Forum - View topicAnime News Nina! - 2011-08-24
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Greed1914
 Posts: 4640 |
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Poor Paola. Economics can be cruel.
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Teriyaki Terrier
 Posts: 5689 |
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Actually the answer to Paula's problem is challenging indeed, but given this is product is one that can be purchased ( or made by hand) the price in this instance should reflect how much money was spent creating/distributing this product. You just have to be mindful of over head.
See you want to make enough money to break even with production/distribution costs, but it's generally a wise idea to aim to make more additional revenue other than simply breaking even. That is why it's really important to analyze the cost to produce and or distribute a product. In theory, it's a good business model to minimize costs and see if you can get the material for the lowest price possible. But like Paula noticed, there is often giant discrepancies with the price of items. In this instance hats. When I went to a convention recently myself, I saw several of those same hats as well. Some were expensive, some were inexpensive and some were middle range price. Charge too much money and it's slightly unlikely that the product won't sell that well. But if you charge too little, you may not make enough money to break even and or it might be thought (like in this comic) that the product is inferior. Great comic Robin, it was quite well done. |
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minakichan
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AUGHHH I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL PAOLA D:
But yeah, even as someone who doesn't make hats... Don't those take a long time?! $15 seems really low, I'm pretty sure that's wayyy below the minimum wage given the hours spent per hat. In the artist alley, I think it's only other artists who can see something that took 5 hours and think that $50 is a very good deal... Handicrafts just can't compare to mass-produced things (and even with prints... well, some people spend 100+ hours on the original...). Everyone else is too cheap. No, I'm not bitter at all! I mean, yeah, artists' alley is just for fun (usually), but so few people there do better than just barely break even (if that) that it just feels underappreciated... In my dream world, customers are willing to pay enough to cover minimum wage for an artist's time and effort!! |
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fireaxe
 Posts: 503 Location: Trois-Rivieres, Canada |
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Aaaaah, I can't help but wonder if this comic is based on Robin's own experience in Montréal last week... I certainly hope not, as I was extremely glad I got to meet her there (I even bought one of her drawings from that day), and would love to see her coming back. Hopefully it's just my imagination, but the timing of this comic makes me wonder!
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Tamaria
 Posts: 1512 Location: De Achterhoek |
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The simple ones with just a set of ears? No, not really. I run a kind of crafts circle and our hat prices range from €6 to €15. The trick is to keep material costs as low as possible without sacrificing quality. I need 1.5 - 2 hours to put a hat together, but that's only because I sew them by hand while watching anime. It would be much faster with a sewing machine. We also sell amigurumi, kumihimo bracelets and a ton of other stuff 
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Cheesecracker
 Posts: 240 |
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I can't imagine any artist *not* having a "pearls before swine" moment. It's like a prerequisite.
self worth is best not left to others to decide, yaknowhatimean? Gawd, that face at the end..and the noise she's making...like a piece of her soul was being removed. ("and it was at that moment that she swore an oath to hate with the heat of a 1000 white-hot suns any idiot that didn't know a good deal when it was biting them on the backside.") I think ,ideally(if you have the choice), if you can have fun making things then the selling part is just icing towards the process of making room for a new batch. Homeostasis, anyone? Me, I like making guitars. I really don't need anymore so my best option is to convince someone to let me make one for them. I'm basically, getting someone to finance my playtime. It might sound dumb not to be more profit minded, but I learned(for myself,anyway) that it's too easy to undervalue fun. Kind of the 'bird in the hand...' scenario. Is the profit you *could* make worth more than the fun you might be sacrificing? |
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ss-hikaru
 Posts: 269 Location: Western Australia |
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Oooh I agree! Except I don't sell the stuff I make, I give them as gifts. It's a good way to get rid (for lack of a better term) of stuff I had fun making, and people usually appreciate them ^^ Wow you make guitars? Do you have a gallery or something, I'm really curious! |
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Hardgear
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Price discrepancies at the dealer room can be even funnier. No joke, at AX this year I saw the same plushies for $50 in one booth, $60 in another, $100 in another, $120 in another...
It's a risk I guess. Do you scour the whole room for a better deal and risk someone else buying out what you want, or do you take the chance and buy it soon as you see it and risk seeing it half price just 2 booths down? |
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DuelLadyS
 Posts: 1705 Location: WA state |
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Opening price should equal cost of item x 2 or 2.5 (assuming you aren't adding in the cost of time and booth rental at the start). This gives you room to offer discounts while still turning a profit. Also, customers will never cease to amaze you with their stupidity, so don't let it get to you. (My current top runners- a lady who made get get a tape measure to check the opening size of a clearly marked mat multiple times in a 3 minute window, and a lady who wanted me to stop a specific yarn company from having their product made in Turkey becuase it was a slightly different color.)
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Sunday Silence
 Posts: 2047 |
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God, tell me about it. I was in Borders the other day using my "BR+ discount e-mail" and I still can't believe some folks still want additional discounts on top of the already liquidation sales, all because the book "has a tear" or is "dirty." |
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DerekTheRed
 Posts: 3544 Location: ::Points to hand:: |
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I agree, poor Paola. She seems to have been given an unsolicited sex change, and goes by Paolo in the main side bar. 
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SailorButterfly
 Posts: 152 Location: Pike Road, AL |
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Aww...my artist friend can definitely relate to this comic.
When she wanted to do her first con AA earlier this year, she was asking my advice on prices. I didn't even know what to tell her because I see prices all over the board! 
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leafy sea dragon
 Posts: 7163 Location: Another Kingdom |
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I would bet that location is also a big part of it--if you're highly visible, people will come straight to you, and you can charge any price you'd like. It also helps if you're doing something no one else is doing, because then you control the prics, not other artists.
For instance, at Anime Expo this year, one guy was doing balloon sculptures. The medium is so unusual and the skill set so different than normal art that you can tell he's the only one doing them. In addition, he had this big arch with examples hung onto it and colorful balloons all over, so he was one of the most popular artists despite being at the back. (I got a balloon Oswald the Lucky Rabbit for $10.) |
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Youkai Warrior
 Posts: 505 Location: Sarayashiki |
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Poor Paola!
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belvadeer
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The worst kinds of customers are the ones who have to openly criticize within earshot. Saying "this is horrible, it sucks" or "it's got a rip in it, lame" where the seller can obviously hear them is just an example of why they need to be thrown through a window. Ah stupid customers, sucking all the fun out of shopping since who knows how long.
On the upside, maybe Paola's Rehh will become a new meme. X3 |
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