Artist Alley General

[Anonymous No.6844880]

Are you trying anything new on your tables this year? New display? New stock? Share what you are excited about most!

[smoker !HOZlQYR1MY No.6844882]

>>6844880
>no
>no
>no
I'm really excided for-... wait what am I doing in this thread? Artist ally is for fags.

[Anonymous No.6844925]

Just gotta say pricing stuff is tough. That whole materials/time equation doesn't worth that well for me. My first con is coming up so I don't have the benefit of experience either.

[Anonymous No.6844974]

>>6844925
Generally, I go off what others are doing, and adjust depending on peoples reactions to the pricing throughout the weekend. (I always feel bad for those that end up paying a lot more compared to someone else, but whatever.)

[Anonymous No.6845036]

Any thoughts on how the AA for Fanime will be this year?

It sounds like they didn't take in to consideration seating requests and has forbidden switching.

[Anonymous No.6845326]

>>6845036
Not sure what that's about. Though they do have 400 tables this year. That can't be easy to coordinate.

[Anonymous No.6845361]

Where do you go to get packaging done?

[Anonymous No.6846110]

>>6845361
I design and print my packaging myself, it's cheaper but more time consuming. If I was selling larger amounts of stuff it might be worth getting it done somewhere, but I wouldn't know where to start with that.

[Anonymous No.6846132]

Anyone have tips for set up? I usually do the standard clamps & pvc bit but it never seems very stable to me.

[Anonymous No.6846191]

>>6845326
Do they still do quality check when giving out the tables? Hand-picking 400 people must be exhausting.

[Tim No.6846264]

>>6845036
I hope to god they'll have a shortcut to the AA through the convention center. Either way it's taking a huge blow to foot traffic by being away from the rest of the con, but adding a considerable walking distance to that, AND a considerably increased number of tables is making the prospect look kinda grim for artists this year. I can't imagine sales going up considerably with all the factors they have against them.

[Anonymous No.6846450]

>>6846264
Getting sick of this argument and people calling South Hall a tent. It's on the SAME FUCKING BLOCK as the con center and right across from the Saint Claire. You don't even have to wait for those minute long waits at the crosswalk to get there. It's easier to get to than the masq.

[Tim No.6846469]

>>6846450
It's completely removed from every other event/exhibit at the con. People are used to hopping from the exhibit hall, panels, stage zero, and AA because they were all on the same floor. They're in completely different buildings now. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but even a move like that can take a considerable amount out of foot traffic, which sucks for the artists.

Also the masque is a single event, whereas the AA is an exhibit that is open for most of the day. You need to make one trip to the masque, and even if you do end up making multiple trips, it'll be in the course of one evening. Going back and forth to the alley throughout the day is going to be a bit more cumbersome, which is probably enough to drive away a percentage of shoppers.

[Anonymous No.6846486]

>>6846469
Alright then it's closer then almost every food venue.

I'm an artist myself and I'm not that worried. There are huge lulls in con-going to take time to go check out Artist Alley. I think htere might be a little confusion on Friday, but the word should spread well enough late Friday and going into Saturday.

Honestly my biggest concern is that they'll continue that bullshit of making one designated, absolute entrance and exit to each area, but not even take the time to put up giant signs that might warn people before staffers have to tell them to turn around and walk the whole length to leave.

[Anonymous No.6846623]

I have pens, paper, safety pins, price tags and spare velcro in my AA kit. What else do you suggest?

[Anonymous No.6848318]

What do you use to hang a banner from your table? I see some can get made with grommets but how do you hang them from there?

[Kiwi !Hc6EcVkstI No.6848376]

I've heard many people recommend catprint for prints, or moo for cards but

Who/where would I go to, to get doujin-style books made?

[Anonymous No.6849233]

>>6844925

This.

I don't know if I'm selling myself short. My plush stuff isn't too complex, made of fleece, flannel, and/or ultracuddle, and I can't bring myself to sell them for more than 25 bucks. Then I see someone selling something half the size with poor stitching, structure and glued on accents made of felt for 30 minimum. And they get a lot of business.

[Anonymous No.6849265]

My friend offered to get me some banners and other promo materials made next time she's in Vietnam. She gets it all done really cheap, so I'm keen to have some flash stuff for my first artist table.

[Anonymous No.6849435]

Can anyone recommend me a good postal scale?

[Anonymous No.6849439]

>>6849435
Can't you sign up for a program from USPS that sends you a scale and boxes for free?

I see that commercial every time I turn on the tv.

[Anonymous No.6849494]

Trying to figure out a new set up to fit both me and my second artist.... I really want to go with a wood display because it would work nice with my theme (dragons/steampunk) but even a lightweight wood might be too heavy so I may need to substitute with foam and a wood pattern.

Also question- what do you guys do with your supplies at the end of the day? Do you leave it under your table or take it with you?

Pic related; a ren faire design I want to modify for AA.

[Anonymous No.6849497]

>>6849494
I derped

[Anonymous No.6849502]

>>6846623
What are you selling? Tape and scissors

[Anonymous No.6849536]

>>6844925
>>6849233


I'm doing my 4th AA this year so I feel like I have a little experience to share here. Before the con, do research online, look at other peoples prices and determine what is the average. Now, figure out a high and low range for your own work. What is the MOST you think you can sell your work for and what is the LEAST you can sell your work for (Without losing money/time)
On the first day of the con, price everything high but not unrealistic. I find that people like 'deals' and nick-naks so it helps to have something that is "buy x for 10$, buy 2 x for 15$" kinds of things. Or, if you've been to AA before and have old merchandise that you don't care about anymore, sell it anyway at a huge discount and people will fucking love this.

If nobody's biting, be patient and look around at other artists. It might just be that the crowd is not in a buying mood. At certain times during the con you might notice that the crowd is either in a buying mode or window shopping mode. After the first day you will probably have a better sense of pricing and so can lower yours accordingly.

Do NOT sell yourself short and do NOT think that because somebody is selling a print at 50$ means that that is the going price.

[Anonymous No.6849698]

>>6849536
>Do NOT sell yourself short
This. I showed my friends one of my beautiful, laser cut wooden keychains with gold painted detail and they told me to sell it for $5. I felt crushed that they thought my work was worth only just a little more than what laminated keychains go for.

I feel like what con you're going to is important. Like a major con will have a mix of grown ups and broke kids so you can probably sell that $50 much more easily than you could at a small college con.

Maybe a survey would help. Can experienced artists list a) what they make b) What item sells the most/what is it and how much? c) What their most expensive item is and does it sell?

[Anonymous No.6849794]

>>6849698

>Can experienced artists list a) what they make:
Tiny dragon sculpture necklaces and prints.
>b) What item sells the most/what is it and how much?
My dragon sculptures, I can sell them for 15-25$ each.
>c) Most expensive item is and does it sell?
Again, my dragons are the most expensive thing I sell. I wouldn't say they sell quickly but given the quality and time I put into each dragon (they are all uniquely different) I'm confident that they are priced accurately. Ironically, I was initially a print artist but found that the competition was way too tough (I'm talking about AX by the way). Even if my work was good other more popular artists would make bank while I sat there twiddling my thumbs. That's why, when I invented my little dragon necklaces, I stuck with them. It literally pays to have the monopoly on something nobody else has thought of.

[Anonymous No.6850504]

Just found out Fanime doesn't let you set up your table until a few hours before opening on Friday. Sad times.

