Artist Alley Thread

I've praised vograce in the past, but I'm on my third order with them now and communication seems to be getting increasingly worse.

I've just waited for them to send me back the outlines of my charms for a week. When I sent them an e-mail to ask about it, it turned out they were waiting for me to send over the files, which I'd already done.
Whenever I send them multiple questions at once, they only answer one or two at the time. (I hate it when people do this so much.)
Their English has been bad enough at points that I just couldn't understand what they were saying. And I'm used to Chinglish.
I get the feeling that coco might be multiple people who aren't communicating well with each other. I get multiple e-mails that contradict each other, for example the first e-mail says they can't open my files, but the second e-mail a few hours later contains all my outlined files, asking me for approval.

The ordering process is getting more frustrating each time and it's taking far longer than it should. Have they just become too busy?
Is anyone else noticing this?

>>8955102
linking my old question!

>>8956923
I did notice their email responses have been a bit slower lately but it's literally con season, anon. I don't know what you were expecting. I try to check in every few days so if you literally waited a week before you checked in, that's kind of on you.

You can try Vicky or one of the other reps if you're having trouble with Coco. I know Vicky has better English than Coco at the very least. But it's kind of ridiculous that you're complaining about English while dealing with a Chinese company. Either learn Chinese or suck it up and ask for multiple clarifications like the rest of us. Whining about English just makes you sound like an entitled shitlord.

If any of you guys order from Fireballprinting what kind of paper do you get? I ordered their 50 to 15$ deal and the paper was alot thinner than expected, but I know they sell thicker kinds of paper

>>8956936

I was going to do the same and found someone on alibaba (you're best bet) but be aware they will charge you for samples of fabrics, a dress mock up/sample (the store I went through quoted me $180 just for a dress sample) and then $10 I think for every size change between the dresses.

>>8956923
If you want quicker responses add them to your Skype.

Are Lapel Pins the new charms craze?

How did everyone do at ECCC? Is that show still worth it with the split AA?

>>8957283
Lapel pins are more of a collector thing when it comes to cons especially comic cons. I always see the older crowd swarm pin booths.

>>8957284
I'm just hypothesizing, but based on what I saw this year, I don't know if the split AA makes much of a difference. There was definitely enough foot traffic to go around, and it's not like one side was more heavily populated with big-name artists than the other. I didn't feel there was a discernible difference in quality of art or traffic between the two sections.

They're moving to a jury system now. Sign-ups open in May and will go through June, I think, with slight preference going to first-time ECCC exhibitors.

>>8957367
ah i see, I've noticed an influx of interest on AAI so it had me curious. Considering whether or not it's worth it to add them to current stock instead of trying out charms. Thanks Anon.

>>8957387 >>8957284
It seemed like the bottom AA got more traffic when i was walking around, especially letting out by panels. I overheard a lot of people say they didn't know anything else was past the skybridge.

What is the farthest you'll drive to a convention to vend?
Someone please tell me to stop whining about a 5 hour drive.

>>8957525
I've done 7-8 hours for sure, but that doesn't make 6 hours any easier. I've been whiny and lazy about cons that are 3 hours away haha.

Do you have anyone to drive with? Going with someone makes things a million times better

>>8957546
I went to a con in December that was 5 hours away and drove with a fellow crafter that I hardly knew.

Honestly... the drive isn't the worst part, its being so far away from everyone you know. Being at a con for three days, not knowing anyone, is very depressing.

I've tried really hard to talk to a lot of artists and try and get contact info so I can know more people from different areas so when I travel, I'll know people... but most of the time, they obviously don't want to stay in contact with me.

Bleh. I hate this feeling.

>>8957577
It sounds kind of ruthless, if anything, but sometimes you just need that "at-con" buddy that never really turns into anything else. That's ok! Sometimes you just need someone to talk to to get through the con. If you find yourself going to the same long-distance con a lot and see familiar faces over and over again, then it might turn into an actual friendship, but at the end of the day, vendors are at cons to make money. Don't take it too personally and focus on your goal.

A con experience is definitely made a million times better when you're around people you know and like, but when you aren't, you just kind of have to make the best of it. Good luck!

>>8957525
Furthest I'd drive is probably 18 hours. Every con is a 5+ hour drive for me.

>>8957525
I live in Texas and my dumb ass is decided that my first AA will be NekoCon in VA because I have a ton of friends who can help me with transporting and stuff. Not driving tho, definitely flying or bust.

>>8957525
i don't live in the states and if i want to go to more than one convention a year i have to fly.

>>8957525
Ive driven 20+ hours to Texas from SoCal for a con. We had a packed carpool though so it ended up as a fun roadtrip.

>>8957613
Ditto. I can only do two cons a year without flying, and they're both sub 2k attendees. Driving interstate is not really an option when you live on an island, haha!

>>8957737
are you another kiwi anon perchance or simply another islander?

Catprint just launched holographic print services. This is going to hit Jimi Agency HARD.

>>8957893
Dang. good news for those anons that had just missed the jimi order, though.

>>8957755
Nearby, but not quite. I live in Tasmania.

>>8957893

Holographic is pretty over saturated in AA now, but it's nice to have it for larger sizes instead of just doing postcards with the Hobby Lobby holofoil.

Has anyone ordered the metallic foil printing through Catprint? I'm curious how it turns out.

>>8957090
Thing is, I waited a week exactly because it's con season, I expected them to be busy and take longer to do the outlines. But I guess that was dumb of me and I should've checked more often.

The bad English isn't the biggest problem and is easily forgivable by itself of course but it does add to the frustration I already had. I'm asking for clarifications, anon. It's not a problem I can't solve. But it can still be frustrating.

I will try communicating with Vicky next time and adding them to skype like >>8957202 said. Thanks for your tips.

I'm wondering (as a European), when is con season, exactly? We literally only have two big cons over here, and they're both in summer.

>>8958101
>>8957900

Has anyone seen the holographic prints...I'm curious to see them before I order. Also, how's their quality/speed?

Has anyone else had trouble joining AANI before? My profile is partially viewable to the public, but they've rejected my request to join the group..i sent a message to one of the admins, but she just read the message and didn't reply..

What's everyone's thoughts on Osomatsu-san merch being drawn exactly like the show's official style or very similar to it instead of the artist's own unique style?

How do you guys keep up with and maintain sign ups for certain cons? I'm very new to the scene and it seems like conventions don't actually post when an AA sign up is going to be. Do most cons tend to do it 6+ months in advance?

>>8958973
research. most cons do sign ups the same time every year, others have a mailing list you can get on to be alerted when table applications go up.

>>8958970
Same way I think about people who do neko atsume merch in the style of the game. it's virtually bootlegging. don't do it.

>>8958931
I didn't think they actually screened people. It honestly feels like they accept anyone and everyone. Without feedback from the admin I can't imagine why they would reject you anon. I would wait a bit and then continue trying to politely message the admin.

>>8958970
I disagree with >>8959051. I think it's fine, as long as it's not tracing off a scene that has already happened. Style imitations are a thing. It's just that Neko Atsume merch tend to draw the cats in the exact same position with the exact same angles and the exact same colours. As long as you keep the style but draw something completely different, then it's fine in my opinion.

>>8959277
This; I think Osomatsu is one of those things that can be hard to recognize when it's drawn in other unique styles. Even if you replicate the style of the show as long as you're not actually ripping off an existing illustration or scene, it's not a big deal.

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>>8957123
Different anon, but what terms did you search on Alibaba to find your store? I won't expect you to link me the exact place you use of course, but I'm having trouble finding anything similar on my own so far.
I'm also looking for any places that do sweater printing like pic related.

>>8959333

I don't mind linking mine, my business isn't doing well enough to go into custom clothing yet but here ya go! http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/2014-Latest-Product-factory-direct-Customized_60052313111.html

>>8958543 >>8958101 >>8957900
curious too, i don't see any examples...

>>8959382
>>8958101
There probably aren't any examples because they literally just launched it like, a day ago.

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>>8958101
>>8959404

example https://twitter.com/Shattered_Earth/status/692827469053825024

>>8959418
man, i want to love this print so bad and im sure it looks lovely the metallic accents, but the face is seriously throwing me off.

>>8957525
i drive/fly and usually anything past 6 hours im like fuck it plane time

Does anybody have any experiences with sites that do drop shipping for you? (Shipping the items from their factory directly to the buyer.) I have an online shop but I'm going to have to travel out of country soon, but I'd still like to be able to keep my store open.

When did you guy start doing AA?
At what point did you decide that you are ready/good enough etc?

I always wanted to have a AA table, but I'm always afraid that my stuff isn't good enough or intersting enough or that I don't have enough art and that people will straight up ignore me...
Not living near any cons doesn't exactly help either

>>8959700
i started 3 years ago. i worried about it for a little bit if i was 'good enough' but at that point there was a steady stream of people asking me for commissions, asking if my work was available for purchase somewhere, etc etc.

looking at aani is good motivation if you're constantly second guessing if you're 'good enough', lol. it's a big investment although imo its relatively easy to 'succeed' (i.e make a profit).
if you're really nervous, make artist alley friends if you haven't already and ask if you can have a corner of their table (or if they'll sell a couple prints or something

to be honest, that's only if you really can't afford to drop $200ish on an artist alley at a small con, a basic set up and a small stock of prints. as long as you don't pick a brand new or barren con even if you're garbage you should at least make back most of your investment and will have learnt from that experience.

you should obviously research it and ask people but yeah like. either you do it or you don't, it's dumb to just want to but never attempt.

>>8959418

That foil looks nice. I don't have any prints at the moment where foil would work, but I would love to create something. All these specialty print options are really great, but it sucks seeing a lot of mediocre art use them because then it's just gimmicky.

>>8959382
I ordered a sample of it and I'll let you guys know how it goes.

>>8959700
>When did you guy start doing AA?
10 years ago now, holy shit I'm old

>At what point did you decide that you are ready/good enough etc?
I definitely wasn't ready when I started, but I had a friend who had done it before so I had some insight on what to expect. I didn't consider myself good enough until 7 years ago, once people started looking specifically for me and my artwork at cons. But there's always room to improve.

seriously though >>8959724 has some great advice.

>>8959700
I've only been doing it for a little over a year, starting with SakuraCon last year.

I'd always wanted to do AA, and an artist I follow posted about the apps going live in the next five minutes from their post. I decided to try getting a table on a whim, and then suddenly and somehow I was in (and I felt bad because the artist I learned about signups from didn't get in woooops).

I never really worried about if my stuff was good enough or not? I figured if I put in my best efforts that somebody was going to like it, and I've had a decent online following for years, so I figured I'd at least make my money back. Then it just turned out a surprising number of people did like it and I was more successful than I anticipated.

I'm actually a college dropout, and I've been working to increase the number of cons I'm going to in my second year already because I really do enjoy this, even if I'm not quite at the point where I can 100% support myself. I think I've made the jump from 5 last year to 9 confirmed cons this year, possibly getting up to 12/13 once more app dates come up. A lot of them are big cons too, like AX, Fanime, and Denver Comic Con.

