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I'm planning on participating in an AA for the first time later this year. It's a small con in SD, so I think I'll be alright. I'm mostly going to be making things via needlefelting and selling them. Here's what i've got to show for my efforts so far.
Minus a baby seal and arctic fox that were gifts.
I'm planning to make different critters, too. Pandas, foxes, maybe some tanuki. And a few critters from different anime, Like Kero and Spinel from CCS. The ponies are a bitch to make, but I know there are plenty of bronies in Sioux Falls who are also into anime, so yeah.
Any Ideas on what other things I should make? and if I should limit it to felt?

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I don't really know what to charge for any of these. either. I was thinking five for the small ones, 10 for the small ponies, and 20 for the large ponies. It probably seems steep, but on the other hand there aren't any patterns or molds for me to work from, and these things take 2 or 3 hours minimum. (i haven't timed myself for the ponies, but then again only one of them is actually finished.)

>>5786390
>>5786403
>Any Ideas on what other things I should make? and if I should limit it to felt?
You can try look into Hetalia's animals, Tiger&Bunny's Bunny plushie, Sailormoon's cats, Disney animals (Cheshire perhaps), to name a few. Your grey bunny reminds me of Raving Rabids, but I'm not sure how popular they are. I'm sure small characters are attention grabbers but I bet they take up a lot of time too because of the different colors you put in. Try to stick to what you know, watch or read, fans and customers will appreciate it. Also, seeing those eyeball earrings, do they hold up well to being attached to keychains also? People love keychains.

>I don't really know what to charge for any of these.
I first sold last year and I know from that you will certainly find out what sells better than others, which can be surprising, but don't be too discouraged if it doesn't work out. I'm not familiar of felting so I'm not sure about material costs, just try not to price them too low. You have to consider the labor and time you put into these no matter what if you want it to be profitable and worth making to sell. The prices you have mentioned seem okay, though what are the dimensions of your small ones? Your prices can go a dollar or two higher if you include some attachment like a keychain.

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>>5786436
Just to add, I love your chubby black cat and the purple red-eyed monster.

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>>5786261
Just a few pics that is part of this setup

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>>5786446

>>5786436
Thanks. The rabbit's 5 inches from ear to toe, Pikachu's not even 4 inches. Both the big ponies are almost 6 inches tall.
I was thinking of offering any of them as keychains or cellphone charms, for maybe a dollar more, and I could sew the rings to the animals on site.
Glad you like the chubby ones, by the way. the purple one is a derpy dragon of sorts.

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>>5786448
End. Impressive setup but I think this size is more part of Dealer's Hall. Inspiring nonetheless!

>>5786452
Ahh I see. I think anything other than ponies and about 5" and bigger should be priced higher than $5 for sure. It'd be great to add attachments, gives them function aside being desktop buddies. It just comes to mind, seeing your eyeballs earrings, consider doing pokeballs? That small size is charm and earring size friendly.

>>5786475
Thanks, I could definitely manage doing pokeballs.

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>>5786497
You're welcomed! Good luck, I hope to see progress of your felts here.

I'm so excited because I'm going to be helping my friend sell her bath bakery goods at PCC this year! It's our first year so advice on how much to bring would be appreciated

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MrsBrownsBathBakery

we're essentially bringing 15 packs of each product (some are more or less, based on popularity so far) and we're not bringing anything seasonal or liquid.

I'm torn between thinking that we're not bringing enough or not. It's not something you usually see at cons though, so it'd probably be better to bring less for our first con, right?

>>5786539
Let me first say your friend's bath bakery is visually mouth watering, it's wonderful and deceptive. Love it!

How many products are you bringing? It looks like potentially less than 20, excluding the liquids and gels, and I think 15 each seems pretty good to start. As you said, you'll have more or less than 15 depending on the product. Consider having more items that cost less than the expensive ones, most likely there are attendees that can't afford to spend a lot so low-priced products are wallet friendly.

>>5786597
It is isn't it! Apparently one time when she was showing off one of the cookies to a woman, the son came up, grabbed it and bit into it before they could stop him. Considering they're mostly salt, I guess that'll teach him not to ask! lol

That sounds about right, btw, so thank you for the help

Has anyone ever participated in an artist alley at a yaoi/yuri convention? Aside from the obvious, how are expectations different?

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>>5788078
I haven't, but I expect that the age demographic is different, assuming those cons are for 18 and up. I don't think Artist Alley would be too different from regular cons, just make quality stuff that appeals to adults in general.

>>5788215
All I can imagine now is an AA filled with artsy little dildoes.

That's kinda awesome.
Sage for bullshit.

I've been thinking of getting a table at a con (hopefully next year) but I've been wondering... Do you guys think a table that focuses primarily on doujinshi would do well?

>>5788349
Maybe, but keep in mind people enjoy instant gratification, so maybe have prints of some standalone drawings?

