Welcome to Gaia! ::

Selling at Cons is best during the...

Spring 0.11470588235294 11.5% [ 117 ]
Summer 0.29411764705882 29.4% [ 300 ]
Fall 0.07156862745098 7.2% [ 73 ]
Winter 0.054901960784314 5.5% [ 56 ]
Any time! 0.46470588235294 46.5% [ 474 ]
Total Votes:[ 1020 ]

Shadowy Phantom

Paraeeeee
Kyousouka

I don't make zines, but as a customer, I can say that if a zine looked like it was printed on an inkjet printer, I wouldn't want to buy it unless I really wanted to support the creator or it was exceptionally cheap (under $3 or so for that page count, assuming a size of about A5). I also wouldn't pay more than that for something that looked like it was printed on a laser printer, but I might be more inclined to buy it as long as the printing was crisp enough.

Printing at home is very expensive if you factor in the cost of the ink, so make sure you account for that. The cost of toner tends to be lower, but is not negligible either. Don't forget all the indirect costs, too! It might turn out that making this zine will cost you more than you could make back with a reasonable price for it.

Thanks a bunch! I'll try light cardstock then, probably. The printing costs aren't too bad, printing the zine would be about... $12, if I staple it myself.
Apparently, though, if I print with KA-BLAM, each is about $2.50, which is... really cheap. Interior 60# high bright paper (???) and glossy cover. Do you know anything about their quality?
Lulu's is a little more expensive, but the paper is 70#. I think that's better?

Also, thank you so much for your advice! I went to my first artist alley a month ago (Tekko), and browsing through this thread helped me a lot! Ugh, thanks to all of you terribly nice people!!!

You haven't said whether you're printing in colour or B&W; that's a pretty important bit of information xP

Ka-blam's quality is so-so but it's good enough for a zine, especially at that price. I don't know what Lulu's quality is like these days, but 9 years ago it wasn't any better than the 3-year-old Ka-blam books I have. Note however, that I can only speak of their colour printing, I haven't seen their B&W books.

The # refers to the weight of the paper. 60# is pretty flimsy (and is my chief complaint about the books I have from them) and #70 is better, but you should consider the cost and the value of that paper to your customers. I personally prefer heavier paper and I think even uninformed customers would prefer the feel of it, but to most people, it wouldn't justify a significant increase in cost. So, you shouldn't increase the final price of the book if you go with the better paper, but do take into account that it might increase the chance the books will sell by a little bit (in other words, you'll make less profit per book, but you might sell more books).

Reveler

Kyousouka
[You haven't said whether you're printing in colour or B&W; that's a pretty important bit of information xP

Ka-blam's quality is so-so but it's good enough for a zine, especially at that price. I don't know what Lulu's quality is like these days, but 9 years ago it wasn't any better than the 3-year-old Ka-blam books I have. Note however, that I can only speak of their colour printing, I haven't seen their B&W books.

The # refers to the weight of the paper. 60# is pretty flimsy (and is my chief complaint about the books I have from them) and #70 is better, but you should consider the cost and the value of that paper to your customers. I personally prefer heavier paper and I think even uninformed customers would prefer the feel of it, but to most people, it wouldn't justify a significant increase in cost. So, you shouldn't increase the final price of the book if you go with the better paper, but do take into account that it might increase the chance the books will sell by a little bit (in other words, you'll make less profit per book, but you might sell more books).

Oops, I thought I put that in somewhere. They'll be in B/W. I was thinking maybe $10 per zine, since my A4 color prints are $8 - does that seem reasonable?
btw, in case it wasn't clear, the pages are 5.5"x7.5"

Thank you - that was really helpful. I think I'll start with the cheaper printing (Ka-Blam) at first, and see how it does.
Oh gosh and I just read the FAQ for Ka-Blam; they won't print stuff under copyright, and Madoka is under copyright. I have no idea how to get permission, though - research time!

Shadowy Phantom

Paraeeeee
Oops, I thought I put that in somewhere. They'll be in B/W. I was thinking maybe $10 per zine, since my A4 color prints are $8 - does that seem reasonable?
btw, in case it wasn't clear, the pages are 5.5"x7.5"

Thank you - that was really helpful. I think I'll start with the cheaper printing (Ka-Blam) at first, and see how it does.
Oh gosh and I just read the FAQ for Ka-Blam; they won't print stuff under copyright, and Madoka is under copyright. I have no idea how to get permission, though - research time!

Pretty much no printing company will knowingly print fanwork. Obtaining permission is technically possible, you'd have to contact the company that holds the licence for Madoka in your country, but it'll likely take much more time to get a response than you have. If your zine does not reference Madoka in its title, if it doesn't use any official art or logos, and if the art style is sufficiently different, you might be able to sneak it in though. It's still against the rules and the law, but you're not likely to get in trouble. I think Ka-Blam is pretty good at catching fanworks, but larger printers like Lulu and CreateSpace are not.