The best advice I can give is just have the right hustle. If you want to do AA more than once a year at your local gig, do your research, make some good friends in the field, and work hard at how you present your stuff. Even mediocre tier shit like mine does well because I have a variety of product, as well as my setup not looking amateur tier (at least in my opinion).

>>8959700
Started in 2012, I shared a table with a friend. I definitely wasn't ready, I had maybe two large prints and two small ones and a few stickers. Though I think what helped is that I was tabling with a group of friends who had been doing AA since high school so I got helpful advice beforehand.

If anything, give it a shot to get a feel for it, a lot of the fun is meeting fans and hanging out with friends.

>>8958970
I think that if it's similar enough to be recognizable but different enough for it not to look traced/official then it's fine. Same as with anything else, really.

>>8958374
>I'm wondering (as a European), when is con season, exactly? We literally only have two big cons over here, and they're both in summer.

Are you Dutch?

>>8959700
>When did you guy start doing AA?
I... think 2011 was my first con? I was like 15 and lost a lot of money because the friend I was doing the table with let some people behind the table, and they stole some of our money..
I didn't start doing tables regularly until 2014/2015

>At what point did you decide that you are ready/good enough etc?
My first table was a complete failure. two years later, I tried it one more time, and did fairly well. So I decided to be more serious the next year, and in 2014, I made waaaaay more sales than I thought I would, so it was from then on that I started going to just about every con I could.

>I always wanted to have a AA table, but I'm always afraid that my stuff isn't good enough or intersting enough or that I don't have enough art and that people will straight up ignore me...
Find a small one day con somewhere. Or even a small three day con. Something that has less than 1500 people. Small cons will let anyone in. Unless you scribble your art on a used napkin, then your stuff will be good enough for the artist alley.
Also, make sure you go just expecting to break even, and make sure you enjoy the con.

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does anyone have any product packaging inspo or advice? I really want to step up my game in terms of packaging, i feel like it helps justify the higher price point (relatively, compared to commercially produced versions) of small items like charms/buttons.

>>8960837
woops, for clarification, pic related isn't mine, just one I kinda liked

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Wow, look at all this quality content from WIP Wednesday.

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>>8960914
i liked this submission myself.

>>8959700
>When did you guy start doing AA?
2007. I'm an old fart.

>At what point did you decide that you are ready/good enough etc?
I started out as a pretty cocky little shit. I went to a local con to scope the quality of artists and felt that I could do better and so signed up for the next con. DIdn't do great, but primarily because I didn't know shit about display, marketing, etc. Managed to break even, but used the mediocre sales to research and try to do better. My costs were always low so it didn't take much to make some money, but I also wasn't really "successful" either.

I met some friends in college who had also been doing AA for a while and were loads better than me. They pushed me to get a lot better, draw more, and work on a better display. I didn't really think I did "well" until SakuraCon in I think 2011. I did really well and sorta found my niche. Since then, I've been pretty consistent, but haven't had really much of a growth, probably because I got an actual job. Kinda looking to up my game a little bit. I don't go to cons as frequently anymore, but I'm hoping to at least make each one I go to count for a lot more.

I think if you keep telling yourself that you aren't good enough or have enough, that's going to deter you from actually trying. Improvement and profit come from actually throwing yourself out there and figuring things out on the fly. Just go in with realistic expectations and expect your first couple of cons to be learning experiences. Then start trying in earnest and put forth your best effort to actually making money.

>>8960914
MVP of the day

>>8959700
>When fit you guys start doing AA?
This is my second year, technically third table. First one was kinda eh, second one a pretty good success given the circumstances

>At what point dod you decide that you are ready/good enough ect?
Honestly, I don't think my art is amazing, but it's fun enough for simple products. I'm in it for the practice really. But also, given the style of my countries conventions, I think the bar is a bit lower than big countries with big conventions

>>8960540
ya

did anyone see that girl posting the mod message she received publicly after being told she was on her 3rd strike for advertising on Wednesdays?

i don't understand why people do things like air their dirty laundry. all that's going to do is you you banned desu

>>8961330
i genuinely don't know if she was expecting the mods to clamor to dismiss her warnings because she posted them, or that people would be rallying in support of how unfair it is and she didn't know ):
but yeah. there's literally no reason she couldn't have pm'd that except for the fact that she wanted sympathy attention.

>>8959700
>>When did you guy start doing AA?
2012 is the first year i did two real cons, 2011 i did one small one day con where i broke even and made like $90 (on a $60 investment)

>>At what point did you decide that you are ready/good enough etc?
I used that $90 and put it into the first con in 2012 + risked more $ due to extrapolating that i could probably break even from the one day college con. I think the first con in 2012 i made $600 on a Saturday and i was like HOLY SHIT I COULD DO THIS. Of course $600 on a Saturday now would be incredibly sad and slow but my display and such is much better now too.

I've emailed acen but haven't received a reply yet. Does anybody know if it's not too late to split my AA table with someone? People seem to get a shared table at the last minute and I've wondered how this works.

>>8961330
I was not expecting that at all. And for her to have got that many strikes within their 6 month period... Hopefully a mod talks to her in private about it.

General question to AA anons.
What would you think if an AA artist started to also sell bootleg merch? An artist at a local con is starting to sell very obviously bootleg things like knock-off Ghibli things, fake anime merch, and such stuff in addition to their own art.
I'm asking here since AA artists always seem at great risk of having art stolen, reproduced and profited off without permission, and this seems a little hypocritical. Am I overreacting or is it genuinely odd?

>>8961691
It's not odd, it's lazy and disrespectful. Not to mention, AAs are for selling your own shit and they generally have pretty strict policies about how your stuff is made for this exact reason.
Personally, trying to sneak in bootleg shit is grounds for me never buying from that artist again.

>>8961691
At Tokyo in Tulsa last year one girl was selling sprite rips of the eevee line from Pokemon, and nobody ever did anything with her. Bootlegs suck, especially when they sneak into AA. It's lazy and incredibly dishonest.

>>8961706
What do you mean by sprite rips? What were the products?
You usually see stuff like that made with perler beads, and while it's lazy to duplicate the official art, things like that aren't "bootleg" because they're not trying to pass it off as official merch or reproduce a specific licensed product.

>>8961716
Not perlers, they were literally the in-game sprites on charms. Sorry I didn't specify. That feels bootleg enough to me, but maybe we have different definitions.

I consider sprite-rip perlers just as lazy and dishonest too.

>>8961780
> literally the in-game sprites on charms
holy shit, that's beyond lazy. That's fucking turbolazy. I don't think it's technically "bootleg" but it's dishonest as fuck and an insult to other AA sellers who actually make their own art.

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>>8961691
i can see why a newb to AA's might assume it's okay since the dealer's hall (at least in my local cons) is rife with bootleg, but even if it's not technically against con rules, it's trashy as fuck. like other anons, i just wouldn't buy from someone who i saw with bootleg merch. even stuff like pic related (just drawing over the undertale sprites with a pen tool...) makes me think much less of an artist. there's trying to cash into a market, and then there's being a lazy, uncreative asshole.

>>8961691
Fuck off back to Etsy, basically. If you're selling bootlegs deco'd onto a shitty phone case and you're fourteen that's not as bad, but if you're selling loose eBay Totoro cabochons as your own work there's no excuse.

For those of you that sell artsmoo printed pouches, how many of each design do you usually bring? 10? 20?

Ahh.. usually her lanyards are more creative. I'm not sure why she went with this design.. Maybe she'll change it before getting them made?

Reminds me of that other anon with the ripped off neko atsume lanyard. What's with people these days?

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>>8961780
Was it her?

>>8963619
Lol, Recreated
So she just repixeled the officials sprites so she could say she drew it.

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goddamn these print artists! how dare they display their prints? it's almost like they're advertising their wares to draw in customers or something! (shakes fist)

>>8963619
It was this bitch, yeah. She had the audacity to ask me for trades at Tokyo in Tulsa and I about died inside when she did.

>>8963742
what is she even complaining about? She said these displays are bad but didn't actually give a reason why?

>>8963742
>>8963750
I don't think she's even really complaining herself. From her post, though the tone is a slight bit abrasive, it sounds like she's heard other people bitch about it but doesn't get why people still do it if they hate it so much.

Still, I would think it would be common sense. It's not like you can just set your prints on a table like you can a plushie and expect to attract customers.

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>>8963805
This sounds a lot like complaining, though. Like most AA customers care about "gallery knowledge" and "negative space" in your display.

>>8963899
My art school vendetta is showing, but this post sounds so fucking pretentious.

Is it not completely fucking obvious that selling at a convention has a completely different focus and objective than selling or displaying art for a gallery or a show?

I mean, I guess enjoy trying to sell your display with all your perfect ratio of negative space to hundreds, if not thousands of fleeting attention spans and shallow wallets.

My salt is oceans right now.

>>8963899

Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and say this girl isn't actually a graphic designer either. Get off your high horse. It's like she's trying to show off her art school cred while shitting on the standard people have just come to accept? AA isn't a fucking gallery.

>>8963899
As an art school graduate, this sounds pretentious af. It's an anime convention, just display your prints in a way that works. Who cares if you shove them all together? People will stop to stare regardless, as long as your work is good enough. What a petty thing to complain about. What does negative space even matter when you have the span of a tiny little table to display all your goods.

First-table-chan here. When making merch, how much of your originals do you usually include with fanart?
Also is there a bare minimum amount of fandoms and shows I should be creating for or is it okay to have maybe just a couple of big ones as opposed to a little bit of a lot of shows?

>>8963930
I just have a couple original illustrations that I like to have up because they grab attention and because they make me really happy when they sell (which is not often, but it's okay).

There's not really a "minimum" amount, but I think it's better to specialize in a handful of fandoms instead of going for a ton of them, unless you're one of those megatables with enormous displays that DO have every fandom ever. If that's what you'd eventually like to do, it's better to build up to that instead of having it all out at once. Having a small handful of fandoms that you have multiple items for helps appeal to a lot of different price points and ups the chances of people buying multiple items, which helps in the long run.

>>8963899
>I get too overstimulated
>Raised with the importance of white/negative space
>brought up with gallery knowledge
>UM, I WAS *RAISED* AS AN ARTIST, NOT LIKE THESE PEOPLE

Holy shit, get the fuck out of here with this shit. What the fuck "Elite Artist" BS is this

>>8963899
Current art school student here and lemme just say that if you act like this at an art school, people will talk shit about you for being a pretentious ass.
Goddamn this person sounds like such a loser with their whole "I went to art school! My display is superior!" attitude. I've been taught how to display my art in a gallery too and is that how I display my art in an aa? Nope because an aa is not a fucking gallery! Different environment = different display because your audience is completely different. People at an aa are going to pass you by if they don't see something that catches their eye right away. How does this person not realize that??