>>5788349
I think they will do fine if you have more than one sort of doujinshi, and that they cover series most will know. I remember this one table had three anthologies between some artists, and the one that sold out quick was rated for adults. It wasn't a doujinshi, just original works that involved manly love.

It'd be safe to have some small prints to sell, like postcards and bookmarks.

>>5786436
be careful with Disney items in the AA. Some conventions put it in the list of no-nos for fan work.

>>5786390
Oh gosh, I would sure buy a pony if you made a Vinyl Scratch <3

>>5788349
depends. It basically comes down to 3 things:
What characters are in it?
How much are you selling it for?
How good is the artwork?

A couple friends and I worked on on a Gurren Lagann doujinshi and it didn't go so well. Mind you our art style wasn't the best at the time, but for $5 a couple people looked at it. So it really depends.

>>5788404
I'm going to make at least one Scratch, maybe five Derpy, and at least one "Dr. Hooves" You wouldn't happen to be going to Sogen Con this year, would you?

>>5788418
I wish. I live up in Canadaland.

Do you have an e-mail I could contact you? I'd love to commission you for a Vinyl and a Derpy for my boyfriend :D

Bead sprites.

Would there be a market for original designs? I only see bead sprites that are directly copied from vidya.
Also are they immune to the "all art must be original" rules?

>>5788433
Sounds great, if you don't mind getting the first two of those ponies. I don't have a paypal set up, but I should be able to get one up by the time they're finished.

>>5788452
maybe, depends on what they would look like and prices I guess. Do you have any examples or a sketch of what you'd want one to look like?

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>>5788490
just the ponies at the top of the picture right now. I could probably make them a little bigger than that, like I'm doing with that Twilight head. or smaller, like I'm doing with the Lyra. I could even make them little moe blobs like the chubbies, maybe about the size of the black cat or the dragon in that picture. which would be cheaper, since it means less time spent.
Maybe $20 for a larger one, about 6 inches tall and 3 inches long. $10 for a smaller, about 4 inches by 2 (just larger than a regular brushable), and $5 for a moe chub.
You don't need to commit now. Since I'll be making those two anyway, I could just show you when they're done, and you could decide if you want them, if you'd like some changes made to them, or if they aren't your thing.\
Roseluck here is kind of what one would look like completed, except she has no eyes and her neck is too long. Also, she's 100% wool, while the ones I've been working on recently are acrylic.

>>5788575
ffff forgot to add that her tail is a flat sheet, which I don't think i'll be doing for any other ponies, unless you'd prefer that. I think more 3-dimensional tails.

Is anyone else sick of all the completely unoriginal amigurumi in AAs this year? Everyone picked up Creepy Cute Crochet and made shit out of the book. I saw one table calling themselves Geeky Cute Crochet, which I'm pretty sure is illegal. At ACen there were three tables in a row that all had crochet squids. I'm totally not interested in what you made out of scrap yarn laying around your house. Now fanart amigurumi actually requires designing a pattern and shopping for the right yarns in the right colors. I wanna see more of that.

>>5789383
Oh my god thank you, they are rarely cute and most of the time look so grubby looking or just have a :3 face added on.

After ACen I have a question I want to pose.

IMO ACen's AA was too big. I'd have rather not gotten in than have THAT many people to compete with. I feel that way about a few cons. I gross, on average, about $2,000 a con but at cons like ACen and Otakon I maybe make $500 because they figure they need, like,1 table per hundred people at the con or something.

So would you prefer having smaller AAs even if it meant you might not get in?

>>5789383
OMG at Acen one table had a crochet Sherlock doll that they'd already sold and I was ready to try to outbid the person they'd sold it to! But yeah, everyone else had Pikachus and "dangos" (you mean a ball you stuffed and sewed a face on) and stuff made of cheap-o yarn that was already fraying all over the place.

>>5789394
I actually like having bigger AAs. My only tabling experience comes from AX and ALA though, so I'm not really sure if it applies since I haven't been to ACen. I like that fact that bigger cons/alleys generally means a larger customer base. Sure, you'll have competition but there will be more people who will look at your artwork and more potential customers.

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On the topic of amigurumis, I am tired of seeing foods with the cute face on them. Out of the usual around the AAs here, I do enjoy seeing Pokemon and Mario ones, if done right. There are "bad" Pikachus, maybe the ears are too big and heads are too small. One time I saw this awesome Shy Guy one, might've been 5" tall for $30 or something.

I also have a copy of Creepy Cute Crochet from a while back, to me it's a great quick reference for some patterns, but I mainly use it for the basic head, body and arms. Nowadays, I make up patterns that work for what I want to crochet, usually after some character. I'm still practicing, but I'm not too confident in selling a lot of amigurumi yet because of the time it takes and I feel like I may price them "too high" for attendees. I'm more of a plushie crafter, but I look forward to doing fan amigurumis of sorts.

