/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

I would so buy these.

Does anybody have booth recommendations for somebody wanting to sell clothing? Both arrangement/setup and actually making the booth.

I'll dump some photos since I have a computer now and my old craft folder. Do you all want tutorials too?

Would it be okay if I took a poll of what CGL thinks will sell well?

Kigurumis
Plushie backpacks
Puffy fleece hats (like with animal ears and shet)
Miniature polymer clay sculptures
Decorative zipper pulls
"Terrarium" necklaces in tiny glass jars


>>7233336
Wool roving source:
http://www.wistyria.com/pb/wp_66efa76d/wp_66efa76d.html

>>7234623
I know a lot of artists use the overhed PVC pipe setup. You could use that and put the pipe through the sleeve holes to display some tshirts?

>>7234623
Keep one of each design out on hangars and the rest in bins labeled with the size.

Have a chart handy with all pertinent measurements.

>>7234630
>Kigurumis
Ehhh... Moderate?
>Plushie backpacks
Good seller
>Puffy fleece hats (like with animal ears and shet)
Market here is overflowing with people making those, don't know what it's like where you are
>Miniature polymer clay sculptures
"Oh, it's so cute! ...But what will I do with it?" I think it'd sell better if you made them into charms, phone straps, keychains, etcetera.
>Decorative zipper pulls
No idea on that one. I wouldn't buy something like that.
>"Terrarium" necklaces in tiny glass jars
Good.

>>7234630
I'm just sick of seeing those damn fleece hats at cons. Where else can you actually wear them and not look like an idiot?

>>7234640
I actually wear animal-ear hats in real life so I can't answer that :X

I mean a lot of the ones I see at cons already are kind of crappy and OTT...I'm a good sewer though (flame for specialsnowflake). And the ones I have in mind are subtle (well as subtle as an animal-ear hat can be) like just a simple black cap with puffy bear ears.

>>7234639
You're right on the sculptures, I think that's just me because I love sculptures that just sit there lol.

I've done phone charms (although, do most phones nowadays even have a place to put charms?), any suggestions for other stuff I can attach polyclay stuff to?

>>7234646
You can still do charms. Just invest in dust caps to sell or give to customers to accompany their charms. I got so tried of hearing "this is cute, but my stupid phone doesn't let me have charms" line over and over again so I bought a set and now my charm sales are increasing again!

I think subtle animal hats are darling. I hate the OTT looking ones like the MLP hats...

>>7234652
>dust caps
I had to look up what they were. Oy.
I knew about them but I didn't know what they were called haha.

And yeah I totally agree about the animal hats. I'm thinking of doing really simple designs like tiny bunny ears or small deer antlers on solid colors.

>>7234646
>>7234652
I love animal hats too, but not the kind you generally find in Artist Alley.

>>7234675
You know, I think something like this will be my next millinery project after I finish my current hat. I think a felt bowler with little ears may be nice.

>>7234675
Hmmm how about a felted version of this hat? I think it would be cute for lolita during the winter.

>>7234694
Whoops didn't see this when I posted >>7234706

>>7233404
Thank you for the tip about the rubbing alcohol to get rid of lint! I still have quite a stash of sculpey left, I'll have to give the clay another try.

>>7234630
>kigurumis
Would sell well at big cons and not baby cons where not many people would drop a lot of cash.
>plushie backpacks
Try a few and see, I would think they'll sell well too. Make them nice and worth the price, especially lining them. Also, printed bags are great as well.
>puffy fleece hats
They better stand out among the many fleece hats at cons. What makes them different from the other zillion cat/dog/rabbit/"zodiac" hats?
>miniature polymer clay sculptures
Hit and miss, depends on what they are I guess. In general, people are fussy about prices so if you have something smaller than a palm-size and you're selling it for over $30, it's... tough. Things like that make me reconsider about doing clay items because I'm a perfectionist and I want to be paid fairly for my wares. The table with the lady selling dragon sculptures are nicely detailed, and I can see them as a hit at fantasy cons of sorts.
>decorative zipper pulls
That takes me back, I used to have some of my clay charms on zipper pulls, different from necklaces and phone charms, you know? They are a hard seller, but that's just me. If you have the right design and display, I don't see why you can try them. Besides if they don't sell, I'm sure you can change them over to phone charms or such.
>terrarium necklaces
Yes yes yes. Origami ones work nicely, even tiny clay ones of the fairies from Zelda are fun too. Anything in tiny glass jars is cute as heck but consider about packaging them for selling. Like, wrap them up in tissue when someone buys one for a bit of protection.

>>7234750
No problem :) The lint thing used to drive me nuts until I figured out the rubbing alcohol trick.

>What makes them different from the other zillion cat/dog/rabbit/"zodiac" hats?
See above
>>7234646
>>7234667
I'm thinking of making them more if a "minimalist J-fashion" style with muted colors, less OTT cartoony, kind of like pic related (but sewn instead of knit). And they don't have to be fleece, I'm thinking double-faced jersey would be nice too. I know it's a simple idea but I haven't see much stuff like it at cons, most of it is more for showing your geekiness/weeabooness/fandom than for fashion.