/sage for salty blog post

>>8963987
They say they're a "non-print" artist so they probably make crafts or plushes or something.

i have to fucking laugh at all the crafters/manufactured plush/etc in that thread who are being so passive aggressive about 2d displays. like when there was a few threads awhile ago about some cons separating print artists and crafters and they were all making snide comments about how their eyes glaze over and they find it so boring when it's just 2d artists... and then they're the first to moan and whinge about how they don't get treated like real artists and 2d artists are so elitist ):

>>8964065
I don't understand why some crafters get so butthurt about this shit. Is it a whole "Well, crafting is sooooo much harder!" kind of thing or what?

>>8964101
Because all the crafters who can actually turn a profit are busy making money at actual craft shows, leaving the scrubs to piss away in AANI.

>>8964114
AYYYYY

>>8964101
because their mommy told them that they were an artist and now they get jealous tantrums because people think someone who can actually draw and create is better than someone hotgluing crappy cabochons to a $2 iphone case. 0 patience for people with a table full of kiddie crafts bitching about print displays.

>>8964231
The people who are actually good are never the ones complaining about others who are better.

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Man, i waited until i was a working professional to table because i thought i wasn't ready. I see a lot of people starting a bit too early, but hey maybe that will help them grow by the time they are "pro AA venders".

>>8962982
I get buttmad seeing Undertale merch b/c 1) creator asked people not to mass produce stuff like this for sale and I respect him too much too 2) sell shit anyway and make crazy cash

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Do you think people would buy shit (haha) like this? Because toilet paper printing is totally a thing I'm considering, but I'm not sure if it would be con-appropriate.

>>8964915
Depends how you price it, honestly. If it costs significantly more than regular toilet paper, I can see most people being hesitant since their money would essentially be going down the toilet.

>>8964921
HAH.

But yeah they'd probably have to be around $15 for me to turn much of a profit. I figure they would make a great gag gift?

>>8964915
This is kind of hilarious. But yeah, novelty at best.

>>8964913
Toby lifted the bans on merch sold at cons.

>>8963899
>Reality check: AA is basically a fan art anime flea market
These artsy-fartsy people got to pull their heads out of their asses, that nobody cares if you came from some art background, work at a museum, gallery, or you brought your original work to a anime convention that you will get noticed above fan art.

They are butthurt so bad that nobody wanted to buy their $5 print versus a $20 dragon ball z goku fan art print next to them selling like hot cakes for example or the undertale print opposite of them lol lol lol.

>>8964065
Being a print artist, I tabled next to a crafter crocheting whole day nice change as they were pretty funny yapping it up, no problems. mebe I was lucky, anybody whatever they are selling can be weird or crazy....or quiet (the ones to be really afraid of). idk roll of the dice.

I am guilty of talking some smack about some table proxies I suspect seems to be all from china or something, at first nice prints looks low-key young college age - looking at the prints after, what the hell, offset printing??!?

>>8965208
>looking at the prints after, what the hell, offset printing??!?
unless I've been living under a rock, has lithography printing become even mainstream as your typical color laser printing?? idk anywhere here locally that would do that cheap if even need to be in the hundreds of prints - and the person selling doesnt look the type to even request that sort of thing.

>>8965184
Oh, welp I feel silly then. Good to know!

>>8965208
i've tabled next to crafters too, and they have been very nice. i've also tabled next to or across from crafters who have given me nothing but sour glares and snide comments about how they don't understanding paying $20 for a 'piece of paper' and then turn around the next moment and complain about how no one wants to buy their $60 crudely sewn together knockoff mlp plush.

>>8963742
>>8963899
Damn let these people run their stupid panel about how print walls are awful. More money for the rest of us.

anybody else reading the thread about the splatter 'artists' ? lmao.

>>8963899
I feel a bit overwhelmed by huge print walls but how the fuck can someone not notice that artists have nowhere else to put them? AA tables aren't laid out like art galleries, and negative space is space that could be used to display more prints. Nothing wrong with making the most of what's available to you. Galleries aren't falling over themselves to display chibi schoolgirl fanart, so why bother thinking about art in terms of gallery displays when you're not going to be sticking your work in one?
This is so fucking pretentious, honestly.

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Would making Rilakkuma/mameshiba/Neko Atsume clay charms to be sold at AAs be considered copyright infringement in any way?
What are the general rules about what charms can be sold at cons?
I'm pretty new to running booths and I wanted to try making charms to sell, but I wasn't sure what can be sold at AA

>>8959700
>When did you guy start doing AA?
2010 or 2011, I can't really remember.

>At what point did you decide that you are ready/good enough etc?
I never really did.
I was a middle school kid who had a huge crush on one of the local artists. He was like 10 years older than me, but it was like the kind of celebrity crush that make kids become actors because they love Leonardo DiCaprio or something- it's not like you actually expect it to happen.
I got a table because I wanted to have a way in to talk to him, and even potentially be seated next to him (!!)
Artistic standards were a lot lower back then, and I found myself with a bit of profit. I fell in love with the business aspect and just kept coming back. I've never really thought that my art was good enough for sale, but rather I worked towards the goal of it being good enough along the way.

>>8964960
I really do love the idea, but I think it'd be a hard sell at $15. It seems justifiable when you consider that it's the same price as a large print, but in comparison to a $1 roll of toilet paper it seems extraordinarily frivolous.

>>8957633
What con? I'm in SoCal also and I've been thinking about trying out a Texas con

>>8965470
As someone who sells sculpted pieces at AA'so, I recommend steering clear of selling handmade items that Congoers can go to the dealers room and find for a fraction of the price. If the merchant is already available and you're just aping it, that's sketchy, and even if it wasn'the, you won'the be able to compete with the price of the official merchandise.

Do not recommend.

>>8965549
San Japan. I always go back every year. The AA for San Japan is like 90% Cali artists anyway.

can I ask a question? (i don't intend this to be judgemental or critical or anything, but i'm aware because of content it might sound like that. i'm just really curious!) for those of you who table at american cons, how do you deal with their being literally DOZENS if not over a hundred of other artists, most of them fanartists for the same series, competing with you? in my country the artist alley is like 10-15 tables max, at the biggest cons. I guess there is a little difference in customer behaviour (people don't buy just for the sake of having a 'haul' and they tend to not buy multiple pieces for a fandom: if you want your fandom print to sell, it has to be better than everyone else's, or of pairings/side characters/in a really unique style etc)
yet it sounds like most people end up making a profit?

>>8965727
You have to realize that our cons are also bigger! It's not just the artist alley. Big cons like AX and MegaCon can draw up to 90k attendees. Even though you will be competing against artists, there are also just that many more customers who will buy your stuff.

Also another thing you can do is to find your niche! I found that a lot of my comics/western media things do well at anime cons because I'm not competing with other anime artists and my anime prints do better at comic con where I'm not competing with comic artists. Just know your audience and know how to display your stock to your advantage.

>>8965727
depends what con, the last one i went to had hardly 20 artists

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>>8965727
Having a different style will definitely help you stand out. You'll find a lot of fanartists blur together unfortunately, even at the professional level. For instance at Emerald City Comic Con i saw probably 6 artists that looked just like Sakimichan.

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Shitting on AAI for a second. For such an :edgy: banner, i'd expect better artwork/display.

>>8965865
God, that Hot Topic-tier "LOL MEME" banner makes me cringe. Plus, did they tape drawings on printer paper under their banner? If they got rid of that, it would already look better.

>>8965917
it would, but i personally think the pvc pipes looks tacky even with the window. I almost like the photo stand/ring print wall better since it's cleaner.

>>8965775
>>8965811
>>8965862
thank you for your answer!! all the artist alley 'regulars' here are very different styles (one is very old school shoujo, another has a dynamic western cartoon style, etc....) so i was confused how someone with a very average style could do well int he alley.

>>8964915
You're going to be that person that gets pissy that no one is buying their product, they are just laughing at it or taking a photo and leaving. Maybe bring their friends over for the laugh.

AA Tax question for you guys,

Do you claim your AA table as part of your business? Is your business a freelancer? or do you not claim AA sales unless you are big enough?

Question for those who have online stores: tictail or storenvy? Or another store website/your own site? I'm trying to weigh my options before I open one up.

Kind of OT, but how do you guys deal with keeping up moral regarding your work? I have a lot of artist friends who are all much more skilled and successful than I am, and I'm happy for them. But I stopped tabling and making any work about two years ago because of depression. I'm trying to build back up my self worth and get my life on track again, but I'm so far behind everyone at this point in time. I haven't been able to do much more than doodle a bit each day before I lose energy, and I can't help but compare myself to my friends. I know for a fact I wasn't terrible at art, but it's still hard . Does anyone else ever feel this way? I just want to get my drive back, art was a big part of my life.

>>8964101
Because it's harder to hand sew 50 plush by hand than design one picture and have someone else print it for you 50 times.

>>8967125
I feel this from time to time. The best thing I've done to get past those art blocks is to look around for inspiring art/pictures and make a folder of it, and do some warmups and see where it goes from there. Once you get into a habit of drawing regularly again, the feeling of creating at least a little something every day is a continuous source of inspiration and helps the wheel keep rollin'. The hardest part was starting up again.

Another thing I do sometimes is self-imposed deadlines, since I seem to work best under pressure.

Sometimes even finding a new set of brushes, changing up sketching to using shapes to figure out images, to little speedpaint or palette challenges help keep things interesting.

Lastly I'll toss in the general advice, 'don't compare yourself to others', but I'm pretty bad at that tip myself.

Anyhow, I know the shitty feeling, and hope maybe some of this'll give you some ideas on how to get back into things.

Good luck, anon.

>>8967125
>>8967168
Oh and if you're feeling brave, look at your old art and compare it to your newer stuff. I'm not a masochist but sometimes an in-your-face reminder of how far you've come is a nice pick-me-up that's worth it.

>>8967125
I kinda dropped art for half a year after graduating, although this wasn't for art skill reasons but a "why am I even drawing?" kinda deal. I got over it somehow. A "I'm going to draw for myself" so I could keep improving and be satisfied with my work.

I actually find that I'm much more productive with my art when I have a table at a con. I love the thrill of working on stuff with a deadline and pressure of being prepared for a con. It boosts my moral despite the fact that some of the things I'm working on might not sell. So maybe getting back into the game might motivate you instead of losing your energy. I usually find that the feedback you get at cons is worth it.

I don't find comparing yourself to others bad. You could use this to motivate yourself to improve and work on your art. Use it to your advantage.

Dealing with confidence in your art is still a thing though. If you can get that confidence in your art, it should be smooth(er) sailing from there.

>>8967146
gtfo

>>8967125
I'm in sort of a similar thing as you anon, I have problems with depression since college and I have a lot of AA friends. I did find that having a con deadline looming over me helped me draw, and I also keep up with friends when they talk about new shows or games, which gives me ideas for prints. Also being at the con and seeing people appreciate my work helps a little bit as well. Even little things like a new color palette, a new brush or pen, or a new character design you like can spark some ideas.

>>8965865


Ahh this is a local artist at conventions I frequent. I feel bad for seeing them here.. but yeah I kind of agree about "lel memes." I hate shit like that, I find it un-funny. But I'm sure tons of kids think its funny so w/e.

Also for those complaining about the PVC pipes its really standard here for a display. Every single display here is either PVC pipe or cubes.