Pic related, this old one took me about 2 days to make, and I was learning different crocheting techniques like color change in the body. I made up Smoker's tongue, boils, ear, green jacket (minus sleeves), pants and shoes. I need to work on his tongue next time, I awkwardly crocheted it and it looks a bit off. There's quite a bit to these things I've noted for myself to work on in the future. Trial and error as usual.

Also, are people very picky about the type of yarn you use? I'm not, and I've used mix of acrylic and cotton yarns because of the colors as I find there's more variety of colors when it comes to acrylic than cotton around here. Aesthetically, cotton has crisper lines while acrylic is fuzzy.

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>>5789527
And a Hunter I made second. I modified the hoodie because I realized the hood pattern in the book was too snug for Hunter, so it's larger and shades the face a bit. This Hunter is fun to leave up high somewhere, I love how it peers down like it's ready to strike.

Sometimes i think it would be cool to hop on a friends table and sell some of my shit, but sorta seems like the day would be wasted.. sorta.

>>5789394
How is ACen's AA? I might consider putting it on my list next year. For some reason my AA buddies don't talk about it too much so I'm assuming it's somehow not worth the flight out there but idk. IT's a pretty sizable con and I've always been interested in visiting that part of the US.

>>5789531
you could sell Clark bars

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>>5789530
>>5789527
those are pretty darn cute. I'd want a little witch one all hunched over and looking up at me :3

I had a friend make me a Prince Gumball and Fionna amigurumis for me, and I love them!

>>5789527
I think you are super talented when it comes to designing, but I have to admit that your yarn choices would prevent my from buying.

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>>5789667
Thank you! Those are adorable by the way.

>>5789838
Thank you, and may I ask is it because I use acrylic yarns that turns you away? It'd be great to know what sort of consensus of amigururmi fans how they prefer their amigurumi, like 100% cotton, 100% acrylic, etc.

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>>5790188
When I look at the doll I think "That doesn't look like it's gonna last very long." I think acrylic has that look to it. Like you have to be gentle or it'll unravel.

For my crochet stuff I only used cotton yarns, and cotton-blend yarns with merino wool when the character shouldn't look so cotton-y soft (like Ezio).

But even though I do my own crochet I'd still want to buy from you cause I can't do things like have that cute little Hunter peek over the edge like you do!

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>>5791066
Daw thanks. I try to make sure my things are well put together. I'd hate for it to somehow undo itself or the stuffings and things start poking out, especially when I put some polybeads in Smoker and Hunter for a bit of weight.

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>>5791066
This reminded me of the zubat plush they sold at KFC way back in the days.
>picture relevant

>>5793386
> signs are pen on notebook paper
> cheapest yarn available proudly on display
LOLnope not buyin' from you

>>5791066
Good work, good yarn, but watch where the head meets the body and

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>>5794336
15 Dollars for a keychain? :P

>>5794347
Seriously, maybe if it was a keychain-sized version of >>5791066 I'd shell out $15 for it, but there was no design and no challenge to those. The person just made lumps and put faces on them.

Which is funny, cause that's what you guys were just griping about, haha. I am, as you might have guessed, in agreement.

>>5794661
I'd pay 15 for it only if it was made out of some high quality yarn that doesn't snag or fray.
10 tops for a keychain.

I kind of want to write up and nicely print the patterns I've been making up for my knitted hats and sell them at a con... I always get good feedback from geeks and there are lots of crafty geeks. But I feel like there wouldn't be enough demand to justify it, and knitting hats takes so long I couldn't really sell them easily.

Need to set up an etsy shop, put the patterns up, where my hats aroun the con and give out my card when I get the inevitable "where did you get that" I guess.

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>>5795003
Pics? I'm always looking for new geeky crafts and would be interested in purchasing new patterns.

^--^

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i just made a but ton of these little pins. :) (need to de-fuzz oops)

anyone have tips on displaying pins when they're one of a kind ones?

>>5795638
Pins? How about a cork board, you can pin them on with the prices nearby. Or sew up a cute plush blanket that can hold your pins, nothing too busy if there's a pattern.

>>5795699
A lot of people use a piece of screen (like what's in a window or door) to display pins/jewelry. You could paint it a nice color/design or decorate the borders with a nice frame.

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>>5795699
Or I guess if you want something more decorative you can get a cork sheet and a nice looking picture frame, cut the sheet to fit inside the frame, and cover the sheet with some fabric.

>>5795638
cardboard/corkboard, put cloth over it and put it in a nice frame?

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>>5795699
>>5795713
>>5795727
>>5795740
>>5795699


awesome! thank guys <3 I need a lot of practice when it comes to displays. :/

question: how does erotica/ecchi stuff do at cons? i mean girls in underwear or sexy outfits in slightly suggestive poses, no actual nudity. do people buy stuff like that or should i leave it online?

