.

>>10239713
I’ve only been doing my online store for a year but whatever you say.

>>10239870
nyart but yea if you still go around calling yourself a beginner to people who may be making<$300 a month online which is what is generally accepted as a beginner then your advice isn't really beginner relevant...?

>>10239577
nah, sounds like you are tho

Wow, people are still fighting in this thread?

Alrighty, here's my question. What's a good price to sell a double-sized acrylic keychain (with epoxy)? I see them go for 8-12 USD, but on Etsy,they go for like $20. I want to make good money on them without overcharging customers. Would $8 be too cheap?

>>10240073
$10 is stock standard. I would only go to $8 if your art is below (artist alley) average. $14+ (for 2 inch charms/standard sized) is for really good art/unique styles, interesting gimmick (holo, foreground printing etc) or charms that have something 'extra' (i.e decorative beads, fancy keychain, embellishments etc)

>>10239902
>is a beginner
>oh but you make too much tho therefore you’re actually not a beginner
Or maybe they’re just not fucking retarded anon
Some people have a knack for things and some don’t, this person clearly does I guess

>>10240073
What size? They usually vary in price due to the size obviously.

>>10240110
Maybe about 3 inches for a keychain.

>>10240073
I don’t know how much it cost to produce epoxy acrylic charms but I will assume it’s $1.50 usd per piece. And if you account for etsy fees, sales tax, income tax and/or self-employment tax (if you file them), your net profit is about $4-$4.50 per charm when you sell them at $8. And don’t forget about labor and time.

So after all that, if earning at least ~$4 per customer is okay with you, then stick with $8.

>>10240114
I feel anything 3 inches should be at least $12, plus extra as >>10240088 stated, I already see 2 inch charms going for $10-12 in the USA con circuit these days, but I know other countries price lower.

Did digital artwear shut down? I went looking for the website to order some thigh highs and I get redirected to a site I've never seen before?

>>10240073
My standard markup is 60% for all my items. I use Omni Calculator to calculate because I'm lazy. I do $10 for acrylic keychains, unless they are standees (which go up to $18-$20 depending on size).

Example: I recently paid $100 (includes shipping) for 25 2.5 inch tall double-sided keychains with glitter epoxy. That's $4 a charm, so 60% margin puts the asking price to $10, for $6 of profit per charm. I do 60% instead of 50% (which is a more common markup rate) to account for fees and such. If I had ordered more, I could have gotten more profit per keychain, but I wasn't sure how the character would do, so I just did a small order.

>>10240088
>>10240129
>>10240133
>>10240163
Thank you all, I'm glad to have asked here.

>>10240073
Most anons have already answered your question. Adding onto that, Etsy items can be inflated to include the extra fees and "free shipping" so if you see 20$ charms that might be what's happening

Any recommendations for prints and stickers that you can get with this holographic/iridescent effects? I know JiMi does it, but I don't want to wait until they decide to do another group order. Searching "holographic sticker" on Alibaba didn't really help me.

>>10240191
You can get cold-laminate holo and do it yourself for prints (though i think it works a bit worse from stickers)

The cold laminate is hard to get a hold off too, though Hobby Lobby sometimes has some

>>10240191
Catprints has that rough glitter shape for their holos. Pic is from their sampler. You can order square print stickers using their quoting system or email them for kiss cut stickers- I recommend being very specific since their response time is generally 24 hours. It's also worth it to ask live chat for their file uploading specs as it's pretty hard to find.
Other than that I use Alibaba. What you need to do is look for kiss or die cut stickers, find some manus who's moq and pricing is reasonable for you and then ask them what kind of foils, laminates and holos they offer. Showing your example pic is faster. Usually Alibaba manus are all purpose so you can also search for food lablers, custom stickers etc and more than likely they'll also have Holo available.
Prints are a bit trickier to search, I found a couple of good prices by searching for business cards and asking about quotes for a6 prints. Still really cheap and they also have foil, holos, hot stamping etc available for full color prints with a variety of weights.
I love Alibaba. I'm addicted to getting quotes from manus.

>>10240144
they are still there, they are just under new ownership so they have a new website

>>10240328
seconding catprint but also maybe get a sample of your print because they use a black bg on that cat for a reason. That Holo finish can be hard to see on light/pastel colored prints.

>>10240395
The sample is actually pretty hard to see too unless your angling it

>>10240109
lol i mean if their advice is how to get to where they are then yes, but the advice was about what to do in certain situations and their situation is just not the typical one. why are you so eager to start something? are you okay? do you need friends?

>>10239625
>I haven't seen an import tax?
I went back to look for more info and the tweets I saw about this were deleted, so I assume they were misinformed. Once in awhile I see someone in these threads state their packages are being held in customs for due fees and stuff like that so I assumed if there was a tax then that kind of thing would be happening and a lot more people would be talking about it. Thanks for responding!

>>10240321
>>10240328
>>10240395
Thanks guys!!

Anyone have any recommendations for places to get critique on your work?

>>10240676
here. Its the only place that will actually be critical, but no so much so that anything you post will be labeled as trash.

>>10240676
The discord server. People from this general are honest about flaws and the lack of total anonymity on Discord discourages being an ass for no reason.
There are also some people in the AANI crit group that give nice, in-depth critique or redlines; if you ask making it clear you’ll appreciate honest input and not just praise one of them will probably take the time to reply.

>>10240681
>The discord server.
So whats the advantage of the discord server compared to these threads?