I would probably do a bunch of small cute simpler sculptures at like $5-10 depending on size (since they're easy to make) and then have just a few more elaborate, big ones at a higher price.

Definitely agree on the packaging for the terrariums, I would probably bring a roll of bubble wrap with me and just roll them up a square of it.

>>7234817
Cool stuff, sorry I somehow overlooked the earlier hat idea. Play around with the hat designs, knit/crochet hats are nice too.

>>7234832
Is that Athena's wink ?

>>7234832
What's stopping me from doing knitted hats is that they take a lot more time/effort, and thus I'd have to charge significantly higher for them...I could probably do a couple because the knit ones are totally cute, but as a whole I'd like to keep most of my stuff lower-priced to facilitate buying, lol.

>>7234846
>Athena's wink
No idea but it could be, I just saved a picture once upon a time.

>>7234864
Hmm true. It can be a tricky thing to find knitted fabric (I've seen them, my sister made a few infinity scarves out of them) and sew hats from them, plus they'll have the seams which may be unsightly. Or else you use those circle looms to "knit" hats, takes about an hour for a simple toque, and it's the matter of add-ons. Oh well, I totally get where you're coming from about keeping things low or else the costs and time eat out of your pockets.

>>7234864
Crocheting is really easy and quick.

>>7234922
I'm not really crazy about crocheted hats to be honest, at least the ones I've seen anyway. Plus I don't know how, lol.

>>7234876
There's a way of making sewn caps with jersey so that all the seams are basically on the edge of the cap/inside, and you really can't see them on the outside (except for where the ears are attached).

Not sure what a lot of these tutorials are but I'm posting most of my craft folder.

>>7235042

>>7235046

>>7235048

>>7235050

>>7235048
is that meat?

>>7235050
>tfw you finally learn how to ladder stitch
Thank you, kind anon.

>>7235063
Strawberry slice, lol.

>>7235054

>>7235098

>>7235100

>>7235112

>>7235115

>>7235117

>>7235118

>>7235119

>>7235120

>>7234839
I'm wondering. Have people seen this in store at JoAnn's? Because I can find the little glass jars online, but I usually don't see them in store. Are they usually in some odd spot, or am I just really blind? I mean, it even says they're in stock at the one near me.

>>7235121

>>7235123
I haven't seen them at the one near me. I've only found them on Taobao in the odd shapes.

>>7235125

>>7235133

>>7235130
These are on the JoAnn's website for $1.19 for a two pack. IT says they're in stock at the store. Even lists them under the Jewelry making bead. DON'T LIKE TO ME JOANNS.

>>7235136
Oh cool. I know Hobby Lobby has the star/heart/etc shapes for like $2.50 for a 2 pack but they're cheaper on Taobao.

>>7235136
Oh! I almost forgot I found these thanks to an Anon on the last thread.
60 bottles + 1 case = $10

http://www.8seasons.com/1-plastic-storage-box-include-60-clear-glass-bottles-vial-with-cork-45x22mm8ml-p-11785.html

There's also another size available.

>>7235144
Forgot my picture.

>>7235141
I could probably get them cheaper on taobao. But I guess the trade off is either the convenience of buying them at JoAnn's for more, or having to go through a shopping service and going through customs to get tiny glass bottles.

Searching amazon brings up multiple sellers that seller them too. There's a seller on there selling a 50pc set for $13.99

>>7235148
True point. I'm just planning to get all my needle felting wool from Taobao because it's $0.16USD for it.

>>7235123
At the Joann's I work at we have a pack of tiny bottles in our papercrafting/scrapbooking section.

>>7235136
Never go by what the website says for what they have in stores, the Joann's website doesn't know shit. They're system is completely different from the system in the store because the online store and local stores are run by different people. Plus, our in store system only updates every 3-5 days and is almost never accurate of what we have in stock. Just call your local store and ask them to put the item on hold for you.

>>7235153
Yeah. Online stock numbers are always a pain in the ass because most times, a companies website stock numbers aren't going to match the actual in store stock. This shit happens with even little companies, big corporate ones are fucking shit.

>>7235152
Any idea what the shipping for that would be?

>>7235152
I don't felt, but at a craft fair this woman was telling me all about it and said she only uses wool from a farmer friend of hers so she knows where it came from. I'm not sure if this is just a precaution or an actual health issue.

>>7235166
Pretty sure every craft shop here gets their wool roving from China anyway so I'm not concerned.

>>7235166
I'm pretty sure it's more of a "support local businesses" thing than a health thing. Otherwise all of us buying clothes from China are fucked.

>>7235158
Wool roving is pretty lightweight so it depends on how much you get. 1kg (2.2lbs) is only $20 shipped and wool roving on this shop I have bookmarked is $0.33USD for 5g.