>>5795959
I'm sure ecchi draws in customers easily. If people are bothered that it seems a little adult-eyes-only, although not at all exposed, you may want to keep a binder handy since you may be asked to take it down. A few panty shots here and there shouldn't hurt.

>>5796039
Sexy I'm down with, but overtly pornographic stuff makes me walk right by a booth

>>5795959
I would say have some "censor bars" pasted on the naughty bits saying "please inquire seller 18+ image"

>>5788070
I hope you're still here, but I love, love, love your bunnies! I wish we had vendors here in Tx that actually made original and cute critters like these.

>>5796835
Thank you.

>>5798436

Out of curiosity, what are the "rules" for artist alley? A lot of the stuff I'm seeing from these kawaii sellers is chocomint or 6%dokidoki stuff, not handmade pieces. Can you have an artist alley booth with only like, 50% handmade items?

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>>5798451
I'm not sure about the origins of that picture or those brands, there's a chance that this table top is in Dealers Hall where you sell items that aren't made by you and are mass produced. At Artist Alley, everything should be handmade by you. It's not a fleamarket where you resell things that you haven't personally made yourself.

guys, has anyone had good experiences with credit card readers? i'm looking for one since most of my items tend to be a little pricier.

I tried square awhile ago but it has such a shitty reader. :/

>>5798451
People make their own because its cheap, easy and popular, so its still handmade but looks the same.

>>5802183
Paypal sent me an email about them giving away free ones that hook up to iPhone's. Not sure if that's any help to you.

What kind of printer would you suggest for small detailed things like pins or bottlecap charms?

>>5802183
I have never once had an issue with Square. I have an Android phone though. Maybe that makes a difference?

Also have you guys seen the dramu from mayo-cat on the Connecticon forums? She doesn't profit at cons and I guess that's the con's fault because she is "very serious"

>>5804419
Don't forget yuureikun, who thinks Hartford's hotels and parking are as expensive as Boston's

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drew without thinking about what character I wanted to make,
who do you think would look good on?
At first I was thinking Mami, but it just looked like an 'old' Mami

also survey for which series this year are doing well

What are the most popular things that sell and if its from a fandom what fandom is it from? Also is their anything specifically that anyone would like to see done. Me and my friend are trying to get ideas for our Etsy and possible future AA.

>>5804419
>>5804434
I swear a lot of AA drama threads on those con forums have some posters with reading comprehension problems and things just go in circles because of them. There's always someone believing "I'M THE CENTER OF AA, EVERYTHING REVOLVES AROUND ME AND HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME" blah blah when they aren't even referred to. It's terribly annoying but oh god I can't help but read more.

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>>5804438
also this one

though I just noticed the horrible anatomy with the hands/legs and will fix that in the morrow. Also going to change the bg to her on a bed, maybe with her wing things

does the general WIP of both of them look fine? or should I scrap?

>>5804438
Honestly, drawing a vague animu face/body and then slapping on details to make it recognizable as a character is incredibly absurd to me. I know that sameface is prominent in anime, sometimes even in comics, which is fine, but I mean, damn, at least try to put in an effort to individualize a character. Otherwise, you may as well be working with templates/pixel bases and regardless of what you do, your art will be pretty lifeless and bland as fuck no matter how many filters you put it through.

List of anime and franchises that are popular:
-Just draw whatever the fuck you want jfc

>>5804438
>>5804438
I like her, she's cute. Just draw what you want to draw, doesn't have to be anyone in specific. The more you draw the better you get

>>5804493
Right now my stuff from Japan isn't selling at all. We couldn't give away our One Piece, Kingdom Hearts or FMA stuff, but we can't keep Doctors, Sherlock, Ezio, Kratos or Perry the Playpus in stock. We don't want to be those AA people with no Japanese fandom art, but it isn't selling.

>>5804809
mayo-cat: "i had to voice my opinion after feeling like i was being bashed. reminder: i’ve been very nice this entire thread so lets keep that much in mind... i started this to start a discussion and not to start a war"
>responds to literally every opinion that disagrees with her as if it's a person attack on her and her (not-very-good) art

I love that the most recent post is like "Listen, you don't have the money for the booth because no one wants to buy your shit" without directly saying that.

I'm thinking about sewing little dolls/toys like these >>5788070 for an AA.

How do they sell? Should I consider making plushies some gay shit, or can I just make cute little animals.

>>5805022
>>5805022
Ah gotcha, thank you so much. Besides doing some doctor who crafts I hadn't considered much other non-japanese work
What do you mainly sell, prints, accessories, etc?

>>5805102
>>5805102
Oh man if you made Avengers plushies I'd love you foreverdy ever.

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>>5805102
Not sure how well they sell in Artist Alley, I imagine they are great at Craft Shows... May want to make a mix of fan plushies and your own original plushies? Or else go full original, there's just a risk of not making enough money unless you are lucky with the design.

