[IcyPanther]

Hello,

This is my first time attending ACEN as hopefully an artist at the Artist Alley. I was hoping from previous con-goers and artists for a little information or suggestions on what I should be selling.

• I specialize in chibi art and will be drawing ones like these, , to sell on screen-printed merchandise or on iron sheets for people to put on their own things. What popular characters might you suggest I get a collection of? I want to reach as many people as possible with a wide selection available!
  
• I will also be doing prints, in styles like and . Are there any cool poses or scenes you might like to see me draw?
  
• I also plan on selling panel bookmarks, like these: . Again, suggestions on characters?

And of course for some technical questions.

• Can I have a printer at my table? Can I have a computer? Do these cost extra?
  
• Are irons allowed (for screen printing purposes)?
  
• Any pricing suggestions? Like I said, I've never done this before and want to make sure I both earn some money and make things affordable.
  
• How much does a table cost to rent for the whole weekend?

You can check out my Deviant Art for more artwork, or if you're interested in ordering now. I will be taking open commisions as well at ACEN and selling original art, so anything is game.

Thanks much everyone!

[Lord Warhammer]

IcyPanther, on 10 August 2011 - 07:19 PM, said:

And of course for some technical questions.

• Can I have a printer at my table? Can I have a computer? Do these cost extra?
  
• Are irons allowed (for screen printing purposes)?
  
• Any pricing suggestions? Like I said, I've never done this before and want to make sure I both earn some money and make things affordable.
  
• How much does a table cost to rent for the whole weekend?

Good Evening

Printer - Yes.
Computer - Yes. You would have to pay for a power drop. This does cost extra.
Irons - They were allowed in years past, but check the updated rules when they come out for more info.
Pricing suggestions - Usually 8.5 x 11 prints are somewhere between 5-8 dollars, 11x20 10-15 dollars.
Table cost - It cost 60.00 in previous years, but check back for any changes in 2012

PS. Join the Artist Alley mailing list. It has lots of information. Send a request to artshow@acen.org

This post has been edited by Lord Warhammer: 10 August 2011 - 07:43 PM

[tatterpillar]

It looks like you have a lot of the popular characters covered. Try Vocaloid, Soul Eater, Blue Exorcist, Fairy Tail, Black Butler, maybe some Marvel and DC, Tiger & Bunny, Panty and Stocking with Garter Belt, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Dragonball Z, and D gray Man. You probably already had those in mind :3

Also, just to throw it out there, I heart durable fridge magnets and phone charms

[IcyPanther]

Lord Warhammer, on 10 August 2011 - 07:34 PM, said:

Good Evening

Printer - Yes.
Computer - Yes. You would have to pay for a power drop. This does cost extra.
Irons - They were allowed in years past, but check the updated rules when they come out for more info.
Pricing suggestions - Usually 8.5 x 11 prints are somewhere between 5-8 dollars, 11x20 10-15 dollars.
Table cost - It cost 60.00 in previous years, but check back for any changes in 2012

PS. Join the Artist Alley mailing list. It has lots of information. Send a request to artshow@acen.org

Thank you very much, Lord Warhammer! I will certainly sign up for the mailing list as well!

[IcyPanther]

tatterpillar, on 11 August 2011 - 07:00 AM, said:

It looks like you have a lot of the popular characters covered. Try Vocaloid, Soul Eater, Blue Exorcist, Fairy Tail, Black Butler, maybe some Marvel and DC, Tiger & Bunny, Panty and Stocking with Garter Belt, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Dragonball Z, and D gray Man. You probably already had those in mind :3

Also, just to throw it out there, I heart durable fridge magnets and phone charms

Thanks very much for the suggestions, tatterpillar! I had definetly planned on some FT and SE, but for some reason FF hadn't even crossed my mind! =p

Oh, magnets and phone charms, what cute ideas! I was thinking last night and I thought keychains might be cute too!

[Kitchan]

I recommend going on the mailing list for Artists' Alley, so you can be informed as to any policy changes regarding the Alley (which can affect things like what you can have at your table) for the 2012 year.

It's good though that you're planning already! ACen 2012 is in April this year so it'll come up before you know it!

Hope to see you there!

[The Fujoshi]

Welcome to your first Acen!

You could use:

Naruto
Hetalia
PSG
Hanasaku Iroha
Durarara!
Any Final fantasy series, such as FFT, FF7, FF8, FF10, etc.
Star ocean series

Those are popular video game/anime series currently

Hope you have fun.

[IcyPanther]

Kitchan, on 11 August 2011 - 09:05 AM, said:

I recommend going on the mailing list for Artists' Alley, so you can be informed as to any policy changes regarding the Alley (which can affect things like what you can have at your table) for the 2012 year.