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=19523902319&spm=2014.12317209.0.0
(There's another listing with more colors available in the shop.)

>>7235195
Wow what a great deal, thanks!

>>7235197
No prob. Apparently China is really big on needle felting. Hardly anyone here knows what it is (even my craft crazy grandmother never heard of it) but on Taobao everyone seems to be doing it so that's how I got into it.

>>7235195
This shop also has felting needes, glue, DIY keychains/hooks, and stuff for jewelry like hairclips and junk.

Do you guys want links to my other Artist Alley related DIY supply shops? I've got a bunch of links to kawaii molds for clay.

>>7234605
I always drool over these thread thumbs so bad. Where can I get some like that? Any webstores? I only seem to find 'look it's my first polymer project alright, it's artsy CROOKEDNESS MAKES IT SPECIAL!!' shits on Etsy, never the cute ones I'd actually buy.

Sorry for the slight offtopic

>>7235212
Yes please!

>>7235211
Here are a few sellers that have good ones

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Tiramisufluff
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MaChatNoir
https://www.etsy.com/shop/wiino
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SweetieTiny

>>7235195
Looks like I'll have to finally learn how to shop at Taobao.

Before

>>7235651
and after

>>7235144

I love you anon. I love you.

>>7235144
That was me. I'm so happy other craftsters can get on the awesomeness that is 8seasons. <3 I've never been disappointed by anything I've ordered there. (which was mostly beads, chains and bezels for resin casting for me).

>>7235648
I run a Taobao tumblr that has some guides and you can always message me through it if you have questions. Just scroll down and click 'Taobao Tips' and go to the last few pages. The newer stuff is translation assistance.
>http://taobao-finds.tumblr.com/

>>7235259
Sorry, went to bed soon after posting but I'll get some links in a second.

>>7235663
No problem but should really thank >>7235741

>>7235741
I was wondering about reviews for the place since it seems damn good priced. Good to hear the quality is good for the price. You've absolutely ruined me. I love taobao but 8seasons looks awesome for keychains and glass bottles.

>>7235885
>http://shop61684884.taobao.com/
Clay molds, cookie cutters (great for needle felting), terrarium supplies, keychains, cellphone charms, clay, deco bowls, etc.

>>7235901
Here's some display stuff for booths.

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=25654732292&spm=2014.12317209.0.0

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=2013.1.0.0.qs60sy&id=36047328959&scm=1007.10039.168.0

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=2013.1.0.0.qs60sy&id=14883605638&scm=1007.10039.168.0

This shop in general has a lot of rose themed beauty supplies and storage.

>>7235918
>http://heihu19881122.taobao.com/
Beads, cat beads, bracelet supplies, good luck charm supplies.

>>7235921
>http://february1979.taobao.com/
Jewelry supplies, terrarium supplies, flower crown supplies, beads, and DIY tools.

>>7234553
That's really re-assuring. Thanks for the reply.

A lot of my characters are strong-willed girls (late teens to early 30s), but I do have a handful of guys. Hopefully my target demographic doesn't end up being 100% neckbeards.

>>7235264
I'm in heaven. Thank you

http://www.8seasons.com/mixed-elegant-wine-glass-charms-dispaly-cards-115x6cmwith-self-adhesive-bags-sold-per-pack-of-120-p-13876.html

Someone make a shrine to 8Seasons anon right now. I had no idea they had packaging!

>>7234605
This probably gets asked every thread but how much did these sell for?

>>7236445
They all say "Wine Glass Charm" though.

>>7236486
Oh, crap. You're right. Well, the designs are still pretty. Maybe you can just make a little label to go over that part since it's at the bottom? Or cut it off.

>>7235885
Thanks for the tumblr help, I'll definitely reach out when I'm ready for some taobao-related assistance!

In general, I feel like I'm getting ahead of myself after seeing all of these nifty crafty gems you can buy from taobao and 8seasons. They would be nice to have and work with, but... I really should stop and plan. I have that tendency to spread myself thin because I like to offer a variety of items (plushies, amigurumi, clay, felted, very interested in practical items with prints). Oh the choices...

>>7236795
Same! There's a whole list of stuff I want to sell but then when I think about it, I think I have too many but when I get supplies for stuff I look at it all and think I don't have enough variety.

>>7236059
Welcome :)

>>7235885
Oooh those little glass terrarium rings, lesquee. TY!!

Thanks to the anon that suggested wire looping head pins for my wards. They came out great!

www.etsy.com/listing/172784061/sight-ward-and-vision-ward-pendant

Can somebody here help with this? >>>7237345

Not for artist alley, but a friend was asking me about stickers and I know you guys could give some recommendations about printing stickers (potentially die-cut, I think he wants):

Where'd you get them done? What format did you need the image to be? Where do I look for low to mid-range quality two color printing?

bump

>>7238621

>>7238622

Hey, I was just wondering what kind of experience you've had with ordering laser cut items? I'm looking at a webstore called ponoko for custom cuts, but since I've never done this before, I'm not too sure what kind of cost it would come to or if anyone had another store suggestion. Thanks!

ugh, i would love to do an AA again.
sadly, I just don't have the time/energy anymore to put shit together that i like that would sell

>>7238038
>Where'd you get them done?
I've only tried StickerYou.com. It was for work though, and I don't have any samples around unfortunately. But they do offer die cut! And they're super fast and their customer service was pretty good imo.