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It's sad that I never see anyone selling hana kanzashi. okay, one seller. But still. The ones with realistic silk flowers are nice, too.

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>>5806631
Pretty sure I've only seen one as well. I'd love to sell them but they're so labor intensive

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>>5808448
I know someone who helps a friend sell these. I seriously want to buy one off of their etsy, but I don't have the money to buy something that probably won't work in my hair anyway...

And it was a few years ago, at TX cons so I'm not sure if they're still being sold. But if I saw them at an alley I might buy one impulsively... Sometimes I wish I had the time to become talented in making other things besides print-based art.

>>5808413
Oh, can we have another AA Etiquette discussion? I feel like I have new things to rant about every time we have one.

If you cannot afford an item on the table, or are not willing to pay that amount, the artist could not fucking care less. I hear a million reasons why people don't want my stuff, and none of it matters to me.
- My dog might pee on it
- I only have $5 left
- That's more than I'm willing to spend on it
- I don't know what I'd do with it
- I/someone I know could do this
I do not care. I find the people who loudly state that they dislike the price are either trying to haggle, genuinely too poor, or similar artists who have items that don't sell for as much as mine. If my prices are too high I will find that out on my own when I don't make any money. Right now, however, my supply is falling way behind my demand and I should probably charge more.

>>5809698
(continued)

When people hear the price and say "That's too much" I say "Okay" with a polite but dismissive tone. You have said your piece and it should mean you are done shopping. This one girl kept browsing, however, and commenting "Yeah, this stuff isn't big enough for the price you're charging." And I said "It's fine if you're not interested in buying anything", trying to get her to realize I wasn't arguing with her, I didn't expect her to buy anything and she was done at my table.

She kept browsing, and she kept commenting.
"I couldn't justifying buying something from you."
"Okay."
"I'm not sure how you think this stuff is worth what you're charging."
"Okay"
"I kinda wanna know how you think this is worth that much."
"Okay."
And finally she stopped and looked me in the eye and said "No, seriously, I want to know why." I felt like she was my disappointed mother and she wanted me to admit I had no excuse for my actions before she grounded me for a week. When I stared back at her I leaned forward and just repeated, "Okay" before finding something else to fiddle with, and she finally left.

>>5809274
>>5809274
Oh man. I love these. Do they have a specific name for them or are they just flower hair clips?

>>5809736
They're generally called tsumami kanzashi, at least when they're made of folded cloth that are not rosettes (which are similar, but different.) If you google it there are a couple of different tutorials out there for making them, but it does seem to take awhile and needs finesse. My guess as to why you might not see much of them is because of that reason. (The tuts at cut out and keep are good btw.) Now I really wish I remember what their etsy was...

>>5809701
Sounds like a spechul child. lol

>>5809799
>>5809799
If you find the etsy let me know. Thank you so much for the information. I'd like to give a whack at making these once I'm done with my requests and commissions.

>>5809847
I found it! SHe does not have as many items as she used to.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/hanatsukuri
And because they were posted here, I wanna try it out too. (I actually have a really old one mounted on a pin another friend gave me years ago...) I'm a print artist, but more and more I want to diversify myself in alleys... The only thing I have over other print artists is quick at-con commissions and that's it. I also have a lot of fabric.

>>5809857
Oh wow these are gorgeous. I looked up some tutorials already and it's like fabric origami. Looks like it'll take some time and patience.

Do you solely sell prints? I always love it when print artists have little stickers and whatnot. I tend to buy stickers the most but they're like my crack haha. Also do you have a link to your work, I'm curious now!

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>>5809872
I've sold keychains and magnets in the past but never knew how to display them right (and restocking is a bitch) so I've pretty much stopped because basic prints is easier and they didn't sell well. I'm a better artist now then I was then, so it might be different, but I haven't gotten into any AAs having since gone to Katsu so I don't see in any point in trying to work anything now (well, once finals are done this week I'll be drawing ponies for BronyCon but that's it.)

Pic is the last thing I drew and printed and I'm nearly sold out on, which surprises me a bit. The last 2 prints of it I have are for my portfolio and to send to someone for being stupidly late with a commission (and since I'm still late, I think I'm going to send her something else too...)

>>5809905
>>5809905
Ohh gotcha. Cute.
The easiest way might be to make little laminated charms? That seems to be cheap and an easy sell. Also stickers seem pretty cost effective when you have your own printer.
Did you make the key chains and magnets yourself?
I haven't done an AA yet but I can only hope for the best. I'm not good enough to do prints so mainly accessories and little cute deco things for me. Thinking about making stickers when I come up with a cute design.
Also you're really good. I wish I could draw that well haha. Also yeah whenever I'm late with something I shower them with extra goodies and candies, that always works haha.