It's good though that you're planning already! ACen 2012 is in April this year so it'll come up before you know it!

Hope to see you there!

Emailing them in a second to get on the list, thanks! I know, I was surprised it was in April. Can never start planning too early!
Hope to see you there too!

[IcyPanther]

The Fujoshi, on 11 August 2011 - 11:15 AM, said:

Welcome to your first Acen!

You could use:

Naruto
Hetalia
PSG
Hanasaku Iroha
Durarara!
Any Final fantasy series, such as FFT, FF7, FF8, FF10, etc.
Star ocean series

Those are popular video game/anime series currently

Hope you have fun.

Thanks Fujoshi! I'm super excited!
It's sad, I only recognize the first two and the FF characters -shame- Is PSG short for anything? Mayhap I'll try to draw a few main characters of those (even if i have no idea who they are, someone else will =p)

[Millions_Knives]

ya have good amoutn of equipment there
so be sure to get a power drop (an extra fee)

acens artist ally is the biggest of any anime con in NA (so im told by the DH)
there could be be 8-12 ppl selling stuff like yours
so youll really need to plan your display to get ppls attention (within guidelines)
it also pays to look at what ppl have sold in the past
not only to see what moves
but to find things that they may have missed

[IcyPanther]

Millions_Knives, on 11 August 2011 - 06:35 PM, said:

ya have good amoutn of equipment there
so be sure to get a power drop (an extra fee)

acens artist ally is the biggest of any anime con in NA (so im told by the DH)
there could be be 8-12 ppl selling stuff like yours
so youll really need to plan your display to get ppls attention (within guidelines)
it also pays to look at what ppl have sold in the past
not only to see what moves
but to find things that they may have missed

Thanks for the advice Knives!
Do you happen to know about how much the power drop fee costs?

Also, I've unfortunately not been able to go to a con in about ... 7 years? So I'm really not sure what hasn't been tried yet. I know there's probably going to be a lot fo the same merchandise, but I guess that's when you then try to sell your individual style :3 Any suggestions though on things that tend to get overdone? (other than prints, as those are sort of any artist's go-to).

[Voltaire30]

At this point the prices and options are still under review for the next year. It's nothing new, it is just something we review every year to keep things fresh.

[theknotfactory]

Hello! I'm another artist who's hopefully going to attend Artist Alley at Acen next year. I'm planning on selling amigurumi, or small crocheted dolls (examples: http://theknotfactory.tumblr.com ). I know Artist Alley is mostly visual art, but are there many people who sell this sort of thing? Another question: how do you get on the AA mailing list? Thank you!

This post has been edited by theknotfactory: 11 August 2011 - 10:30 PM

[IcyPanther]

theknotfactory, on 11 August 2011 - 10:27 PM, said:

Hello! I'm another artist who's hopefully going to attend Artist Alley at Acen next year. I'm planning on selling amigurumi, or small crocheted dolls (examples: http://theknotfactory.tumblr.com ). I know Artist Alley is mostly visual art, but are there many people who sell this sort of thing? Another question: how do you get on the AA mailing list? Thank you!

Those are super cute, Knot!
I'm not very familiar with what is sold at ACEN, but I imagine those woudl be pretty popular! The one time I went I don't remember seeing anything like those. I believe to get on the mailing list just email the address that the first post posted. (artshow@acen.org, I think. Double check xD). I haven't heard from them yet, but hopefully i'm on it!

[Millions_Knives]

@ icy
sadly i cant predict what will and wont sell as trends shift

but it seems something (anime, game, what have you) will will hold popularity for 6-18 months
before a new set of fans rolls in
(if i had to guess what hot now id say hitalia, my little pony, homestuck, black butler, minecraft, panty and stocking, but again trends shift)

tricks to help spot popular themes for each con:

see what the mager producers are pushing 3-6 months before each con (ie what funimation, adult swim, and so on are showing)


read the forums and see what are the popular/active topics, photo shoots events, and so on are


try going to smaller cons and see what ppl are buying and what tables are getting the most attention
this would also be a good time to see what fans are exited about and get more direct feed back
and may help to get back into the swing of things


@ theknot
i know of 2 ppl who did the same thing as you last year
i bought a custom plushi from one of them for $25 and she said she did well that weekend

This post has been edited by Millions_Knives: 12 August 2011 - 08:08 AM

[Stormy-chan]

I like when I can find buttons, and the laminated trading card style items

As for characters I love the older shows best Tenchi Muyo, Fushigi Yugi, Sailor Moon, Rayearth, and Fruits Basket. Also love Kingdom Hearts to! I try to mix it up though with original art from a person to give my collection some variety I have a few (er vast collection) of purses/bags that I love to decorate with all the buttons I can find! so buttons, buttons, and more buttons!