>What format did you need the image to be?
You use their uploader and move your images around on the 8.5 x 11 canvas, so jpeg, png, or gif is allowed. I prefer png because of transparencies.

I'm starting to plan for my next con now, which won't be for another 5 months from now, but better now than never.

What characters/series are "in" right now?

I've got: Kill La Kill, AoT, Evangelion, Dagan Ronpa (sp?), and of course, ponies.

What characters are popular?

>>7239153
Are you trying to compile a list of cosplays to avoid?
Because I don't know why you would want to cosplay something you know tons of other people will be dressed up as, too. I mean, why would you want to be "another Ryuko." (That's the chick from KLK, right?)
Also, Kanata no Kyoukai is probably gonna be all over the place.

>>7239168
>AA thread
They're asking what series is popular so they can work on art for it.

>>7239084
dur got distracted

>>7239179
Very cute, but that fabric isn't going to hold up for frequent use. Have any bags made of other materials?

>>7239195
nah, but I do know that fleece isn't great for bags.
this one i took with me to a con and the strap stretched like crazy.

>>7237546
That's awesome! Glad I could help out, they look really cute.

>>7240236

>>7240239

>>7240240

>>7239153
>What characters/series are "in" right now?
Other than your list, Valrave, KnK, Blazblue, and Free. Madoka is also still going strong.

>What characters are popular?
From the series you listed, I assume?

>Kill la Kill
Nonon and Mako seems to be just slightly above Ryuko and Satsuki in terms of fans. I'm unsure about the male characters.

>AoT
Levi, Eren, Mikasa, Sasha, Christa, Petra, Annie, and Jean seem to be the most popular. Maybe Ymir too?

>Evangelion
Asuka, Rei, Mari, Kaworu

>Dagan Ronpa
Syo, Chihiro, Celes, Junko, Ibuki, Kazuichi, Aoi. I'm not as well-versed in this one so this may not be exact, just my observations from /cgl/'s cosplay threads and /a/.

>ponies
All of the mane sixe, Luna, Discord, Celestia, Derpy, Pon3, the CMC, Trixie, Big Mac, Cadence, Chrysalis, Dr Whooves, and maybe Berry Punch, Flitter and Cloudchaser, Lyra and Bonbon.

Is Animal Crossing still popular? Not my work, but kind of related.

bump

>>7243221
I find it a little weird that she has a picture of herself on her sign. It sorta feels like it takes away from marketing her wares (I see her first and the little plushies on the sign second) and is more like marketing herself. She's not even selling clothes or accessories that she could be wearing in the picture, she's selling plushies.

Where do you get your stuff printed and laminated? If you sell stickers where do you get them done? What do you use to make charms? Im really curious what everyone uses.

>>7243221
I have learned that letting wire cages be see-through is a big no-no for optimal passerby viewing. Cubes need to be lined with fabric or something from behind so the viewers eyes do not look through the display, but rather at it.

And yea her image on the sign is really tacky. It's embarrassing that noone critiqued it before the sign was printed.

Just ordered my batch of prints for a con in a couple of weeks... Really regretting it now. Even if I sold all of my inventory, I'd barely be making half of what I normally make. Idk why I got such low quantities.

>>7243491
Consider investing in your own 5+ color cmyk printer and using refilled cartridges for ink. Personally I buy glossy paper packs on the cheap and print out my own posters and prints. The cost of the printer+ink is likely lower than the cost of your prints you ordered. (And I bring it with me to print extras after each day)

Printer: Pixma iX6520
Paper: 5x7 Ultrafine Horizon (ebay)
Paper: 11x17 double-sided glossy (ebay)

>>7243484
That's a very interesting tip about the wire cages. I do notice recently at some of the tables, rather than wires, each face had some plastic opaque coverings. While different, I thought it was kind of nice since it was solid but not too thick so light wouldn't pass through or else some of the items inside the boxes would be shadowed.

Speaking of signs, I'll never get over this design...

>>7243609
Dog fetus or skinned puppy. Don't these people have other art friends to critique them before they do shit like this?

>>7243609
looks like a dyed maltese to me with an unfortunate photoshop filter put over it

>>7243641
There's a good chance that's a shooped image of a puppy that was tinted pink.

Given that font choice (ugh) going to go with a "No" because there is a whole lot of bad over a table with plushes, pillows and jewelry.

