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 ]

[Frosted Muffin Cakes]

So, I've got a question for people who go to ACen...

Where do you stay? (Sorry if this is too off-topic thread.. gonk ) I've never been to Chicago before, or traveled outside my hometown unchaperoned before, for that matter. I would like to find a cheaper hotel/motel near the con and then just take the public transit in (I hear it's hella awesome there). I'm just nervous about taking the train in a city I've never been to before.

And yes, I plan way ahead for everything. Ugh.

Edit: Woo! 200 pages!

[Fiammetta Rey]

Page 200 WOO!

And a question: What would I need to do to seal stickers on matte sticker paper so that they don't run when wet/look really tacky?

Also: I have a couple polls up on DA regarding what types of small fanart things people would want to buy. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Cetriya]

Fiammetta Rey

Page 200 WOO!

And a question: What would I need to do to seal stickers on matte sticker paper so that they don't run when wet/look really tacky?

best to just get them printed at and office store for laser printing which wont run when wet. other wise you're have to use special photo paper and single side laminate sheets.

[Vicemage]

Muffin: I stay across the street. smile I don't think any of the transit actually comes right to the Convention Center, but there's a HUGE cluster of hotels. AND, I have sent you a friend request for possible more information. ^_^

Fiammetta: Either have them done at a print shop or professionally, or look into self-sticking laminating films that you can lay over the top to seal the stickers.

[Fiammetta Rey]

I have a Xyron laminating machine. Will that work?

[Frosted Muffin Cakes]

@Vicemage: Wonderful! I've accepted the request. smile

I'm thinking very seriously about getting a nice button machine, partly because I don't like the hassle of ordering out (though the modbutton buttons are really nice), and partly because it looks like you can't use professionally made buttons at ACen. Is this a common thing for larger cons? I'm mainly looking at this one. Several people at Detour had them and they seemed really nice. Does anyone else have experience with them?

[milk leaf]

Um, hai. I have a question that I just can't seem to find the answer to and I was wondering if someone could answer for me...? It's about prices.
I've shopped at the Artists Alley at my local anime convention before and I know generally the prices for stickers, bookmarks and charms/keychains, but this year I actually got a table in the Artists Alley but I don't know how much prints cost. I've heard about popular artists charging more for prints because they're more in demand, but what about someone who is just starting out? I've seen regular prints start at $20, and some artists who charge $50-$100 per print. So, I really can't price my own work. I've never sold my own artwork before. Do you guys come up with your own prices?

[Frosted Muffin Cakes]

At our table, we charge $3 for black and white, and $5 for color prints, both in 8 x 10. Neither me nor the other artist are well known at all, and prints are the least selling item at the table.

The girl next to us this year, though, had (very well drawn) Axel/Roxas BL prints, and she was charging like.. $15 to $30 and made a killing. So it really varies on your skill level (I would readily say that she was better than me and my tablemate, at coloring in particular), and material.

[Hotaru Kudo]

I wasn't selling prints, but the artists that were selling them around me were doing like, 12 dollars each, or two for 20 and they were the biggish sized prints (11x14? I'm not sure) and they were all doing rather well.

[Seijaku_Ishida]

I charge $10 for my 8x10 prints and do pretty decently. $50-$100 sounds more like limited edition prints where there's only a certain number of prints.

The only reason I would ever charge more than $15 for an 8x10 is if it were a limited edition or printed on special paper like pearlescent/metallic paper.

[Sozaku Nixe]

Kaxen

I've been running in circles trying to decide on a business card design.

I've recently talked myself into getting plain black cards with a big empty space next to my info so I can doodle all of over it. My constant hatred of my art three weeks later, averted! Custom doodles for random passer-by also (I did that a lot last year except with horrid flimsy unprofessional looking paper)

Dunno if I should go through with it though. @_@ Does it look unprofessional to doodle all over one's business cards?

-

I've seen something like this done before but it was doodles. the cards had a drawing of the artist face and then a speech bubble and they would write different things in them. I thought it was cute and made it more personal.
Note that this person wasn't working in the alley though. They were walking around and handing cards out to people they thought looked interesting XD

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[ninniku]

Frosted Muffin Cakes

@Vicemage: Wonderful! I've accepted the request. smile

I'm thinking very seriously about getting a nice button machine, partly because I don't like the hassle of ordering out (though the modbutton buttons are really nice), and partly because it looks like you can't use professionally made buttons at ACen. Is this a common thing for larger cons? I'm mainly looking at this one. Several people at Detour had them and they seemed really nice. Does anyone else have experience with them?

I actually have this exact size, thought i bought it from a different site. I also went with the more expensive hole puncher rather than circle cutter because I could see myself repeatedly messing up with the circle cutter.

So far, I really like it! Thought I have yet to bring it anywhere or use it at a con, for home punching it is very enjoyable. = )

[Sakura Alchemist]

Frosted Muffin Cakes

@Vicemage: Wonderful! I've accepted the request. smile

I'm thinking very seriously about getting a nice button machine, partly because I don't like the hassle of ordering out (though the modbutton buttons are really nice), and partly because it looks like you can't use professionally made buttons at ACen. Is this a common thing for larger cons? I'm mainly looking at this one. Several people at Detour had them and they seemed really nice. Does anyone else have experience with them?

o3o I got mine off Ebay with Punch cutter and 500 parts for 285$ oAo