[Anonymous No.6851502]

Do any other plush makers put fabric scraps in their plushies? I mean like sort of cramming, bits and pieces in the center of the stuffing. Seems better than just tossing the stuff.

[Anonymous No.6851521]

I'm sharing with two other artists this year again.
I wouldn't be worried if I wasn't oblivious as to what our third artist is selling, especially since our table only allows two people sitting at a time, and I make a decent amount of money from on-site commissions.
Probably doing a combo of plushies and pins/stickers this year, to maximize profit, as well as focusing on some niche favourites (thinking Virtue's Last Reward and Touhou at the very least, if the AA isn't overrun with Dangan Ronpa merch this year).

[Anonymous No.6851529]

>>6844925
I do a lot more crafts and jewelry at the moment. I've done prints before though.

I generally consider prices of the materials, but I also look at what someone would reasonably pay for a piece that I have. I try to keep necklaces from the $15-20 mark and items smaller around the $5-10 mark. If it's something that I did end up putting a lot of time into and everything outside of the base materials (like the chain and findings) were handmade, I think I'm more comfortable charging more for it. But usually I stick to those prices.

[Anonymous No.6851533]

Can someone give me a brief walkthrough on how lasercutting things works? Do you need any special equipment or are there companies who do this? I was thinking of selling some laminate jewelry this year at my local dinky anymu convention and having the power to precisely cut this shit out would be immensely exciting.

[Anonymous No.6851817]

For the Fanime people do you usually discount your stuff on Sunday or Monday since Sunday is still considered a second Saturday at Fanimoo? Or do you even set up on monday at all?

[Anonymous No.6851825]

>>6851502
I do this ALL the time, but I make plushies for myself/friends only. I found out that if you stuff it completely with fabric, the squishyness of it changes a lot, it gets heavier.

[Anonymous No.6851832]

>>6851502
This works for parts that you need denser, but isn't that great for whole pieces. Make sure you really shred it up well though.

[Anonymous No.6851834]

Kind of related, I'm selling at a doll con in a few months. Mostly cute casual clothing (sweaters, leggings, hoodies, tshirt dresses) and lolita dresses, possibly some cosplay outfits. What character outfits might sell best/be reasonably simple on a smaller scale, and what other items might be good to do?

[Anonymous No.6851838]

I just want to say what an absolute mess it is trying to work with the mods of ANEXT this year.

It sucks that the tri-state area has such terrible conventions.

[Anonymous No.6851845]

>>6851838
I've heard so many bad things that I don't even want to sell at ANext anymore. I MIGHT try next year for a table but only if I hear good things from my friends who are selling. Last time I sold was before the as regime change.

[Anonymous No.6851877]

>>6851834
miku outfit, Maka school outfit or Crona dress from soul eater, magical girls (sailor moon, madoka, precure).

Do you know how to make pants or shorts? I could list more but i'm not sure what your capable on doing. where is this doll con?

[Anonymous No.6851880]

>>6851877
Oh and bathing suits! bikini and underwear as well as socks (thigh highs) those will be awesome to see!

[Anonymous No.6851925]

>>6851877
Smaller show in Oregon though might make it up to Seattle for Uncanny Dreams. I'm actually pretty decent with sewing and have made 1/5 scale functional cargo pants with accurate seams before so pants aren't an issue.

Thanks for the cosplay suggestions too! The only things I could think of were generic school uniforms in different colors.

Pic is the sort of things I currently have a built up stock of. Think they might be the quick'n'cheap sales because they fit a big range and don't take too long to make.

[Anonymous No.6851959]

>>6851925
drats too far.
Simple, but really cute.

[Anonymous No.6851971]

>>6851845

I've heard multiple people saying this and I honestly am the same with questioning if I want to even try next year.

[Anonymous No.6852661]

A friend wants me to table with him, but his work is... bad. Is tabling with him a bad idea? Will his bad artwork drive customers away, and if not, is the fact that my stuff will be selling and his won't going to lead to resentment?

[Anonymous No.6852920]

>>6852661
It might make your work look better.

If he's a little pussy, he'll get mad, but yolo money.

[Tim No.6852939]

>>6852661
Bit of a risk for both things, but not considerably. I'd say if he's good company and just all around a chill guy, go for it, but if you're not particularly close, then don't. Rarely will being close to bad art drive people away. People will keep browsing regardless.

>>6851817
In the past I've always set up on MOndays. A lot of my friends would do discounts and stuff, but it usually doesn't increase sales that dramatically. Nice way to get rid of some extra inventory, though.

[Anonymous No.6852945]

>>6851834
Some ultrapopular animes would probably sell. Sailor Moon, Inuyasha, Cowboy Bebop, DBZ, Fruits Basket, Chobits, Fullmetal Alchemist, and whatever is popular on netflix right now.

[Anonymous No.6852946]

>>6852661
Usually when I share a table with my friend (she's a print artist, I'm the 3D crafty one), we half-evenly distribute our stuff in vertical space, while on the table we tend to keep our stuff to our side. She and I both have pretty quality and distinctive stuff, so it's fine for us to share and mix the space a bit.

I think in your case you might want to split the table evenly. People have the general idea that at AA there is table sharing, so even if his artwork doesn't attract customers, at least yours will if you display properly. If you both somehow share the table space, it'll muddle your work and it'll be harder to get sales if people are associating his works with yours.

Resentment? That's up to him and yourself. I don't know if he has past experiences in AA so if he has "slow sales" then maybe it won't bother him so much if you get more sales than he does. If he gets needy and greedy though...

But he wants you to table with him? I don't see why you can't just decline, especially if you already have a table secured. Unless he is looking to save money, maybe he can ask someone else. Otherwise, it's up to you; I think you can manage to table with your friend if both of you organize yourselves properly, and have some professionalism in tact while maintaining good ties as friends.

Sorry for running off my thoughts, have a picture of a half-table setup.

[Anonymous No.6855454]

bump

[Anonymous No.6855578]

>>6855454
>Be mindful of where you set your stuff.
This. Everytime this.
I'm so tired of cosplayers walking by, being asked to take a picture, then piling their stuff on my table. Very often they'll forget something like a drink too, and never come back for it.

[Anonymous No.6855595]

>>6855578
If there's a bin near you, toss it in. The nerve of people.

[Anonymous No.6855601]

>>6855578
Wait, those cunts actually put stuff on YOUR TABLES rather than on the ground? Please tell me this isn't widespread?

[Shiny Spinda !!q9VGUilai80 No.6855631]

>>6855601
This happens A LOT. I've had people forget purses/wallets, cosplay accessories, Dealer's Room purchases, and even digital cameras (including a DSLR that was selling for at least $3,000 online).
I'm not going to say I've never lost something in my life, but I'm especially careful of my stuff at cons for obvious reasons and I can't imagine letting go of an item like that without picking it right back up again. Some people came back looking for their stuff, but the rest went to con Lost and Found at the end of the weekend and god knows what happened to it after that.

[Anonymous No.6855698]

>>6855601
It is, I think. Every con without fail, there are at least 5 open drinks left on my table throughout the weekend. People just do not give a fuck. Maybe 1 out of 10 of them actually do ask if its okay to put their things down, but the rest -- no.

[Anonymous No.6856253]

>>6855601
My first AA tabling experience was at Katsucon this year and someone left their cellphone. I was so nervous I wasn't sure what to do, but luckily their friend had called it and came to pick it up after I answered.