>>10239675
i feel like you missed the part where they find it physically stressful/uncomfortable... otherwise this reply kind of comes across very silly. like:
>“You think you’re too good to piss yourself in AA for 20k? Fuck you, I’ll piss myself in public for way less than that!”

>>10240683
> and the lack of total anonymity on Discord discourages being an ass for no reason.
Sometimes some anon will do that.

Does anyone have pictures of tables they'd like to share, either own pictures or random ones? Looking for table arrangement inspo.

>>10240689
they do desu, i once got a reply overflowing with salt and i'm not really sure what provoked it

>>10240740
por vou

>>10240779

>>10240780

>>10240781

>>10240782

also sidenote, how do people display badges? corkboards? i used to put them in a fun little bowl like >>10240782 but people just kept shoplifting them.

>>10240779
Thanks for the pictures anon, you're lovely

>>10240785
A large grid on nice cardstock or paper set inside a 3d frame. Alpha columns and numerical rows. I have this setup for keychains, stickers, and for prints I give labels like L1 for 11x17 or m1 for minis. I only have display items on my table so customers can't mess with shit. Precon prep is rough since I made a bunch of diy cardboard containers to keep track of everything but keeping stock and packing orders is so easy now.

Can someone please tell me who sells these? I lost one of Lavi and am desperately trying to buy a replacement.

>>10240785
You can pin them to anything fabric

>>10240863
if no one here can ID it, i'm pretty sure someone on AANI will recognize it

Is the anon who gives out the discord invite still active ?

>>10240740
You saw the link in op right? (not snark, just ensuring you’ve seen those as well)

>>10241034
i mean you’re sending them an email so they will see it anyway

>>10241102
I sent them an email like a week ago and got no response, I don't have any physical merch yet so maybe it's because of that? Just sent them a few of my drawings. I just bought my first artist table for a few months from now,

>>10240684
I didn't miss that part. I'm saying they're being a baby about it lol. It's not that hard, especially if you have a helper or two, which they can clearly afford if they can scoff at making $20k in 3-4 days.

Is this a bad idea?
I really wanted to do some characters in a local/real life setting. In order to really push that idea I wanted to include some local sportsteams, their logos are obviously copywritten but I was thinking about just spoofing them and only having similar colors maaaybe designs.(ie switching the animal mascot, changing the names)

>>10241151
I think that'd be cute, but definitely try to make sure it's clear to consumers that it's unaffiliated with the team you're spoofing. If it's a major league team or popular college team, they're pretty possessive of their IP, almost like Disney and Sanrio.

>>10241113
oh weird. it doesn’t really matter if you don’t have physical merch if you sent something showing an intent to do AA. ping her on twitter or something

>>10241116
maybe you should stop giving a fuck about others and focus on your own apparently shitty art

>>10241034
>>10241208

the anon running the discord has let me know they won't be hosting it anymore. I'm removing the discord link in future AA threads.

>>10241273
so...does that mean it dies? i'm not discord fluent

>>10241320
I barely use discord myself, but I'm under the impression that any future invites to join the discord will not be answered, but whomever is on it now can still use it.

>>10241273
are they planning on giving someone admin? they haven't mentioned stepping down at all in the server.

>>10241321
I think those that are in can create invite links. I honestly don't mind creating a link to let folks in. We just had a new member the other day too. If the person stepping down is the truth, let them announce it in the discord and pass admin to a few. So far there are no such announcements on the discord.

Now that ALA apps have closed how long till we get a response?

>>10241222
lol ok

>>10241343
Hiya, the discord admin here. I am going to ask around and see if someone else can host it, I just wanted the email removed from the op for now since I am slowing down on artist alleys and don't come to cgl much anymore. When I do find someone to step up as lead, I will ask corky to put the new email into the OP. Sorry for any confusion!

>>10241468
Oh, additionally, if you still need an invite between now and when I find the new admin, you can still send your requests to the email currently in the OP. I am sending out messages as we speak looking for a new admin, so it shouldn't take too long. I will make an announcement in the discord of me stepping down and the name of the new admin when I have that all finalized. Thanks for your patience~

Sorry if this has been posted somewhere and I'm an idiot, but is there a place people recommend getting heart shaped buttons made?

Is there anything I can subscribe to or anything I can join that will alert me when vendor hall apps open for cons? Or like a list of some sort for openings with dates?

fuck! MAGfest filled up in less than 10 god damned minutes!

>>10241551
i got an email confirmation after sending well after 30 minutes, i think if you refreshed the page you could've gotten lucky but dunno how many others reliably applied that late.

>>10241537
I use page monitor to check for me when a conventions website changes but generally no, there is no comprehensive list as far as I'm aware.

>>10241961
Wow this is perfect. Thank you

>>10241961
THANK YOU FOR THIS

Does anybody know if this kind of foil makes the stickers waterproof?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBBs_xjXGK8

>>10242529
unless it's printing on plastic, it's not gonna be waterproof

>>10241613
>>10241551
by ten minutes, they mean ten minues after the form started working (it was broken until 8:20) so if you applied before 8:30 you probably got in

>>10242932
Yeah I got in around 8:22 and it worked. I had no idea they closed so fast, guess I got lucky

I have a fuck ton of stickers. Like a lot. What is the best way to organize them (or any design) so I'm not sitting there for 3 minutes trying to find the design the person wants?

>>10243031
planco boxes maybe?