[IcyPanther]

Stormy-chan, on 12 August 2011 - 08:56 AM, said:

I like when I can find buttons, and the laminated trading card style items

As for characters I love the older shows best Tenchi Muyo, Fushigi Yugi, Sailor Moon, Rayearth, and Fruits Basket. Also love Kingdom Hearts to! I try to mix it up though with original art from a person to give my collection some variety I have a few (er vast collection) of purses/bags that I love to decorate with all the buttons I can find! so buttons, buttons, and more buttons!

Haha, the laminated cards could be cute! Buttons woudl be adorable too, but I have no idea how to make them I'm sure there's some type of kit i could buy, but I don't want to spend too much money on supplies xD


@Knives --
Thanks for all the advice! I'll try and keep an eye on the trends and see what's popular!

[BrokenRemnantStudios]

"Haha, the laminated cards could be cute! Buttons woudl be adorable too, but I have no idea how to make them I'm sure there's some type of kit i could buy, but I don't want to spend too much money on supplies xD"


Zap Creatives sells custom buttons for fantastic prices! I think you can get like 50 1 inch buttons for around 15-20 USD. You can look for other places that sell custom buttons too. As to the equipment, there are plenty of places that sell machines and kits for making buttons, but often times they'll cost you around $200 and up.

[Kitchan]

IcyPanther, on 11 August 2011 - 03:39 PM, said:

Emailing them in a second to get on the list, thanks! I know, I was surprised it was in April. Can never start planning too early! Hope to see you there too!

I should be there, as I'm the Assistant Department Head of Artists' Alley.

theknotfactory, on 11 August 2011 - 10:27 PM, said:

Hello! I'm another artist who's hopefully going to attend Artist Alley at Acen next year. I'm planning on selling amigurumi, or small crocheted dolls (examples: http://theknotfactory.tumblr.com ). I know Artist Alley is mostly visual art, but are there many people who sell this sort of thing? Another question: how do you get on the AA mailing list? Thank you!

Since 2009 (since I've been staffing Exhibit Space), there have been a few studios offering amigurumi, so it's not unheard of. You should fit right in.

[BrokenRemnantStudios]

Just got off the wait list (YAAAYYY!!) and just put together a list of EVERYTHING that we're offering...and it's a lot 0.o
Is there a general rule you guys follow for your first con?

We have:

15 prints (10 of each) <--- mostly old school/classic anime stuff (sailor moon, ouran, Vampire Knight, cardcaptor etc.)
8 Buttons (5-10 of each) <--- RPG Class buttons and cute pokeball buttons, among other designs
2 bookmarks (5 of each) <--- cute animal bookmarks
2 badges (5 of each) <--- "Otaku" badge and "Gamer" badge
3 geisha plushies
as well as an abundance of handmade wire jewelry <--- mostly rings and earrings

after counting everything, well over 300 pieces


is it too much?

[IcyPanther]

BrokenRemnantStudios, on 27 January 2012 - 10:07 PM, said:

Just got off the wait list (YAAAYYY!!) and just put together a list of EVERYTHING that we're offering...and it's a lot 0.o
Is there a general rule you guys follow for your first con?

We have:

15 prints (10 of each) <--- mostly old school/classic anime stuff (sailor moon, ouran, Vampire Knight, cardcaptor etc.)
8 Buttons (5-10 of each) <--- RPG Class buttons and cute pokeball buttons, among other designs
2 bookmarks (5 of each) <--- cute animal bookmarks
2 badges (5 of each) <--- "Otaku" badge and "Gamer" badge
3 geisha plushies
as well as an abundance of handmade wire jewelry <--- mostly rings and earrings

after counting everything, well over 300 pieces


is it too much?

Yayayayay!!! I'm so glad you're going to be there!!!!!!
I'm still trying to figure out how much to get of each too! I've decided to go more via less, because I can always try selling online or at another con.
I have way too many of each style (I'm using chibi art and combining it to make bookmarks, magnets, etc.) but I'm bringing at least 5 of each style for the more popular ones Can't wait to see you!!!!!

[BrokenRemnantStudios]

IcyPanther, on 27 January 2012 - 10:43 PM, said:

Yayayayay!!! I'm so glad you're going to be there!!!!!!
I'm still trying to figure out how much to get of each too! I've decided to go more via less, because I can always try selling online or at another con.
I have way too many of each style (I'm using chibi art and combining it to make bookmarks, magnets, etc.) but I'm bringing at least 5 of each style for the more popular ones Can't wait to see you!!!!!

I'm glad we're going too! I had a massive joygasm when we got that email! You'll have to come by and say hello! :3