/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

For sticker sheets such as OPs sample picture do you guys get them kiss cut or print it on the gloss sticker paper and let whoever buys it do the cutting? All the websites I've found have a minimum of 50 per design so I've been looking into investing in a silhouette to make my own kiss cut sticker sheets. Also how do you guys price sticker sheets? I've only ever sold individual stickers for a $1-$2 or 3 for $5 and these are large 2" to 3" hand cut stickers.

So while working on my first charm designs, I'm trying to figure out what would be the best type to get made at Vograce. I'm keeping them one sided but I have no idea what the difference in quality is between one or double-sided acrylic and epoxy..

I'd love to have a list of cgl poster shops. I'd prefer to support some cool dudes that post here (even better if they offer discounts.)

Any custom memopad shops? I know art cow does them but they're kind of pricey.

>>8538680
I believe JiMi currently does memopads as well.

>>8538639
This is a good idea. If people are willing to post their urls and stuff, I'll make a spreadsheet but people might not want to do it since it'll out them as a seagull.

>>8538595
I know a lot of people would rather pay less to cut themselves over an expensive kiss cut sheet. I just use a printing company that I really like because I'm not sure how much use I'll get out of a cutter.

I have some questions?

Ok, so I draw in a moe-style, like K-ON and I had some ideas to try and keep my stall fresh and inviting since it's my first time.

>Moe-ification - Where I ask for like an object someone has, etc. and I draw them an animorphized version of the said thing. I feel this would be better than just doing drawing you in a moe style because it fits the theme.

>Doing prints and such relative to the overall genre of moe. What I mean is like I was thinking of creating a bunch of school girl characters and then basing things around them related to things like shimapan or sukumizu or generally anything that'd appear in a typical high school series.

>Weeb merch - Like making badges with things like "I love Shimapan." or "Mai Waifu" with cute girls and stuff. I saw someone doing something Senpai-related and was doing pretty great so I thought this would be well recieved as well.

That's all I have for now.

Are there any places where you can get flocky or puffy stickers made? I know anons were discussing holographic stickers in the last threads iirc, but I haven't been able to find anything on textured stickers yet.

>>8538831
I think I saw some in the alibaba resources in the sticky but if not I have definitely seen them on ali

>>8538737
Perhaps just making the spreadsheet and letting people fill it in on their own?

Last thread disappeared and I couldn't reply, but I wanted to ask MyFebronia about memo pad making. What was the obnoxious part of making them? I made one and what I find most difficult was to cut the edges neatly. I'm planning to buy a guillotine, but I'm wondering if there is something more to have in mind when making them. Thank you for your last reply btw.

>>8538982
There wasn't one annoying part in particular, they just were annoying after a while to make them when time could be better spent on things that would sell for higher. It became tedious without enough profit to justify making them further.

>>8538982
Secondly, if you do decide to go this route, use PVA Jade 403 glue. It will dry and hold fast and create the tacky strip you need. And don't get a shitty guillotine with just an arm level to chop, get something that can hold down the papers while you cut. Pic is example.

>>8538783
>Weeb merch - Like making badges with things like "I love Shimapan." or "Mai Waifu" with cute girls and stuff. I saw someone doing something Senpai-related and was doing pretty great so I thought this would be well recieved as well.
I don't know about anyone else but I find these so cringey. Do what you want though, it seems to sell.

Has anyone had stuff stolen at cons? Not just cheap buttons etec, but plushies and other larger, more expensive items? How do you prevent it from happening?

>>8539091
Dont sell by yourself, Its good to have an extra pair of eyes. Maybe for plushies you could have one ziptied to the display? Sorta like how phones and cameras are at target? Just an idea.

>>8538603
Basically epoxy gives a rounded edge, rather than flat, and feels nice and is sturdier. Also helps waterproof the charm. Although I say at least give a color to the backs. Even a solid color if not a pattern. It'll help it look nice imo

>>8538953
>>8538639
Good idea!
I made a spreadsheet that you guys can fill in.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ESQ-1h4IRUivbGNaxJFxXyDU1lSv26xTmMdH0sDX7sU/edit?usp=sharing

>>8539375
I saw your 'art' on the instagram thread. Please just stop now. I don't even want help from someone like you. Fucking pathetic pigdog shoop'd korean.

>>8539403
Relax

>>8539403
How 'bout you fuck off back to whatever containment board you escaped from? Pine didn't even state she was sharing her art on the spreadsheet, but made it for anyone here who has a shop/art sites.

>>8539418
>yfw this is my home board
>yfw i contribute more in these threads than most people

wah.

>>8539375
Wait what's this for? To help other people or to show our stuff?

>>8539439
>my idea of contributing is raging at posters with helpful contributions

leave

Anyway. Does anyone know of printers that will do spot gloss on actual print sized things? Even postcard size would be good, but all I can find is business cards.

>>8539443
Thread OP said lesser-known artist in general, but I feel like it's going to be used mostly for self-plug. I might contribute some people I follow

>>8539403
Are you >>8539399 too?
I'm not the one who came up with this idea and I didn't claim that I did, I only made the spreadsheet template.
>>8539418 is right. I made this so it'd be easier for me and others to find artists who are seagulls.
Also I'm not Korean.

>>8539443
>>8538639 is the initial idea.

>>8539086
It's more or less an idea. Selling fanart stuff is banned so I'm thinking of alternatives.

>>8539547
Where are you selling? Fan art is very common.

>>8539549
MCM, I checked their requirements and they said that no fanart is allowed. I have seen some selling fanart before but I don't want to risk getting into trouble.

>>8539091
An acquaintance had a couple necklaces and keychains cut from a spinner rack display at Anime Expo. They're usually zip tied from what I've seen so someone had to take the time to cut through several.

I've had other friends get art supplies taken, I think one year someone stole a bunch of copics. I personally haven't had anything stolen yet thankfully.

What's up with the fucking salt in the group?

>>8539924
Goes to show that a good artist will have more success over one that's mediocre when their skills aren't blanketed by the popularity of the series they're making fanart for.

>>8539241
Thanks for explaining anon! Also would having a pattern on the other side still be counted as double sided printing wise?

>>8539964
Yes since they have to print it as well

>>8539924
A table at AX says that Michael has shitty art and relies on trending fandoms to gain popularity.

Some questions about pricing.

>Do you use certain guidelines when pricing?

>Do you tend to cover the costs by a certain percentage? What works for you?

>Any tips for the lesser experienced?

>>8539924
>$1500
>did well
lol

>>8540292
I don't know, i hear most people make around 1,000 to 5,000 a show, so that's not too bad.

>>8540305
depends if that's actual profit or just total sales

>>8540308
>I do artist alley for a living!

Nice try

>>8540314
i don't though?

>>8540292
The con in question was Ohayocon, right? That's pretty good for ohayo provided you didn't fly in or anything

>>8540275
>Do you use certain guidelines when pricing?
Personally, I try to stick to whole dollar amounts if I can (ie $10, $5, $15, etc), or if it's unavoidable, work out some kind of 2-for or 3-for deal that can bring things down to a whole dollar amount. For example, my stickers $2 each, but I also have a 3 for $5 deal. I just hate running out of 1s for change/haveing a million ones to count at the end of the day, so eliminating the need for them as much as possible is ideal.

>Do you tend to cover the costs by a certain percentage? What works for you?
If I'm understanding your question right: I try to price things by at least 50%. If something costs me $2 per unit to make, I'll usually charge $5 for it, etc. I also take into account AA standards for pricing if something I make costs me less though. My keychains are roughly $1.50 a piece after I add all the fixings, but the standard is $7 - $10, so I charge $8. You don't wanna screw over your neighbors, and if I charged $3 for keychains, everybody would hate my ass. Always get away with charging more than 50% if you can though.

>Any tips for the lesser experienced?
Look at what average pricepoints are, try to find the cheapest source (while still being of good quality; get samples if you can), don't screw over your neighbors, keep plenty of change on hand, bring enough stock to make a profit, and charge enough you can make a reasonable profit. Especially if you travel around to cons, pricing things so you can cover those costs is important.

Hope that helps!

>>8540420
>You don't wanna screw over your neighbors
>don't screw over your neighbors

Thank you for saying this! There's no gerneal problem with being a little cheaper than others but you should not start a price-war (because other artists maybe have to pay 4-5$ for their 8$ keychain)


General advice for everyone: You don't only have to cover your production-cost but you also need to pay for your table, food & drinks, gas or other transportations AND you're an artist. You made the art for your piece and spend maybe hours for the idea, drawing, optimizing, testing and then making it. Don't sell yourself under your value.