>>10243031
I'd try one of those organizer boxes for craft supplies, the clear ones with dividers

>>10243031
I've seen people use index card-sized accordion folders, they come with tabs you can label to make sorting easier. If you have a huge amount of stock, you can also get a photo box (Recollections sells them at Michaels), use tabbed index cards as dividers, and fill an entire box. You can rubberband it shut if you need to fly with it.

>>10243031
I've used the accordion style folder and it doesn't hold a lot, if you put maybe 10-15 stickers in each slot the thing gets too thick to close. I ended up putting a few of each and then just having to refill it periodically from a ziploc. Personally I found this kind of container pretty useful, but it is bigger and has limited slots compared to a custom separated photo box.

does the password for the AX aa registration page not work until the tables themselves are up for purchase? I know you have to enter the unique code they send you before buying, but the generic password just to view the page isn't working for me, just says "incorrect password". Not sure if I'm missing anything.

>>10243175
Pretty sure they don't have the password working until closer to the time on wednesday (I think within an hour of the rebooking time? I can't remember exactly from last year).

>>10241537
Papercat Blog usually has a section with artist alley signups but it's not a complete list. You can also check the Artist Alley List in the sticky where it has approximate months when a con will open their AA. You can also check AANI for when stuff opens since somebody usually posts in there.

>>10243031
I know someone who has 2 binders filled with multi pocket page sheet protectors, one sticker design per pocket, organized in alphabetical order by title.
I hesitate to say it's the BEST method because the weight of the stickers made it a bit hard to flip back and forth in a rush, but I think the problem was largely just because the sheets and the binder had a lot of wear and tear from use. Would have worked better if everything was in newer condition.

>>10243195
I see, thank you!

I don't know if it's just me or is it weird/ shady when a parent makes their child do Artist Alley?

I'm all for kids doing some character building and learning how to earn money but I'm sure making a lemonade stand/selling candy bars a far better than exposing them to an 8 hour convention surrounded by adults who are far more experienced and artistically intimidating.

>>10243320
Yeah, that's a bit intense for a kid, it doesn't seem like good parenting to have them working in such an environment all weekend

i dont know what to honestly type in google to fix this problem but ive been trying to test print some stickers but my printer ends up either the following : Paper Jam. Out of Paper and Paper not placed properly in the tray. Sometimes it sucks in the paper but doesn't really print anything.

Any help is appreciated ;0;

Here are the basics

Printer Model
>EPSON ECOTANK L3150
it's still brand new as I've only bought a month ago and the ink isn't as used up and was mostly just used to print some documents. I did try printing some photos too (using MS Word) but it ended just like in the picture but I managed to fix it somehow. Although I remember I was playing around the printer settings. The image below is printed using MS Word.

I have Photoshop Cs3 and I tried to use it first but it ended up with either a paper jam or an out of paper error.

For the sticker paper I used
>SATIN STICKER PAPER
It was the only thing available in the house at the moment so it's my fault on this one but I've had an old printer before, an HP brand one but I forgot the model, and it printed on the Satin paper fine, although the ink didn't dry up completely.

So I'm not quiet sure if the problem was the printer settings or the paper itself. But I think it's both.

Not seeing anything in the FAQ, please point me that direction if I missed anything.

I'm looking to purchase a Gachapon and/or a mini claw machine for use at an exhibitor booth, and I'm not sure how to find reviews for the actual machines themselves (as opposed to reviews of the toys).

For the Gachapon I was looking at pic related.

For the claw machine, it looks like the standard sub-$100 one plays excessively loud/annoying music with no off button, which I'm not too jazzed about.

Anyone have recs/opinions, or experiences with having these at a table?

>>10243432
I have two of the bandai gacha (the one in your pic), I'd recommend them. They can stack, they're easy to refill, and the coin slot is easy to empty. Plus they come with templates for the paper slip in the front. Lots of people stop just because of the novelty of a gacha, but they're getting more common in AA over the last year.

>>10243320
That's allowed somewhere? I always figured it was just an unspoken rule that AA applicants should be 18+ because of labor laws??

>>10243358
I'm unhelpful, but I really hope you make a waterproof vinyl version of this design. It's hilarious and I need it.

I've always wanted to try selling at a con just for the experience (not sure if I would like to run cons seriously yet) and Aselia con opens aa applications tomorrow, but requires at least one picture of physical merch. I don't really have any yet since I'm still new to this but I was wondering if I should at least get a mock up print made or see if I could order some buttons before they closed, would that be good?

>>10243603
If you could make a image of a mock up i think that should work. Also mention to them that this will be your first con, and they may be more lax on that requirement

>>10243586
may be diff in cali because of laws protecting child actors and such but a lot of the us is just 'if ur parents are with you, near anything goes'

>>10243604
I think I'll try to do that then, thanks. Would it be better to try and go to a store/send off somewhere for a print or would I be able to pass with printing it at home on some nice paper for now though?

>>10243432
I have the machine in your picture. People get excited at the novelty of it and it does bring traffic to my table. I do get a lot of 'how much is 100yen converted?' and then I have to explain to them that the gacha's prices are different than your regular machine because I put charms inside them. Otherwise, it's been a solid purchase for me. It's sort of a miniature version, but it works smoothly and has non of that this-is-a-child's-toy feel.

>>10243587
HAHAH thanks! If i cant find a way to fix my printer ill resort to some local print shops here around my house

>>10243464
>>10243625
Thank you! I appreciate the feedback, much more confident about the purchase now.

The "feels like a toy" problem was what I was most concerned about, glad to hear it's not an issue.