I think $10 for a 30 page B&W zine is too expensive; for that price I'd expect full colour or thrice the pages. I sold my 32-page B&W books of a slightly larger size (A5) for $5 and people seemed to find that reasonable. I've seen cheaper books at cons and creators' online stores, and more expensive ones, but for that size and B&W, $4-6 seems about average.

You shouldn't compare book prices to print prices, because the two products cater to somewhat different markets and have different purposes. It sucks, but people expect to pay more for art meant to be looked at and displayed, and less for things like comics and zines because those are read rather than displayed. This is something even art book creators have to struggle with, even though every page of an art book is practically an art print.

High-functioning Tycoon

7,100 Points
  • Dressed Up 200
  • Member 100
  • Treasure Hunter 100
Hi guys, I've only been to 1 con before and it was a small one. I did better than most of the artists around me but now I'm thinking of moving on to fanexpo ( a 4 day con in canada that attracts 100 000 people). I want to know how to transition from small to big? Obviously the tables are more pricey, but I find that if you play it safe with small cons forever you aren't going to make much anyway with the foot traffic. Bigger risk =bigger gain right?

What are your experiences like at bigger cons? Especially compared with smaller ones? I'm scared I"ll get overwhelmed. sweatdrop Tips?? Do somethings only sell well at big cons while others at small cons?

*I mainly do OC art from a story I'm working on which I'll put up soon, with a little bit of fan art, mostly chibis to help break even.
*I think what helped me most is variety. I have jewellery, prints (poster, regular and mini), charms, keychains, buttons, and original ilustrations.

Dapper Dabbler

8,250 Points
  • Contributor 150
  • Signature Look 250
  • Full closet 200
I started with AX and then did Anime Conji and I like AX better. But I feel like at big conventions, people are willing to spend more money. I guess the bigger conventions are like a bigger event so you prepare more for spending money there? Because I don't buy much at small conventions but at like Comic-Con, it's like "goodbye $300... even though my budget was $200..."

At Anime Conji people would groan and complain at like $30 items and at AX, people would buy a $60 plushie without question.



I'm no help on OC art selling though. I can't ever get anyone to buy my OCs. oTL I need to work on that... it does sort of hurt my ego that people only wanna buy my fanart.

Dangerous Stalker

15,900 Points
  • Object of Affection 150
  • Jolly Roger 50
  • V-Day 2011 Event 100
I agree with you, Kaxen. At a larger con, when someone says, "I'll pay you half. Who else would buy it if I didn't?" you can just point to the massive crowds behind them and laugh. rofl

Fashionable Shoujo

8,850 Points
  • Friendly 100
  • Object of Affection 150
  • Signature Look 250

Part A- Getting the table:
1. How many months in advance do conventions usually release tables, in your experience?
Some are only 3-4 months, some are open as early as 6, so WATCH CLOSELY!

2. How much does a table usually cost? Oh man this depends on the size of the con. Local college cons anywhere from $35-$50 and 90-150+ for any bigger cons. I've applied for tables costing $170 before, so expect it to not be so cheap!

3. How quickly are the tables reserved? WITHIN HOURS for big cons! I can't tell you how many times I've been wait listed cause I missed the first few hours cause I was at work.
4. What complications should one be prepared for? LAST MINUTE RUSH-
We'll all do this one time or another, you'll lose track of time or won't have enough and he week before the con you'll be scrambling to finish all your merch. Don't EVER wait till the last minute for anything that takes more than a day to make.
If you have any prints that you are making last minute make sure you get the same kind of printing done at a print shop. Try to go to a local one so that you can get the same type of print done so all the paper types match. I get my prints through Catprint but I also have the specifications written down just in case I finish "that one print" a few days before the con. Grab your USB stick and head down to any local print store with the specifications you have for the other prints.

5.What skill level would you suggest entering the AA at? If possible, please provide examples.
If you aren't comfortable with random strangers looking in your sketchbook, You aren't ready. XD
(unless it is for the reason of naked ppl sketches LOL)

Part B- Preparing to sell:
1. What sort of merchandise would you advise selling? I sell Prints, Buttons, Bookmarks, and Keychains. They all sell well. Craft stuff such as plush toys and jewelry sell well too.

2. What sort of merchandise would you advise against selling? Tshirts. A lot of bigger cons have banned them from the AA. AND sadly be careful where you sell stickers. I sell them at only a few cons cause they are banned at some bigger cons (vandalization reasons..) So read the rules well.

3. What sort of stuff sells best? BUTTONS OMG they are a cheap quick sell. anything $5 and under is called an impulse buy. Make them WANT it!

4. Where would you suggest going to get things printed? Local places.. Cosco (dirt cheap)..UPS if you're desperate-

5. If printing at home, what preparations should one make? Buy an extra color and black ink cartage. Buy some good paper. Gloss is nice but not ideal for posters, if getting photo paper get matte. Set your printer for photo paper. Prepare to sob as the printer messes up occasionally.
I only print small things at home because big stuff isn't cost effective.