Noob question, but I'm still clueless about the economic part. How do you prepare your till? Like, do you bring tons of change from home so that you can hand out change in your stall?

>>8540563
That's basically it. You basically gather as many small bills as you can and take it all to the con.

>>8540563
I think I read about someone going to the bank and taking out 100 1s (may have been myfebronia?)

MyFebronia, I'm laughing so hard. I love you.

Wait. Was anyone actually harassing Paige?

>>8540631
original post for context

>>8540633
...isn't the star thing on her belly supposed to be a cutout?

>>8540582
( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)

Whoever this was, you're getting a package with embarrassing shit on it.

>>8540631
no one harassed paige. she's blowing this out of proportion so her blind tumblr fans will give her asspats and suck her dick.

>>8540631
I hope she corrects people on tumblr when they draw anime characters as pocs too. Otherwise she can gtfo.

>>8540563
I just go to the bank and I let them know I want to withdraw 100 dollars, and I want 60 in ones and 40 in fives.

>>8540631
i really hate this. she was being a jerk to another artist, but now she wants to turn it around? yeah, you were fucking shaming, but since you're the one doing it, it's okay??? fuck

>>8540631
>tfw you find out this girl lives in the same city as you and graduated from the local art school, and no it wasn't Art Institutes somehow

I mean, I guess if you want to delete all my info from the spreadsheet for whatever reason, go ahead. Idrc. No need to be so passive agressive though.

>>8541059
Xipel? I moved your info under the N-Z tab. >.>

>>8541097
Shiiit. I'm a fucking retard. I'm so so sorry. I didn't notice that there were multiple tabs. I assumed it was deleted since parts of my information was left, but only my URLs were deleted. I'm so sorry fuck that's embarrassing.

>>8541172
Holy shit I saw your squid sisters lineart on FB and fell in love, I'm so happy I found your tumblr

Your lineart is perfect I love it

>>8541172
Ah shit did I not move shit correctly? Damn sorry.

>>8541172
Lmfao I did the same thing

Ty spreadsheet anon for putting up with our foolishness

Anyone know where to get custom leather bags made? Pic related. Tim, if you're here, maybe you'll know? I just stumbled on this while visiting your Tumblr. Any help appreciated!

>>8541172
Sorry for the confusion! I should've put that in my original post with the link.
I just realized how stupid the idea of sorting the sheet into different tabs is, so I'm gonna move all the info onto one tab.
I don't think we need to worry about running out of room since apparently the sheet goes down vertically forever.

Also this is sort of a weird request but does anyone know any artists who do a lot of video game art, specifically Devil May Cry?
I'm attending a gaming tournament in a couple weeks and I want to throw together an ita bag but DMC doesn't have official straps or buttons.
Other games work too. I'm flexible as long as I have enough of one character to make an ita bag.

Anyone here ever used https://www.stickermule.com?

>>8541849
Me. I love them and recommend them to everyone who considers making stickers

>>8541807
My friends get them done in china, though I couldn't tell you where exactly since I've never made them myself. Pretty sure it's just an aliexpress, seller though

>>8541882
>>8541849
Actually on that note if someone wants to try them out I have a referral code that will get you $10 off an order over 50. Full disclosure is I get money out of it too, but you know how that goes. For the record when you upload your artwork they let you pick any quantity you want it doesn't have to be one of those options in the bubble list. https://www.stickermule.com/unlock?ref_id=0651560701

>>8541882
>>8541889

Sounds pretty good to me! Can I see the stickers you got made?

>>8541885
diff anon but found some Kanji stuff for you while randomly browsing storenvy earlier
https://www.storenvy.com/products/12101829-persona-4-kanji-tatsumi-clear-charm
https://www.storenvy.com/products/13831179-persona-4-pin-back-button-set

>>8541900
I ran out and haven't reprinted since I want new designs (and am too lazy to go that far back in my cameraroll) but wasongo's stickers are all from stickermule too so there's this. Colour fidelity is pretty good but they're super flat matte so it kind of mutes colours a little bit as matte printing tends to do. They're this weird vinyl material and really thick like a business card stock. Obviously, that makes them water resistant (front and back as I discovered when I tried to write a note on one and the ink just smudged to oblivion kek).

>>8541841
I was thinking of making a bunch of those "featuring dante from the devil may cry series" stickers and handing them out for free with purchases of weeb or meme related things on my shop site...

>>8541910
>https://www.stickermule.com/unlock?ref_id=0651560701
Their shipping to Australia for under $100 is $30? Holy crap

>>8539375
>https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ESQ-1h4IRUivbGNaxJFxXyDU1lSv26xTmMdH0sDX7sU/edit?usp=sharing

Ayy nice. Made the original comment so I'm happy to see this actually happening. Def gunna order from the shops posted!

I'm from the itabag thread, someone in there said there was an anon in here who was selling Hisoka merch. Are you still here, and if so, do you have an online store I can purchase stuff from. I've found my calling and it's sticking ludicrous amounts of shit on bags.

>sage for OT

Hi!
You know someone what make Sengoku Basara merch? Keychains/straps, pins, etc.

I love 90's anime and their style but I know that prints of some series may not sell well, so how would a "what if they were a 90's anime" sort of print of new anime go? Would anyone other than me and oldfags from /a/ possibly find this interesting enough to purchase?

>>8542060
I think 90's aesthetic still has its place. People are still really into it, so maybe a combination of classic 90's stuff and some 90's redesigns of newer series would do pretty well.

>>8541906
holy shit anon you are a luscious piece of pie thank you so much

>>8542060
I like the idea, but I think that only a few will be interested in the concept. Many newer fans haven't got a clue to anything besides the new shows and will think it's just some style without the context. Maybe a more known series in the nineties of new anime, like NGE or genre swaps but I digress.

Is anyone else finding business is particularly slow going this year? All my AA friends have mentioned they made less this year than previous years at almost every con they went to.

>>8541223
Ahh thanks anon!

>>8542060
There's definitely a market for classic style, since I hear a lot of complaints, especially from the older crowd, that they don't have anything in the AA catering to them. It's definitely not as big as the youngins who think it's outdated, but it's a niche that doesn't have much competition.

>>8543410
I'd say last year was my slow year. This year seems to have picked back up. AANI had a discussion on it though if you want to see a few others comparing last year to this year.
>Had to screenshot it because 4ch is being a fuckhead with links

>>8541223
Ahh thanks anon!

>>8542060
There's definitely a market for classic style, since I hear a lot of complaints, especially from the older crowd, that they don't have anything in the AA catering to them. It's definitely not as big as the youngins who think it's outdated, but it's a niche that doesn't have much competition.

>>8543410
I'd say last year was my slow year. This year seems to have picked back up. AANI had a discussion on it though if you want to see a few others comparing last year to this year.
>Reposting because I forgot to expand posts before screenshotting

>>8540631
Ever since her Rose Quartz cosplay became popular she's become the authority of how Rose is portrayed and vague blog/tweets how people draw.

>>8540633
>that emoticon
What a cunt. Fatties, I swear. Expect no business from me.

Am tabling at my first con, 5,000 people, is 7 copies per expected popular print and 4 per unpopular print closer to what will sell than 10 popular / 5 unpopular? I really don't want excess stock since I probably won't table again till next year.

>>8543410
>Is anyone else finding business is particularly slow going this year?

Not really, this year was my best yet. I also tabled at 2 other cons for the first time so I didn't have anything to compare it to.

>>8544691
That's sounds like a fair amount imo. How many print designs will you be selling?

I'm in the process of starting to make buttons. I've been looking into button makers and I was wondering where other people got their machines (aka where can I get a good machine for as cheap as possible), what size, and what brand. So far, Tecre has the best reviews and I'm leaning towards 1.5". I'm not expecting this to cost under $300.

>>8545967
>So far, Tecre has the best reviews and I'm leaning towards 1.5"

that's going to be your best bet. I've had my TECRE machine for 5 years now and love it. 1.5" seems to be what everyone does for sizes. Anything smaller and the art gets too small to see, anything larger and people start complaining they're too big.

Personally I'd love to get a 3" TECRE and start making my own hand mirrors with it

>>8545967
You may also want to test the waters with your button designs by buying custom made ones off etsy users who make them cheap in bulk. Then use the profits to buy a machine.

>>8545589
I believe 14.
>>8543410
Idk if it counts but I only made half as much at the Otakon art show than last year.