[Anonymous No.6856312]

So Fanime's check in is from 10-2 Friday. With 300+ tables I imagine that will be disastrously crowded.

What's check-in like?

[Anonymous No.6856758]

I'm going to my first bigger con this year, and I'm really nervous/excited. I've only gone to 3 cons as an artist, two small pony themed cons, and one second year local general con.
This year I've been accepted to go to NebrasKon and I'll be there with my partner. I'm gonna start doing research on what's most popular.
I finally got around to getting a spinning rack, and I'm gonna get one or two more for display, and hopefully also a rolling organizer and a new camera that will take better quality photos.

>>6849494
The cons I've attended have allowed me to leave my things there, as the room is locked. We just take valuables with us like the cash box, laptops, and stuff. I don't know what it's like for other cons, but I assume maybe the same?

But, anyway, is there anything I should be worried about other than people setting my stuff at a table? Like I said, I've only been to 3 really small local cons.

[Angel !!b54Js4RqEVd No.6857397]

I'm looking for a little advice on something which isnt quite AA, but close
I typically do commission work and just recently a VA asked to commission some pin designs and a sticker from me for the purpose of selling at cons for signings and such.
Since it'll be for someone else to sell, should I charge more for that or just stick to my normal rates which are essentially me just guestimating the hours it'll take to draw and multiplying it by $8?

[Anonymous No.6857424]

Not an artist, but things I remember from ACEN I really liked/noticed:

>Everyone went for grab bags
>There was someone selling leggings - it was freaking amazing
>Fleece scarves sold better than fleece hats by a mile.
>The people with the cellphone plugs for phones that didn't have places for cellphone charms gave them away for free with the charms they sold. I think it made people want to buy those cellphone charms a lot more
>People sold Homestuck. No one I noticed gave them shit for it.
>People who made custom buttons (i.e. paper commissions for a button) had more traffic in general.
>Someone was giving away free balloon animals. They got a lot of traffic to their table because of it.
>Something that was cool were 3D standups of characters


Things I noticed that were "In":
>Sherlock
>Doctor Who
>Game of Thrones
>Bioshock Infinite

I'm sure there are more but whenever I saw "SOLD OUT" prints they were usually related to those.

Also:
>Pokemon clay badge sets
>Chainmail
>those pixel things

Was also super popular.

[Anonymous No.6858785]

>>6857424
A friend actually saw the people selling Homestuck and said uncomfortably to me that they shouldn't, but they were so nice, she didn't want to say anything to their faces.

I agree the leggings were amazing, I wanted a pair but I was outta money.

[Anonymous No.6858802]

>>6857424

As an artist who's been researching the latest trends with little luck, thank you for this post. ;-;

[Anonymous No.6858816]

>>6857424
How would you even go about producing custom design leggings?
Now I'm interested.

[Anonymous No.6858841]

>>6855601
They do, and I keep it all. If it's not something I have a use for, I'll give it to one of my table neighbors or list it online later. Of course, drinks go straight to the trash, but unopened boxes of snacks I sometimes keep as well.

[Anonymous No.6858956]

>>6851925
i wanna gooo! Why dont we have doll cons near NYC? damn it all

[Anonymous No.6860631]

>>6858956
Try traditional collectible doll shows? I know there's one thats bi-yearly in North Jersey. I'm selling at one in Portland Oregon, it has a decent bjd presence. It helps if you also make things for Tonner, Barbie, and other popular collector dolls.

[Anonymous No.6861064]

I lost my harddrive with my collection of AA tables. Any one have any saved they'd share?

[Anonymous No.6861067]

>>6861064
>6
that's a cute table set up

[Anonymous No.6861174]

I didn't take a lot of photos of AA tables at ACEN but I found it interesting that someone held up all of her Pokemon charms with one of those massive spool holders! I wanted to buy them all but I decided to buy a Princess Mononoke poster instead.

The Square readers were not always working in the con center but everyone seemed to have one! Some people had a policy where they add an extra 15 cents under $20 purchase with credit, but I think that was in the Vendor Area. PS have business cards available and if you run out, artists just cut up a print and wrote their websites and online handles on the back.

[Anonymous No.6861180]

>>6861174
Dropped pic

[Anonymous No.6861854]

>>6861174
Can you tell me who was selling the pokemon keychains? They're adorable!

[Anonymous No.6861890]

>>6861854
She's Chiou - she's got an online shop for them. She sells Avatar TLA/LOK charms too in case anyone's interested.

[Anonymous No.6861896]

>>6861890
thanks!

[Anonymous No.6862733]

>>6857424
3D Standups of Characters? You mean like papercraft?
Also, I've always wanted to do fleece scarves, but when you live in Arizona, there's not much of a purpose for scarves.

[Anonymous No.6863819]

>>6862733
This. Now that I use a laser cutter I realize how easy it would be to cut out tons o stars and other Lucky Charms shapes and sew them into scarves. But it's the summer season now.

[Anonymous No.6864266]

>>6863819
>>6862733

There's no reason not to make them for when winter rolls around. And if winter in Arizona still isn't cool enough to warrant wearing a scarf, maybe you could go out of state to a con? I actually did my first AA at Kumori Con and I live in Georgia. I pretty much broke even on my travel expenses and material cost, but it was a good time.

[Anonymous No.6864364]

On average, how much does it cost to get a space at an artist alley? I have been considering it for a while. I have a few friends who encourage me to do it, but I am worried that I would make less than the table I paid for. I draw and make accessories. Also, do most of you have a partner, or do the table alone? What do you do when you want to go to a panel or just need to use the bathroom?

[Anonymous No.6864803]

I have no idea what to sell lolita type accessories for (jewelry mainly). I have asked friends and I get a crazy wide range of prices ($10-$50 for the same item depending who I ask) and I know a lot of girls won't pay much for something unless it's brand.

[Anonymous No.6864886]

>>6864803
Start with how much the materials cost. Then add your 'fee' (time to make multiplied by your wage, for something small I'd make the wage around $3 or $5). Then add on at least 10% of the total for profit. That's your minimum price for the item, don't sell yourself short on work put into it. Raise the price if it seems too low (For example it only takes me about 20 minutes and less than a quarter yard of fabric for a headbow, which would work out to around $6, but I know they'll sell easily at $12)

Just remember to use that equation for your absolute lowest price, so if you lower the selling price you know where to stop. Otherwise you will be losing money in the form of time invested.

[Anonymous No.6864936]

>>6864364
Honestly, it depends on the con.

I always like to have a partner because I go to the con to go to the con, not to sit at an artist alley table. With a partner, you guys can arrange for break times so you can go to the panels you want to go to without having to sacrifice sales.

[Anonymous No.6867327]

I know that all these factors are important, but which one would /cgl/ say is a larger factor in AA success: style and content, or technical ability?
People tell me all the time I'm creative as shit, but I feel that I lack the technical skills I see in 95% of artists that usually hit up these things.

[Anonymous No.6868405]

bump

[Anonymous No.6872184]

>>6861174
>>6861180
>spool holders
It works well for some plushies, just an awesome idea.

[Anonymous No.6872314]

How much do you guys usually make at Cons?

[Anonymous No.6872437]

>>6872314
I tend to average around $500-$800 profit, after I take out expenses and cost.