>>10243432
be careful, most big cons don't allow gambling(ie gacha, random bags)

make sure the event you intend to use it at allows it

>>10243912
These don't count as gambling (same as blind boxes/bags), I was worried about that too when I first bought mine. As long as your prizes are always worth the same value that the customer is paying, you're fine. It's only a problem when the customer has a chance not to win something worth the money they put into playing.

>>10243912
I've never heard of a con not allowing that. In my stat of Alabama, gambling is illegal, but we still have grab bags sold at cons and retail stores (its basically what trading cards are).

>>10243934
AX doesn't think that way

>>10243994
I've tabled at AX with my gacha and have seen plenty of artists with those specific ones there too. There was a person with a full-sized gachapon machine in AA this year.

>>10243432
If you are looking for a supplier ive bought gacha capsules from here before for a different purpose
https://www.a-muzu.com/en/
Ships from Japan. Though might be more expensive than what you are looking for?

>>10243912
Most us states don't consider something gambling until you can walk away with nothing.

>>10243994
I tabled at AA this year and had two mini gacha machines. No problems at all.

>>10240863
Yummysuika

Any recs on portable power supplies that can keep an iPad charged for 10 hours?

Does anyone know where people order these mini dakimura from? I've seen some very creative designs including one person turn them into joycons keychains. I'd like to make something myself!

>>10245582
>Dakimakura
This is a better quality example of what I've been seeing. They all look to be from the same source.

>>10245582
>>10245587
1. Few are comfortable sharing their suppliers on here for randos
2. Literally type 'mini dakimakura' into alibabas search bar

How do you guys organize and store your merch at home? Specifically large prints?

>>10245764
I repurpose a cardboard box that prints originally came in. It fits them well and I have it it opened on the long skinny side for easy access to prints, also have sticky notes to label where one print stock ends and another begins.

>>10245773
I do the same and have shown other artists how to do this too. You can make one side of the box a flap to open and close it.

I'm interested in AA, but my art style is really only good for stickers, pins, and keychains.

For those in a similar boat, what do you do about ensuring you have merch to put higher up so that people further away can see? Most people use this space for prints but my art really isn't suited... it's too simple and I'm not good with composition. I have no friends who make prints willing to split a table.

For people in a similar boat, what solutions have you found? Have you started selling something entirely different to try and take up this space? (Clothing, plush, ect?)

>>10246895
One time i saw a booth that only sold stickers and had the front of their entire booth just have huge tarp ads for the kinds of stickers they offered. Maybe try something like that?

does anyone know what these shaky moving acrylics inside acrylic keychains are called and where to get them printed?

>>10247164
They're called shaker charms. not sure on getting them made though. maybe check with places that do acrylic standees?

quick question, do you guys usually peel off the films on your charms before sending them to customers? Usually I don't but this round I got some charms that were banged up and I need to check under the film to see if they were scratched. I'm afraid wrapping the naked charm with bubble wrap will chafe and create micro-scratches or something, but maybe i'm just paranoid.

>>10247215
I usually leave them on, and leave a note with the charm that it needs to be peeled off.

For ones that are naked, maybe put it in a mini-baggie before wrapping with bubble wrap?

>>10247215
What supplier do you use? If they're double board from vograce, I wouldn't worry about it. If the print is exposed (like zap), and you're mailing multiples, then I'd be a little worried about possible print chipping. The acrylic itself won't get messed up from just from bubble wrap though, you should be fine.

>>10247215
I just leave a note in the order info, telling them to peel it off themself. I don't want to risk them getting messed up somehow in the mail, even though I use bubble mailers.

>>10247294
>>10247707
>>10247776
Normally I'd also just leave a note, but in this case it would actually look worse to leave the film on (literally looks like my dog tried to chew them up). Hate to deprive people of the satisfaction of peeling off the film, but i'll probably bubble wrap and put in individual bags.

>>10243622
nayrt but a printout should be fine. Just make sure you get as much merch together as you can for the submission if you haven't sent it in yet.
Hope you get in anon. See you at Aselia

>>10248229
I sent off for some prints not long after this ask that will hopefully be here just before their submission close but it might be a bit late to try for some buttons (unless it's worth a shot to try and order some cheap button maker kids since that would definitely come in time). Thank you though, see you there as well (either as an artist or just a con goer in the end).

>>10248229
I sent off for some prints not long after asking that that will hopefully be here just before their submission close but it might be a bit late to try for some buttons without paying a lot for them to come in time for sure(unless it's worth a shot to try and order some cheap button maker kit since that would definitely come in time). Thank you though, see you there as well (either as an artist or just a con goer in the end).

I just purchased a button press and the first few times I tried it, I crushed the Mylar (didn’t press hard enough). If I had some cold press lamination on hand, would I be able to use that as a last minute substitute?

I've ordered a few things from other small artists, and wow some people have amazing packaging!! It has really inspired me to want to improve my packaging and add more to it. It feels so nice and special to open a package and see extra goodies like small prints or stickers.

How should I price defective prints? In my case, the prints have a tiny strip of white on one side. Should I sell them half price maybe? Or just a couple dollars off?

>>10249209
...just crop them and sell them as normal? if it's really tiny (under 1cm) no one will ever notice

>>10249231
I don’t have my paper cutter with me now. I could cut them with scissors, but my cut probably won’t come out perfectly straight, and I figured that a lot of people are finicky about quality. It’s a really tiny strip, but I feel like it’s super noticeable nonetheless. I only want to sell them because I’m running out of stock for some designs, otherwise I’d hold on to them.
Link to pic because it won’t post: https://m.imgur com/gallery/cjJcyC4

>>10249243
I don't think thats a big deal.