I need to print some simple designs for an event coming up quick. I don't have time to send them anywhere to be printed so I was wondering if any of you gulls knew any fast/durable ways to make them at home? Thanks

>>8546365
iron on transfers is probably your cheapest and easiest option

>>8546416
are they durable?

>>8546466
Different anon, but no they're not, they start to peel off, unless there is some high quality brand of them out there that I don't know about

>>8546466
Between fast, good quality, and cheap, you can only pick 2. If you want fast and durable, it ain't gonna be cheap. If money isn't an issue, look for places with super quick turnaround times and overnight shipping.

my next con is fanime 2016 but i've recently gotten really into making lolita accessories out of faux fur. would it be weird for me to sell faux fur accessories (e.g. pic related and furry hair bows) at a summer con?

>>8546548
how the hell are you in fanime already

>>8546575
sorry, should've put planned con. although i thought that was obviously implied since the 2016 AA info isn't even up yet.

>>8546531
What about fabric paint? If I paint on the designs could that possibly last longer?

>>8546643
Find a tutorial for diy screenprinting. It's pretty simple and there are a lot of methods you can use with just household materials.

Fabric paint will last a while too so if it's just 1 or 2 shirts, your should be good. You can also use spray paint, which is thinner/more flexible than fabric paint sometimes

>>8546651
Alright! Thank you

>>8543678
Pics please.

>>8546006
Not OP but that's a really good idea, which I am going to use.

Has anyone in the US been hit with customs/import taxes with parcels from China? Thinking of getting maybe 300-500 charms done.

Complete noob here, I really want to start getting into selling AA stuff but I have no clue where to start. I live in Europe so that could be a problem too because I'm mostly afraid that importing thing could get too expensive. Is there any good startersguide out about artist alleys? If not, here are some questions I have:
> What are some good things to sell besides keychains, buttons and stickersheets?

> What are the best/cheapest services when living in Europe?

> I also make amigurumi, would those sell?

> In my country deallerrooms and AA are mixed together, so my mother came up with the idea to also sell a small amount of Japanese sweets and soda next to my stuff, would this be a nice idea?

> If so, does anyone know a wholesale for Japanese sweets and stuff?

I'm sorry if these things have been asked a million times before but I have absolutely no clue how to start getting into this so help would be really appreciated

>>8547375
yes, got both of my artsbovine packages hit with customs in a row. 50 bucks per package

>>8547544
Fuck, that's a lot. Mind telling me how many pieces you had in the package and what value was declared? Did you declare it as a gift?

>>8547598
i had around 150 cosmetic bags in each package. they weren't declared as gifts, but i don't remember the declared value.
for both packages i got called from customs asking what kind of fabric the pouches were made of and who manufactured them.

>>8547529
If you're making amigurumi, make sure to price them well. Too high and you won't make a sale, too low and you'll undersell yourself and possibly screw other vendors over.
As for food- CHECK LOCAL LAWS. If you think it's OK to sell packaged food, check anyway, and see if you have to fill out any forms or whatever. Seriously, food is one thing I'd stay away from because you can get into so much shit if someone buys from you and gets sick/if you don't have the proper paperwork etec.
However, if you do decide to sell them, price them quite low. You'll be competing with extremely overpriced crap, so selling Pocky for twice the price you bought it at will get you a profit and will draw attention to your table.

New to AA, getting fairly bored of cons, so might as well put my art skills into cons. How much of a profit can one make at a popular con? I wonder if it's worth it.

Book anon from the last thread; Overnight sent me an e-mail saying my books weren't eligible for a refund because they weren't at full bleed. All my images were 8.5x11, right at the trim line, and the white space I mentioned only occurs on the tops of the pages and cover. They didn't say my bookmarks weren't eligible even though they had the same problem with white space around the bottoms and one edge. Plus, it took two weeks for them to get back to me after I sent them photos. I know they just had a sale, but with how long it took to get back to me, I'm wondering if they had a lot of errors during this last booklet sale and they're having to go through a lot of complaints...

This was my first time getting a book printed and it's left a pretty sour taste in my mouth.

>>8548101

Honestly, I'd just either get a refund from paypal or do a chargeback.

>>8547889
You can make anywhere from a couple hundred to five figures depending on your hustle and clientele. Most established artists clock in at a couple thousand, usually.

>>8548101
Do they have any recommended dimensions in their rules anywhere? Do they mention or warn about bleed on their website? If not, you might be able to use that to your advantage. Honestly, in some cases I would be kind of inclined to say it's your own fault for preparing the files that way, but it is weird that they just printed and sent them off without mentioning the problem to you at all, and that they have double standards for the bookmarks. It really comes off as unprofessional.

>>8548229
I'll have to check. But when I uploaded my pages, everything seemed okay...and it just seems bizarre that if not being full bleed was the problem that there would only be space on the top of every page. Plus, I think they knew they fucked up the bookmarks because they sent me double what I ordered with those and they still had the same mistakes.

Is it the norm for cons to count smaller sizes of larger prints as separate "product"s when assessing the fanart-to-original rule at cons...?

Like hypothetically if I have 4 large fanart prints and 2 originals, and the rule is no more than 2/3rds of your art can be fanart, I'm ok. But if smaller prints count as a separate product, and I have smaller sizes available of all prints, that would put me at 50% fanart.

I understand that charms are a different product than prints but are different print sizes the same diff.

>>8548787
FUCK I messed this up haha, disregard the (faulty) percentages.

What I meant to say was if I have the 4 fanarts, and 1 original, it doesn't meet the rule unless I have 1 charm design. But if I make smaller versions of all prints but NOT the charm design, it wouldn't meet the rule if smaller versions count as separate products.

God I'm so sorry lol.

Okay, so I'm planning on making my first plushie. It's literally going to be a small flour sack shaped thing. Does anyone have any advice before I begin?
>I'm new to plushie making and thought I would ask here before I started reaching out to others

What is a big con vs. a small/medium con attendance wise?

>>8548948
I think it depends on the location
A small space with 6,300 attendees is a bit overcrowded
A con with a ton of space in a larger venue with more hotels with 23,300+ people is good sized, but it's too much, it's overcrowded, even in the largest convention center in the area

Do people still buy anime prints and stuff at cons like Supanova compared to regular anime conventions?

Gulls, I'm in a bind. I've had two Etsy bead sellers tell me that despite offering custom orders, in fact they cannot customize my bead order to give me exactly the colors I need. Is there a bead or charm place y'all recommend? I'm just trying to get some colorful star beads to attach to my acrylic charms.

>>8548960
yes. but moreso if it's popular/trendy stuff.

>>8549428
If you're not in a hurry, eBay bro

>>8549629

Can they do a custom mix of colors though? I've found the beads I want cheaper online, but they can't do a custom mix. I'm considering ordering a few bags and taking my chances, then selling my leftovers if people want to buy the colors I don't need.

>>8549816
I've seen some Etsy users sell acrylic stars in bulk by color check that.

>>8549816
I've seen listings on eBay that are one color each. But beads are pretty cheap, aren't they? If you can't find anything and you don't need like, an insane amount of one specific color, I'd just buy a few mixed bags, maybe you can use the other colors for something else.

>>8549837

Do you have any recs? I contacted 2 sellers who advertised "custom orders" (I was searching specifically for "acrylic stars" with limiters for jewelry supplies and custom orders) and both told me they cannot make a custom order with the exact colors I need. I will check eBay. I saw individual colors sold on Etsy but the price per bead broke down to like 50c vs. 1c for the bulk stars.

I've been searching for star beads all week, so if you have any specific shops, I'd really appreciate it. Otherwise I'll be doing >>8549871 and just ordering like 1000 beads.

Godbless AANI.

>>8550339
From the thumbnail I thought it was Yakul

>>8550339
It's this girl again. It's just another Cindy Lyons

>>8550339
wow something worse than Juri Renee.

>>8550339
>4 people like this

>>8550469
>You clearly haven't seen Kristianna Pillat

>>8548960
I had a table at Kansas City Comic Con last weekend and I didn't sell a much of my anime stuff but video game things sold alright and Steven Universe anything FLEW off my table

>>8550519
plz elaborate

>>8550674
Search box in AANI, I have her blocked so I don't see the child art.