>>8967125
I took a year off tabling at conventions to focus on myself. It wasn't until over a year after that when I started to really like drawing again. My advice is to really work on your depression by challenging negative thoughts you have about yourself and hanging out with friends who are encouraging and positive (or whatever works for you). All during this time, keep drawing even if you hate it.

Try something new to motivate you- trying a new art style/subject, streaming on picarto or twitch, have art jams with friends, or create a product that you've always wanted to have- you might find something fun about it. I hope you get that spark again soon.

>>8967146
sorry you're mad that actual artists can make 10x the profit using their time way more efficiently. :-)

>>8967146
Even if it didn't take hours to design and create a print I like to think that I get my hand labour game on by cutting, laminating, cutting again and punching buttons (which also needs to be cut).

>>8967410
for those of us with charms even if we use vograce most of us are still also adding more embellishments to them.

comic artista put in a remarkable amount of work for little to no payoff.

people offering commissions usually severely undersell.

craters with this shitty attitude of superiority need to calm down. You're not better just because you think you're doing more work, get over it.

>>8967146
why are you mad at print artists, you should be pissed at people who get plushies made in china who depress all the prices of plushies in the alley. print artists aren't even your competition, where as manufactured plushies are

Is it worth to print smaller sizes like 1.5 inch with Vograce? Anybody tried before?

>>8967949

I'm really curious about this as well, if anyone has any experience. I've yet to order with Vograce yet but I'm prepping a bunch of art for an order in the near future. I might try one of the charms at 1 inch and see how it goes.

>>8967109
>bueller?

>>8967109

Yes, I claim my AA table. I registered my business for my freelance graphic design business, but operate AA under that tax ID, so all of my AA expenses and profits, as well as those for freelance design and online sales on my AA work, get reported. I don't make buttloads of money so I don't pay too many taxes, and I'm able to claim all of the expenses for write-offs.

It's up to you whether you want to claim them or not. If you do, you have to keep good records in case of an audit, but I've never been audited and I still get good refunds even with reporting my business taxes. I'm presuming you mean on your federal forms. I live in Texas and have to file my state sales tax quarterly, but it's really not a big deal to honestly report your taxes.

To not report and pay your business taxes is illegal. I'd rather pay them than risk getting in trouble.

>>8968061
It's worth it if you order a lot. Otherwise, the shipping fees will probably be at least 2x the cost of your actual charms

>>8967949
supposedly they had really chunky borders on their smaller charms in the past, but they've fixed that and small charms look about as nice as any western company's now imo.

>>8967240
>>8967400
>>8967902
>>8967796
Not mad at all. Just explaining why certain craft artists stick up their noses at print artists. Most of my work is charms and buttons.

>>8967410
I agree, the previous post was in reference to solely print artists.

How do you guys recommend shipping out stickers, both cut and in sheets? I was going to use stay flat mailers but heard they weren't very sturdy, so I'm thinking of sandwiching them between two pieces of chipboard in a yellow envelope but I don't know how that would hold up either.

>>8968888
I find that that method works fine for me. I put the sandwich in a bubble mailer for extra protection.

>>8968761
I'm assuming you mean like the print artists that draw a shitty chibi, blow it up, and get it printed. Otherwise print artists mostly spend time figuring out composition, poses, lighting, colors, etc. Then there's the work of drawing it, coloring it, etc. There's still work involved with good prints.

>>8968888
the flat mailers can get bent/folded (happened to a recent order of stickers i recieved...) which is an issue, the reinforcement sounds like a good idea!

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Maybe a bit of an odd request, but do any artists have photos of their work from Vograce? I like saving them as examples, especially if they keep the information on the finishes they used

I have a few that I'll post

>sorry if this has been posted recently, I haven't been lurking the AA threads much recently.

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>>8969087

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>>8969091

>not exactly what I'm requesting, but helpful non-the-less

>>8968888
>>8969043

They'll still bend but not as much with the chipboard, try the smallest box for you're shipping method as well

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>>8969087
not my work but i got some saved, will post as well

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>>8969135

Thank you anon for contributing ! Its nice to see the keychains more how they are in real life, instead of the stock photos on the Vograce page

>>8969087
I actually have an imgur gallery full of some examples I grabbed from here and from acquaintances that I put together to explain the different charm types to my friends. http://imgur.com/a/tGStz

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>>8969087
Here's the double sided charms I got from them last year. No epoxy on these.

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>>8969262

Holy moly, this is insanely darn helpful anon! Great for comparing the different techniques they do. Which to be honest on the vograce page is a little vague.

>>8969269
Thank you anon ! Added to my saved folder.

>>8969269
Thanks for linking this, anon. Just found your store and I'm going to buy all your stuff

God I feel like my art is too shitty to put up in AA. I saw a few of you just 'did it' but is there any other way to really feel 'ready' to commit to a store? I've looked into the cons in my area and they wants about $500 for an AA table for a 2 day event. No clue if I'd break even.

>>8969365
you could post an example of your work on here if you want brutally honest feedback. it's a big investment for sure since that $500 doesnt include the cost of materials/printing. do you do commissions? do you have a regular customer base, or a steady flow of clients? do people regularly ask if they can get commissions from you or where they can buy your work?

>>8968888
Use the chipboard, but use a small piece of tape on each side of it to make a secure sandwich of sorts.

I'm new to AA and just received the RES packet info from Acen. I read through it and it looks like it's only for big vendors and not something Zi would have to worry about. Is that correct? Sorry this is such a noob question but I' so confused.

Also, are 8 ft x 2 ft tables the norm? They seem awfully long and I don't remember seeing such long tables at an AA.

>>8969541
It's usually a 6ft table for most cons. A few do have 8 ft tables though, the only other one I can think of ATM is megacon/megacon fan days.

>>8969395
I'm not really looking for feedback about the actual art since - and i'll be blunt - I'm at least of the opinion it's on parr with several stores which usually attend the convention I'm thinking of. However in terms of getting my art *seen* I'm not the best. I'll post it up on a devart or a tumblr but they're hardly a broad reach. I've done a few commissions from niche forums and boards where I've shown my art to friends and others have asked if I'm available to do something but I'm not getting swamped.

I guess I'm more wondering how others first took the jump into it, as you said $500 for a table alone and probably at least another $300 in charms and prints and I'd need to be making about $800 to break even. Is it pretty normal to get that in a weekend? I have several fandoms covered ( sailor moon, pokemon, madoka, kill la kill, animal crossing, league and a few hipster/lolita oc prints ) but how the heck do I know which ones are gonna do better than others and how much is too much to throw it all in first?

tl;dr: How much does one spend to get their first AA table up and going inc. table costs, how does fight nerves of failure.

>>8969566
Depends on which con, really. My first AA was AWA and my initial expenses totaled about $1625. Table+extra badge for helper $225, Prints $450 (I bought way too many), Display $50, Flight $400, Hotel $300, Food $150, Transportation $50. I did it with a friend and we miraculously made a few hundred bucks in profit even though we were missing vital things like clear protectors and business cards, lol. First con is always scary but make a checklist of important things and overestimating costs is always safe. Good luck.

>>8969143
oh these are actually my charms! I got these done with zap though, so I hope no one confuses them with vograce's clears!

>>8969365
>>8969566
Where are you that artist alley tables cost $500? Even the US' largest Comic Cons are only around $200-$300.

Did someone on FB really ask what phone charm straps are called? How could you have not googled it and found it?

I got my notepads from artsmoo and the alighnment is completely off. It looks crooked and the borders are cut off too mich that I can see a random white line on the edge. But they are saying they offer no guarantee on the alignment so they can't refund me or send me replacements... How can they not guarantee anything when I made sure I adhered to their safety and bleed lines??

Quick question, is it necessary for some Canadian or American cons that artists participating in a zine or artbook need to sign some sort of form?

I got asked to do this but I'm very much not okay with giving my signature and I've never heard about it before either. I'm not American either for reference.

>>8970159
fanime technically has this policy to prevent proxy selling but no one actually does it as far as i know

>>8969792
$500 is standard for a fill-sized table in Australia, but then that's also around $300USD.

It's bullshit that they price according to exchange rate, though.

>>8969792
>>8970193
To be fair, big cons in the US like NYCC, SDCC, and C2E2 are around $400~$500.

>>8969566
you don't know, really. my best selling print is from an 'obscure' game, some of my worst selling prints are league/sailormoon/pokemon. Honestly no one can tell you what will and won't sell. you'll know when you do it. IMO if you aren't terrible and you don't have a weird, 'aesthetic' ish style that isn't mainstream, you can make over $800 back at a con easiiiily. I spent around $1300 (didnt do a lot of research into cheap printers...) including table costs for my first weekend con and I made 2k ish profit? there is always a chance you will fail but if like...you can't let fear of failure stop you from ever trying, lmao

>>8969994
that sucks anon, but there is a reason why it's so cheap to get shit printed there, part of which is the fact that they don't 'guarantee'.

>>8970193
If they are Australian, then the biggest profit is in stickers and charms. It's also best to share a table at the aus conventions for a first timer.

>>8970189
Are you sure? I mean I believe you because I've never heard about it before and this isn't the first zine I participated in

>>8970193
I don't think $500 is really standard in Australia, I'm Australian and the most expensive table I've had was $330 at Melbourne Supanova.

>>8970264

I'm pretty sure but i can't provide "proof" because i think they changed the wording or something. Currently it says under things you can not sell:

"The works of another artist, whether or not that artist is registered for Artist Alley, unless that artist is participating in a collaborative work with you as previously defined. Also known as proxy selling."

In the past it either used to specify that you needed written permission on you (a signed document) or someone emailed them an they said that.

Either way i've never heard of someone actually carrying that, I certainly didn't for fanime despite selling a collaborative zine. If this is for fanime specifically, i'd say it's not really necessary but i also don't think your friend is trying to scam you. People sign their prints every day, it's not a big deal??

>>8970159
I can confirm that some cons do ask for signatures to prevent tables from 'bootlegging'. You can't sell another artist's work without their signed permission, basically. Otakuthon's (Canadian con) AA rules state this, for example. I'm pretty sure no one actually checks unless the person in question gets reported, but your friend isn't wrong for playing it safe.

>>8970443
>>8970467
Thanks for answering, I didn't thunk they were trying to scam I just found it odd.

I get they're trying to play it safe but it feels a bit silly if nobody is going to actually check it

>>8970262
>mfw Supanova doesn't allow stickers and are finally policing it this year.

>>8970793
this shit always makes me so grumpy. surely the amount of people sticking stuff on the buildings is minimal, and for some artists its a huge part of their stock/profit. Hate that it's not even the artist's fault and they're being punished.

>tfw don't even attend cons with this policy

I'm starting inventory for sewn goods mainly embroidered pieces is there a stock number I should aim for? Among my small comm they are pretty popular. But I dread taking my machine to cons to do stock

>>8970859
i literally JUST started selling stickers and they go like hotcakes and now they're being banned... rip.

>>8969792
What >>8970193 said. I live in australia and $500 a table is pretty normal.

>>8970262
>>8970256
Thanks for the tips.
>>8970793
>>8970859
What really? lame. They were at the last Nova I went to on GC.