[Anonymous No.6872844]

W-why does my country not have gigantic artists alleys

[Anonymous No.6874263]

>>6872314
The lowest I made was around $250 (the first time I sold) and the largest profit I made was around $1000 (last time I sold). Overall I've only tabled at two 1-day events, and two 3-day cons, and the profits ranged between. It gets easier over the years after cutting out some material expenses because of the excess I still have from before.

[Anonymous No.6875079]

>>6857424
>Free balloon animals to attract people
I CAN DO THAT WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT.
>Fleece scarves
Examples of what exactly you saw to do with scarves?

You're wonderful, thank you.

[Anonymous No.6875973]

>>6875079
Not same-anon but its really easy to applique on fleece scarves, especially if you do it with more fleece or felt. Chibi faces, cute designs, or logos like the MLP cutie marks or Homestuck shirt logos/zodiac would work especially well. If you sew it very neatly and use tiny stitches it will look very professional and supersoft.

[Anonymous No.6875984]

>>6872314
Roughly $900 in profit. Hard to calculate because I was so damn bad about keeping track of my materials cost. Though everything I was making up until a month ago was jsut for hobby's sake, I didn't think I'd actually get a table at cons.

Listened too much to my husband's friend. About 50% of what he claims turns out to be bullshit. He claimed that all the Fanime Artist Alley tables were already booked by veteran artists and people who had it in with the staff.

He also claimed that Akali, Kennen and Shen from LoL were based on Sakura, Chouji and Sasuke...I don't even. The only reason we listen is because he's one of those people who always sounds like they know what they're talking about.

[Anonymous No.6876013]

>>6864364
Most conventions I've noticed have had reasonable table prices. A table for 2 plus 2 artist badges, usually. Hard to list an average, though.

Splitting with a friend, I'd say it's probably pretty easy to break even the way table prices run.
Hard to say if you're by yourself, though.

[Anonymous No.6876070]

>>6852661
It really depends on the person. I've had an ex-friend who I had a falling out with because I made more money than she did at a con and she accused me of giving her the "wrong" advice when she didn't even follow most of it and copied one of her prints from a screencap.

>>6867327
To be completely honest, I don't have a lot of technical ability and I still make a killing at AAs. For most people this stuff is an impulse buy so if you can make something that grabs someone's eye/pander to a fandom, you'll get money. It sounds kind of terrible to say and this isn't to say that talent/skill gets you nowhere but I've just seen that in artist alleys, the demographic just tends to be younger people who lean toward funny/clever things rather than well-executed pieces.

>>6872314
Depends on the con! Usually somewhere in the $400~800 for smaller cons like ALA/AM2/Anime Conji. Somewhere in the thousands for comic conventions and anywhere between $2000~$5000 for big cons like AX and Fanime.

[Xenos No.6876075]

>>6855454
> artist alley etiquette
One time I was debating on a print to buy from Jo Chen. She's done covers for the Buffy and Runaways comics. Some asshole comes up with a bunch of posters to get signed. She asks where he got them. He says he printed them out himself as he works in a print shop. I just kinda kept looking through the folder of prints to buy. Sure enough I went by the ones he had. He makes some sob story about how his niece if a big fan of Faith. She agrees to sign that one and make it out to her. Personally that's more than I think he deserved.

[Anonymous No.6876142]

what would people think if we opened a store as a reseller of taobao wigs and accessories?

[Anonymous No.6876147]

>>6876142
you mean at a con? That would be vending, not artist alley

[Anonymous No.6876150]

>>6872314
>How much do you guys usually make at Cons?

I think this should be a two-part question.

How much do you make and what is the main bulk of your inventory? Wearable accessories, prints, stickers, buttons, plush objects?

[Anonymous No.6876177]

Any suggestions on a nice way to display a ton of necklaces and other accessories? I have all of mine attached to tags made with my business card (in a vertical layout so it folds over nicely and has the shop info on the backside) It looks really nice and professional, but I'm finding it interesting to find a display method for them. I was going to buy or make something to hang them on, but... not so sure if my idea will work. I've got probably about 30-40 necklaces, 20 or so bracelets, 20 some earrings, each with differing designs (not to mention hair accessories). But I've read that having them all displayed would be overwhelming.

[Anonymous No.6876269]

>>6876142
People all ready do that, it's called the Dealer's Room

[Corky-Lunn !CorkyloMxc No.6876288]

>>6872314
>Least
$100 for my first year. All I had was Kingdom Hearts buttons and shitty bookmarks.
>Most
I think $2000ish?

[Corky-Lunn !CorkyloMxc No.6876294]

>>6876177
I always liked these kind of stands for bracelets

[Anonymous No.6876297]

>>6876294
Oh fuck, how to I make the one on the left? Any tutorials?

[Corky-Lunn !CorkyloMxc No.6876300]

>>6876297
by the looks of the photo just take some PVC pipes, drill two holes, insert the wooden dowels, attach to a base, and then wrap some fabric around it. I'm guessing they just sewed a tube of fabric and stretched it over.

Or they might have hotglued it together. haha

[Anonymous No.6876343]

>>6872314
Holy poop! Looking at everyone else's profits is making me excited and also anxious. Had my first AA this year at Fanime, and I managed to get about $300 in profit. I was happily surprised, haha.

[Anonymous No.6876403]

Can I see some keychain set ups? I'm really expanding what I'm selling by adding more plush work, but I'm afraid I'll wind up cluttered.

[Anonymous No.6876448]

What are the success rate of badges? I'm contemplating doing Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing badges.

[Anonymous No.6876481]

>>6876448

buttons? i feel like those are a bit oversaturated in the artist alley, nearly everyone has them at some cons and i myself have a few buttons and they are my least-selling item, always hear 'ah i already have tons of buttons everywhere though' from people

[Anonymous No.6876490]

>>6876481
Different anon but yeah, at Acen every time my friend and I saw buttons and thought they were cute we were like "ehhh but I bought a ton last con and all they do is sit on a board looking cute."

I know some people use their buttons on hats and bags and stuff but all I do with mine are display or store them.

[Anonymous No.6876504]

>>6876448
Do you mean buttons or badges? Because some people make plastic badges similar to con badges to add to their cluster.

[Anonymous No.6876524]

>>6876504
I meant badges. I've seen some tables sell them, and I thought AC and HM ones would be cute. I don't have a button maker yet (I plan to possibly invest in one after my next con).

[Anonymous No.6876550]

>mfw I want to try artist alley but think no one will buy my stuff since they're all crafts

[Anonymous No.6876586]

>>6876075
That's why I never upload the prints I'm selling online. Make sure your prints are con exclusives so people actually buy them instead of printing them out.

[Anonymous No.6876682]

>>6876586
This is a good tip, or to at least put a big tacky watermark on the ones you plan to sell.

[Anonymous No.6876985]

>>6876586
>>6876682

I just upload smaller versions. that wont print well at all.

[Corky-Lunn !CorkyloMxc No.6877860]

>>6876403
you could go this route with a corkboard, or like >>6861180

[Corky-Lunn !CorkyloMxc No.6877864]

>>6876403
or even try an earring display stand. Just don't leave them on the table for potential thieves to easily swipe them. Attach them in anyway possible to a display

[Anonymous No.6877896]

>>6877860
Ah, I know those two! They're local here, and I was seated beside them one con. They're very sweet and nice to talk to, we chatted for a bit that con.

[Anonymous No.6878403]

Now that my first con is over I learned a few things about pricing.