>>8550519
Juri is worse

>pmx tables sold out in 5 seconds
fuckl

>>8550723
Yeah you need like professional e-sports player athlete reflexes to get tables now. I didn't get one either. Oh wellllll

>>8550727
i didnt realize i had to click "add tickets" i expected and option to be next to the artist market word. that 1 second delay in my thought process cost me the table lol

>>8550705
HOLY SHIT THAT BACKWARDS FOOT IM DYING

Yo when in the fuck did it become a thing that 1.5" clear charms sold for $10 - $15??? Like, without any findings or packaging too? I swear the going rate for charms that size is $7 - $8 but apparently this is becoming a thing now? I've got 2.5" - 3" I sell for $8 that I could probably justify $10 - $15 for more than this shit. Should I just be charging more or what?

>>8550729
Hahah I think the same thing happened to me. PMX has historically sold out ridiculously quickly for such a small con

>>8550730
Her right hand and foot, jesus. How.

>>8550733
People will buy charms for $10+ so people selling them for less are idiots and fucking it up for the rest of us. Manufacturing them on average takes like $3-$4 so it'd be stupid to sell them for so cheap but whatever.

I guess you could get away with it if you got them done through like vograce or some other Chinese manufacturer since they're cheaper but it still seems dumb to charge just over twice its manufacturing cost.

>>8550734
im so bummed. i was on top of this all year waiting for the reg to open :c

>>8550705
>>8550469
Why
Oh god she kept promoting it over and over and over again too

>>8550740
Did you get a waitlist spot at least? I suppose the chance of getting a spot is super slim considering how soon the con is but it doesn't hurt to try.

>>8550738
you are wasting so much fucking money

>make charms for $0.50 a piece
>sell them for $15 or more

basic fucking white people i swear. learn how to small order wholesale or get rekt.

>>8550745
I did! here's to hoping i guess!
did you get one?

>>8550746
>basic fucking white people
>implying white people don't buy from AliExpress or Taobao

>>8550742
are people even going to buy this shit?

>>8550746
>basic fucking white people
>white people
>Tim
Erm.

>>8550746
I get mine through Vograce, yeah. After all my findings and packaging, they're like $1 a piece. Absolutely fuck paying $4 a charm.

I mean damn if people will pay fucking $10 for a charm I'll do it, but for as long as I've known charm prices it's been roughly $8.

>>8550752
at sacramento wizard world, i saw a girl selling a single-sided charm that was literally just cap's shield for $15. no extra findings or anything, just a strap attached. sold out after the first day. if people are willing to shell out the money, then why not?

>>8550748
I was thinking about it, but decided not to. I realized Sept. is crazy for me and there's no way I'd be able to crank out actual content to sell in like 3 weeks haha. Good luck! I hope you make it in! I heard from a friend that you can try contacting them a week before the con and they might push you up the list if you seem super serious about it. If you're local, it doesn't hurt to show up early on con day and see if anyone bailed last minute. Hope you get a table!

>>8550746
Wait how am I wasting money? Or were you not talking about me specifically and just using a generalized "you"

>>8550339
I can see somebody deluding themself into thinking that the dragon looked good (though it really doesn't, plus the composition is horrible, and the shading, and so on), but those clouds? Come on.

>>8550750
There were reviews on her cookbook thing and it was depressing...I kinda wonder if she's handicapped or something.

Regarding the charms I was thinking $6-$8 for my first ones. Maybe I should go to $10? I mean I don't think theyre worth that much since it took $2 to make each with vograce shipping, but if everyone else prices that...

>>8550814
omfg that's the cutest thing I've ever seen. Do you sell online?

>>8550814
how much was shipping?

>>8550817
Not yet. My first con is this weekend (nervous lol) and I might open up shop online after that but with my limited products and school coming up idk. But if youre interested anyway I left my email. And thank you!

>>8550828
It was like $24 for 24 pieces and $20 shipping. Hurts mang.

> tfw you want to make acrylic charms but you don't think your art is quite good enough for them yet

>>8550838
Is that the price for fast shipping? l'm other anon, sorry for all the questions.

>>8550881
It's SF Express which another anon in the previous thread is the best bet you have from having your stuff lost in the mail in China, apparently. I asked vograce if there were a cheaper option and the next step down was $15 but it would have taken 3 times longer to get here.

>>8550867
That doesn't stop anyone else.

>>8550814
Just do 10. Or you can price each individual charm for higher and do a deal if they buy multiple

I sell my 1D charms for $12 each, 2 for $20 because Directioners are all filthy shippers

So, I've been looking into using artzcyow but I saw this on the group. Anyone know what this person is on about?

>>8550976
sounds like they had a bad experience with artsbovine and they're projecting it onto everyone's artsbovine experience

>>8550913
>1D charms
Fucking where and do you have Zayn

>>8550976
I'll be real with you, artsbovine has been pretty good. I haven't had any problems with them. Heck I've even made parts of a Cosplay using them. I guess the thing you want to watch out for is misalignment and colors. But then again their coupons bring down their prices to the "sample price." They recently had a 5 for 10. That's $2 a piece from a list of things that all cost way more than $2...(or "retail price") It could be they don't know how to use the site to their advantage

>>8551050
Yeah this if you can get a coupon that cuts the separate "shipping and handling" fee out.

I ordered twice from them. One was a big order of fantastic shirts and pillowcases, the other was another shirt that seemingly got lost in the mail lol - but shit it was $0.99

>>8550835
If you do open a shop, please post in whatever AA thread is up then. I think your stuff is cute as shit as well.

>>8551011
>>8551050
There's someone else in that thread that's talking about how artsbovine undervalues package and that's mail fraud, but I don't think they're right? Can anyone shed light on that?

>>8551046
Yeah, it's blonde streaky Zayn and he has a cat email me homie I'll give you a seagull discount

>>8550705
They were going to be at a small con I was at recently, but dropped out, I wish I could've seen the monstrosities in person.

>>8550339
Lol their kickstarter is kind of sad, they have one backer and it ends in 2 days. Then again I don't know who would want a hand drawn dragon button.

>>8550814
Do you have a tumblr/instagram or anywhere we can follow you for updates? I need these like mad.

>>8551189
via cosmicolor.tumblr.com

Do you think the transparent charms will be the next major trend? I liked the characters in a gatcha ball too~

via cosmicolor.tumblr.com

>>8551308
>cosmicolor.tumblr.com
i really like the idea of people doing stuff like this (clear acrylic charms as containers/jars) and I want to do something similar. I don't want to be shunned for copying though...

>>8550339
I often wonder how people like this can afford a table at cons and make enough to keep doing it?

>>8551385
it's a really common theme; I'd just go for it

Has anyone noticed that the quality on Vograce's clear charm printing is a little.. wonky?

I really want to try some of their clears, but I don't want my image quality to suffer.

I've only gotten a sample of it from them but it wasn't too great (really grainy etc..)

>>8551385
Its ok, copy her.
I met this artist in person several times and shes a total bitch.

>>8551482
>not giving deets

come on anon

>>8551487
I cant give specifics, she will know its me.
All I can say is her mediocre artwork had very quick improvement after she was "influenced" by a certain artist and that she does not value her customers or fanbase.

>>8551505
I feel like I know what artist she got influenced by but I can't really put my finger on it.

>>8551516
Artist in question is pretty well known, previously this girls art wasnt too great in fact you can still tell she struggles with anatomy and certain aspects of her designs look off...but these arent things I would usually care too much about if it wasnt for her crappy attitude.

>>8550838

I just shelled out $55 for shipping alone. Granted, I ordered nearly 300 charms so that's to be expected. Spending a bit more than originally anticipated, but I ran the numbers and with a double sided charm, custom colored strap, a matching bead, and packaging I'm managing to keep the cogs at $1.05 each. Gonna sell them for $8 since that's the market price it seems.

>>8551548
Are you adding the packaging and beads yourself? Or did you let vograce do it?

>>8551524
was she influenced by mookie's art

>>8550733
(Not saying you're like this but) this post reminds me of someone I know who ALWAYS gets surprised when I tell them how much I price my products compared to theirs. Then proceeds to sort of guilt trip me into lowering my prices. The reason they barely break the 1k mark at cons is due to their view that they're being awesome to customers by having affordable stuff. The whole "lower prices = more customers" backfires on a lot of artists since they don't realize it's not just your pricing that makes people want to buy. I'd rather pay $15 for a chocolate chip cookie than pay $5 for a chocolate shit cookie. However, if you do "lower prices + amazing art", then you're pretty much golden, much to the dismay of those near you. It's never happened to me yet, but I've heard that it can be frustrating sitting next to a cheap AND popular booth. Half of me is like, "you make that money" but the other half is saying, "you opportunistic asshole" lol.

