| |
Part A- Getting the table:
1. How many months in advance do conventions usually release tables, in your experience?
Anywhere from six months to a year. The con I mainly go to will take reservations as early as the con the year before.
2. How much does a table usually cost?
30-70 in my experience. For other sorts of cons its more.
3. How quickly are the tables reserved?
Quite quickly, if you are going to go to the con don't dawdle and wait before reserving
4. What complications should one be prepared for?
situations not being exactly what you expect (electricity not being there, roomates being late, rooms sucks, elevators break, hotel surly etc. etc.)
Hotels will rarely let you KEEP the table cloths for the whole weekend
5. Anything else?
Be prepared to answer some strange art requests, and don't ask questions. And beware the FANBOY FUNK
LABEL EVERYTHING YOU OWN. your table cloth, your luggage, your box o' art supplies, your print box, your cash box, display etc.
Oh yeah, have someplace safe to store the money, also have plenty of change, ATMs issue 20s and I tend to sell lots of stuff for a buck, it takes ALOT of bills to make the needed change
Optional: What skill level would you suggest entering the AA at? If possible, please provide examples.
Not sure about how to answer this one. But basically if you aren't at a level you aren't comfortable with your work don't try to sell. There's lots of artists that are rather popular that can't draw their way out of a paper bag because they are secure in their skill level. If you can look someone in theeye and assure that yes your work is indeed worth the listed price, you're ready.
Part B- Preparing to sell:
1. What sort of merchandise would you advise selling?
Anything cheap and small you feel you can handle. Prints, buttons, badges, keychains, bookmarks etc.
2. What sort of merchandise would you advise against selling?
Anything too pricey or too large
3. What sort of stuff sells best?
Small cheap items sell well (ex. made about a hundred buttons, sold them for a buck a piece and was practically out by Saturday night)
4. Where would you suggest going to get things printed?
A kinkos or some pleace similar though do go hunting around for one that has an employee that knows their stuff. You can do test prints and if you don't like it don't pay for it or get anymore printed.
Personally I prefer to handle printing the smaller stuff on my own printer, gives me control of quality without the middle man.
5. If printing at home, what preparations should one make?
Basic rules for all printing, have the fils in the correct res (300 dpi standard) and format (CYMK) before printing to save yourself the headache. Otherwise, make sure you have fresh ink, you've cleaned the printer heads and other such tasks. Also be prepared to waste alot of time and paper trying to get stuff looking just right.
6. How far in advance should one have one's merchandise finished?
I prefer to get things done at least a week in advance, this leaves me time to worry about if I want to do one last piece before I go. But seriously, have everything ready before your transportation leaves.
7. Anything else?
Be prepared to be dissapointed.
Part C- At the Con:
1. How early should one arrive to be sure of reserving a good table?
The morning of the con itself. Some arrive earlier but I find that most attendees and artists don't show up and get their crap together until the afternoon
2. When setting up one's table, what sort of layout would you suggest?
I tend to keep mine symetrical, a pile of business cards on either end of the table and the a vairety of smaller peices on either side with the print book in the middle. This allows people to browse through the stuff on the sides while you negotiate and try to talk a deal with whomever is flipping through the book.
3. There are some pretty bratty congoers out there. How would you suggest dealing with assholes?
Smile and nod, just smile and nod. Don't make a scene, and don't bad mouth ANY customer or con goer while there are others around (ex. don't make jokes about their weight or BO, or 'getting out of the basement' jokes even if the subject is gone.) You might offend someone else and lose that potential customer
4. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. What issues should one be prepared for when running a table at the Artists alley?
Prepare for dissapointment, prepare for disaster (drinks spilling, displays collapsing, someone else's display colapsing) Always bring tape (scotch,masking AND duct) and scissors, if you don't need them someone is will
5. Anything else?
Good luck and be flexible. If no one wants to buy your prints (stickers, buttons, etc), offer to take commisions, portraits, take orders for later etc. Hell, I've had people buy art supplies off me cause they were in a pinch.
|
 |