>>5809937
Yeah I had a table mate a few years ago who sold lamenated charms, only problem is I don't do kawaii~ very well. The magnets and keychains I had made at MPix (they do a lot of items like that actually) but I'm otherwise on the fence. The next con I go to I'm going to have a dollar bin for the leftover stuff I can't get rid of/don't know how to display until I can figure it out. I want to try stickers and buttons, but I need to find something that's cost effective.

I might just skipp AAs this year entirely because there isn't much more I can do in terms of getting into them (short of sucking dick or becoming stupid popular online.)

>>5809987
>>5809987
Awe. I see.
Kawaii charms are usually what sell the best too. I can see the problem.
Also what is Mpix? Is it an online thingy or what, haven't heard of it before.
Also the dollar bin sounds like a good idea but the best thing to do is just look at different displays and get inspiration etc. Ebay is a super friend when it comes to display supplies, Amazon too. Like I was thinking about displaying buttons on a nail polish rack so they can be all nice and lined up and in the clear view. Also was gonna use cupcake stands for little trinkets etc but that works better for me since I do accessories and such.
I think they have a little button making machines and like, Hobbylobby/Micheal's/Joann in the kids section, that could work maybe? I don't know how well it would work but that could be an idea...

>>5810043
MPix.com is a printing website that specializes in photos and promotional items (but they've been focusing on homey things lately so I'm trying to find other options.)
My friend who makes Madoka soul gems (the only person who makes Madoka soul gems, because everyone else at every con we've been who has tried has failed, and that's not tooting anyone's horns) hace on of those, she also uses it for etched shot glasses (same case. It's weird. Granted I know her methods, but people are really clueless since its not hard figuring it out...) She has a button maker from Joanns and says it's crap. I don't think you can find a good one for under 100$ ish.
I have wire cubes for display otherwise, I just wish I had a table to display at so I can try a new method... blah.

>>5810078
>>5810078
Ohh well if you find anything good let me know.
I'd hit up a goodwill or something and get a cheapie folding table perhaps for practice purposes?
Also good to know about that button maker I wasn't sure sometimes you can find a gem.
Also as for the Madoka gems I would assume to make them out of resin. Granted I've never tried but if I did that would be my first method.

>>5810078
>>5810078
Oh also I've been thinking about making keychains myself and I've been looking at printsess. That's the most reasonable pricing I've seen thus far. When I make a order I'll tell you how it is!

>>5810150
That's a new one... hmmm.
>>5810140
Yeah that's what she uses, resin, but there's more to it then that. It's been nothing short of amusing this past year since I'm her go-to person when it comes to talking things out to figure out a way that's best.

>>5810174
>>5810174
Yeah I figure theirs much more to go with it but that'd be my attempt with materials. I think it'd be a headache lol

>>5810150
I just ordered some sample from them... here's hoping.

>>5812028
>>5812028
Oh please tell me about the results, do you have an email I can keep in touch with you with in case this thread dies?.

>>5813129
my etsy is aqualaguna.

>>5786539
OMG that is like the cutest idea ever! Seriously I am going to have to order from that shop when I have money to spare. Seriously that would probably be the AA table I would dump the most money at..

>>5809847
http://rinjihalfelf.deviantart.com/gallery/24828274
I knew I had a friend who made silk flower hair thingies! Finally found her stuff.

>>5810043
I'm only one person, so if other people tell you a $1 bargain bin is a good idea then go for it, but I personally skip tables that seem too desperate for every little penny. Slashing prices on Sunday and having bargain items tells me the stuff on that table isn't worth much to even the artist, and no one's buying it, probably for a good reason.

>>5813308
I'm the anon who posted that. Thank you very much! I can't wait to tell her about the good feedback. You should check out the facebook too, I know she sometimes does contests and stuff through there

>>5813780
The original anon who posted the bargain bin idea; the merch I plan to slash the prices on I've had since 2009. I just want to get rid of them. I otherwise haven't reduced my prices and I've never been haggled with. I still don't know how I feel about that. The haggling thing I mean.

on the subject of AA does anyone know the conditions of AnimeNEXT AA? hot? cold? medium?

>>5813786
I will certainly have to do that too. I showed the etsy to my younger sister and mother so they're all gushing over it too. So you can tell your friend she has females aged 7-45 that love it.

>>5818091
I don't remember. It's in the main area so it is air conditioned, but if it's busy a crowd of people will always generate body heat. In short, bring a sweatshirt/hoodie/sweater/pullover/etc just in case.

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OP here. I can't believe this thread has been alive for eight days.

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>>5818813
Because I bump it with pictures.

Bump!

>>5818200
I always bring a couple different outfits to AAs with me. No one can ever seem to get the temp steady

can anyone recommend a site for getting laser cut acrylic pieces made?

>>5820734
I would love to know this as well.

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>>5820734
There's http://www.printsess.com/ and http://www.zapcreatives.co.uk/

I haven't used them myself so I'm not sure what are the pros and cons, but I'm sure a few artists here have used one of them.