But anyway, yeah, sorry for the pointless ramble. $10-$15 is pretty common for clear charms, especially if they're double sided. You could sell your bigger ones for like $15+ if you already sell well in the first place.

>>8551587
It hurts more then just your fellow artists, it hurts your own sales in the long run too.

One of the main issues currently is that people are getting way too used to getting things for low prices. To the point of entitlement.
In the end another artist will go even lower then you, barely make any profit on their product, take away customers and in the end everyone's left with less money. It's a cycle that doesn't help anyone and I'm glad I'm seeing higher prices if anything.

>tfw getting told "yeah but x artist is doing commissions for less!"

>>8551587
>>8551596
I wasn't even trying to have them at that pricepoint for the "lower prices = more customers", I just thought it was the average so I wouldn't screw people over. I'm just wondering when the jump started happening more than anything I guess?

>>8550705
Is this a picture of a broken doll anime girl where her legs were put on the wrong side, being haunted by an evil version of E.T.?

>>8551580

Doing it myself. Coco said that custom colored straps (and I'm guessing beads and such) were only if I ordered 1000 or more. My table is technically a group table so I plan on asking my friends over and getting them to help me package things.

>>8551587

More than $10 is ridiculous for a charm unless it's quite large. I'm saying that as an artist and customer. Granted, if everyone charges $15 then maybe it's not a huge deal but I've seen a standard of $8. Going too high above that doesn't work for anyone and just makes you look like you're scalping, or that the $8 are cheating. I could see $10 for a very nice, double sided charm. I mean, I do get pissed when I pay $8 for a single sided charm that doesn't even come in a bag, but I chose to buy it.

If I can buy a tabloid print for $15, why could I spend $15 on a 1.5" piece of plastic? That's my mentality. I think you have to consider the charm prices along with what your other stuff at the table is.

I'm planning for my first AA. How many of each charm design do people usually bring?

>>8548821
Make sure all your seams are tidy, snip the edges to make them lie flat at the corners, iron the cloth if it get wrinkled during sewing, measure twice cut once. Even if it's a literal flour sack you still need to make sure the pattern is neat and the edges line up. Don't overstuff it and make sure you get the stuffing in the corners too. Pin everything together before you start, believe me, this will save A LOT of hassle. Also, go read tutorials on sewing, and try the handmade/help threads next time unless you're planning to sell the plushie at an AA.

>>8551661
Personally, I started with 5 of each and then figured out what was selling the best, and got more of it after that (though I ordered through Vograce and really I should've started with 10). I think generally if you order from places like Ink-It/Zap though, you're getting about 10pc per design min anyway? I'd say that's a decent starting point at least.

>>8550742
Purple Hair Girl is the perfect character to cosplay if you have your heart set on doing that white-under-the-eyes cosplay makeup. She even has lashes glued to her cheeks.
Also, is it just me or is that white-haired chick in the back traced from something? I swear I've seen Sailor Moon art suspiciously similar to that.

>>8550784
Anon, if they think that that painting looks good enough to put on the Internet with the intent of selling it, they are not going to notice how shit the clouds are. Besides, they sort of vanish amidst the general crappyness of the painting, and fit in nicely with the lumpy, unshaded themes going on.

>>8551482
HOLY FUCK. I THOUGHT I WAS ONLY ONE WHO THOUGHT THAT. But yeah, she kind of has this shitty higher-than-thou attitude. Minimal interaction with the artists around her and with her customers. Can't give out deets on specific moments where she was rude as fuck since she'll probably recognize me.

>>8551619
> when the jump started happening
Probably someone tested the waters and raised their prices, realized their charms sold just as well, and other people followed suite until it became more or less normalized to the congoers.

I'm trying to make my first batch of acrylic charms but I'm not completely sure about the style, will something like this work?

>>8551724
Cute style, but even for a chibi the proportions are off, especially regarding the arms.

>>8551724
I agree about the proportions. Even if it's a chibi I think you'd want the body parts (excluding the head) to roughly match up with regular anime style proportions. I would probably lengthen her legs and/or shorten her arms/torso. That said, I like the rest and would almost certainly buy one if you're doing an AA set.

>>8551086
It's illegal to undervalue packages for customs. Most everyone I've ordered from in China does it, though. I think with big sellers they get a warning or get a pass, but I wouldn't try doing the same thing for your international customers. Your business could easily be blocked from shipping to certain countries in the future for that shit.

>>8551634
>If I can buy a tabloid print for $15, why could I spend $15 on a 1.5" piece of plastic

That's true, but you're only seeing products as prices. Sorry if it sounds like I'm assuming things. Those are two completely different items. A print could not replace a keychain, and vice versa. Usually, those 1.5 pieces of plastic cost around the same price as a print would too, maybe more for those who use InkIt or Zap, so profit for both is close. With that in mind, I do consider what my other products are, but I choose to price things independently. Just giving my two cents on pricing, I respect your thoughts on it too.

Is it okay to assume there's gonna be delays with orders from China because of the recent explosion in Tianjin... I don't want to be the clueless asshole pestering them in a time of crisis '~`)

>>8551806

I see what you're saying. However, for me, it still comes down to price and perceived value. A print and a charm are different, but I think prints have a higher perceived value. So if I'm charging $15 for a charm, I feel like prints would have to be $25+. A charm is a use item, something I'll attach to my keys or phone and might get beat up. I may very well frame a print. Something I will put on my wall, maybe framed, feels like it has more value. So I can respect charms at $15, but then prints need to be more. If charms and prints are the same price, that devalues a print.

I still firmly think more than $10 for a charm is too much. I'll pay up to $12-15 for a Japanese charm, but AA stuff shouldn't cost as much as official merchandise. I'm paying more there because it's official.

>>8551661

I'd do 10 of the things you think will be popular, 7 of moderate things, and 5 of things that won't be as popular, but may still find an audience. Also remember to order +1 to have as a sample/display. Last time I made the mistake of having 10, including my display one.

>>8551822


I don't think you're going to have too much trouble because of Tianjin. It's a port city - unless you're ordering huge amounts of stuff, it's not going on a shipping container across the ocean.

If you're ordering from artbovine, that's Hong Kong, it's not a problem. Many of the suppliers I use in china are either Shenzhen, Guangzhou, or Shanghai. Really far away, and it's all sent on FedEx planes so none of this really matters. You -might- have a problem with orders from Beijing, but it seems likely that the factory could have supply chain issues with a messed up port

tl;dr you're using airmail, seaports don't matter.

>>8550886
Oh! Thank you, I don't mind waiting so I will go with the slow one.

>>8551460
Can you please post a photo of it? I want to request some clear charms samples from them.

>>8551634
Why the fuck would i pay $15 for a 50 cent piece of paper versus a $3 piece of plastic. What a stupid ass comparison to make. Whether not you outsource your production, they're completely different items, one that is stationary on your wall and the other with you as a "usable" object and customers know it. The type of person spending on charms isn't looking for the same use as a poster.

And there are people even now moving charm prices higher, to $12 ea 3 for $30 on 1.5" charms because customers will buy it. Granted they are always ink it quality, just don't undersell yourself because of stupid devaluing logic like this.

>>8551548
>300 charms
Sorry for OT but mind telling me if you got hit with customs assuming you're in the US?

>>8552092

I don't think I'm underselling myself. You seemed to miss the point of my comment. I'm saying that I personally think charms and prints have different perceived values. Prints are much cheaper to produce, yes, but I perceive their final value to be greater than a charm, despite the charm being a use object. Both are mass produced, but the print seems more like art than the charm, which seems like "merch." So for me personally, I feel that if charm prices uniformly increase to $15, then print prices should rise, too, because for me, prints have a higher perceived value than a charm.

However, with charm prices pretty cheap thanks to services like Vograce, charms that are $15 seem to be scalping, to me. Prints use the same margins as these over priced charms, but prints take 10xs longer to make vs. a charm. I personally don't want prints and charms priced the same.

My point is that I feel, in the end, charms should be cheaper than prints. If the marketplace is increasing the price of charms (seemingly based on the fact that they will still sell at this price), I feel that print prices should rise as well. However, even if charm prices are rising, I don't think I'll ever price mine above $8. I don't view it as underselling myself because I don't believe AA charms are worth $15 to begin with. Just because a customer will pay that much doesn't mean I should charge it. At what point will customers not pay? How many will buy at $15 vs. $8.

