Welcome to Gaia! ::

Sure. Pertaining to the trade, what I do is have the customer send the trade with payment (simply to prove you have it). The trade does not have to be completed--rather, it should not be completed until I send you a WIP (work in progress) or Preview of your requested art. The WIP or Preview has "WIP" or "Preview" written over it, as a safeguard that you don't take the artwork for free. Once you've seen the WIP or Preview and approved or made your requested adjustments, then the trade will be completed. Once the payment is received, I send over the full, unmarked version, and Voila! c;