Artists Alley Information Thread

Selling at Cons is best during the...

Spring	11.6%	[ 83 ]
Summer	30.3%	[ 217 ]
Fall	7.0%	[ 50 ]
Winter	5.3%	[ 38 ]
Any time!	45.7%	[ 327 ]
Total Votes:			[ 715 ]

[Seijaku_Ishida]

I just got a thermal laminator and was thinking of making badges. :3 I dunno how much to sell them for, though.

So far I have one with a hyper faerie that says 'Sugar Fiend' on it.

[Vicemage]

I usually see premade ones going for $3-5... $5 I know for a fact is what Bob DeJesus sells his premade ones for (of which I own all of one... ^^ ) I don't think I've ever seen a laminated one go for under $3.

It won't pay off the machine fast, but quantity will take care of that.

How much was it, and what kind, out of curiosity?

[Seijaku_Ishida]

It was $25 at Wal-mart, and is Scotch brand. They sell the pouches there too. So not a huge investment. XD

[Vicemage]

Add a review of it to the Guild thread after you've tried it out? I'd definately be curious how well it works... biggrin

[Seijaku_Ishida]

Haven't tried it yet, but I will once I do!

[Vicemage]

Oh, no rush... I'm over here busting my balls to finish my book by the end of the month, I wouldn't have time to try one out myself for a while. biggrin But I'm intrigued nonetheless.

[Konbanwa_megami]

I agree on $5 for the badges, I'm jealous I'd like to have a laminator too XP

[AEAcomics]

Oh, thanks for the link. I was gonna ask how much change I should have!

I'm thinking I'll try backing my bookmarks with construction paper, and then laminating them. It's gonna be a whole weekend job getting all of those done... sweatdrop

[AEAcomics]

Glue-sticking construction paper onto the back of the bookmarks is working nicely, though some of the designs don't look good with certain colors...
My sister thought I should glue little paper shapes onto the back as well. Or stickers-! And I was just at the store rofl

At Walmart I found packages of badge pieces for $1.88, so I got a pack of straps and a pack of vertical holders. I just need to cut some paper and I can make custom badges. ^_^

And I have got my minicomic all set to be printed too.

[Seijaku_Ishida]

Konbanwa_megami

I agree on $5 for the badges, I'm jealous I'd like to have a laminator too XP

XD Just see if your local walmart has one. It was in the stationary/office section.

[AEAcomics]

I wrote a review of the laminator in the guild. I like it, it does a really good job for its cost.

And I made my minicomics, after I figured out how to orient the pages on the copymachine it went really fast.

[Fiammetta Rey]

So... Otakon was fun. I got moved, but it would have been fun even if I hadn't, I think. I think I broke even. There were three of us at the table, so it wasn't particularly hard, though I know one of them isn't going to pay me back a cent for her share of the table (the other might).

One thing I noticed was that my 2.5x3.5" ATCs didn't sell at all. The top-selling item was the set of lineart prints my friend was selling for $1 each (or all 5 for $4). Almost everyone who bought anything bought those. I think I'm going to learn to draw big and get some 11x17 prints made for next time, since those sold pretty well at other people's tables, I think. We didn't have any of those. My jewelry sold okay... I had to keep lowering the prices. Also, I didn't sell any bracelets, but I'm kind of happy about that, because when I put one on after the con, it broke in less than an hour. It would suck if someone came asking for a refund because their bracelet broke.

I have one question... but I kind of need to ask it privately because if the person involved sees it, they'll deny everything and get mad at me, and I don't want to fight with this person, but the truth is, they caused a problem I need to solve, and I'm not entirely sure how to solve it. So... could someone who thinks they may be able to help PM me?

[Konbanwa_megami]

I'd love to see some pictures of the jewelry you made. Did you make it out of clay or something?
Btw what kind of a question is it? Now I'm curious about the problem ^ ^;;; I'm nosey lol

[[Kako]]

Long-time, no thread-visit. >_< I've missed a lot! D: I'm just going to respond to posts from the last three pages... sorry if I wind up repeating what has already been said! D:

MatsuJunkie - Glad the thread is a help! biggrin The good quality button makers are usually pretty expensive. There are a few sites, such as cafepress, that will print custom buttons for you... but they're kind of pricy as well. The best option is to talk to other artists who will be at the convention, and see if any of them already own a machine that they're willing to lend.

InstantOatmeal

Yet another question... would doing Team Fortress 2 fanart just be too gosh darn risky? XD

I honestly don't know how valve reacts to fanart, but I really can't imagine them being in the "Cease and Desist or we'll sue you" camp. I say go for it, and if they don't want you selling it they'll probably ask you to stop. As a buyer, I'd be bloody ecstatic to find some TF2 fanart. biggrin

realfaunie

eep! just what i need!

i have a question for con-goers though. i'm selling original plushies and am nervous about the reaction to them as well as setting prices. suggestions? they're mostly 12-13 inches

here's my flickr stream.

They're not the sort of thing I'd buy, but I think that starting in the $20 range would be appropriate. If you're not getting enough sales, just drop it down to $15 after a day or two.

DarKlawStudios

Wow, I've only got 3 more weeks until the con. Should have the comic completed this weekend.

So aside from the stuff to sell, what else is a good idea to bring?
I've got paper towels, kleenex, hand sanitizer, tape, scissors, gonna get some allergy/headache medicine just in case...
I got a bunch of bags from work that perfectly fit a 8.5x11" so I can use those for purchases.

Fruit and water are both important. As vicemage has suggested, something along the lines of crystal lite to flavour the water can really help. Especially if it's one of the sorts with a bit of caffeine in it. A cash box is good, of course. And a booklet such as this or this for recordkeeping. (It makes filing the taxes afterward quite a bit easier) Depending on your audience, air freshener may be helpful as well. razz

Starre257

So... Otakon was fun. I got moved, but it would have been fun even if I hadn't, I think. I think I broke even. There were three of us at the table, so it wasn't particularly hard, though I know one of them isn't going to pay me back a cent for her share of the table (the other might).

One thing I noticed was that my 2.5x3.5" ATCs didn't sell at all. The top-selling item was the set of lineart prints my friend was selling for $1 each (or all 5 for $4). Almost everyone who bought anything bought those. I think I'm going to learn to draw big and get some 11x17 prints made for next time, since those sold pretty well at other people's tables, I think. We didn't have any of those. My jewelry sold okay... I had to keep lowering the prices. Also, I didn't sell any bracelets, but I'm kind of happy about that, because when I put one on after the con, it broke in less than an hour. It would suck if someone came asking for a refund because their bracelet broke.

I have one question... but I kind of need to ask it privately because if the person involved sees it, they'll deny everything and get mad at me, and I don't want to fight with this person, but the truth is, they caused a problem I need to solve, and I'm not entirely sure how to solve it. So... could someone who thinks they may be able to help PM me?

Congrats on breaking even! biggrin
I'll tell you one thing - 11x17s are Hellish and Time Consuming. >_< The only image I've done in that size took 22 hours of work, total. Start FAR in advance, and be aware of what you're getting in to.

I'll give you a PM. I've got experience with tablemate drama. >_<


To everyone: I honestly can't remember if this has been mentioned before, but if it has then this will be a reminder! The website http://woot.com/ sells random items every day, and usually gives you a great deal on them. Sometimes the stuff they have is helpful to artists; A few days ago they had a tablet pc for $699. It's entirely possible that they might wind up having a laminator, or a button machine, or something else useful in AAs one day, so be sure to stop by once and a while. If I see a particularly good deal there, I'll try to post it here - but I forget sometimes. razz