Just because charms and prints are different items doesn't mean there aren't comparisons. I am just saying that, from my point of view, I am considering charms in light of my other items at my table. I am not suggesting they have the same use or appeal to the same person. But not all items should be priced the same, and I price mine, relatively, based on the perceived worth of an item and the time taken to make said item.

>>8552160

They haven't arrived yet, but when I ordered 50 charms from them back in May there weren't any customs. I've never gotten hit with customs on any items purchased from China, but I don't know if it was always based on size or price or what.

When they arrive, I'll post whether I got hit by customs or not. I'm curious as to what will happen myself!

>>8552176
But that's just like, your opinion.

But seriously, it really depends on a personal basis if someone finds charms or prints more worth it, personally I prefer charms; easier to collect more of, sturdier then prints, and I can actually use them.

Honestly especially if a charms consists of more then one character (like when you put two charms below eachother?) I can still consider $15 to be a reasonable price. Personally I'd keep it around $10 but still.

>>8552205

Yes, that's just my opinion. And yours is just yours. But don't accuse me of underselling myself if I don't feel like it's worth $15.

I'm just curious though, how much do you think prints should be sold for? Tabloid and postcard size.

>>8551724
This is adorable. Do you have a facebook page?

>>8551587
Lower prices + massive inventory works as well. They've been brought up here before, but there's a certain studio that has really mediocre/awkward art, but has hundreds of fanart prints and sells for 1/3rds of the going rate for most prints. With that much variety, you hit about every fanbase and you'll make sales regardless of whether or whether not it's mediocre. And when customers are coming in with a budget in mind, a lot of people are going to choose to get three shitty cookies rather than one they really enjoy, because it feels like you got more for your money even if the quality is lacking.

Yes, I'm salty.
Who the fuck sells $5 11x17 prints, and still runs a sunday sale.

>>8552231
i don't know if this is the same person, but there was a table across from me at anime expo selling 2 poster sized prints for 5 dollars.
i don't know if they did well, but it made me question my 5 dollar postcards at first

I just became the proud new owner of a little over 600 yards of ribbon. Yes, six hundred yards. I got it all for free, so I'm not too concerned about making crafts that will sell for a ton, but I'm just kind of stumped on what to make with 600 yards of ribbon at all. It's not exactly suitable for sewing, so that's out of the question. Think the material made for cheerleading bows. Any creative ideas, seagulls?

>>8551585
hmm I feel like it would be more sparkly if it was
but now that y'all mention it the style does look kinda familiar

>>8552282
Ribbon flowers? Bows? Kanzashi? There's a lot you can make with ribbon, really.

>>8552231
Fucking Musetap and their dodge and burn art.

>>8552374
>Kanzashi
I'd never heard of that before! Thanks!

Do you guys do commissions at cons? I'm really new at tabling, (only twice) and some people told me that my prices are too low. what kind of commissions do you take? What are the lowest and the highest prices? Thanks a lot!

>>8552595
Most artists that do illustrations do commissions at cons. Not sure how the 3D gang is, though.

I always share a table with someone, and I prefer commissions over prints. I do bring a good amount of prints in case it just happens to be a disaster weekend commissions-wise.

Most of your customers are looking for something fast and cheap, so make sure that's an available option. I use pencil sketches for this. I have $5 headshots (these take less than 15 minutes for me), $10 busts, and $25 full bodies. The price doubles for inked lineart and doubles again for colored. I do up to three characters per commission with no discount. So three headshots on one paper is $15, one colored headshot would be $20, etc. Obviously you should price based on how quickly you work. I have about fifteen years of experience, so at this point, I can work fast enough to make $5 headshots work, but it might be different for you. These prices are lower than my online commissions would be, but that's because I know I will have many customers at a con.

My highest commission is $300 (single character, full body scene with background) and actually started as a joke between my main tablemate and I. We had a much nicer table than anyone else in our row, so we each put something outrageously expensive up to fit our "fancy table" theme. The joke was on me, though, because I ended up selling two that weekend. I sell 2-3 per con. Takes about half a night to do, but someone willing to drop $300 on a commission usually has an interesting idea at least, so they're fun.

>>8551724
The style is cute but that example is very messy and looks unfinished. Change the background colour and zoom in when you're painting because there's a lot of gaps. Lots of white in the skirt and corners not filled in all over.
The lines make it look it's still a sketch but that's fine if you're not actually finished yet. Even when resized you'll be able to see the little bumps and gaps you seem to have at joining lines.

>>8552211
>>8552176
Look, don't assume everyone gets their charms made in china either. Are you going to tell someone who spends $3 to make a charm they are "Scalping" to sell it for $10-15? Where as they make prints for 50 cents and sell for $15-20?

Sounds like BS to me honestly, if you can't sell your charms for $8 then don't, but don't act like other artists are being unsavory or taking advantage of customers if they are just brining prices in line with the market's demand. I'll tell you right now there are prints that don't take much more time at all than charms that sell for the full $15-20 price so *shrug*

Personally I sell 11x17 prints for $20 so charms will at this point never touch the print prices.

>>8550835
I'm mostly asking for a friend, but I'll pass your e-mail on if she's interested. Tyvm! I hope all goes well for you.

>>8552176
The thing about fandom is that it keeps getting prices squashed because of this kind of mentality. People don't factor in the skill level and time it takes to create merch, irrespective of whether it is a print or a charm or a commission and they look at the production cost alone so it looks like they're gouging people. Just because someone can look at something I made for the dollar it cost to print it doesn't mean they can reproduce it or even if they can, that it is worth the time investment. And that is a lot of what people are actually paying for. Creating prints and creating charms requires different skill sets, and though some might think of charms as being just a small chunk of plastic, charm design is actually pretty tough because it is such a small area and you need to be able to inject a lot of personality and thought into it to make it appealing.

I'm really amazed that the charm prices are holding steady despite everyone and their mother making them (and apparently even going up to match demand) as that is what the market really should be doing. Compare the situation with art commissions online where you can get a full body painting for like fifty bucks from some very talented artists because the market there has been obliterated by people undervaluing for years. Then newcomers who don't perceive their work to be at the same level as these artists/don't have the same size following to be commissioned a lot undervalue themselves more in hopes of being 'more fair' and then this keeps perpetuating in the wrong direction.

If you really don't want to price over $8 dollars then don't, but at least acknowledge that there is a good and genuine reason why undercutting is bad for the industry in general and why not all of that money is pure easy profit.

Has anyone tried anything other than Vograce for acrylic charms on Taobao/Aliexpress/Alibaba?

>>8551742
>>8551755
Thanks anons, I did notice that something about the body seemed wonky but I'm not sure which part.
I usually do chibis at 1:3 but I saw that most people do it at 1:2 for charms so when I forced the proportion it looks a bit wonky.
And yeah, I am making an AA set it'll probably take a while to finish though,

>>8552231
I don't use facebook unfortunately, sorry anon.

>>8552642
It's not final yet, I am a pretty messy artist though so the finished design might still not be that neat.

>>8552869
Are you using a paint bucket or selection to fill? I can't tell if this one is finished either because it suffers from the same gaps in the colour and lines e.g the cape trim on the left doesn't connect to anything so the cape no longer makes sense.

The set will look really cute together though.

>>8552647

I sell my charms for $8. If $8 is undercutting then I don't understand AA now. I thought $8 was the standard for acrylic charms based on what I've seen at cons this summer. I always thought it was still a bit high, compared to Japanese merch, but I recognize that the cogs on a charm can be $3-5 if you go with Western manufacturers and the margins aren't as good. To me, $8 isn't undercutting at all. $15-20 is overpricing.

I recognize that charm design is a skill, and does require a different compositional process than a print. Margins on prints are crazy high, but this has long been established (because of the time prints, generally, take vs. other items). People on this board are bitching about when people undercut on prints by selling them for crazy low. I always thought that the margins on charms were naturally lower because of the high cost to manufacture them, then when Vograce and other sellers surfaced, it was a good way to reduce costs and get a better margin on the charm.

However, until today, I was very truthfully under the impression that the average charm price is $8 and feel like other anons on the board have said this in past threads. The idea of charms being $15+ is something I had not heard of until today. I also personally disagree with "pricing up" to meet demand. I don't know at what point one could outprice a customer, and for me I don't feel like I should raise prices just because people will pay them.

Another thing to consider with prints vs. charms is there is assembly involved with most charms.

Like, you usually at least put the clasp/strap on yourself even if you're not embellishing it.