>>8970321
A nova table in bris was looking to be about $500 last I checked it out. Weird.

how much do you guys price sticker sheets at? is $5 reasonable? they're reasonably small sheets (like a6ish) but they have a ton of stickers on them.

>>8970973
What kind of stuff do you sell, anon?

W-would you be interested in splitting a Brisnova table?

>>8970980
Ah, I just found your original post.

Definitely hit me up if you're interested! My stuff is mostly OC mixed media jewellery/accessory stuff. I already have stall insurance, too, so that's $90 saved.

Not super keen to drop so much on my first 'Nova table either, haha.

>>8970793
They certainly weren't policing it at Melbourne Supa last weekend, I was thoroughly annoyed because I even emailed for clarification on the rule and was told they weren't allowed no exceptions only for me to arrive Saturday and see almost every other Alley table selling them. I didn't see anyone asked to remove them over the weekend, either. One table was even only selling stickers and nothing else. I was so annoyed that I missed out on a bunch of sales thanks to following the rules (every second person was asking if I had 'x' charm/badge design as stickers), and I couldn't just bring in stickers Sunday because I came interstate.

>>8970986
Messaged!

Are there any trends/fads in the AA that you gulls are sick of? for me, it's definitely:
- pug/corgi anything (bonus points if they're trying to make it 'not just a regular pug/corgi' ala unicorgi or merpug style)
- uncomfortably sexy/yaoi-esque sans
- anything with 'daddy' on it (but why)
- SOAP AT AN ANIME CONVENTION. I know the non-lazy ones at least try to do themed soaps but that shit belongs at a crafters market, not an artist alley.
- ~*diverse*~ or feminist mermaids
- crappy artists cashing in on the neko atsume craze by tracing the cats and making 'neko atsume crossovers' with literally fucking anything
- holographic prints ( I like them, I have a few, but damn near every single aa table sparkles and shines with them now)

>>8971223
I was sick of prism a year ago but it keeps getting bigger and I'm getting salty. sometimes it looks nice but it looks tacky af if it doesnt fit the subject matter which is a lot of the time. case in point, there's a touken ranbu hanafuda deck making its rounds on Twitter and any appeal it may have had immediately evaporated for me the moment I saw prism.

>>8971223
> - uncomfortably sexy/yaoi-esque sans

Wait, WHAT. This is being sold at AA's? Oh lord haha.

Anyone know who the most popular & best selling Fire Emblem: Fates characters are right now? I'd love to make some buttons or stickers, but making them for every character is just not going to happen.

I've seen a lot of the siblings around, but I'm not sure if that's because they're actually more popular, or because they're considered "main" characters for the games.

>>8971223

Mine are
- Acrylic charms
- Holographic prints
- Shitty, cheap jewelry obviously made with mass-produced parts
- Soap (oh god I hate this more than anything)
- Tumblr try hard sayings on prints where the artist has zero graphic design skills (or maybe this should just be "shitty use of typography")
- Obviously Arstmoo clothing
- Artsmoo anything

In general, I do like that we've gotten access to higher quality materials and things, but AA is starting to feel too outsourced, in a lot of ways. I like seeing prints and other products are nice, but there are just so many products and trinkets now. Do I really want a printed sleep mask? A coin purse? A skater skirt? No. I'd rather just see art instead of the gimmicky things made cheaply in China.

I feel like the holographic trend is similar to the overabundance of acrylic charms. I love them if the design is really cute, but now that everyone is doing them it's just a staple like prints. Even if people add beads or charms, everyone is doing that so it's harder to make your charm unique if the design is mediocre, which is fine, a market should work based on the quality of the piece. But I'm a bit tired of charms being a staple.

I would love to see more specialty options on print, like nicer paper, foils, finishes, etc. but I don't want it to get too saturated. I would definitely be willing to spend more on a print with some speciality options if the art matched the look, though.

>>8971301
Takumi is ridiculously popular right now. Like everyone is wetting their panties over Takumi. The Nohr brothers are super popular too.
Kinu and Nyx are popular non-siblings. The female siblings tend to get pushed off to the side in favor of males.

Does anybody know where I can get same day pick up for matte prints? Office Max only does glossy for same day pick up. I also hear places other than Office Max has low quality so I'm in a rut trying to find a place. Any help is appreciated!

>>8971303
I'm tired if seeing some contents but I don't see how people are sick of some products like acrylic charms. They're just products, just like prints, but I don't see anybody getting sick of prints per se if I'm making myself clear. I think it would be boring if AA was nothing but prints. And a lot of people are there for cute merch, not prints. Just wondering because I love buying trinkets like coin purses and don't understand why some artists dislike seeing artsmoo products and acrylic charms. Not trying to offend you in any way!

>>8971375

For me, it's the quality and once everyone has them, the novelty wears off. Logically, I shouldn't think that because prints are always there and the novelty hasn't worn off for me. I guess it felt more unique when less people had things like coin purses or charms? Part of it is I feel like AA is losing some of the handmade quality I have a fondness for (though I'm not someone who thinks that charms/prints take less time than a 3D item). All the mass produced products (even though I know prints are also mass produced) just seems like it's too much of a competition. We, as a community, should strive for bigger and better products, but I feel like there's a line with all the manufacturing of fanart items. When does it cease to be AA and become something for the dealer's hall?

I do like seeing trinkets and charms, just when it's on a smaller scale. I don't mind things like coin purses or clothing when it's original designs, and well done, but again, on a smaller scale. The fact that it's everywhere just makes it lose its luster.

>>8971541
Thanks for replying! That's one way of looking at it I totally see where you're coming from. Sometimes there is a fine line between AA and dealer's hall. At the same time, I feel like many buyers don't want to buy "handmade" looking stuff anymore. Kind of like laminated charms people used to make back then. I personally loved those but now if you make them, people make fun of you for making a low quality crap when you can print acrylic charms at reasonable prices. I personally would love to see more of "handmade" stuff as well as more diversity in outsourced trinkets.

>>8971359
cardstock is matte

source: I work there help me

>>8971309
Thanks for the info! I thought the absurd levels of love for Takumi was just my room mate, interesting to hear it's apparently universal.

>>8971541
I can understand this point of view. Having notepads and pencil bags and other mass produced merchandise does make things feel more like a boot leg dealer's hall than an artist's alley. At the same time, though, I personally love acrylic charms - I mentally put them in the same category as stickers and buttons, which have always been an alley staple.

I was just talking to a friend the other day about how you don't see laminated keychains anymore, they do look and feel really cheap next to all the acrylic charms. I still see shrink film charms sometimes, though. I was thinking of doing some myself, thought they might sell well at a lower price point then you see acrylics for.

>>8971629
Oh ok, you mean I can print on cardstock directly at a store right? That's a good idea thanks!

>>8968888
When I ordered samples from Vograce they gave me one of each for my one design except for the clears.

You can view it here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jokyq0MB8Jy6R065M0u1Q5Rq7aK9svgxZwVN-PrcikA/edit#bookmark=id.s46i052dz2l

>>8971301
I have made one for every Fates character... I don't blame you. But please make Xander, he's husbando. Popular ones are Leo, Xander, Takumi, Camilla, Keaton, Kaden, and Forrest - from what I've seen.

>>8971223
>diverse mermaids
Honestly, this pisses me off so much, not because I like my mermaids whiter than snow but because they're always ugly lardy lumps with shaved heads and piercings. If you're going to do diverse, make it not like the millions of other Tumblr mermaids uwuing at you. It's so uncreative and lazy.
Also, it's always mermaids, for some reason. I've yet to see a Tumblrfied centaur or fairy or something.

>>8971992
You're not on enough then. I saw a few hairy armpit whale centaurs

>>8972013
That's... unpleasant.

>>8972031
Most the time I think the artists are just doing it to see if they'll get bites. Then comes the hoard of tumblrinas willing to pay 15-30$ for their 2edgy4u wall, corner etc

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It's WIPW so time for shit posts. It seems we have a artist beware person in AANI. Not only that she's posting finished works for wipw?? Not that people care much on that shitty group.

>complains about the con being the wrong place to sell her shitty art.
>please stay out of AA.

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>>8972149
Here's my favorite so far from this WIPW.
Personally I'm getting sick of the amount of people posting finished pieces for WIPW along with comments like 'it still needs some touchups' or 'these are pretty much finished but they're going to be charms/stickers'.

>>8972167
lol, did you mean that jojo thing on canvas? ahaha


i really like the artist who's doing the big 'pokemon type' posters. they have a nice sense of composition.

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>>8972149

WIPW are the best...who the fuck is gonna buy this when it's 'finished'?

>>8972209
it's missing the village symbol on his/her forehead....Goat of 9 tails jutsu!!!

Sharingan!
>Baaaa!
>Baaaa!
>Baaaa!
dead.

>>8971223
>>8971992
Salty much? What do you sell? Don't hate because they are just playing the market and knows what sells, it's dumb not to.

>>8971541

I know some of the feels you have but I really like keychains and other stuff like that. I like prints too, but I can only reasonably hang so many prints in my house. And when I've been going to AAs for 6 years and occasionally order prints I like online, I just find more use for those "trinket items."

For me personally though, when I buy something I buy it more for the way it looks not what characters are represented. So I like original pieces and I've even bought items from series that I dont follow or even series I'm not a huge fan of (LoL)

>>8972496
overly sensitive unoriginal bandwagonner spotted!
no one said it didn't sell, just that it's getting old fast. my eyes glaze over when I see this kinda shit. but that's just my opinion, no need to take it so personally anon!

>>8972763
>>8972496
simmer down, no one cares what you do/don't sell or about your integrity as an poor starving original artist or as a filthy capitalist etc etc


I have a few questions. Does anyone here sell washi tape? Is it worth it? are they slow movers/do you find they sell better online? I kind of want to invest in a few designs for purely selfish reasons but b/c MOQ are a thing i'd have some to sell as well.

Personally I really love small trinkets. Prints are nice but I only have so much room for them.

I get where those other anons are coming from but nobody will buy handmade versions of the stuff anymore, over here in the Netherlands we still have artists selling laminated bookmarks and keychains and trust me nobody buys them because everything about it looks cheap.

Then again our AA (or lack of it) in general isn't that high quality

>>8972772
Unless it's a universally like franchise washi tape moves like mollasses for me. (Even then it took over half a year or almost a full year to sell 100 of those) Doesn't stop me because i just love washi tape and owning my own designs though.

So... This is not "art" in the typical form, but i guess here is the only place I think I can ask it:

For the past tree years I've been developing My own videogame console from scratch. I did the electronic designs and the programming of the firmware all by myself. Also hand produced all the units ever existed, from etching the printed board to soldering the components and 3D printing the case.

I also wrote 4 videogames for it (a Tetris clone, a flappy bird clone and a couple original games).

Finally I wrote all the documentation and guides so anyone can easily code games for it (As far as I know, My friends did about 10 games already). I'm also in the process to write a samall piece of software to let people Who does not know how to code write games for it in a drag and drop faishon (I'm doing it all alone, I guess I'll have a working version in about 4 months).