Wait to adjust your prices. Just because that $40 companion cube is too expensive for that college freshman doesn't mean it is for that guy who makes more than that in an hour. However this only really applies for big cons where you get people like that. Which leads me ot my next point.

Know your crowd. Small college cons will tend to have mostly college and high school kids on a budget. Bigger ones will bring in fans who are also working adults.

Make everything you have to offer and your prices visible form the aisles. I have my stuff lying on the tables with prices next to them. Only a few things did I have on rises, but even then my prices were too small. I was walking around to see the other tables and only would approach when I could see something I liked when walking by and with the price next to it or part of a big sign listing all their items. I'm awkward and don't like to engage with strangers if I don't have to. I imagine a lot of other congoers are the same.

Also there were a lot of people that only saw stuff they really loved once they were right over the table. I think I could have drawn in more people if it was more obvious what I had.

Keep displays simple. I had a ton of little displays that I thought would be cool, but it ended up being a hassle to try and put them away, put them back up and arrange them so everything could be seen. I'm planning out a larger, simpler display where everything can be tilted up and more visible.

[Anonymous No.6879420]

>>6876448
>>6876524
Anyone??

[Anonymous No.6879458]

>>6878403

When you say simple displays, what do you mean exactly? And do you have advice fro someone selling a variety of things? I'm planning to make tons of jewelry and accessories, hair clips to earrings to rings to necklaces in all sorts of styles, and I feel like organising them all will be a nightmare unless I cut down on types of jewelries or styles.

For the record, I'm sort of aiming for the classical lolita crowd, but I was thinking of selling chainmaille as well. Which are two very different styles.

[Anonymous No.6879773]

>>6876300
I'd also suggest adding a layer of felt or thin quilt batting under the fabric just to make it nice and smooth.

[Anonymous No.6879785]

>>6876177
Something like an old fashioned indoor clothes hanger/dryer? Maybe make the arms at different heights but on a rotating hinge, so you can pull out an arm at a time to show off necklaces dangling down.

[Anonymous No.6883524]

Ideas for printed paper products? I've got prints, bookmarks, postcards, paper dolls, papercrafts ... any other options?

[Anonymous No.6883555]

>>6883524
Notepads. They're easy to make and 100% more appealing than stuff people can print off themselves.

Also stickers.

[Anonymous No.6883584]

>>6872314
I'm fairly new at AAing and I don't really have a huge variety of stuff yet. I made just under $400 in profit my first time, and about $300 my second time. I actually made more money overall at my second con, but the con itself was more a lot expensive therefore less profit.

I'm tabling at Otakon coming up and I'm hoping I can get in a lot more variety to sell so that I can actually make real money. I've seen a lot of people like my art, but aren't interested in what I have.

[Anonymous No.6883610]

>>6883524
My friend picked up a cute little thing with paper cut outs and a clothes line kind of thing to hang them from. That was cute.

[Anonymous No.6883649]

>>6883555
What sort of paper do you recommend for notepads? Would normal printer paper be too thick?

[Anonymous No.6883695]

>>6883649
We used to do notepads of 50 sheets for customers on 20# (regular copy paper). You can get four decent sized pads out of 50 sheets, provided that your artwork doesn't have bleeds. If it has bleeds, you'll get two at best. Unless you make them teenie tiny, which makes them a bitch and a half to glue.

Also don't forget that you'll have to get board or heavy cardstock for the "backs" of each pad.

[Anonymous No.6885578]

up

[Anonymous No.6886057]

How much would you be willing to pay for these little plushies?
The taller ones are around 7 inches tall and the small one is around 4 inches tall.

My mother and I somehow managed to make dozens of these things and I figured I should bring them to a local con to sell (along with other plushies, prints, etc.)

Thanks!

[Anonymous No.6886059]

>>6886057
Oops, dropped my picture.

[Anonymous No.6886107]

>>6886059
These are super cute! I love the one in the mustache and monocle!

Depending upon your materials cost, maybe $18-25 for the larger ones and $12-15 for the smaller guys?

[Anonymous No.6886174]

>>6886107
Thanks! I'm pretty new to selling at cons and pricing things, but those seem like fair amounts.

And I'm glad you find them cute. That means more people might like them.

[Anonymous No.6886219]

>>6858785
i dont really see why people care about the "no selling homestuck" thing. If you think no one should sell homestuck stuff, you should also think no one should sell any other stuff that isnt their intellectual property otherwise you'd be a hypocrite. I think its only really a problem if someone is selling something Hussie is already selling. It's not like he'll go out of his way to sue an AA vendor anyways

[Anonymous No.6886641]

>>6886057
Aren't these a direct ripoff of Cheek & Stitch octopus plushies? I'm not sure you should be selling them.

[Anonymous No.6886900]

>>6886641
I find any octopus plushie in that particular style a rip-off from this pic related. And the monocle and top hat has been done and overdone I find. They just add different props and details to the octopus plushies to make it interesting.

I understand making these octopi for fun but it's kind of off-putting to sell them to me. It becomes one of those amigurumi Cthulhus from that Creepy Cute Crochet book or the chibi MLP plushies from that free-but-not-for-mass-production pattern or whatever.

Oh well, not my things and not my business I suppose. I don't promote or buy things I recognize from tutorials or patterns given/sold artists who have said not for resale. I'd like to think plushie makers and sellers would take more innovation to create something original, from scratch, and be less reliant on patterns other people have worked hard on to make and not to be mass-produced for profit.

[Anonymous No.6887271]

>>6886641
I actually bought the pattern from the website mentioned in >>6886900
I think they've been around longer than cheek and stitch, and I had no idea their etsy even existed before I started googling for price references. Not too sure on that last fact tho.

My table is mostly other unrelated things, these will sit in a corner and hopefully people pick them up. They're a little too fragile to give to my little cousins to play with, so I have to get rid of them somehow.

[Anonymous No.6887279]

>>6887271
And I don't remember there being a "not for profit" on the pattern... but I'll have to go check that. I mean, they're not going to come halfway across the world to sue me for selling 30 octopi, but I'm pretty against things like replicas so I'll be a hypocrite if I sell things from a pattern marked "not for resale".

[BlakeRyan !!4E1IEjI9c+/ No.6887298]

I will have table/booth space at a con later this year. My skills are pretty much all in the sewing area, but I don't think premaking cosplays and things would be a good idea due to sizes and such.

What are some plushies that are missing from the con scene but people would be interested in?

Also: What other sewn goods are missing/in demand or just would be a good idea to make & sell?

[Anonymous No.6887309]

>>6887298
Practical things - Cute scarves, gloves, earmuffs, book covers, tote bags.

I don't really know for plushies, because I think I've seen them all at the last con I went to.

[Anonymous No.6887315]

>>6887279
Just sell them. The worst that could happen is you're asked to remove items from sale.

>>6887298
What about small character badges made of cloth? I'm not sure what would be good series to do, though.

[Anonymous No.6887323]

>>6887298
Maybe make a handful of bell-shaped pettis for lolitas? They're pretty easy.

Maybe some general-purpose cosplay/kawaii clothing items, like the bows some schoolgirls wear around their necks.

[Anonymous No.6887330]

>>6887323
You're a smart cookie

[Anonymous No.6887336]

I've never had a booth. My college has a craft fair twice a year and I've participated with home made jewelry that didn't sell as much as the two booths that sold the most:

* Wholesale jewelry from Alibaba that the vendor called "homemade" (cue everything ever posted to Regretsy)
* Girl selling fangear hats that were butt-ugly but that she handmade so people liked


What sort of jewelry would be popular with your standard college age Tumblr fandom girls? What sort of fangear/crafts?