>>10249209
I would sell them for a few dollars off. Those who are finicky about these things wouldn’t buy unless you give it for practically free, and those who aren’t would buy at practically full price. The discount would be more of a statement that this isn’t your standard quality.

Imagine feeling so entitled that you cut in front of 7 or so other artists in line for AA check-in. Dude was clearly surprised when he ran into his friend and says "oh hey" then proceeds to flirt with the girls there he knows, never going to the back of the line. He gets away with it because they're the same race as him.


This was at SanJapan with the guy repping ofskysociety. So glad I've never bought art from them. Are there any artists you've lost respect for because they act like dicks?

>>10249474
>He gets away with it because they're the same race as him.

k sure

Are people scared off by lewder prints? Lately I've been drawing more risque prints (lots of skin and swimsuits) for practice, but I'm wondering whether it's a bad idea to sell that much lewd art at a con. I have plenty of charms that are totally sfw.

Anybody tried stickittome stickers? How well they print tiny stickers?

>>10248532
this is late, but yes, cold press lamination can substitute for the mylar. You actually can't do lamination + mylar b/c it ends up being too thick to press anyway.

Are buttons really worth doing? It seems not worth getting into considering I would have to sell 3-6 buttons to make the amount of sale with 1 charm.

>>10250774
Buttons are more an option for those who don't have much money. And in people's eyes it feels like they get more value if they purchase multiple buttons vs getting 1 charm because of the quantity. So they might end up spending the same amt of money just on a different item.

It really just boils down to how much it would bother you to make button designs and punch them out and carry them to every con.

>>10249243
A ruler and a razor on a cutting mat or cardboard. You can still cut straight, just do it the oldschool way.

I keep seeing a lot of embroidery patches popping up lately, do they actually sell well or is it more of a guilty pleasure item to make like washi tape?

>Want to design enamel pins
>hate doing lineart

>>10251041
It still requires lines, but you can also focus on making the base metal be most of your artwork.

>>10251002
Mine didn't do as well as my other stuff...on my Etsy. At cons, they were a hit. Maybe people see them as impulse buys?

>>10251173
>>10251002
Same, they did really well in person, and ok online for me.

>>10251169
These are really cute and more in line with how I color! Have any more like this or what to search for?

>>10249488
It depends on the whole set up of the table for me. If I see a print wall full of lewd prints that I'm not interested in, I'm assuming there won't be other merch on the table I'm interested in. If it's a small part of the print wall, I might still give it a look.

>>10251395
I don't know a way to search for this specific style, but we do have an enamel pin folder in the AA inspo google drive at the top of the thread.

Previous pins were by ThisisHannako and MayaKern, left to right of these are Brandy Bingham, the Gorgonist, and PaperBeatsScissors

>>10251173
>>10251333

Speaking of patches, what kind of backing do most people prefer?

>>10251485
Iron on, that way if they want to do that they can, but if they prefer to hand sew them on they can/it’ll be removable.

Just got this email from awa and I don't see the point? Basically just an ad to get pins made, and they'll add an awa watermark on the back """to make it more collectable"""
I've never made pins before so idk how much they cost, so if thats some amazing cheap deal, then sure its good I guess, but otherwise ?????

>>10251768
$3 per pin is outrageous. At those numbers you'd be paying less than a dollar per pin direct from china, after mold costs. I assume they're using a US based middle man company and don't know any better, every extra set of hands your pins go through basically doubles the cost.

Is there an advantage to getting and selling sticker sheets versus just individuals, the same with like button packs, are you just relying on someone wanting all the designs and impulse buying?

>>10251843
I personally haven't done sticker sheets, but a friend I often table at does them for characters that already sort of come as a group, and prices them a bit higher than how much it would be to buy each design individually: so far she's made bank off of them every time. There have been people who have asked if the same designs are sold individually, and even when they're told no they just suck it up and buy the whole sheet instead. I don't know how well they'd sell if the art wasn't really good or if the character groups were more random, but as with any merch I think you just have to pick and choose which characters/series work better as groups as opposed to individuals and go from there.

>>10251485
Seconding iron-on, but I tell people that they should also sew them on for extra security.

>>10251805
Apparently the cost includes both the pin and marketing.

>>10251958
>Pay AWA to stamp THEIR name on YOUR pin

alrighty then....

>>10252023
>>10251958 (You)
>>10251805
>>10251768

Seriously though what is AWA smoking. If you want a collectible pin for your show pay an artist to do it...

I'm not surprised though, they don't really value artists at all

>>10252028
whoops fucked up the (You)'s somehow my b
(sage for ot)

>>10252028
>If you want a collectible pin for your show pay an artist to do it...
Yea, I was excited when I very first started reading it because I thought they were going to be giving us pins to giveaway/sell or something.

>>10251768
Might be a good deal depending on the size and number of colors allowed. But I don’t see it mentioned in the post.

>>10252023
By marketing I thought that meant they will promote the pin and artist on their website and social media.

I sell heavy items and can not offer free shipping on them since, depending on location, can cost between $20 to $80 to ship. I can't just add that cost into the item.
I'm basically being forced off the platform.

>>10252187
Yuppp etsy is ridiculous. It's just going to be chinese wholesale resellers at this point

>>10252187
I'd heard of this but hadn't seen examples of the language they're using to sell it to creators. They're really negging. Kind of seems 101 to sell their feature using positive language rather than negative (positioning first page results as a reward rather than scolding non-free shipping creators and reminding them of the money they're losing).
Does this even really matter if someone's selling nerdy/fandom stuff? Fans tend to look through more than one page of results for stuff relevant to their interests...