>>7243609
>sleepy puppy plushies
>no puppy plushies

>>7243508
It seems like it'd be a while before it paid off though? I get mine for 75c, and it seems as if the paper is already 50c each unless I buy it in giant quantities. I might look into it for the future, but right now it just seems like a large investment that would take me a while to pay off, without guarantees for quality. I appreciate the input though, and I'll look into it more! Thank you. c:

>>7243704
What sizes are the majority of your prints?

>>7243728
11x17" and 8.5x11".

>>7243609
I wonder what the differences between the $28 and the $45 plushies are?

I don't like such inconsistent pricing, the more I look at it the more it looks like everything is a different price.

>>7243769
It looks like maybe the orange stickers are a discounted price? Seeing as some are stuck over a yellow tag...

>>7243609
Site appears to show less of a creepy puppy.

>>7243796
I like the dinosaur. There needs to be more cool dinosaur stuff out there.

>>7243796
Do people really buy simplistic plush made with only 2-3 pieces of fabric?

>>7243826
Her Etsy has had 108 sales, so I'd say yes.

>>7243830
Most of the sales as of recent are those furry tails.

>>7243995
Furries love to throw their money at furry stuff.

>>7243830
I thought they would fall under the "I cam make that myself!" category like bead sprites.

>>7244006
Off topic, I had seen a girl at Megacon this year with a really long ass furry tail have her tail stepped on and she jerked backwards into the big brony behind her. It wasn't a good time to be taking a sip of my drink, I nearly choked on it.

>>7244031
Hm, I saw a girl with a really long tail that was dragging on the floor at Megacon as well. Did she have about a foot of tail on the floor?

>>7244035
Yes, it looked like a furry lizard shaped tail, think it was purple?

>>7244036
Maybe it was the same person. There's always tons of people with tails at Megacon, but I don't think I've seen another one that long.

Seems there is an art crit question here >7244029
Misfire perhaps.

Seems there is an art crit question here >>7244029
Misfire perhaps.

>>7244216
There's no way that exists.

So I have a couple of ideas for less conventional products, and was wondering how well you lot think they'd sell.
-Watches modeled after things like Homura Akemi's buckler and Roger Smith's watch
-Silicone squishy toys of Pokemon like Ditto and Goomy and the Slime from Dragon Quest
-anime-related stamps, with things like Kyubey's face and the Brand of Sacrifice from Berserk
Basically, I'd like to offer some things that are a break from the buttons and prints you see all over AA halls these days.

>>7245113
>-Watches modeled after things like Homura Akemi's buckler and Roger Smith's watch
Do people really buy watches that much anymore?
>-Silicone squishy toys of Pokemon like Ditto and Goomy and the Slime from Dragon Quest
I'd buy the shit out of that if they're done well.
>-anime-related stamps, with things like Kyubey's face and the Brand of Sacrifice from Berserk
Hm, not sure. It sounds interesting and I love both Madoka and Berserk.

>>7245113
>watches
Might be hard to sell at a reasonable price for you and customers. Better off for online sales, and see what happens. People have bought FMA pocket watches and... I'm sure there are other pocket watches as well. Anyway, people will see watches as a novelty thing so often they don't expect to pay out of the wazoo for a nice one, especially at a con.
>silicon squishy toys
Same reaction as >>7245229 It'd be a neat toy, desk ornament sort of thing. If it's like those stress balls (painted over a dense foam base), which will eventually crack, would serve a fun way to relieve stress.
>rubber stamps
I really love the idea. I think there are a lot of creative folks around who enjoys using rubber stamps for stationery or other cute things, or at least when given the opportunity to use fan-based stamps. And I think if you throw in a small stamp pad with the stamp (or charge extra I dunno), it would sweeten the deal. This vaguely reminds me of opening a christmas cracker and the "small toy" it included was a Naruto stamp. I might be a tad biased because I work at a paper/stationery/craft store, and wax seals and rubber stamps are quite popular...

>>7246017
>>7245113
If a watch is popular enough, there will be Chinese replicas of it which may cut into your business.

>>7243316
online

>>7246729
You're so helpful, Anon-chan.

>>7246733

8-)

bump for more tutorials

Good way to phrase a sign for those with unsealed makeup / food fingers to not touch the wares? 8|

>>7247994
"Please ask for assistance before handling products"

>>7247625
Here's something AA-related for those who want to try shrinky-dinks for charms.

Not quite AA but pretty cute, could be inspiring to someone.

>>7248010
What material did she print the charms on?

>>7248531
Most likely shrinky dink or shrink paper.

>>7248010
What kind of product is this 'Detail Clear'? is it embossing powder?

>>7248582
You can just use clear nail polish. Same effect.

>>7248996
What? Noooo. Clear nail polish is going to chip and peel eventually. Use clear embossing powder, it's stronger, waterproof, doesn't yellow with time, basically it's good stuff.

>>7247994
Do not touch doesn't work?

>>7244796
>why

>>7246017
I want those square chickens. Omg

>>7244006
>coffee drinkers love to buy coffee

Those furry tails mainly attract furries I think.

>>7249765
You could put up 20 signs in flashing lights and there will always be those idiots who "didn't see it".