Pic unrelated but you can try to make your own plastic charms with shrinky dinks, but I'd rather go with acrylic cut outs.

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>>5819751
I love you then, anon!

>>5821537
Every time I walk by print artists with PVC displays all plain with tape showing I wanna fix them up.

File: 1336671574876.png-(175 KB, 480x271, clamps.png)

>>5822109
<3

>>5822152
Yeaaa some PVC displays are kind of shabby, but I understand that as long as they are standing and holding up their prints and things, I have no problems with it.

However, I really don't like it when a PVC stand isn't set up properly and it falls over. I've had a few incidents with table neighbor's PVC falling over and hitting my friends and customers because they rope on their PVC pipes awkwardly. And so it's better to GIVE THEM THE CLAMPS!

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>>5822472
But really, these clamps are super helpful and you don't need a big one to hold up the pipes.

So did anyone here decide to reapply to AWA's alley after the massive backlash? Or are you content in staying way the fuck away?

>>5823270
IS DAT GROMIT?

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>>5823270
oh god, I want that hobbes plushie

>>5824657
I bought it for a friend for Christmas. She loved it so much she cried.

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>>5806631
I make Kanzashi I was actually planning on opening an Etsy and doing some local cons but I wasn't sure about what to charge. Its so labor intensive that I don't want to put a small price on it, but I don't want to make them too high. Most of my stuff is more casual and not as traditional

This is one of my favorites, its small enough to wear as a small accessory, but can hold up all of my hair if I need it to.

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>>5821019
I can vouch for Zap!

Pros: They have a really fast turnaround time (for both sticker sheets and charms). About 14 days after I paid and submitted my designs, they were in my mailbox. Win. The charms are excellent quality. They are printed into the acrylic, they're nice and thick, no transparent layer on top that can peel off. They are pretty sturdy, but you do want to give yourself a little extra leeway with the holes (managed to crack the area around the hole on two of mine while I was attaching cellphone straps) but I was also being a little too rough. They also sent me more than I paid for. I ordered 100 charms, and 25 extra. I was planning on 25 of each design, but I ended up with extras of each, for a total of 166 charms. Also 3 random Spideys ended up in my bag. lol. I don't know if they were from another order or just random freebees? But still kinda cool. :)

The cons are... well, price. The upfront cost is a little steep. But if you're selling a charm for $5, and you know it'll sell well, you make bank easily! They also have a paper layer on the backs that can get a little messy on your charms. I got some gunk on mine and as I'm bagging them in their individual packaging, I have to take some extra time to clean them off so they're ready to go. :) Also sticker sheets... since I'm writing about Zap, they're not as good as Stickerguy, but you're paying for a fast turnaround time really. But not too bad. :)

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>>5824809
Thanks for your feedback!

If artists have any feedback about any other service they have used, share it here please.

>>5824809

thanks for the info! Do they ship to the US or are they just in the UK?

Forgive me if this has already been asked but has anyone ever gotten stolen from? Does it happen often?

>>5824913
They ship to the US, (worldwide, I believe). I'm in Ohio for reference. :)

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>>5824987
Nope, though I've only started selling last year I prepared myself and the table to prevent theft from occurring:

1) Note inventory and mark off any that is sold during the event.
2) Make sure everything I sell is visible to me and not blocked off by some obstruction.
3) Keep limited quantity of each item on the table; I don't put everything I have out there and leave most under the table that I use to replenish any I sell on the table (I'll admit it looks kinda silly since it's like I'm not selling anything at all, lol)
4) Interact with everyone who comes by your table! It's polite and nothing discourages a thief better by taking a moment to make eye contact and say hello with a smile; they'd only steal if you're not paying attention and they don't want to be noticed.
5) Keep your table organized and don't have your goods spread all over the place; it's easy to lose track of your items that way and you won't notice what is taken till it's too late.

Locally, I'm not sure how often theft occurs in AA.

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>>5824987
I told this story in another thread, but some guy had his friend ask me about the materials of my chibis and the time it takes to make each one so I wouldn't notice his friend stealing from me. Now they're all either right in front of where I sit or zip-tied to the display.

I feel like the old comic book seller from Doug after his rare first edition was stolen. I can't believe someone would pretend to care about the time and effort it takes to hand-crochet every single doll when he knows he's helping his friend steal one.

>>5825226
Dang, that's terrible. I should add >>5825155 that having friends to help you with the table can be your extra eyes for thief prevention.

>>5823425
AWA declined me, and I'm kinda glad. I didn't wanna feel lazy and just not try, but that con seems to be way more trouble than it's worth.

I checked out some of the people that made it in, and while they're not all bad, the limits of the strict fanart policy really shows in some of them...

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>>5825226
Man-O-Steel Man
;_;

>>5824809
What size charm do you use? I'm looking at getting 1.5 inch cuts but yours look like a nice size.