6. How far in advance should one have one's merchandise finished? HALF A YEAR if you are just starting out. If you are constanly doing Alleys, you just need to replenish your merch a month in advance to 2 weeks ahead of time. Order a month or two in advance for online orders to allow for any mishaps.

7. Anything else? nah

Part C- At the Con:
1. How early should one arrive to be sure of reserving a good table? Usually the con assigns you one, but be there at the times they say, don't be late. Hour at least.

2. When setting up one's table, what sort of layout would you suggest? Vertical! Put the cheaper stuff at eye level and on the table! Nothing catches the eye better than FLORESCENT Price signs!

3. There are some pretty bratty congoers out there. How would you suggest dealing with assholes? Ignore them, they leave after they realize that it won't phase you.

4. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. What issues should one be prepared for when running a table at the Artists alley? SPILT WATER/DRINKS don't set ANY of that on the table and drink bottled beverages!

5. Anything else? Naw

Fashionable Shoujo

8,850 Points
  • Friendly 100
  • Object of Affection 150
  • Signature Look 250
I didn't wan't to post it in the same thing as above that I was doing the questionnaire just in case it was quoted, so I'm sorry in advance for the double-post!

I was working on some bookmarks and I thought I would share the sample pics of them with you all!
User Image - Blocked by "Display Image" Settings. Click to show.

Fluffy Lop

asparagusApparatus

aw your art is so cute! esp the waistup in your sig ; v; good luck at all your cons! cute bookmarks too ; vvvv;

Collector Cutie-Pie

I'm just.... trying not to implode having read how much tables cost in America.... WTF.
It costs $230 + $20 for electricity access + $5 per item that accesses that electricity here. This is a small place, it's the biggest con we have here but it wouldn't hold a candle to cons from anywhere else, especially America.

It just blows my mind how it can cost so much to get a table at our little con that no one will have ever heard of, yet proper cons cost a quarter of that amount o _ o I only pay it because it costs that much to queue up and meet a celeb for an autograph so I might as well get a weekend pass, chairs and modern comforts for that price XD I certainly didn't think people ever actually made a profit, I thought it was more of an experience/atmosphere/exposure type thing...

Distinct Prophet

I was thinking about getting some stickers or charms for a convention this year. I'm betting stickers sell better, but does anyone have quantitative evidence to back this up?

Also, do you think stickers in sheets or stickers individually are better?

Dapper Dabbler

8,250 Points
  • Contributor 150
  • Signature Look 250
  • Full closet 200
I don't have any quantitive evidence. I personally prefer charms because I'm one of those indecisive people who think stickers are too much responsibility *sitting on stickers she can't decide where to stick forever*

I don't think I've ever seen someone sell sticker sheets.

Distinct Prophet

Kaxen
I don't have any quantitive evidence. I personally prefer charms because I'm one of those indecisive people who think stickers are too much responsibility *sitting on stickers she can't decide where to stick forever*

I don't think I've ever seen someone sell sticker sheets.


Haha, I could see the responsibility thing. I guess just from a price standpoint, I was thinking a sticker is cheaper and probably sells more quickly. And charms . . . maybe you can only have a finite number? Stickers you use one and bam, you need more, but charms last for a long while.

Dapper Dabbler

8,250 Points
  • Contributor 150
  • Signature Look 250
  • Full closet 200
ninniku
Haha, I could see the responsibility thing. I guess just from a price standpoint, I was thinking a sticker is cheaper and probably sells more quickly. And charms . . . maybe you can only have a finite number? Stickers you use one and bam, you need more, but charms last for a long while.


That's a good point.

Charms need to be pretty resilient. I don't like buying those "keychains" some people sell that are just laminated paper and a ball chain because it's like "I'm gonna wreck that in like five minutes."


Though while I was working on my charms, I was like "crap who the hell has cellphones with lanyard holes anymore?!" and ended up going and buying those earphone plug/jack thingies too.

While stickers, are like, you don't need to worry a much about anything besides whether or not it can stick to something for more than five minutes.

Distinct Prophet

Kaxen
ninniku
Haha, I could see the responsibility thing. I guess just from a price standpoint, I was thinking a sticker is cheaper and probably sells more quickly. And charms . . . maybe you can only have a finite number? Stickers you use one and bam, you need more, but charms last for a long while.


That's a good point.

Charms need to be pretty resilient. I don't like buying those "keychains" some people sell that are just laminated paper and a ball chain because it's like "I'm gonna wreck that in like five minutes."


Though while I was working on my charms, I was like "crap who the hell has cellphones with lanyard holes anymore?!" and ended up going and buying those earphone plug/jack thingies too.

While stickers, are like, you don't need to worry a much about anything besides whether or not it can stick to something for more than five minutes.


What are earphone plug/jack thingies? =O

Quick Reply

Submit
Manage Your Items
Other Stuff
Get GCash
Offers
Get Items
More Items
Where Everyone Hangs Out
Other Community Areas
Virtual Spaces
Fun Stuff
Gaia's Games
Mini-Games
Play with GCash
Play with Platinum