>>7249765
Nope. Still had a homostuck fag get paint on my wares. Then ran off before I could tackle their ass.

>>7249980
Have you tried getting clear bags to place items in for display?

>>7249980
The best thing you can do is pay attention when Homestucks or other body paint cosplayers visit your table. Greet them and tell them if they want to see something just ask and you will get it for them. Then just kinda watch them. They'll be less likely to act if someone stands watch (if you have a helper they can be that person while you work/eat/etc).

As artist we think our signs are noticeable and convenient for things we don't want to spend all day repeating, but customers especially at conventions just DO NOT see signs and will lie to your face that they did not see that big sign that said "DO NOT TOUCH". I had a girl almost take a photo of a badge I made because she got excited about how funny it was even though I had a no photos sign and I had to stop her. I hope you find a good solution :D I've never had any problems with body paint cosplayers touching my stuff, but maybe later

>>7249879
They're called Cock Blocks. I've spotted them around CA conventions.

>>7250253
>They're called Cock Blocks
Pfff

>>7250253
That's amazing

Oh joy. Time to get another California Seller's Permit.

>>7262750
Was wondering about those. My first time selling was last Fanime. A week later I went to the board of equalization site to pay the tax and there was nothing stopping me from saying I made $100 versus $1000. Has anyone gotten in trouble for this? I would think that they're too busy with bigger tax revenues than us small fry. It would be more work for them to try and get us to show or even keep our books than just take whatever money they can get from us.

>>7264789

>>7264792

>>7262759
this is why small mom and pop stores and chinese take out places like using old registrars and prefer cash. It's easy to lie. And they make far more money than us.

>>7235042
>>7235046
>>7235050
>>7235098
>>7235054
>>7235100
>>7235120
>>7235125
>>7235133

These are all so cute and useful! Thank you so much kind anon.

>>7264824
This. I talked it over with my accountant Dad once and he said most government offices who handle this would rather just get the money they can rather than spend the money and manhours trying to get small businesses and us small fry to pay what we actually owe.

I know there are some Florida AA people here, any recommendations for cons to sell at? Preferably Orlando area ones. I'm thinking about getting some things together for cons after Megacon.

>>7265644
Megacon Orlando
KhaoticKon Tampa
Florida Anime Experience Orlando
Knightrokon Orlando
SuperCon Miami (Worth the drive, 4day con)
Metrocon Tampa
AFO Orlando
Tampa Bay Comic Con
Holiday Matsuri Orlando

>>7265644
I would additionally, stay the fuck away from Mythicon. It's shit-tier. It was so hilariously bad and they treated a fellow artist like garbage for a clerical error on the con's part.

>>7265978
>>7265983
Thanks for the info.

Hello guys, pricing question if anyone has any suggestions.

I'm making mini notebooks [deets: 5"x3.5" in size, cute black pattern printed on light chipboard for outside, 30 blank cream pages on the inside, stapled together, rounded corners, with a grommet/elastic rope closure, packaged nicely] and I'm trying to figure out what to price these at.

They aren't fandom related, just cute animal patterns [cats/bunnies/bears], but they will be sold at anime conventions.

On Etsy I see like items going from $3 to $7 so right now I'm leaning towards $5. Does this seem like a good price for such an item?

>>7267768

You're probably right in the ballpark, but do you happen to have a pic of your item?

>>7241863
in my opinion, YEA.

Apologies in advance for what I'm sure is an extremely common and annoying question in these threads - but a friend and I are thinking about selling prints of poster designs and illustrations we've done - where do people who sell prints typically go to print their stuff, and how cost-effective is it?

I'm this anon from a while back >>7243491
Catprint messed up my order, but their customer service got on it, and ended up reprinting my whole order, including the parts that weren't messed up, so it looks like quantity won't be that much of an issue for me anymore. Merry Christmas to me, I guess?

>>7262759
>>7264824
>>7264850
Plus, I'd say for a good portion of the alley, the government office made much more off of the license itself than any tax that would come in from it.
Which launches me off into another rant about spending money to pay someone money, but I'll keep that to myself.

A bump and wishing you all a happy new year!

>>7248010
Are there any fumes with heating shinky dinks/that detail clear stuff that's dangerous to pet birds?

>>7271221
I think that's just Teflon, as far as commercial plastics go.

JoAnns Online is offering $1 flat rate shipping all of today if you need to stock up on supplies.

>>7272181
Thanks, looks like they have single copic ciao and I could use some of those.

This seems like the right thread maybe. But does anybody know where I get can like crescent moons like on Sailor Moon, but about an inch or more? I can only find tiny little gems and searching cabochon and flatback isnt working.

I don't get why people buy shitty fleece items from "artists".

If you sewed it, MAYBE, but glued and mishapen, why do people indulge these hacks?
Same for polymer clay figures and jewelery: it's extremely difficult to find someone who truly makes the medium look decent.