A lot of us actually like making our charms as special as possible and add little accents and beads and such to make them cuter/better too. The time spent searching for the parts and then assembling them takes a while so you have to count that. In addition it sort of kills your hands, especially at first..

For prints, you spend the time drawing the image but once it's done the printer just makes as many copies as you want. If we're talking hourly I think that prints actually become paid off sooner in terms of labor as well as cost-to-make..

>>8552948
for reference I price my charms at about $10 and I'd say that 8-12 is reasonable considering how many parts they're made of etc..

I think that embellished charms shouldn't be 8, but that higher than 12 unless it's a multi-part charm that you illustrated multiple separate parts for that link together is probably asking a bit much.

Though I've seen some neat shit like shipping straps, or haunters with separate hands and such which I think would be reasonable for 15

really there's such a wide range of sources, supplies, and creativity that I think without picture examples or explicit language it's a little hard to have this conversation. 'Charms' is a really broad category now.

Hey does anyone know where I can get blank rosette award ribbons??
I checked ebay and aliexpress for black ones but I can't find anything within reasonable price
Image related

>>8552963
have you tried googling ribbon cockade?

>>8552910
I don't use selection as I usually go lineless but that's a good idea and I know that I still need to fix the lineart big time. Thanks, anon.

>>8552869
I wanna keep up with your progress, do you have tumblr/some other social media?

>>8552943
From customers, they seem more than happy to buy a double sided acrylic charm for $10, as the old single sided type charms (shrinky dinks for example) were sold for $5 with no problem and double sided is almost like two charms for the price of one. $10 makes a lot of sense for customers as far as I can tell. They're willing to pay for not seeing a "blank" side, and if you're selling for $8 and below just because you *manufacture in china*, that sounds like under cutting to me but whatever.

>>8552995

I'm selling for $8 because I was strongly under the impression, from this thread and AAs at cons this summer, that $8 for 1 and 2 for $15 is standard.

>>8551524
Now it's bothering me because her artwork looks familiar somehow, but I follow so many artists that I can't figure out who she was influenced by. Can anyone tell me? I feel a little bad because I like her products but kind of don't want to support them if she's that bad?

How is catprint with their custom sizing with prints? With stuff like full bleeding and the like.

>>8553078
they're really cool about custom sizing in my experience.
i ordered their business cards to use as backing cards for some charms and pins, but the cards ended up being a fraction of an inch too small for the packaging.
i told them my issue and they increased the size to fit my absurd standards with no problem

Is it stupid to charge a little more for prints of canvas paintings made possible only by hiring a (cheap) photographer?

>>8552967
I just googled it, it's not really what I'm looking for but thanks

So how durable are clear acrylic charms supposed to be? I recently got one and the design is peeling off after two weeks of use...

>>8553289
i've never had an inkit charm peel, though i had one white acrylic charm from them (half the width of their clear acrylic) snap in half when i was trying to attach a jump ring to it.

>>8552983
I have a personal tumblr where I also post art, it's athenacykes.tumblr.com but I don't post WIPS that often. I'll probably post everything at once after I'm done with 4 more characters.

>>8540631
Who the fuck is this entitled self-victimizing twat?

>>8542060
I fucking love 90's anime style and aesthetics and I would empty your table, anon. But it's a shame we're a dying bunch.

>>8552765
>here you can get a full body painting for like fifty bucks from some very talented artists because the market there has been obliterated by people undervaluing for years.

Oh god I hate seeing that stuff. I can get a reasonable amount for what I draw but even then it pains me there are people of a higher skill level selling their same type of commission for a lower price.

You're not doing anyone any good selling fullbody drawings, fully coloured and high quality shading for a mere $50 if you're any good at it.

Is there any way to sell copyrighted material and not get blown out for it? I just want to order a brooch for personal use but want to get rid of the the extra 9-19 brooches I have to order with it.

So just wondering, Zap is pretty much considered shit right now? Or do I still have a decent chance of items arriving in the promised quality? I'm EU based so the cheaper shipping is awfully tempting compared to Inkit or Vograce.

>>8553635
What kind of copyrighted material? Do you mean like using official art and such?

>>8553651
Art from some Japanese artist. They sell art books as far as I know.

>>8553677
Sakizou?

>>8553679
No.

>>8553681
Either way don't sell brooches with art from another artist.

>>8553651
How about requesting a custom sample done at Zap? If I recall, they do custom samples for cheap.

Is Katsucon worth flying to from elsewhere on the east coast?

>>8553754
It's pretty central, it's worth driving to at least.

>>8553844
I'm about a 16 hr drive away, but flights are under 200$ round trip.

>>8552176
I agree with you anon. I get mine done by Vograce and I don't even sell at $8. I just can't stomach selling them at such a high price! If I used Ink-It, maybe things would be a little different. I really hate this price fixing pressure all these artist alley people are dumping on newcomers, too.

>>8553361
AANI girl that only draws fat people

>>8553862

Yes! And I totally get that not everyone wants to use Vograce, that's fine. However, because their base cost is higher, that doesn't change things. I seriously always just presumed people knew that charms weren't as high margins, and then using Vograce is a way to keep margins higher (and base costs lower). Many of my AA friends, as well as my friends who are customers, have been a bit shocked by the standard of $8 for a charm, but it's accepted practice now. I understand that some people view packaged charms with beads as maybe something that should cost more, but for me I'm not adding those things to increase my prices. I'm adding those to make the charm nicer than if I just slapped a plain charm in a bag, and to distinguish my charms.

If charms are selling at $10-15, that's fine for whoever wants to sell them at that price. But it appears that charms are in a bubble. They're a hot item now that we can make them more professionally than laminated paper or shrinky dinks. But with EVERYONE doing them, the market is saturated. And the more people who do them, the more price variation. Pricing too high above what may be a midpoint can only last for so long until the market evens out.

Part of my pricing is perceived value, what I thought were market standards, and a feeling that I don't want to price above official licensed goods. That's just me.

>>8553881
Oh my god, fellow artist alley anon that actually understands economics. I love you. Let's be frens.

>>8553884

Totally! I thought I was being too technical on all this before, but I don't think people understand that the ability to charge $15 for a charm isn't going to last. Prints for $15 works because that's long established and I'm sure there was an evening out process when AA started up and con culture solidified.

But look at holographic prints. Right now they're new, trendy, and are about to be more readily available thanks to the Hobby Lobby discovery and printers starting to add them to their services. Charging $$$ for a holographic print won't be possible if everyone is doing it and some people are charging a more reasonable rate based on their cogs. Again, nothing wrong with people who go with more expensive charm or holographic services, but because your cogs are higher doesn't necessarily mean you should automatically charge more than someone else. If you have a set margin you want, then naturally you'll set your price based on that margin, which may put you higher or lower than some. I think a better solution is always to see if you can keep the quality the same, but decrease your cogs. Increasing your prices doesn't seem sustainable in the long run.

I also don't think you should automatically pass along your costs to the consumer. As I stated before, just because people will buy a charm at $15 doesn't mean I should have to price it as such. Does it work for some people? Yes. Will it work forever? We have yet to see. But I'm certain this is a bubble that won't last.

>>8553677
This is probably the absolute worst thread to ask "where can I sell art that isn't mine". Also, yeah, don't do it, that would be really shitty.

>>8553916
What do you mean by Hobby Lobby discovery?

>>8553629
It's honestly quite depressing seeing artists undervalue themselves because they think that if they charge really cheap prices, people will buy more commissions like those artists who draw $1 chibis.
On the flip side, artists who charge too much are also bad. I saw a girl charging $30+ for a 600x600 chibi waist up with very minimal shading. It's insane but if she's selling those commissions like crazy, more power to her I guess.

>>8553985
Yeah the other day I saw someone offering headshots for $42 and from the one example they had it seemed it doesn't even come with lineart but a clean sketch and decent shading (but not 'clean" shading).

It's kind of a hard thing to price anyway, a lot of people don't realize they're way too good for the prices they're giving. Also the "charge per hour" method is pretty hard with this stuff. If you're a good artists chances are you'll get faster and faster. But you should charge more and not less.

I mean I can spend an hour messing around with the poses of a chibi's arms and lining it but I won't charge someone for my own shortcomings.

>>8553985

It's because artists get encouraged to charge pro rates without understanding that you don't get to charge pro rates unless you have a pro skill level.

>>8552184
Thanks anon! I'm thinking of getting maybe 300-500 charms made with packaging all done and everything but I'm not sure if that means I'll get hit with customs.

Also not sure what I should declare them as? 300 charms as a gift isn't very plausible.