I've been selling hand produced units to friends and family for about 25$ (25€) (All the materials and about 2$ for electricity and car expenses).

This console is My baby and I want to start selling it to people to enjoy, If I could, I'll be selling it at cost price, but each unit takes about 15 hours to hand produce, and I need to cover this time... Plus the 3 years of coding and development, plus traveling expenses. I also want to give units for free to hospitals and children who can't buy videogames so they learn computer science while having fun, and It would be nice if the ones that I sell can also cover part of the material used by thise units.

So... I was wondering. How much would you pay for something like this? I want it to be enjoyed for as many people as I can, so I want to sell it the cheapest. I'm doing it for the love of art and technology, so money is not my #1 priority, but I don't want to loose too much money.

Thank for your time.

>>8972979

I love washi tape too and I would 100% buy it no matter what if I saw it at a con around here.

>>8972988

Can we see a picture? I'm probably a totally biased customer for this since I'm a huge /vr/ fag and I collect this kind of thing. You might also want to ask on /vr/ if you haven't already.

I'd say I wouldn't be willing to spend more than a second hand old console, which for me is $50 - $80 CAD. But it would have to include everything to be able to play it except for additional games. So cables, 1 controller, the 1 game, etc.

Also if it looks cool and retro I think that would entice people as well. The original famicom is sick af to me. And if you could get an artist to do really cool retro labels for your game(s) I think that could also add appeal.

>>8972988
This is a really interesting concept. Do you have any pictures of what some of the games look like? It seems like it would be highly dependent on the quality and detail of the games, though the programming aspect makes it cool too.

when you order from vograce, what does your usual order look like? first timer and im thinking of getting 6-8 different designs, 10 of each

Has anybody tried using shutterfly for prints? They seem to use good paper and you can chose from glossy, matte, and pearl. Any reviews please?

>>8972772
>>8972763
>>8972496
Thanks anon. sensitive unoriginal bandwagonner anon here, Mermaids, mythical creatures and dogs have been in the AA forever and have taken turns in the spotlight. This quickly turns into a "well everyone's art is different" talk because not everyone will have your own personal taste, and is bound to have something popular. Going into an AA with just original work tends to backfire unless you are popular or a animation vis/dev artist. Most try to have a balance with some fanart but more original, and sometimes that includes mythical creatures ;).

>>8973070
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jokyq0MB8Jy6R065M0u1Q5Rq7aK9svgxZwVN-PrcikA/edit#

>>8972988
I'd really only be interested if the games were good, and those two clones you mentioned wouldn't hold my interest.

>>8973093

literally no information in this doc for what I'm asking about.

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I'd love to do AA but I am paranoid about people finding out who I am/what I look like.

I want to conceal my face so no one can recognize me, but I also want to be able to breathe and be comfortable the whole day

what can I get away with?

>>8973228
This is so weird. Why do you want to be unrecognizable? And I guess you could just wear a masked cosplay or even just wear a cute sickness mask.

>>8973233
Maybe anon has a job or lives in a state where anime is still considered "porn" or "immature", and doesn't want a friend/coworker to find pictures of them? It's gotten to the point where you don't even have to be doing anything offensive, if you have a picture taken of you where there are people walking around with skimpy clothes you can get fired.

>>8973228
you can wear these surgeon face masks, there's even pink ones or hello kitty ones you could buy
also you can wear a wig

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>>8973245
>>8973246
Agreed, face mask + wig is probably going to be the most comfortable all day option. A cosplay with a full mask while appropriate for the venue, is just going to make it too difficult to work your table.

>>8971223
>sexy/yaoi-esque sans

I thought selling Undertale fanart was a no no?

>>8973345
Not that anon, but toby has said selling at conventions is okay now as long as it's not shirts. No online sales.

>>8965491
>tfw when no hot local AA sempai to look up to ;__;

>>8973119
diff anon but what are you asking for then? there's literally a tutorial on how to order from Vograce in OP

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>>8973070
>>8973119
>being this helpless
don't do it anon don't use vograce leave them to plebs like us stay away don't use this resource go

>>8973540
I think anon is asking for how many pieces of XYZ type do people order from Vograce, but it's too generic a question. People order according to their needs, which varies from artist to artist obviously.

>>8959700
>When did you guy start doing AA?
My first table was in 2003 or 2004, I forget exactly. I did (bad) commissions and prints off and on until 2008. Took up artist alley again in 2012 doing jewelry and cute shit.
>At what point did you decide that you are ready/good enough etc?
I honestly just started at small shows just to make a little extra money to pay for con expenses at first. When I started again about 4 years ago, I did it for fun and for shits and giggles. Now I feel like if I had the time to really dedicate to it, I could make it my full-time job. But my real full time job makes it difficult to do a lot of cons, but it helps pay for hobbies as well as finishing up my student loan debt.

>>8973089
I've used them once because they have a lot of free codes for when you sign up. Be prepared to have KODAK watermarks all over the back of your prints. I just prefer Walgreens desu because it's cheap and they all print on plain back photo paper now.

>>8973070
>>8973119
I generally get anywhere between 400~600 pcs. This question is kind of stupid, anon. Different artists will order different amounts. One of my friends' first Vograce order was 700+ pcs. Another one only ordered like 80. It's different for everyone and depends on how many cons you're planning on doing, how well your art sells in general, etc. Don't expect /cgl/ to hold your hand through everything and learn from your own experiences.

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>>8973070
>>8973687
I'm placing my first Vograce order right now- doing 16 designs, with 10-20 pieces each.

I mean, there's a lot of variables. I picked my amounts based on how much I can afford right now, how big my cons are, fandom size, etc.
It's not that much different than figuring out numbers for print inventory?

These threads are a GREAT resource, but yeah, you gotta learn through doing too?

>>8973687

Sorry to get on everyones nerves, I wasn't asking for hand holding. I said what I was planning on getting, and was generally curious what other peoples numbers look like.

I checked the OP and did a bit of googling and couldn't find anything, so my apologies if this is a stupid ass question.
I'm tabling at my first con in a few months, something like 2500 attendees, and I was wondering how much stock I should bring? I do prints, buttons, and phone charms. I'm just really worried about having too much of too little of something.

>>8974115
These questions always pop up and it really just comes down to common sense.

It's your first con, but you say you do prints, buttons and phone charms. I take it that you sell online and already have an online presence? Gauge how well your products do online and go from there. If you make good sales online for an item, bring at least 15-20 pieces for that item. If you plan on doing more cons after your first one or plan on putting your leftover stock in your online store, don't be afraid of having too much of something then. For prints and buttons, assuming you can easily get or make emergency copies if they run out during con, 10 is a good starting point.

But yeah, for 2500 attendees, don't worry about bringing more than 20 pieces of something for now. If you actually do end up being sold out of a lot of things, that's a good sign. Don't get ahead of yourself and try to have a huge inventory.

>>8974115
2500 attendees is kind of small... I'd say bring about 6 per poster (not counting your display copy) and then maybe 10~12 of ones you think will be popular.

You can always reprint at a local print shop during the weekend if you run out. I honestly, wouldn't bring 20 prints to a small con like that unless you're planning on doing other cons in the future and want to have a standing rollover stock.

>>8974140
I misspoke, I guess I should have said I plan to do those. But you're right, I should just rely on common sense, I'm just a bit nervous I guess. Thanks for helping me out!
I'll keep it to a smaller number, 10 or less.
>>8974149
Yeah I should look into local shops for that, I live in a shit-small state though so I doubt I'll run out. Thanks!

>>8973045
>>8973049
>>8973109

It's a handheld console. I'm going to Get some professional Photoshots done in a couple days and I'll post something. Imagine it's like a Game Boy but a little smaller and with a joystick instead of arrows.

I guess you are thinking more about consuming the games than what was originally My intention: making a fun tool to help people learn how to do their own games.

Soo... Maybe I need to reconsider this and a comic convention is not the right place to try to sell it. I mean... Those places are all about consuming media...

Also, I see that you say that it's looks are very important. I'll think about what can I do... I'm not a designer, and I'm a little worried about letting someone change my baby... Also, hiring a designer would be against the philosophy of the project: Keep the price the lowest avoiding non essential extras so anyone can afford it.

But if you think it is that important, I need to reconsider this.

Maybe at the end the best way is to free all the designs and software so anyone can build their own. I was planning to do this after a couple months to raise money for the free ones, but maybe a "Donate" button also works.

Thank you for your time and responses!

Whats everyones opinion of dA these days? I quit years ago but I'm reconsidering diving in the cesspool again and becoming involved more with the art community.

>>8974317
I second this question, I've been wanting to post my stuff on the internet for a while. I'd fucking shoot myself if I posted it on tumblr though, I'm sick to the bone of shitty hipsters who almost always turn out to be assholes. Sometimes I just want shitty deviantart-tier friends. itd be nice to know people who have their priorities sorted out for once ;_;

>>8974346
>>8974317
honestly for all the wankery about tumblr-types it's really literally no different than any other social media platform. there are as many idiots as twitter/fb/dA etc; its just a different kind.

I don't use dA. the community has gone super downhill and I hate the 'points' system.

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>>8970790
just for reference cause they just released the full artist agreement

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Is AANI just some crafts sharing group for people who make ugly shit now?

>>8974676
I honestly thought these were kawaii boxers.

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>>8974676
Also this is one of the comments under the post kek.

>>8974676
>>8974677
wait, you mean they AREN'T boxers?

>>8974288
NP anon, maybe /biz/ could also give you some advice

>>8974735
they're skirts according to the fb post...

>>8974317
The community hasn't improved any, but it's easy enough to use and if dumping my stuff everywhere and anywhere gets people to look at it I figure it can't hurt to use it.

AWA sends out artist alley acceptance e-mails in around 2 weeks. I'm so excited, I hope I get accepted. I've never been to a con of that size before as an artist. Largest con I've been to as an artist had around 5,000 people.

>>8974676
So not to be a asshole, but I've been researching artists and people in AA for NM, AZ and southern TX, and it seems the quality for AA isn't on par with the rest of the US? I'm not shocked this person will be going to AZ desu. From what my friends in those areas tell me is that the convention scene is so thirsty for any type of pop culture events that they think shit quality items are like the best thing. Almost like it's stuck in the AA standards back in early 2000. Not saying every artists is like that, but it seems to have plenty more than some cali and northern state cons.

Are you allowed to offer digital commissions at cons? Like, you will email the art to the customer after the con etc. instead of doing it on paper at the con?

>>8974913
Not to call you wrong, anon, but I'm 99% sure that the OP wrote AZ for "Animazement", not Arizona.

>>8974937
I'm fairly certain that isn't allowed.

>>8974937
I'm fairly certain the con would not notice.

>>8974937
>>8974982
>>8975020
Some conventions have a rule against paying for goods/services that will not be delivered by the end of the convention. Some don't. Whether or not those rules are actually policed is another matter entirely, of course.