>>7272523
http://www.8seasons.com/ProductSearch.html?pcount=1&keyword=moon

You'll have to be more specific on what color and material.

>>7267918
I use a local place, but there are a bunch of online places that are also pretty reliable. Catprint dot com has been the most consistent and cost-effective for a while now, the only catch being that you should put in your order a few weeks ahead of time if you don't want to be gouged by shipping. Fireballprinting is another good one, but their quality has been inconsistent as of late.

In terms of local stores, Costco photo service is awesome for smaller prints (postcard size) and decent for larger sizes for the quality and turnaround time. I think 8x10s and larger hit around the $2/$3 per print mark, which can get very expensive very fast, but their quality is really nice if you're a stickler for that, and it's still the best price you can get for the print and paper quality they give you. CVS/Walgreens pharmacy photo kiosks are also fine for small prints, though their color quality can also be inconsistent.

Office supply stores like Officemax, Staples, Office Depot are okay but their quality and service varies by store. You're gonna end up paying about $2~$3 per print for 11x17 and bigger which is annoying, but if you're in a pinch, they're workable. Same with Kinko's.

Prints are pretty cost-efficient as a whole and there are plenty of artists who specialize only in prints because they're easier to deal with and sell pretty well. Almost everyone in the AA will buy prints. If you're not particularly good yet, you can still run the humor angle and make funny images, since people fucking love those and buy them like crazy.

Now that Printsess is closing, where are people having their acrylic charms made?

Shrink plastic ones just have that gross look and texture.

>>7272542
Sorry, I meant something like a cabochon to put on a phone case. I wanna make something that's Sailor Moon inspired, but more low key. But finding something the right size like the ones in the pics is impossible.

>>7272649
Forgot the pic, oops.

>>7272550

Thanks for the great info!

>>7272656
Honestly those look handmade, if I were you I'd just get some sculpy and try and make it yourself. If you're looking for a bunch it might be worth it to just make one out of clay then do a silicon cast so you can just resin cast a ton.

A question for those that sell things, where do you find better sales the AA or the dealers room?

>>7282641
Well in order to get into the AA you have to be an artist who just makes stuff. You can start cheap and make keychains, stickers and prints. If YOU are a good artist you should at least break even. If you pander to fandoms you should also do well.

In order to be in the dealers room you have to be a vendor or some sorts and need a lot of start up money to buy stock (toys, comics, offical posters, clothes etc) at wholesale or bargin price in order to mark it up enough to make profit.

The convention fee for the dealers room tends to be higher than the artist alley since they expect you to make more.

>>7282652
I was mostly wondering because my first con I was on the dealers side of things and for an upcoming one I went with the AA because of its size and was a bit rushed in getting a slot. (I wasnt sure if dealers for that one was a great idea. Thus I procrastinated.)

>>7282641
I usually stick to AA because of the booth cost, but last year I got a table in the DR for a con I work for. Sales were about the same for me.

The biggest difference is the space. If you are an artist that does more plush, clothing, etc you might be more comfortable in the DR just to have room to display everything nicely. If you are an artist selling prints I think AA is better. Customers are more likely to want to stop and chat with you about fandoms/prints if you are in AA because of the casual setting. I noticed a lot of the print artist that sat across from me in the DR had VERY little sales all weekend.

I sell a lot of bulky items so I was very happy with the extra space :D

>>7282641
There's usually not a lot of good reasons to go dealers room when you're an artist. Usually only major webcomics do that. Also the cost is always at least double. And unless you have a super professional looking setup and product you will look pretty childish and amateur next to the professinal store booths.

>>7282849
I think I agree here that prints will do best in AA and other items like plushies, tails, leather good etc might do fine in DR

does anyone here have their own business cards or even collect other artist's business cards?
i'm having a hard time designing mine and would like to see how other artists have approached it

>>7272554
Zap! Creatives and Ink It Labs are what I'm hearing about the most. Zap! Seems a bit better for metal/wood and Ink It for actual acrylic. I have a clear acrylic charm from them and it's quite lovely.

>>7283353
My business card is personally very plain, because my pace of growth artistically is pretty quick; i'm hesitant to put art on a card that won't be reflective of my abilities in a con or so.

Got on the waitlist for Anime Expo's AA. Is this one of those AAs where people can register the year before so it's impossible for a newcomer to get space?

>>7285416
For the last couple of years, AX's AA has been pretty slow to sell out, often taking months. It's been picking up recently, though, and I think because of that people are buying their tables well in advance.

Didn't know if this was the place to ask, sorry if it isn't.

I'm looking to print a single book in color with a cover design and I have no fucking clue where to do this. I tried google, but all I found was stuff like lulu where you have to buy 15+. Are there any services where I can just print 1-3?

>>7289313
www.mypublisher.com

>>7244006
Yep mostly furries like her stuff

Do any of you, or anyone you know, sell nice lord of the rings/hobbit or game of thrones prints? I'm trying to find one as a gift for a friend, but mostly I'm finding text or cutesy chibis. I want the characters looking badass, and if possible a dragon since my friend loves dragons.