Homestuck is popular here, and I'm not into it, or Dr. Who, so would it be unethical for me to make crafts based on those properties? I was thinking of doing the felt scarves but as generic phone pouches.

[BlakeRyan !!4E1IEjI9c+/ No.6887337]

>>6887309
Definitely doing scarves. So far I've decided the standard Longcat and Nyan cat. Any other themes for scarves?

Gloves/Earmuffs/Book covers don't really interest me. However, I could do totes. Any theme or shape/character that would be good?

>>6887315
Ehh, small details could be a pain in the ass for me. And I've seen too many vendors that do them already.

>>6887323
Pettis I'm a bit iffy on. They would use a lot of fabric, and while easy, dealing with that much fabric cutting and stitching wouldn't be fun.

Yeah, I was thinking of sticking to the kawaii one size fits most category or accessories.

Thanks for the input so far :)

[Anonymous No.6887356]

>>6876177
Have a washer line setup, hang necklaces from string above head, PROFIT?! (also depends on how heavy they are) I am one of those people attracted to shiny things and will move towards a stand that has sparkly shit.

[Anonymous No.6887431]

>>6887337
Harry potter and ponies always sell well. But they're madly overdone. Maybe retro video game designs would work on the scarves and bags.

[Anonymous No.6887458]

>>6887337
FFX-2 Rikku and Fourth Doctor scarves would sell like fucking hotcakes.

[Anonymous No.6887463]

does anyone know how well knitted stuff sells?

[Anonymous No.6887499]

>>6887463

I've seen knitted fan hats and scarves sell like hotcakes. They had premade stuff available as well as the ability to request stuff. They were ugly as shit and sold for $20-$40 each anyway.

[Anonymous No.6888154]

>>6887463

They do have a certain charm about them. While not usually my cup of tea, A friend's girlfriend I ended up with an amigurumi owl the size of a softball a year or two ago. It's still on my desk.

[Potato No.6889485]

Is anybody else thinking of doing Japan Expo this year? They just put up their AA reg info and it's confusing as shit.

At Fanime they were handing out flyers advertising "2 chairs! 1 table! 2 badges! Less than $200!" but the reg info says that "amateur" 2'x6' tables cannot be split...so if I wanted to table with my friend we'd have to shell out 450 bucks for a 6'x10' "young creators" booth?

Also the "amateur" tables, which are what we think of as AA tables, have a rule where you cannot sell anything over $20...so what does that mean for on-site commissions, which do run more than $20? I'm wondering if it's even worth trying to puzzle through it, since we don't even know if this con will suck or not.

Can anybody help out a poor baffled tuber?

[Anonymous No.6890659]

I'm glad they will be demolishing the South Hall soon. I was in the Fanime AA and everything had a layer of grime on it, deposited by the shitty air conditioning. The floor was filthy and anything dropped on it was covered with crap. Foot traffic was dramatically lower than 2012.

[BlakeRyan !!4E1IEjI9c+/ No.6890702]

>>6889485
Can't sell anything over $20? Holy shit are they serious?

[Anonymous No.6890738]

>>6889485
$20 commission + $x for a photocopied sketch "combo"
blatant rule dodging? you damn right

[Anonymous No.6892388]

>>6872184
OMG do you have an online shop? I kind of love bunny things.

[Anonymous No.6892445]

>>6892388
Hrrrg I'm the OP of that but that's not my table. She's a fellow anon though! Her stuff is really sweet and adorable, I think in this pic related is her shop's name.

[Anonymous No.6892452]

>>6892445
I can't help but save pictures of her progress and things, they are pretty nice and I hope she's doing well.

[Anonymous No.6892459]

>>6892452
I swear I'm not a stalker, just an admirer.

[Anonymous No.6892545]

>>6886219
Homestuck fans are huge suck-ups. Realistically, Hussie wouldn't do anything, but the fandom would get mad.

[Anonymous No.6892629]

>>6892545
Hussies' girlfriend on the other hand... biggest bitch ever and she's never held back on threatening people.

[Anonymous No.6892904]

>>6892388
>>6892445
I looked up the name, and she has an etsy. She's apparent;y away on vacation though. She makes really cute stuff!

[Anonymous No.6893809]

>>6892904
Thanks!

[Anonymous No.6894662]

Could anyone post pics of plushie displays? My first con is in just under a month and I'm completely lost.

[Anonymous No.6894921]

>>6894662
>pics of plushie displays?
Sure thing. The following pictures may have I more than just plushies or no plushies at all (some are hard to tell from thumbnails), but overall are very useful and inspiring.

[Anonymous No.6894927]

>>6894921

[Anonymous No.6894943]

>>6894927
If you don't have cubes, work with other possible options to help elevate works from your table. I have used simple locker shelves that stack well, but I only can make them go so high before I get scared of them toppling over. Make sure to weigh down or clamp the bottom somehow because nothing sucks more than to have your vertical display get ruined.

Which reminds me, practice your table setup at home and make notes. That way as soon as you get to the con, you're not too frazzled to figure out where to put what, or be surprised that not everything can fit on your table. Then again I don't try to do the latter unless I have low quantity; I keep extra inventory underneath and replenish after sales.

[Anonymous No.6894945]

>>6894927
Most of those plushies are really ccute, but I wish they shaped the stars better. They look horrendous.

[Anonymous No.6894947]

>>6894943

[Anonymous No.6894953]

>>6894947
>>6894945
Lumas are so overdone, not sure if it still sells but plenty of artists sold Luma plushies because that pattern is floating around the internet.

[Anonymous No.6894954]

>>6894945
They're really over stuffed and the middle is too big, the tips are too small. Its a noob mistake, you really have to over exaggerate the points on plushie stars or they look fat like that.

[Anonymous No.6894956]

>>6894953

[Anonymous No.6894959]

>>6894956

[Anonymous No.6894967]

>>6894945
they're meant to look like stars from super mario galaxy i think.

[Anonymous No.6894991]

>>6894959

[Anonymous No.6894994]

>>6894991

[Anonymous No.6895001]

>>6894994

[Anonymous No.6895010]

>>6895005
If you had space behind you for a grid wall...

[Anonymous No.6895005]

>>6895001

[Anonymous No.6895015]

>>6895010

[Anonymous No.6895023]

>>6895015

[Anonymous No.6895035]

>>6894967
I know that, but it's like >>6894954
said, they're made kind of badly.

[Anonymous No.6895037]

>>6895023

[Anonymous No.6895040]

>>6894959
Wow, those are really cute and the prices aren't actually that bad! Those are pretty hard to make.

[Anonymous No.6895041]

>>6895037

[Anonymous No.6895085]

>>6895041
>>6895040
I gotta admit, I think you have to be very fast at crocheting and sewing on the bits of details to price it so low (and attractive) and still make some profit. Then again I'm not sure if this person is in it to make a living off it, or just for fun and to fund their hobby. Some of the prices are reasonable, others I can see them being a little higher.

It's definitely is something that makes me nervous about selling amigurumi stuff at cons. I price my items fairly to cover material cost, time and effort, so I try to find the right balance of all of that in an item. Plushies have been very fair for me; however, at the speed I go (probably takes me a half-hour to crochet a simple ball), whatever fair price I put down may not come off as fair to customers, unless they understand the work that goes into amigurumi. Oh well, I rather not undersell myself or my works, so I would leave it for online sales or for larger conventions. Also, registering for a Square helps those who don't want to spend their cash, and opens more payment options.