>>8975025
speaking from my experience, I paid a commission from 2009 (11x17 multiple characters B/W)...and so yeah, I just saw the pencil sketch last year, this guy is hella busy and I'm not in a rush since he goes all-over. Of course my fault for not contacting him a few weeks prior during each con, I assumed he'd have it done if I stop over, but his rules were contact him before the con a few week back so he gets it on his plate.

but yes, some people paid his commission rate thinking it would be done by day 3...lol

>>8974893
Good luck anon. I put in my application today. I was accepted last year and did relatively well (I'm local so that helped). I did hear that sales were pretty mixed and it was downright abysmal for print artists.

>>8974893
I've done that show as my first convention ever, it was a good one for me!

>>8974893
Good luck! I'm in the same boat, waiting to hear back, too. Last year was my first AWA and I.. actually had a pretty miserable time, but it was nothing directly related to the con (hotel issues, travel issues, stock issues... basically a perfect storm of several unrelated things going wrong). AWA itself was pretty good though and I'm looking forward to this year's show.

>>8974893
Good luck anon! I applied too, I've never been accepted because I've always had "too much fanart" even though it was always 50/50 in my portfolio. I hope this is the year for both of us!

>>8975118
I was at that show last year too, primarily prints and I did pretty well and made profit. There where a few around me that only made 100 the whole weekend though.

>>8974663
I get why they're asking but I just wanted to make a quick drawing not sign 5 forms for a bunch of cons.

I've been wanting to print a small number of acrylic charms for a personal project and am really drawn to Acorn's low minimum order. But I've also heard a lot of people say that they've heard bad things about them/read bad reviews. After a lot of googling and tumblr searching I can't seem to find reviews that aren't at least somewhat positive if not glowing. Does anyone have any actual bad/mixed reviews for them? Personal opinions? Thanks!

Is it ok to have an emptyish table? I'll be tabling alone at acen and I didn't realize how big 8' x 2' was... Even 6' tables usually is very spacious for me so 8' is really a mindblowing size for me. Should I try filling it up with some decoration?

>>8975635
Isn't that a big con though? Only 100? That's very discouraging.

>>8975954
Or take on a partner for the weekend. Should be easy to find someone to share for ACen. I'd be more than willing to split the costs.

>>8975932
I have not yet placed an order, but I plan to in the near future. My understanding was when acorn press first opened, most of the charm orders came out very badly. But since then fera (who comes to the aa thread fairly often) has upgraded machines & materials and it seems that no one has had a major problem since. I got a charm sample in the mail and I'm honestly impressed, which is why I plan to use them.

>>8975954
>>8976128
How does table sharing work? I'm always interested but I can never find anybody at the last minute.

Helpful review of chinese couriers for those ordering products overseas: http://www.chinaimportexport.org/introduction-and-comparison-of-major-chinese-express-companies/

I'd say you should probably take the advice of the agent you're working with, but at least when they tell you your shipping options, you'll know what they're talking about.

In my experience, my charm orders (vograce) typically run through SF Express, and dakimakura orders go through Shentong Express. They become FedEx orders once crossing the border into the US. Occasionally DHL is offered - they can be kind of risky. I've had several DHL orders from china show as originating from a free trade zone in dubai. This is great because I've yet to be hit with customs fees from those orders. I'm assuming one of these Chinese courier services flies everything into Dubai wholesale, then splits up and packages everything there. Otherwise, DHL straight from China gets slapped with a fee somewhere in the 12% range for orders I've done valued between 300-500 usd. DHL in my area will try redelivery up to 3 times a day, which is great because I'm constantly running errands in the mornings. Never been hit with customs for anything that comes over via FedEx.

Wow, I started with a link and this turned into a giant wall of text.

tl;dr Lots of different shipping companies in China, the link gives you a rundown.

>>8976390
Shit, do you always get hit with fees for DHL? I have an order worth about $110 originating from Hong Kong. I'm rarely home in the mornings. How do you know if you'll be hit with fees in advance?

>>8976359
It really depends on who you share with. Some people like to keep their things half one side half the other which is probably optimal but I have mixed things up for balance sake with people. Just make sure you guys know each others prices and deals.

>>8976401
I really have no sure fire way to tell until I check the tracking for it and see that it has originated in Dubai. I ordered a Dollfie from mandarake and had it shipped DHL (cost about $350) and never received any fees, so apparently the customs fees are only for merch for resale. I don't know if $110 is enough money to warrant customs fees, though. I guess you'll find out in a couple months. (Unlike how I hear things are done in other countries, in the US you'll get a regular envelope in the mail with a bill about 6 weeks later.)

>>8976417
It's a package with charms from vograce. I was surprised when they offered DHL but didn't think anything of it and said ok. Now I'm worried that I will have to pay customs since it IS merchandise for sale, not personal item. Omg i hope i don't get a bill from DHL...

>>8976406
Sorry for the question. Do you simple notify the con that you will be sharing with someone at the day of the con? I've heard about this one con that had a very strict rule about sharing. Accepted artists were not allowed to share with a person who applied but got denied, or something like that.

>>8976525
It depends on the con. Email the person who is running the aa for that specific con. I think its usually an issue if you sign up as a singular person rather than "studio". When I sign up for cons I use a "studio" name just in case.

Has anyone applied to Otakuthon before? I've been placed on the waiting list and wanted to know if I have a good, or not so good, chance at getting in at this rate.

>>8976525
When you sent in your application to become an artist, you listed what you will be selling. That is all you can sell. If you want to sell more stuff, especially if you want to dedicate half your table to other stuff, you need to include it in your submission, or if you already submitted the application, e-mail the con as soon as you can. They can deny your friend.

>>8976576
I don't know about that con specifically, but I have gotten accepted to cons before that had put me on their wait list, so being on a wait list isn't all hope lost.

>>8976539
>>8976582
I signed up as a studio so I could add a helper friend. I didn't indicate in my submission that I would be interested in sharing my table. OK I'll try emailing the person in charge! Thanks for your input.

>>8975932
i have ordered from them, and would do so again. the quality is great for the price + design flexibility. Fera can be a little slow at replying to emails, but that is my only complaint.

>>8976359
It really does depend on the convention. ACen, for example, does not allow the purchase of half tables anymore (logistics nightmare) but it should be okay to share a table as long as you have the other artist listed under your studio, and artist2 doesn't openly advertise since it's your name on the table and app.

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So, something new happened this year:

>ToraCon
>2016
>Largest attendance yet, been rising every year, ect, ect.
>Go to AA.
>Smaller then last year by about half.
>what
>For the most part craft sellers are gone, leaving it half official merch sellers, and the other half 2d artists.
>Did something happen?
>Did all the artists go somewhere else?
>Is it in a different building?
>Talk to Staff friend later.
>Turns out last year there were so many artists in AA, that individual sellers didn't make as much of a profit as hoped.
>Talked to Con organizers as a group and said, "either get more attendees, or limit the number of AA tables."
>Lowered the number of tables as you can't just "get more attendees."
>mfw

While I'm not happy there's less choice then last year, I understand why. That being said, while there's still a big ammount of top quality sellers, there's still a bunch of people selling shitty felt pikachus and flowers held together with hot glue and pins and buttons that say, "I <3 yaoi," while some craftsmen and women from last year selling cool stuff like chainmail, wire elf ears, and stuff like that aren't there.

Perhaps it has to do with the clients, kids interested in anime were all over the brightly colored felt flowers and cupcakes while I thought the elf ears and chainmail were cool, but I cosplay Fallout, and it is an anime convention after all.

Still a shitton of furry tails. Don't think that will ever change.

hi was wondering if anyone ever had issues using squareup for credit card payments? I've been strictly cash, but have been using my card to buy from other peoples tables often...I just realize I became a tad paranoid reading all these complaints against them, wonder how much it is true, though what most of them have in common are single purchases over 1-2k.

>>8974913
Are you from Arizona anon? I applied to Sabotencon aa but I've never done an az con before and I'm curious to what aa is like over there and if it's a good con.
Anything you happen to know about it would be useful information.

>>8976417
Wait, is that a thing in the US? I remember I once got a bill from dhl, had no idea why, and never paid. Nothing happened after that, they didn't keep sending me a bill or call or anything. I wonder if they'll ask for money if I ever use them again... it's been 3 years.

>>8976661
I am not from Arizona, but I do know some of the scene. Saboten/Sabaku is run by Greg who is a nice guy. He is trying to extend into NM and Colorado, the AZ ones do well, same with NM. He tries to bring better guests to saboten if that says anything about which one he likes more (AZ is his home state if I recall). No jury, so pretty much anyone with the money for a booth can get in. Sadly I feel the booths are overpriced compared to other conventions with more attendance. Saboten is about 40 bucks more for a standard AA booth compared to Sabaku, but saboten has more options(with cost) on the booth types. But both booths are about 40-80 dollars more than lets say Animefest for a 90$ booth with attendance of 10-15k. Also I've heard from past cons is to not leave merch/money around both cons because they have had security problems and a few people have gotten things stolen.

>>8976708
*If saboten has a jury, I've never had to deal with it in the past for jury with them. I will also say this. Don't upset Greg. He's banned an past artist/shitty guest for airing out laundry in public.

>>8976262
Thanks for clarifying! I figured that was probably what the case was since everything recent that I'd been seeing looked like it was pretty good quality.
It's my understanding that they don't have gloss yet, but are planning on adding it soonish so I'm just gonna hold out until then! I can't decide if I want to yolo print ten as a trial or try to come up with a couple designs for a larger order.

>>8976611
Thanks! I was actually talking to them a little while back on twitter and they were really helpful there, so that may be an option?

>>8976659
I've never had an issue with a chargeback, but you should decide on an amount you're uncomfortable losing. For me, and this hasn't happened yet, if someone wants to buy items at a con totaling over $200 I'd make them go to an atm and get cash.

If you decide to do offline mode, you run the risk of accepting a card that won't get approved when you reconnect to the internet. I did that at megacon last year and lost about $16 because a couple of transactions got declined. I'm not even sure you can do offline mode anymore - it doesn't work with the chip card reader.

There's always risk involved in these things, and eating the cost of a few dishonest people will always be the cost of doing business. I still see square as a huge net positive. You should just decide for yourself what amount of money is an acceptable risk.

>>8971301
your best bet is the all the nohr royals and takumi.

>>8976708
What con is he trying to start in Colorado? That's my home state, and I'm always interested in new stuff there.

>>8976708
How likely is the AA waitlist to move before the convention? (For Sabaku) I got on it but I haven't heard literally anything since then, and the con is in about two weeks. Will they even bother to contact or is it more a "you gotta show up to see what's available"?

>>8976708
Thank you so much for the info! I just want to visit az with my boyfriend and I'm just hoping to make enough to cover costs but it sounds great I hope people are nice and it's just something to do over Labor Day weekend.

>>8974679
Comments like this are the reason the posting artist sits at the table grumpy as hell over no sales and then gets online and blames the con.

>>8976659
I've never heard of anyone having problems with it. I use etsy card reader and have had no problems (well.. besides that one time when their payment system was down for the entire day during a con...)

>>8976722
>If you decide to do offline mode, you run the risk of accepting a card that won't get approved when you reconnect to the internet.
Now *that* is a bad idea. Every con I go to, there are several people who try to pay with a card that gets declined.