>>10252253
>(positioning first page results as a reward rather than scolding non-free shipping creators and reminding them of the money they're losing)
Thats what they did at first, but over the past few months they have been more and more strict, trying to get more people to offer free shipping.
At first they just gave priority placement, but now you won't even show up on the first page.

>Does this even really matter if someone's selling nerdy/fandom stuff?

It definitely can. If you search for something, and don't find anything relevant on the first page, you might not bother searching the 2nd page, which is where all the relevant items actually are.

Looking at my stats, it shouldn't hurt me too much I guess since only 17% of my views come from etsy searches. Still though, thats up to 17% less views i'll probably be getting.

>>10252187
I just realized something, what happens when USPS increases their prices? I have 50 items, and I know a lot of people who have 200+. I can't imagine having to go through every single item at least once a year to re-adjust prices after a price increase in shipping.

>>10251169
I think I recognize that capybara, I bought the chinchilla pin from that artist!

>>10251768
This sounds similar to what's happening with PAX West/East/etc. The whole pin trading has gotten big over the years, but boy the trading community can be daunting.

>>10243320
What the hell, did you actually see somebody doing that? Yikes

>>10252398
Surprisingly, parents get off on the attention of posting about their 'especially talented' kids on AANI. I find it insulting to know that parents purchase tables for their kid to make $50 that weekend when it could've been filled with an better artist

is the pin market too oversaturated?
how likely is it to get pins funded on a first-time kickstarter if you aren't a well-known name?

>>10252422
Don't expect backers to come in from Kickstarter itself, it'll all depend on your own marketing

>>10252262
>>10252253
I'd like to also note everyone called it out for what it was - a punishment for people who can't offer free shipping - even when they used flowery positive language

Did anyone else get a bunch of weird 'your badge was registered' emails from magfest? I hadn't registered for a badge but I'm wondering if it's maybe artist alley related?

>>10253440
Yes, I did too. No idea why. Maybe we checked something on the app by accident?

>>10253440
>>10253462

Same here. They finally sent out an additional email saying it was a mistake.

>>10243320
i think the bigger issue is exposing them to fucking weirdos

the amount of weird dudes asking me to draw inappropriate shit when i was 16 was disgusting

>>10253653
>the amount of weird dudes asking me to draw inappropriate shit when i was 16 was disgusting

Nasty degenerates. Sorry you had to put up with that BS.

What are some general rules of thumb that are good to keep in mind when figuring out how to price commissions? I've been thinking about starting to accept commissions, but have no idea how to price them or even how to start calculating it. I'm also not sure how to deal with possible discounts or increase in price for extra stuff.

>>10254028
Find someone around your skills level and adjust according to demand - if no one bites, price cheaper, if you're overwhelmed, increase it. The hardest part is being objective, you will always get people that talk about how "artists deserve to make at least X!!!" and "pros make xxx!!" but if you don't get ANY commissioners, either your marketing or your pricing is wrong.

>>10254028
>>10254046

Seconded, it's simple supply & demand. A lot of us would be happy to charge $200-300 per illustration but that could severely limit our pool of customers, so it's better to offer an illustration for $50 and get /some/ bites than none at all. The popular artists that can charge those prices can do so because they're popular and have more people vying to get a slot from them, and they can raise their prices higher and higher till they can reach a manageable level.. Commissions are sort of like an auction in that way.

>>10254028
Pretty much what has already been said. Though between choosing to do 1 illustration for $200 and 4 for $50, I prefer doing 1 just because of the logistics of emailing back and forth with the client. Don't discount the time you spend with the small stuff.

What size of mailing tubes should I get to ship 11x17 prints? There are so many different sizes it's confusing lol

>>10254225
Go to the store and buy some sizes and see what works best? I haven't shipped with tubes but I imagine depending on the kind of caps you might need your print size plus an extra inch or so.

>>10252187
ugh, same boat except all my items are extremely light. i mainly sell hair clips so shipping will always be like 6$. but if i do the free shipping i now have to raise the price on my items, which ive already priced competitively at a bogo 3-5$ each deal or keep them the same price and basically give away another free clip if someone buys like 8 of them. and if they happen to be international im just fucked.

its just so fucking stupid, who would even buy a single hair clip for 7$? like this generally discourages me from adding a more variety of cheap items for fear of someone wanting to take advantage of the free shipping, or i need to overprice my items. i know another option is to sell my clips in packs but i actually make more frequent sales from people who just want one individual clip rather than taking advantage of the bogo.

>>10254225
i roll the print in another sheet of news print to protect it so i get 15" long tubes. the width of the tube depends on your paper stock. if you use cover / card stock for example you might want a 3" rounds, if you text stock you might get away with 2" or 2.5

I've seen people offering glitter stickers but the only glitter sticker paper I've found is from silhouette and it says it's silver instead of white?

>>10243603
>>10248229
Update, I just got my acceptance into the AA! I'm very excited and am looking forward to; but now I have to figure out how to work things. Would anyone know where to go with tax certification/sellers permit in Texas? Sorry if it's a dumb question but I just want to make sure I'm looking at the right things for it, especially since I don't want it to bite me in the butt later.