[Anonymous No.6895098]

>>6895085
Reminds me of this picture of about 3 months worth of amigurumi. No idea about the prices they sold it at, but gosh I'd love to produce this much or more for a table.

[Anonymous No.6895101]

>>6895098

[Anonymous No.6895107]

>>6895101

[Anonymous No.6895116]

>>6895107

[Anonymous No.6895123]

>>6895116
That's about it.

[Anonymous No.6896204]

Bump with a neat frame idea for items with clips.

[Anonymous No.6896211]

>>6896204

[Anonymous No.6896212]

>>6896204
I tired this one
it's a cute idea for say a bedroom but those frames are HEAVY and take up a lot of room. I still use the ribbon to hold every thing just no frame

[MyFebronia !/dEvARTwA6 No.6896303]

Most recent setup.

[Anonymous No.6896524]

Okay, with all these plush artists, I need to ask, how long does it take you guys to knit/sew these things? The knitted stuff looks like it would take forever, but I know squat about knitting. Whats the time/profit investment in these?

[Anonymous No.6896534]

>>6896524
First, it's not knit! It's crochet.
It depends on the size of the plush. I could crochet a 7in kodama in about an hour or so. I've sold them at varying prices, some online and some in person, usually between $8 and $15, depending on how big it was. I've only done artist alley once though, so I think I could probably charge more if I were to do it again.

[Anonymous No.6897149]

>>6896534


ahh! Sorry for the mix-up. That's incredible though, I always thought they looked really hard to make.

[Anonymous No.6897160]

>>6896524
Let's see, I depend on items that I can sew by machine and not rely so much on handsewing; because of this, small intricate felt keychains are off my to-make-and-sell list sadly as they can be hard sales because of the high price but small size. It takes some trial and error to understand what you are capable of making and still make a decent profit off it. Try timing yourself when you focus on making one item, and then try timing yourself when doing a larger group of them (cut out all the pieces, sew all the parts at the same stages, etc.). I find it's worth my time doing the latter, and then I just burn through all the sewing, so that near the end I'm just adding the final touches before throwing them into the finished pile which piles up quickly (it's so satisfying). For me, I price about $10/hour and add material costs when it comes to pricing the merchandise, though doing the math for the material costs is rather difficult and I still feel like an amateur to explain or to teach. I'm not in it just for fun or that my livelihood is depended on it, but it's a great experience and step for me in starting something on my own, I hope, without underselling myself.

1/3 (I ramble a lot, sorry...)

[Anonymous No.6897161]

>>6897160
Anyway, the cheapest I sold was $6 for a small fleece pin cushion with X's for eyes and a little felt tongue sticking out, which takes me less than a half-hour to make. Material cost (fleece, felt, threads, poly-fil, poly beads) for each was way less than a $1 considering how little they require to make. For pic related, the small pokeball includes a keychain loop and I priced them at $9, while the large pokeball with no loop was priced at $12. Between the two, the large pokeball sold better than the small ones, but overall they both were popular because people appreciated the efforts I put into making decent plush pokeballs. I'll admit, they both take about the same time to produce given the small-size of the keychain pokeball, but based on the look of price and product, the larger pokeball looks more tempting to get unless you just want something to hang off your bag or belt (for the trainers).

(2/3)

[Anonymous No.6897162]

If I try to set up my wire cubes like this, they'll just fall over...

[Anonymous No.6897164]

>>6897161
Overall, with minimal handsewing, doing plushies and accessories are worthwhile time and profit-wise for me. Crocheting amigurumi is rather time-consuming and can be difficult to price fairly and still be saleable. I believe that if you keep it simple, you can get away with pricing it rather decent and make a nice buck, but I think amigurumi is very involved craft that should be priced higher depending on difficulty and time. Otherwise, don't be worried to put forward intricate products that may be priced high; better to oversell than undersell yourself, and then try again. Or have it as a way to advertise that you can do more difficult works for commissions. Anyway, it's good to have a variety of low to medium to high-priced items, which will help gauge yourself and your works. If you are afraid that people can't afford $30+, consider registering for a Square. I haven't used mine yet (they had a booth at a crafts fair that gave these out like hotcakes, it was awesome), but I think it's worthwhile to have in case you get customers who really want some item but too afraid to spend their cash on it.

Pic related, I made these guys around last year, but it takes a while to make them. If I were to sell Hunter, it may be closer to $40 to make back my time and efforts in it.

[Anonymous No.6897203]

>>6897164

Awesome, thanks for such a comprehensive reply! Your hunter is adorable btw ;-; I would very likely buy that.

[Anonymous No.6897890]

>>6897203
Thank you for understanding, I wasn't sure where I might of trailed off and sound confusing! Also thank you, I enjoyed making the zombies. The hair part was tricky, part of the reason why my Witch is still unfinished with some hairs on her... I still need to practice that more.

[Anonymous No.6901040]

bump

[Anonymous No.6901292]

Hey, guys, for the next 23 hours 3'x1.6' banners are $5 on vistaprint. I got mine for my artist alley table earlier this year, so in case anyone's interested, I wanted to let you know.

[Anonymous No.6902250]

bump

[Anonymous No.6902252]

Is it worth taking commissions from your table? Or does it make it hard to attend your customers? I imagine it would be hard to do both at once.

[Anonymous No.6902272]

>>6902252
I would only do it if you have an assistant who can handle regular customers or if you have time to do it at night after hall closes.

[Anonymous No.6902281]

>>6902252
Depends, I've seen mostly print artists doing commissions on the spot or for later. Crafty artists tend to take commissions to work on after the con, not so much on the spot. Close ideas for craft artists working on the spot are:
- custom button making
- attaching a cellphone loop of a certain color based on the customer's choice
- decorating pre-made bases (ie. hats)
Maybe this pic related table was doing some sort of customization with the ribbons.

Anyway, there are some down time while at the table that gives me enough time to work on more inventory; however, not enough time to take commissions. It's pretty hard for me since I would like to be attentive at my table, so I can't imagine focusing on one customer when there are multiple others to focus on, too. Taking a commission is worthwhile if you can do it and not have it cost your service at your table. Maybe have at least another person to help you man the table while you focus on your commission?

[Anonymous No.6902486]

I had my first AA at a small con last saturday and when I wasn't doing commissions, I had nothing to do. I don't want to look bored or spaced out to potential customers. What do you guys do?

[MyFebronia !/dEvARTwA6 No.6903747]

>>6902486
I bring a 3DS with me to add a comment about my table location :> Also, paper lucky stars.

[Anonymous No.6904254]

>>6902486
Usually I bring extra unstuffed plushies with me and a bag of poly-fi so I can stuff my merchandice and sew them closed (always bring my sewing kit with necessary threads) on the spot. A few times people have asked and watched me how I sew the stuffing hole closed without the stitches being visible, so that's kind of nice during quiet times.

[Anonymous No.6906911]

bump

[Anonymous No.6906926]

I quilt and the other night the thought of making Kawaii comforters and quilts crossed my mind last night How well do you think that would do? What about like fandom related quilts?

[Anonymous No.6907815]

Do perler beads still sell?