>>8554020
You don't get to declare them as anything. The seller declares them when they ship. Sometimes these large orders will pass through without issue but if they call you, you have to tell the truth and just eat the cost of the customs fee. It's the cost of doing business. If your margins won't cover the possibility of a customs fee, increase your margins. Simple as that.

>>8553982

In the scrapbooking section Hobby Lobby has, I think 2 different kinds, of transparent holographic plastic that is self adhesive. I think it would work best on prints or if you make your own stickers. Unless you make your own charms and then resin dome over it, it won't work on a pre-made acrylic.

A lot of people still seem to be using Jimi, which is super expensive, but for $2 a 12'x12' sheet (and they go 50% off like every 3-4 weeks), I'm thinking of trying to do these for some postcard and letter sized prints. If it's successful, I'll probably only do a surcharge of like $2-3 on holographic prints.

>>8554020

I've never had to declare them. I do count them as business costs for my taxes though.

>>8553289
Ink it charms never peel, but i've heard of Zap peeling from both artists and customers. I'm willing to bet acorn (and maybe chilly) would peel too. Chances are if you asked the artist i'm betting it's from zap.

>>8553881
>>8553884
>>8553916
tbh you guys just sound salty cause your art probably won't move at a higher price point.

Official "licensed" posters are often $5-10 for a 24x36" print too on worse paper but I just keep seeing you guys make shitty comparisons to justify your lower prices for your lower quality goods.

>>8554064
Correct me if I'm misunderstanding your post but aren't those posters massively produced ( like thousands of copies)? So that's probably looking at probably a couple pennies to produce...or maybe im just a dumbass? @_@ idk

>>8554085
Ack, I meant a couple pennies per poster to produce oops

>>8554085
>>8554088

Yes, they cost the companies pennies to produce.. just like they cost companies pennies to produce acrylic charms, which is another good reason why that anon's comparison is stupid.

>>8554034
What do you write on the customs form on the package? I'm getting mine shipped from Hong Kong and the only options are gift/commercial sample/documents/other.

I'm thinking commercial samples but 300 pieces as "samples" don't sound quite right.

>>8554064

So I'm salty because I don't fee like charging my customers $15 for a fan made charm? I don't think my art is shit, I just don't feel like charging customers $15 for a charm because a few anons accuse me of underselling at $8. As I have stated multiple times, just because someone will pay $15 does not mean I have to charge them that. If there are people charging $5 and some charging $15, then $8-10 is the average. What's so wrong about charging the average price? Same for prints. Some people charge $5, some will charge upwards of $30. So am I wrong for charging $15 for a tabloid print if, theoretically, I could charge more but choose not to?

Maybe it's just a fundamental difference. You view $8 as underselling. I view it as the standard. Also, you're presuming that price charm is based on quality, which isn't always the case. Because if everyone starts charging $15 for a charm, then that doesn't indicate quality, but instead it indicates a standard. There are $15 charms that I'm sure are worth it to some people, and then charms that are not. Just as there are some people selling $5 charms that are worth way more, and then some that are barely worth that.

As this conversation indicates, we're basing prices off the market, not quality. You're saying that if people will pay $15, we as artists should charge them that. That is using the market to determine the price, not using the quality of the charm or design to determine the price.

>>8554108

I didn't write anything. I've never filled out a customs form unless I was mailing something to outside the US (I used to mail gifts to a Canadian friend at Christmas and would fill out the forms at the post office. I marked things as gifts and labeled it out as the correct value. I'm compulsively honest, though). Everything I've gotten from China has always been marked "gift" and is usually not written with the $ amount I paid. For example, I'll buy a wig for $10 but they mark it as like, $5 gift. I don't remember what my charm box said, but gift seems to be what the Chinese mark it as.

However, I don't know if that is correct or legal.

>>8554126
Calm down Ash

>>8554126
You're salty because you're accusing successful artists of essentially scalping and ripping customers off.

Don't be an asshole to people who are just making their money's worth, that includes comforting yourself by telling yourself it's just a bubble. Bubble or not, that's just profit you're missing out on and you look really salty when you try to justify losing that profit by insulting other artists.

>>8552869
the hand holding the hat is wrong

>>8554133
I think their art explains their prices now...

Well this thread sure went places

>>8554153
Post it

>>8554158
Right damn let us in on this anon

>>8554158
>>8554167
>https://www.etsy.com/shop/MicrocometIllust
It's fair play to post. After all, she did put her info in the /cgl/ spreadsheet.

>>8554133

Good one, not me though. I have never heard of this person.

>>8554136

Not sure how me point out that all the charms flooding the market and creating a bubble is me comforting myself? There's nothing comforting about economic bubbles. I'm at peace on missing out on that profit. I'm not confident that raising my prices will keep my customers or bring more. That's not based on quality, it's based on what I perceive demand to be.

>>8554168
No wonder she won't sell them higher then $8 these pokemon look like bootleg official art. Girl needs to learn how to add interesting shades.

>>8554133

I have never heard of this person in my life. But I guess someone else has the same concerns.

does anyone know any places beside Jimi agency that print memo pads or stationary?

>>8554190
If not you then someone else arguing about it in the thread. I know you're there, honey.
>Greentexting on facebook

Dropped image

>>8554197

I'm the econ anon arguing, but that Ash person isn't me. I guess they're lurking though. However, since charm prices are a debate, would anyone else be willing to list their prices? Pics not necessary.

As I've said, I've got packaged 6cm charms, double sided, with bead that I'm anticipating selling for $8.

>>8554200
Lel, I remember that thread.

>>8554205
All my charms are packaged and $10
They're all embellished
Most are doublesided vograce

>>8554153
>>8554186
seriously

>>8554200
70 charms is way too many designs to sell at once. It would just overwhelm customers.

>>8554196
stationery* oops!

>>8554200
you do have too many

>>8554214
>>8554220
what about someone like paprika studios

>>8554250
>paprika studios

Needs to learn how to draw

>>8554133
I'm not actually the one who's been posting but okay.

>>8554004
This this this.
People don't get that while it's important not to undervalue their art, one has to be realistic about what they can charge. I can easily sell my 8.5x11 prints for 10 dollars but with my current skill level, I'm not going to be selling any $40 dollar sketches anytime soon.

I'm trying to use inkit labs but their guides are confusing me a bit.. is there an Ink it Labs for Dummies out there LOL
I wanna print on clear acrylic of about 2 inches for 50 charms...

>>8554205
>d 6cm charms, double sided, with bead that I'm anticipating selling for $8.


I'm doing single sided 6cms from vograce for $4, double sided for $5. No embellishments.

>>8553985
I think I know which person you're talking about with the $30 chibis. That person targets a market that's pretty niche and draws a lot of fan art for that market so it's not surprising that they're popular and can charge high prices for pieces with very flat colors.

>>8554000
People do draw faster as they improve but if they quality of their work goes up too then shouldn't they raise how much they're charging per hour? Also it depends if they get better materials.
For example, if someone drew a chibi with crayola markers and it took them 5 hours, I still wouldn't expect to pay too much for it.
Whereas if the same person drew the same chibi years later with copics and it took them 2 hours, I'd expect to pay a lot more than the initial crayola chibi.

>>8554562
>People do draw faster as they improve but if they quality of their work goes up too then shouldn't they raise how much they're charging per hour

That was kind of what I mean I just worded it badly.

>>8554482
That's.. awfully low.

>>8554578
Yep. I think it's a nice competitive price.

>>8554599
Not sure if bait or stupid

>>8554578
Oh I see. I misread it. Sorry!

>>8554599
No that's ridiculously low.
That's not a competitive price, that's undercutting the market.

>>8554205

Looked at the spreadsheet and feverworm has charms for $5-6, double sided acrylic. MyFebronia has them for $4-7 for keychains. Yosb has them $8-15 and they are double sided and embellished.

So charm prices are all over the place for these artists. Any other big names or trips want to weigh in on their own prices?

>>8554205
Oop, autosage but whatever

Single-sided, wood, 2", packaged for $12 ea, 2 for $20.

Most of my established AA friends also sell them for $10-$12

Any Aussies here bought stickers from Zap? I was wondering how much they charge for shipping. If it's horrendous, i'll go with something else.

I'm in love with sticker sheets right now and really wanna make some.

>>8556082
dunno if they've improved since this was a couple years back, but when I got stickers made by zap they came out awfully grainy. Not good print quality at all. Just a warning. Hopefully someone has ordered more recently and can update though.

>>8541910
How cute!