>>5825570
Mine are 1 inch size. They work well for cellphone charms, rings, charm bracelets, earrings, possibly on pendants too (or a few charms on pendants... though most people will use one of the bigger sizes on a pendant). I was originally going to go for 1.5 inch but 1 works really well. :)

bump

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>http://www.baltimoregamer.com/posts/tigercon-2009-how-not-to-be-a-jerk-at-artist-alley

Feels bad if someone were to take their steps seriously...

>>5828846
I actually like doing the first part of #5 :< I mean, not having references is shitty, but finding an artist who loves the same obscure character you do is awesome

>i'm a comic congoer, not an anime congoer
>this might be more acceptable at comic cons because SOMEONE out there also loves your obscure character

>captcha: sunny DCuties
yup, exactly

Does anyone have that PVC help image, and information about how to secure it onto a table?

I usually use boxes but this time my friend is tabling with me and she has a lot of prints to hang. I remember Tim mentioning this clamp thing to lock it down to a table before but my googlefu is coming up fruitless.

Also Fanime table assignments are out! Hope everyone got a good spot.

>>5829002
You use these sort of clamps in >>5822478 , and what happens is that you have the clamps on the table edge with the stick pointing up, which the PVC pipes will fit over.

>>5788030 it's a little hard to see, but this table does the PVC setup over the clamp's long rod

>>5816607 this table used >>5821537 style of PVC and used different clamps to secure it to the table.

>>5829266
Omg thanks! I love you anon!!

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I try to do more original plush, but no matter how many people pick them up and coo over how cute they are they go unsold. I don't like making too many copy-written characters, but that's what sells, you know? For my next con it's going to be ponies and pokemon. Literally everything pokemon that I bring sells when I attend a convention.

>>5829955
Man...I would be all over those wee tiny little foxes you're selling; very cute!

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>>5830756
>original plush

It's tricky, it all depends on the theme and style that determines how successful one's "original plush" will be. Even I'm surprised by how popular cube-shaped animals turn out to be, and anything Japanese food related. I can only do fan plushies for so long, and I'd like to put out some original ones I've designed one day. One daaay...

AA peeve: that one artist who is decent, and gets /tons/ of commissions since they only charge $10 for a full body color.

Of course they are going to get more commissions than you even if you are at the same level, because they are the cheapest in the AA.

I have a "friend" that does this every con. She gets about $50+ commissions...taking most of them home where she either never finishes them, or she traces stuff from pixiv (as she does with 90% of her art), changing a few details here and there. It pisses me the fuck off...but I don't have the balls to say anything.

What little I have said to her (about the tracing and price undercutting) she musts laughs and admits she knows what she does is bad yet "good" at the same time...yeah, she's not that good of a person...cheats in relationships, etc.

>>5786403
>>5786390

I would buy every single pokemon one you make!!

I search high and low for home made pokemon things especially plushies or artwork. Especially sentrets and furrets OMG can't find anything ever!!!

>>5836543
Oh I hate these stupid dread things. Literally no one looks good in them.

Also quick poll: What have you made that you thought would sell like crazy and didn't? No one wanted my Scott Pilgrim stuff, even when it had just come out. Also Yotsuba... not as popular as I thought she was.

>>5837381
Maybe not sell crazy but at least sell reasonably... Charms, like L4D zombies and Recettear, made from sculpy for me. I think 1/4th or 1/5th of the quantity got sold. My factors were: poor display (doesn't stand out against my other larger goods) and price, which sucks because of the effort I put into them. Oh well, having a better display and do price deals will help this year, I hope.

Does any one know what happen to the AA drama for the AWA people?

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>tfw you do a mock set up and realize you need some more things.

ugh. cell phone pouches and pillows go! and prints too.

>>5838334
I know that feel, it was awkward laying out my stock on the table and it didn't fill up so much, but thankfully a friend of mine was selling bookmarks so I didn't have to worry about a foot or so of space... Last year, at my first Artist Alley, compared to everyone else our table was really low to the top, not enough stock to have things elevated off the table. Then at the second event I managed to make up some vertical setup for my friend's prints and it manage to hold up a couple of scarves I made, which I think helped our table stood out a bit.

Hopefully this year is different! It gets so mindnumbing to sew a lot of the same plushie, haha... And by the way, your bunnies look lovely! That's a spool rack that is holding up the bunny plushies and keychains right? Very resourceful!

>>5838391
yep! that's a spool rack :) i hadn't been using it for spools since my cats like to try and eat the thread, but it works perfectly for small items the need to be propped up.

>>5837897
They had a mix of First Come First Serve and Jury selection. They took the first application and either accepted or denied it based on their criteria, and repeated that in the order in which applications were received. The thing is they never told us what their criteria were, so when we submitted our portfolios we submitted whatever we had that was popular. People were denied for lack or original materials when, if they knew that's what AWA was looking for, they would have submitted it. Also they took out a bunch of AA spaces for food vendors.