[Anonymous No.6907956]

>>6907815

If you're doing original stuff like that and not just the 90000th Mario/Zelda sprite, then give it a shot. People just know that they come apart.

If anything, I've been tempted to try casting some in resin and making coasters, so there's an idea.

[Anonymous No.6907974]

>>6892629
Remember, most of these homestuck fans are dirt poor highschool kiddos so It's not like they're going to buy anything when they don't have their father's credit card. Plus they all used their parents money to buy 200$ worth of stuff for "donating" to the kickstarter.

Sorry the way homestuck merchandise has been handled and the way homestuck fans have treated AA artists have always riled me up.

[Anonymous No.6907978]

>>6907815
I've been looking around tables lately for perlers but I haven't seen any recently. Put magnets on the back so you can stick them to stuff. I would probably buy a few if I liked them but that's my own opinion.

[Anonymous No.6908048]

>>6907815
Yes, but it could be good to step it up a bit. At the last con I attended I dropped $300 on some framed perler bead art from 2.5d (they are 2.5dsprites on facebook if you want to see what they do).

[Anonymous No.6908086]

Also, someone told me PMX AA was filled up for this year, but theres no info about it up yet. and Prereg isnt up yet either. so is it really filled up already? and how much does it usually cost?

[Anonymous No.6908110]

>>6907956
>People just know that they come apart
Uh, could you clarify this? Do you mean like, the pieces fall apart, or they as a concept are different or...?

>>6908048
Well, I'm primarily a print artist, with a couple crafts and such, so I'm not willing to dedicate too much energy into them, but rather something I can do in my spare time when I'm sick of drawing.

[Anonymous No.6908200]

>>6877860
>>6877896
You know Thais and Natalia?

>>6886059
HOLY FUCK I WANT ONE

[Anonymous No.6908342]

>>6907815
>>6908110

>>6907956
This about originality, rarer things you don't find at perler beads tables so I would cut out Mario stuff. Also I love the coaster idea. Personally if I bought these things, I would frame it and hang it in my room.

[Anonymous No.6908347]

>>6908342

[Anonymous No.6908556]

>>6908110
That's understandable. If you don't want to put a ton of work in (pic related), then I would suggest at least adding magnets to the back since that gives people an easy way to display them.

[Anonymous No.6908577]

>>6908556

If I had the money, I actually would pay up to 300 USD for this. I love the game, and I love this rendition of the battle with the four fiends. Holy shit, I can't believe I'm in love with perler.

[Anonymous No.6908595]

>>6908577
I think when people get this detailed with perler, that stuff can come off as an impressive medium that some, like yourself, would pay top dollar for. I'd like to see Terraria perler stuff, but hard to say how well that would sell at cons. Maybe best left for commission.

[Anonymous No.6910274]

This is a bit of a stretch since this is a smallish con, but did anyone get emails from Eritakon yet for this year's artist alley? I applied, but I'm more than sure I didn't get in by now especially since they said that they'd contact people by early June.

Then again, it is Ireland after all.

[Anonymous No.6910303]

I've done Artist Alley twice. (not counting about 3-4 times where I've done commissions and a handful of prints eons ago)

This was my last setup (though it changed a little on Saturday). The hallway was so dimly lit. I was also sharing a bit of space with a friend who was selling some laser engraved water bottles. He had to bring lights for his side of the display on Saturday. I need to work on some better signing and some better displays. I was running out of time. But it worked out okay.

[Anonymous No.6910448]

>>6910303
mfw when I thought that was a Portal portal in the back there

[Anonymous No.6910466]

>>6906926
I'd buy the shit out of Lord of the Rings/Middle Earth-themed quilts. Like if you could do one with a White Tree of Gondor motif or the horses of Rohan like dang dude, I'd be handing over the contents of my wallet so fast.

I think Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, and Harry Potter quilts would also do super well!

>>6910274
I would try emailing the AA head to see what's up and at least get a ballpark date.

[Anonymous No.6910682]

>>6910303
Oh yeah, you were at colossal. Nice setup drew me in. But, it's not like you had a lot of competition there.
Though, you were despondent and, stand offish. Which though I did end up buying something from you, I almost had not just due to your interactions.

[Anonymous No.6911119]

What are some tips on getting people to come over to your table? What do you say once they are there? I'm so awkward with people, last time I just went silent and never said a word and I think it lost me sales.

[Anonymous No.6911366]

>>6911119
Start with a smile and say something along the lines of 'hello!', 'good morning/afternoon/evening', or even 'hi, how's it going?'. Being proactive without being creepy (or seeming desperate) is the key.

Once they're there, engage in some small talk. Ask if they're enjoying the convention, or what some of their favourite fandoms are. If they happen to like something you know you have, you could ease into a sale all "Oh, you like x? Me too! I did this plush/sketch/whatever of y character, what do you think?" Not everyone will be into small talk, of course - cons are known for socially awkward people, after all - but enough will at least smile back, say hello, and quite possibly even come over to the table. Having been on both sides of the table, I'm more inclined to stop by one that has a friendly looking person who chit-chats about the con without being overly pushy on sales.

Just be friendly and don't forget to smile, pretty much. Good luck!

[Anonymous No.6911373]

>>6910303

also, your etsy shop says you're on vacation and will be until june 10th, but it's after that? i don't really know how etsy works though.

[Anonymous No.6911651]

>>6911119
I found that each convention I end up with a mini script depending on their costume or the item they're looking at. If you don't want to keep up conversation beyond the courtesies have something too do with your hands like making/drawing something or folding lucky stars.

[Anonymous No.6911735]

>>6911373
I've been down with the con plauge and working full-time hours since Monday so I've not had the opportunity to get new products photographed or do new inventories. But I will be doing that shortly! It's just taking longer than I had initially planned.

[Anonymous No.6911746]

>>6910682
I'm sorry? You may have unfortunately caught me at a bad moment, or I may have been feeling a little out of it. (I usually look out of it for some reason that I'm not aware of, and people will often ask if there's something wrong when I'm just a little spaced out?) I'm usually quite friendly and not really like that, especially at conventions. So I appologize. I do try to engage others in friendly conversations but as an introvert I can get a little overwhelmed. I'll take note of that and try to improve on that in the future though.

As far as the etsy shop goes, I've been down with the con plauge and working full-time hours since Monday so I've not had the opportunity to get new products photographed or do new inventories of what I have left. But I will be doing that shortly! It's just taking longer than I had initially planned due to being ill and unloading/stocking huge trucks at work.

[Anonymous No.6911932]

>>6911119
I'm not very outgoing myself, so I usually do what >>6911651 suggested. If you're not especially good at striking up conversation with people like I am, keep yourself looking busy. In addition to making things less uncomfortable, it sometimes attracts people who want to come and watch you draw/sew/whatever. But make sure you don't ignore the people who come up- even if you have to force yourself to act a bit, make yourself seem friendly enough

[Anonymous No.6912599]

I greet everyone that walks by, but i'm horrible at remembering people, and then I feel absolutely awful when someone confronts me about saying the exact same thing to them a couple minutes ago when they walk by.

[Anonymous No.6912633]

>>6910466
I did do a lotr one for a friend and her husband as a wedding gift. And am planning on either a Game of Thrones one or Harry Potter for another set of friends' wedding. They just need to pick which one they would prefer. I feel like a Doctor Who one would be pretty popular.

[Anonymous No.6914023]

>>6912633
>Game of Thrones themed anything for a wedding
I'd advise you against that.