I have a question maybe someone can help me with.

I bought some sticker paper from Staples, and when I use them on my printer, there are odd spots on the print outs? They're a dot pattern all over the printed image, and it looks as if its ink build up in all of these spots.

Anyone know what the issue might be?

>>7292476
Sticker paper you bought sounds like it doesn't absorb ink well at all, possibly only useful with a laser printer. If the package did say for inkjet, then the paper is shit quality and just cant hold ink well.

>>7292479
Oh, I see! Thank you! It looks like it says that its compatible with both inkjet and laser so I guess I'm better off just trying to buy another brand.

Does anyone have any experience with printing their own stickers and can push me in the direction of a good brand paper to use? I'd much rather buy the paper in person but if I have to buy online then I will.

>>7291336
Gonna link you to my friend who does some classically-inspired GoT art. They're usually her bestsellers at cons anyway.

http://iamacoyfish.deviantart.com/gallery/

>>7292511
I use LD Glossy Inkjet Sticker Paper and laminate them with Avery adhesive laminating sheets and they look really nice!

You can get the stuff on Amazon.

Anyone have any resources for laser-cut acrylic things, like the Sailor Moon necklaces everyone and their mom is producing now? I want to explore this media but where do start??

So how do cons generally feel about booths run by small groups of artists? I've got four people (myself included) who all have a number of products, but not enough for a full table, so we figured we'd combine our wares and have one big table (which would also allow us to take shifts). All four people would be properly registered (one as the main table buyer and the other three as helpers), so do you think most cons would take objection to something like this?

>>7294363
Depends on the con. I've seen small cons where it looks like some booths are like that (even selling official/wholesale merc) but for a big big con I think you'd have to make a group storefront and pretend you are one shop that has different artist work/make stuff for them

>>7294363
You will have to have some system like a spreadsheet to keep track of who sells what and go under one name to keep things less confusing. Also because most conventions will only have one or two chairs behind a table and six feet width it will typically be too crowded for everyone to stay at all times. Which at least makes it so people can rotate and enjoy the con more. As for whether you can do this in the first place or not really depends upon the con. But if you all just made one group and had some people as helpers rather than artists it might work.

I'm thinking this is the right thread so hoping someone can ask.

I want to do my first AA this year ( not until maybe november or may) and I'm wondering how much capital I should invest in prints/stickers etc. first before going ahead? I want to at least break even so how much do you guys usually spend getting things printed/made before a con?

>>7294595
Yeah, the plan was that there'd be no more than two people running the table at any given time, with us trading shifts as needed. As for the spreadsheet, I figured that if we made some sort of list of all the items at the con and left a tally mark for each one of an item we sold as the con went one, we could then figure out each artist's share of the profit by calculating the cost of each item and the quantity sold.

>>7296902
Most con's sell multiple badges per table if you need more than two behind it. They're given at a discount too. But they may boot you if one of you didn't have the proper badge while behind the booth.

>>7296906
Alright, so I guess it's just a matter of being clear with the con and making sure everyone involved has an artist/helper badge. It's a pretty small con (AAC), so I imagine it'll be fairly flexible, but we'll see.

Also, this is a random thought, but would people be interested in buying ice cube trays? I have the means to make custom ones, so I thought it might be worth considering making ones that produce, say, little Olafs or Glaceons or Jack Frosts (the SMT one, not the Dreamworks one).

>>7295928
No answer?

>>7295928
I spent about $200 on supplies for my first con (I sold mainly crafted things though, with some small prints) and I broke even + gained a nice profit. I think if you spend as much as I did initially, you'll have a bunch of inventory if you mainly do easily reproduced items, so that's good! If you plan on doing more cons after your first one, it's nice to keep the unsold prints as future stock. You could start lower though, if you have no idea how well your stuff will do. You'll have to test out the waters, unfortunately.

>>7298609
I was thinking buttons and acrylic charms first but the prices for these are starting around like $60 which seems ridiculous if you wanted enough to last a 3 day con....

bump

>>7304880

>>7304885

>>7304899

>>7304909

>>7304885
These guys make the best lip balms.

>>7235133
lol, alternately, you can coat a real macaron cookie in several layers of tripe thick crystal clear and do a silicone mold. Works really well.

>>7304909
Such cute kpop goods!

>>7243704
Probably not archival. I have an Epson that uses Ultrachrome K3 and while the prints are a little expensive to make, you could stick them in a freaking tanning bed and not see much (if any) fading. Also I live near an art school so I can do prints for other people (especially photography majors, since it's a professional grade photo printer). I can still turn a nice profit too, because I can print on demand every night according to sales. I don't have a lot of extra prints lying around not selling, and this saves me money on my business property taxes as well (since they include inventory in their calculations)

I like to sell con-priced prints that are museum quality <3

>>7283361
Thanks, I have been wanting to try designing charms for a while now.