Crosspost from the stupid questions thread, since—sifting through the OP—people in this general seem to be broadly familiar with this kind of topic, and with alibaba.com:
Are there any go-to suppliers for custom lace and embroidery products, mainly for home textiles (like pillow covers and tablecloths), where I could send in a 2D design and have it produced? spoonflower.com from the OP only seems to do prints.
I'm looking both for quality stuff (to use myself and to gift to friends), ideally from Europe since I'm German, and for cheap and barely-not-toxic chinkshit that could be bulk-ordered and mass-produced.

>>10254905
1. No.
2. Get your motherfking racist ass out of here and don’t call Asians names dipshit. Thank you.

>>10254955
>>10254905 #
>1. No.
>2. Get your motherfking racist ass out of here and don’t call Asians names dipshit. Thank you.

Good job calling out. We got ourselves a hitler youth here.

>>10254978
cry more

>>10254905
Hey dumbfuck a high number of people who visit this thread are asian, I know "racism is cool on 4chan" but if you're asking people for help maybe relax your shit a little bit.

>>10254905
>asks about alibaba
>doesn't want chinese quality products

>>10255132
That's why I'm asking whether there are any known, trusted vendors. I know that not all Chinese manufacturers are terrible (else I wouldn't be asking), but it's easy to get scammed or, worse, to end up with products treated with unsafe chemicals (or produced under intolerable working conditions) that would be irresponsible to sell to anyone.

>>10254955
>>10255104
I'm sure they appreciate you getting offended on their behalf (and lumping Japanese, Koreans, and mainland and overseas Chinese together).

>>10255442
nah bitch you're the one who's racist as fuck, you don't deserve anyone's help here

Enjoy your European PPU's

How much do you gulls charge for a sticker sheet?

>>10255442
>im not racist uuurrrr racciisttt
giga brain over here

>>10255442
>Plz spoonfeed me supplies from chinks
>B-but anons! I care about their terrible working conditions

You literally could've just said:
"Can you recommended high quality suppliers for custom lace and embroidery products"

But nah you had to be lazy and racist, there was literally no reason to bring up why you're German please take your autism back to the stupid questions thread lmao

>>10255480
$4 for one but I sell a 2 pack so $8

>>10255528
Devil’s advocate, but the german/euro part is important because they get fucked over in taxes. I.e. euro suppliers preferred.

>>10255744
probably should have worded that initial question a little less racist then huh

>>10245111
OMG thanks so much!!! You rock!

>>10254750
Hey I'm in the same boat and hope to hear an answer about this, too! If I find anything out I'll share it here, I'm hoping my parents can advise me if they're not too busy. And see you at Aselia, congrats at getting in!!! <3

>>10255808
>>10243603
>>10248229
>>10254750
>You are always supposed to. Enforcement depends on how strict the con or state is.

>>10255808
>>10254750
Email your convention AA and ask what kind of seller's/sales permit they require; most legitimate AA will at least check that you have a permit or require you to display it, and if so, they should have links for you since literally every artist they approve will need to have one. If they're a tiny AA and can't answer your questions then I'd question their legitimacy, any con holding an AA should have this information. You likely want a temporary seller's/sales permit or some variation of that; I'm not going to do more work for you but it looks like there's more info about that here: https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/permit/ I've never sold in Texas so I'm not 100% sure that's the correct page but google keeps directing me there and it contains the same kind of information as my local state page. If the registration process doesn't differentiate between permanent/temporary then I suggest calling them and asking whether they have temporary permits or what you should do in that case. You do not want to end up with a permanent seller's permit and forget to close it because they might come after you for extra fees, thinking you have a permanent business location. In my state, you apply for a temporary one and pay the taxes by the end of the following month for that event. The point of this permit is simply to report your earnings and pay your sales taxes.

>>10255867
>>10255879
I read on one of the resource links here that you should always have a permit but since all the links I looked at specifically talking about selling in AA's in Texas came up dead I wasn't 100% sure, especially when Aseliacon's AA rules doesn't mention it at all (it's also a pretty small con). Hearing that the permit site I was looking at contains the same kind of info that is needed in another state though is reassuring at least, especially since I don't really know of anyone else to check this with. I'm going to take your advice and both email the convention about it as well as call about permits with that site when I'm first able to get the chance to though. Also, would you need a permanent permit to set up shop online or is that different? Thank you so much though for the reply and info, I appreciate it a lot!
>>10255808
Thanks, and same right back at you! Should I also come back after I get a reply about it for you to know too if you don't get to it before me?

>>10255879
I've sold at dozens of cons and never had to have a sellers permit. I've tried googling temporary sellers permits in the southeast US where I am and its always very confusing and no straight answers.
At this point I just do whatever people tell me I should do, and nothing more.

>>10255987
I should have also mentioned, in my area we also have specific regional agencies that assign permits; the area you'll be selling in might have its own agency, rather than the main Texas one. The actual location of the con is where you're charging/remitting tax for, not your home location.
>Also, would you need a permanent permit to set up shop online or is that different?
Every state has different laws for that, depending on how well they're keeping up with current technology. I wouldn't be able to tell you about Texas. If you end up talking to them I would ask them, but be aware they might struggle to understand your business. These government agencies have gotten better at understanding online commerce lately but in some places they really have a hard time grasping what exactly you'll be doing and how to designate your business. It's possible they'll tell you to get permits that you don't need.

>>10256188
Bigger cons are strict about getting a copy of one and I've had local agencies even walk through AAs and check individual permits, so I assume you're hitting a lot of small cons that are poorly regulated. If the con anon is going to isn't requiring it or offers no advice, then more than likely it's fine to not have one, but it's always better to be safe and make sure. "It's confusing" isn't a valid excuse for tax dodging, anon.