>>8976766
If I recall, he has a hand with Colorado AnimeFest, which isn't the same as Animefest in Dallas. I don't think he's in control of it tho. I heard the AA in some threads back was a nightmare.

>>8976773
I'm not sure about the sabaku waitlist moving before the con. Sorry anon. I've never been on it. I can ask around some friend groups tho. But more than likely it'll be show up and hopefully someone is late to checkin/last min cancel. If you make it, I'll hopefully see you as well in the AA.

>>8976799
No prob! Hope it helps. Planning trips with cons is a good idea! I'm actually doing that now for sabaku. Also, I checked the saboten AA booths, they are sold out for AA this year, but they have exhibitor booths left. At least that's what it said when I signed in. You might want to double check just in case.

>>8977159
I just bought a dealers room booth, $500 but As long as I can keep my total costs under $1000 I think I'm fine.

>>8976722
>I've never had an issue with a chargeback
ok, thats the part that came up alot - the sudden chargeback - I was debating using my personal checking for now since Im casual or just seperate it entirely in a business check (but like I said, I'm still casual seller just a con or 2 a year)

>>8976722
>If you decide to do offline mode
Just read about that offline mode, sounds like a no-no situation, either hold back till can connect or try again later.

>>8976722
>You should just decide for yourself what amount of money is an acceptable risk.
I see, ok makes some sense - Im just so curious on some of these stories about square practically draining peoples bank accounts (but Im tending to think those people may have done offline huge amounts - one side of the story posts, they dont say what may have caused it.)

>>8977110
>I've never heard of anyone having problems with it.
Ok, yeah that was what I was thinking after several months, I've notice the people I bought from still using square - just after my initial signup I decided to read *some* reviews which basically brought up every nightmare situation.

>>8977159
I tabled at Colorado Animefest actually. The AA was super pleasant and well done to be honest, I liked it a lot. I liked it more than NDK's to be honest, even with a few minor delays (that they promptly explained which i appreciate). What drama have you been hearing?

>>8977175
Goodluck!

>>8977224
It was just poor communication on it's part between AA staff and Artists. The anon went away not long after tho. Poor communication is a nightmare for me, but that's because I get anxious over stupid shit. It's wonderful you had a good con tho! And pretty much anything is better than NDK's AA if I remember. It's always been squished and in poor places when I used to attended. The worst was next to the bar/cafe area, but it had good traffic because panels where near by if I recall? Have you been to Starfest? It has pretty good attendance, and some decent foot traffic in some of it's hotels. I would love to hear any experiences you've had with your local cons. I have friends in CO, but they aren't into AA like I am. I usually go to visit them/vacation.

>>8977248
Thank you so much!

>>8977200
I've never heard of any problems with it from artist alley users. I've lost maybe.. $80 total in the last 2 years from the offline mode hiding a declined card, but at those same time losing $30 at one con while making $2000+ in credit card sales alone.. you do the math, right? in any case offline should only be in situations where you have absolutely shit connection, like awesome con or otakon and t-mobile. I've just bought a verizon hotspot for those cons for my own convenience as well as avoiding declines.

I've lost absolutely no money from charge backs or other issues.

Anyone have the pictures of the dragon fruit plushes from some threads back?

>>8977248
I don't blame you, I'm generally pretty high strung about punctuality/communication in AAs (I say as I still haven't been able to pay for my Fanime table ugh).

NDK last year was in a new hotel and I got in, it was pretty great since I was facing outwards near main events and registration. Much more roomy and more available tables. I got wait listed this year though, and I always wonder if I've been secretly blacklisted. The area head for NDK's AA is known for being a vindictive bitch w/ shit products of her own.

I've not done Starfest, the signups for that seemed super convoluted and I can't tell if comicfest is what I'm meant to apply to or what. That and the signups happened out of nowhere from what I can tell, so I'm at a loss for that one.

I'm doing DCC this year as well, so I can always post about that whenever that rolls around. I think DCC is one of the top 5? Top 10? biggest attendances in the country so I'm interested to know how it goes down for me.

>>8977317
I've been trying to get into DCC for a couple of years now but it seems kind of difficult. When did you submit your app?

>>8977159
Thanks I appreciate it! I may email them as I live 6 hours away and I wasn't planning on going if I didn't have a table. But hopefully something will be available!

>>8977317
No one i know (other than friends of staff or artists for the con) that went last year got in this year. Statistically unlikely but.. "lottery" right? :)

I'd recommend calling them, as they basically never seem to even check emails, and don't let them say they'll "call you back" or anything like that, because they never will. The people who run it are nice, but seriously don't seem to give a shit about responding to people.

>>8977327
I didn't, I kind of cheated. Friend of mine has been tabling since year one and they allowed her to get two tables this year, and I bought the second one off of her. I got off the wait list last minute last year, but Fanime was the same weekend and I'd already paid, so I couldn't do it.

>>8977409
Yeeeeep. :) I have one friend who got in but she didn't apply last year, and it's BS they don't have a table share policy either. So frustrating.

>>8976582
Thank you for your input. I was asking since I know a few seagulls have applied to Otakuthon in the past years. I'm pretty far down (more than 50 people in front of me). I'm not sure if I should start prepping since I don't have a table secured.

I'm local though so I guess I have a better chance at nabbing a table at the last minute, but I don't want to stock up and then have nowhere to sell it since I'm not tabling at any con after that.

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>>8977311
the dragonfruit drellies? I love them. I'm neutral on the other 'drellies' (not big on plush in general) but for some reason couldn't resist preordering one of these.

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man, the rest of the designs are really cute, but the neko atsumes just being traces of the ingame sprites is really offputting

>>8977549
The Pokemon one looks familiar, almost as if it was copied off another artist.
Same for the undertale one, I'm kind of put off I thought Toby only allows prints to be sold and this is clearly not a print.

>>8976650
Sorry anon, I think you might have overlooked the crafters? The elf ears cuffs were definitely there. There were at least two chainmail sellers returning from last year (One obviously belonging to the RIT club). All of these were on the far opposite end of the vendors.

>>8977947
I don't recall him saying only prints? Just nothing made on a HUGE ass scale and anything like shirts or shit sold on RedBubble and S6? Sorry if I'm mistaken anon.

Side note, not a huge fan of this artist. Lines look sloppy and like that sans looks like shit? Also seen the isabelle notepads SUPER similar with some google searches?

>>8977947

Nah it wasn't only prints

http://undertale.tumblr.com/post/139726155020/changing-policy-on-fan-merch

That said I do not care for that Sans sheet at all, or any of them actually. They're all fairly poorly done

>>8977541
>>8977541
Yes, thank you.

I feel like this design looks the best out of them all the other plush look really meh compared to this one.

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Sorry if this is a werid question. I used to male a couple posts on the AAI group but it staryed giving me migraines.

Anyway, I'm doing a table with a bad at AX this year, and I love doing canvas paintings, but I'm not sure if it's reasonable to take a ton of 8x10 canvas with me again (there were more of these under the table waiting for more space to clear; In fact, I was painting that Shinji in the back on-site).

If you were going to buy one, would you mind buying a canvas board? Those are lighter, easier to pack and display, but I myself personally love a nice canvas frame.

>>8978158
Holy shit, anon. How much do you sell these for? I really love some of these!

Also, you could always charge more for the canvas frames since they look "nicer". I think your average con goer won't mind boards though!

>>8978165

Unpopular practice incoming, but I sold them at $20 apiece. I impulse bought all of those canvases and was having a space issue. I killed off the canvas in a 2-3 week period and sold them all to get a Vita. Best purchase I ever made. I planned on going a bit higher if I did canvas frames, but it's really all down to the space issue. I don't live in CA and I'm only using half a table at Expo. I also have a 18x24 canvas I want to display behind these smaller canvas at my table, since that fucker is a canvas I've had for like 2 years and I need to do something with it. I almost did a Rose Quartz painting emulating the one in the show, but I use hot pink as my base color for all of my paintings and ran out before then.

It's just impossible to really do a lot of them to break even for the trip when I have only half a table space, so I think it's a matter of downsizing to make something easy to nicely display as much as I can on the con floor.

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>>8978158

Also thinking about doing original art. I like doing monster girls/fashion, but I am starting to worry about that feeling too tumblr-saturated.

I just want to make sure I have only 1-3 easy flat-rate products on the table that aren't monstrous to display.

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>>8978180
Other side of the table (these I did in Jan to try and kill off my Unlimited Marker Works. That wasn't very effective... still buried in markers, but I sold out before the weekend was through though.)

>>8978173
$20 a piece????? Oh my god, I definitely think you should raise your prices. (And also let me know where your table location is when the seating goes out because that's affordable as hell and you have an amazing style.)

>>8978158
make copies of these to sell as prints so you can make money beyond the original, these look amazing and itd be a shame to only do the single sale of it

>>8978183
Also, you should get way more stands to set them up. a wire cube stand might help you display more. set them upright

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>>8978199

My table buddy for the shots below came with wire cubes later. I honestly hated it a lot for my cards, but it seemed to work well for her stuff.

I never really do well with prints and it winds up being more stuff to hand onto later. I'm happy with just the photos, and constantly doing new stuff helps keep me on my toes, art-wise. I am considering doing some acrylic keychains. The pink and yellow frosted ones over on Zap! look really cool and I would love to try some fashionable girl/guy stuff with them.

One thing I do like doing is pvc pipe and a large mat board. I put tacks in them as well. It works for little displays like this so I'm considering it, but again, it becomes a space issue, especially if I do something with that 18x24.

Sorry for the bad picture, it's a test shot from a couple years ago.

>>8978206

I was thinking of doing a primary display up top and (if I go with the boards, especially), I could have cute little baskets underneath it so people couple flip through other examples. I suppose this would also work for 8x10 framed ones, but they would all have to be vertically oriented I think for that to be visually effective.

>>8976708
I have to say, this is the first time on /cgl/ I have ever heard anyone say anything positive about Greg.

>>8976661
Saboten is the largest anime convention in the state, but a lot of seagulls swear off Greg cons. Drop into any AZ thread, even if it's not about one of his cons, and it'll just be complaining about him.

Most of your audience will be younger, and their trends are a little bit behind- things that are super big right now and do well elsewhere (like CA) never really seemed to move for me there until a couple years after.

It's definitely the most profitable AZ anime con, though. Heart of downtown Phoenix, in a nice hotel. Decent booth:attendee ratio and not a lot of super skilled competition.

>>8977549
why are they all...completely different art styles...

>>8978272

It looks like the lineart/coloring is fairly consistent. When people are only used to drawing kawaii uguu girls, characters like Sans and dogs and even lazy shit like Neko Atsume come out as really derivative. Insecure to really interpret stuff on their own and then it just looks like copycat work.

The graphic design is too contrasting on all of these and the text boxes are too small, but that's the end of my gripe.

Has anybody else seen that 'yaoi webcomic' kickstarter on AANI....? I was honestly a little speechless. it was like being transported back into 2006.

>>8978363
Jesus, link?