>>10256209
>so I assume you're hitting a lot of small cons that are poorly regulated.
I go to AWA and momo-con

>"It's confusing" isn't a valid excuse for tax dodging, anon.

I can't know about something no one tells me about. No con has told me I need a sellers permit.

I hate when I can't find reviews on the internet.
Anybody tried Vograce's sticker sheets? The vinyl ones.

>>10256398
I've never used their sticker printing but they do samples, if you cant find reviews it might just be worth it to ask for a sample from them.

>>10256188
Your state comptroller or similar government department should have a page somewhere about when you need to get a temporary permit (almost always) and how to do so (generally filling out one online form or one phone call.) Just do it, you don't want to get in trouble.

>>10256244
>I can't know about something no one tells me about
Yeah that makes it legal. You're running a business, anon. I know that a lot of amateurs get into this and it's confusing and hard, but that's why you ask and try to figure it out, not claim ignorance should protect you from the law and then tell other people they should do the same as you. Both those cons are in the same city in the same state, maybe it's legal in Atlanta, it's not the same in every state.

>>10256500
>that's why you ask and try to figure it out
Ask who what?

What do we think of this?
www.freightwaves.com/news/us-to-leave-global-postal-union-next-month/amp

>>10256669
Your AA neighbor? Your internet friends? Google? Your local government’s toll free line? By ‘ask’ anon means ‘go to the trouble of looking for information on.’

>>10256669
>>10256669
Google 'your state' and 'tax filing'. Or Google 'your state' and 'DMV' to find your states actual government website. There should be a section just for business or filing taxes. An easier way would be to call the contact number on the website for instructions or you could just walk into your DMV and say I need help with taxes what do I do? Be VERY SPECIFIC. Taxes need to be filed for so many things... and taxes largely vary from state to state as far as rates, where youre selling, what you're selling, how much profit is earned over a set amount of time, etc. If you can take a business 101 class I highly recommend it, especially for one in your state. If you know the basic of what you need it's actually really easy, just horribly unorganized. (This is like in no way official or a regular standard but uf you dont make an average of 400 a month from a your business front I wouldn't worry about filing so much. I've made that much from babysitting but I sure as hell ain't telling anyone or pushing a business front. Or if you selling 200 in just commissions per month I wouldn't worry just yet, but if you are using a business name and have store front of some sort it would behoove you to register a business and keep track of your sales and business purchases.) If you need papers for a convention, email the artist alley director, they should be giving you the forms anyway. You can also google 'state name sellers permit' just make sure your checking the website origin to make sure it's the states official site. Filing state permits are typically nbd and free, its just for local gov to collect taxes and keep the town legal and in good condition. It's also really simple and you can do it entirely from home and just mail the form to the gov office if you want.

>>10256793
I'm at the point in this administration where literally nothing makes me feel anything anymore. I can't even get mad. There's nothing we can do about it, even if enough people protested, it wouldn't matter.

Using the docs sheet in op, is it safe to assume sales based on con attendance? I'm looking to plan upcoming conventions as a newbie artist and have applied to some cons based on attendance like eccc, but is that a safe way to make estimate plans on cons I haven't experienced yet or should I really try digging up some artists reviews for each con before applying?

>>10256930
In some states the DMV doesn't handle the tax/permits, in California for example we used to report to the BoE and now it's moved to the CDTFA. So searching "filing sales and use tax" could also be helpful. Just wanted to add that info! It would be really nice if states were more consistent about how the permits and filing work.

>>10256933
con attendance has nearly no relationship to how much money you'll make.

>>10256939
Thx Anon! I wasn't aware of that. I've only lived in Nevada and Utah and the majority of government related issues can be handled at the DMV lol. And the business class I took was in Idaho, so if you're there and making more than 400 a month you'll need to pay sales tax. And yeah gov really is all over the place. Like I know what terms to search for but it's still so different in each state that it takes me a few days of reading fine print and checking credentials to make sure it's legit. Thank God for google otherwise I wouldn't even bother registering a business lmao

>>10256947
Damn. I wish tabling was easier for artists who don't yet have first hand experience. I'll ask about cons in the new thread then

>>10256932
Yeah but I was wondering, if it ends up being instated, how we're all going to cover for the crazy increase of cost. Will AA prices go up?

>>10256976
I imagine, but also a lot of artists won't even be able to afford the base costs to import anymore with all the tariffs too, much less ship merch internationally. I'd guess a lot of artists will go "out of business" and find other work unless they're already successful, or the wide variety of accessible merchandise we currently enjoy will go away. Capitalism!

>>10256976
As far as I know most of the custom work most artists get from overseas isn’t delivered with USPS but rather private companies, so I’m not sure how hard that price increase will hit in that respect. But it is concerning for literally everything else. Just overseas merchandise in general...such A short-sighted move.

>>10257020
inb4 500 charm kickstarters

Is it naive to hope that someone who's rich enough is going to get lose enough from this that they'll lobby for him to stop his ego battle with Xi Jinping? (probably)

Here comes dumb bitches on AANI stirring the pot about kickstarter.

>>10257332
I mean, regardless of your feelings on it, it's good to be aware of it. Presenting it without the additional context of the tweets from the union asking people not to boycott is pretty irresponsible, though.

>>10257372
Good head on your shoulders. Agreed.

>>10257332
for serious

New thread: >>10258325