# First fur-con advice



## Aoikit (Nov 27, 2012)

So later on this year I will be going to my first fur-con, like ever, and will be selling my art and custom dolls that will be made on the spot. At this point in time I am planning on doing nothing but commissions. I am nervous though because while I have done anime cons, and I am quite comfortable with the digital furry community I feel like I am walking in to this blind, and not only that I am dragging several other artist friends with me and I am the only true furry among the group.

So I was wondering what you guys suggest for a group of wondering artist entering the fur world for the "first" time some more knowledgeable than others.
What should we expect?
What sort of prices are the norm for what sort of things?
What are we going to run in to that you don't at other sorts of cons?
and is there anything big I should warn my friends about ahead of time?


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## Arshes Nei (Nov 27, 2012)

I deleted the other post because it was general con advice, and not one for the specific reason why you posted in this thread.

Please go back and fix your profile on the forums. It says your "FA USERNAME" not the entire url - you caused it to display a broken link. Just enter your username please.

It depends on how good your work is or if you get some kind of people just wanting you to draw your fetish. So make sure you have some good samples up so they know who you are.

I know there's some kind of meeting room in some cons where artists can hang out and sketch in each others' books. Please remember to put your contact info if you want someone to scan a sketch you did for them. There are also some leeches that will come by and expect you to sketch in your book. Whether you choose to do it or not, be aware of them. Also let those leeches who expect free art in their sketchbooks - you only do trades (if you don't want to give out free art).

Don't price yourself so cheap that you're working more hours than you can earn under a minimum wage salary. You'll burn out pretty fast drawing for others when there's days you want to draw for yourself. So price appropriately. 

There are no "prices for the norm" on sketches/commissions, it's really supply and demand. One guy can offer 5 bucks another 30 because they are high in demand. 

I mentioned the meeting/sketchroom as something I generally don't see at cons, but as far as warning your friends. Some people are very touchy feely so you should make sure they know their space. If you're not a fetish illustrator, then you want to make sure you're up front.

If you cannot do commissions on the spot, keep in good contact with your customers.  Make sure they leave legible contact information as well.


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## Aoikit (Nov 27, 2012)

Thanks for the advice, and I fixed my link problem.

One thing I started to see at the second con I ever did art at was people who really wanted me to look at their sketchbooks and give opinions on their art. Since the furry fandom is so art-driven should I expect to see more of that?


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## Arshes Nei (Nov 27, 2012)

Aoikit said:


> Thanks for the advice, and I fixed my link problem.
> 
> One thing I started to see at the second con I ever did art at was people who really wanted me to look at their sketchbooks and give opinions on their art. Since the furry fandom is so art-driven should I expect to see more of that?



That will probably happen. I remember meeting Scappo a long time ago and he often asked if we had tips or tutorials we could give him and put them in his sketchbook. It wasn't uncommon for other people to ask for advice or share tips. It was a pretty interesting atmosphere.


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## Toshabi (Nov 27, 2012)

I highly recommend securing merchandise to the tables and making sure that it cannot be picked up (aside from a few samples). At many of the conventions I've attended (anime is still a similar crowd), some people have a tendency to shoplift merchandise from artist alley tables. Many of the artists I've watched who went to big conventions such as Anime Expo, Anthrocon, ect. have constantly mentioned having merchandise and samples on their tables taken on a daily basis while at the convention. When having a display binder, make sure to tie it down to something on the table (even if it's to one of the foots of the table). If your table has display walls (I especially like the gated ones), make sure to tie down merchandise securely and make sure you know personally what went where.


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## Taralack (Dec 7, 2012)

After three days managing a table at my first con, here's my advice for you:
- Don't bother with prints, unless it's of fandom friendly fanart. The only two prints of mine that sold were of Ajani Goldmane and Flamedramon. Depending on how popular you are though this may be different for you.
- Conbadges were one of my top sellers. If you're laminating on the spot yourself, make sure you have enough material, and make sure you have a sharp blade and a proper surface to cut on. A single hole punch is also useful. A good alternative to laminating would be to do them on ACEO sized cards and putting them in plastic card sleeves. 
- If you can do traditionally coloured pieces on the spot, do it! But make sure you know your limit so that you can deliver all the art by the end of the con. 
- Make sure you have plenty of supplies. Paper especially. If the con is located in the city (like mine was) locate the nearest art store so you can go there to restock at the end of the day if you need to. 
- Get everyone's contact info before they walk off, so you can get in touch with them when you finish, or if they didn't come back to pick up their art.
- If you have a smartphone, take advantage of it! You can get people's references from them via Bluetooth, take photos of people's references if they have a printed copy, use the internet to look up references, and take photos of your art before you hand it off to your customer.
- Try to accommodate everyone's budget. My price ranges from $2 to $30, and each of my items were bought at least once.
- Make sure you have samples for everything on your price list. People like to see before they buy.
- People love free stuff, or the chance at free stuff, so take advantage of that. I had a "lucky draw" where everyone had a chance to win a poster sized copy of a piece of art, and you only needed to make any amount of purchase to enter. 
- Take the extra time to make a nice looking stand that clearly displays your prices. If you also do digital commissions, indicate that clearly somewhere. If you have a tablet or iPad, you can use it to display a slideshow of your digital work. 
- HAVE A NAME CARD!!! It makes you look professional, and if you set it out on the front of your table, people can easily grab it if they're too shy to speak to you. 
- Be friendly, make eye contact, address everyone who approaches your table, and smile regardless of whether or not they decide to purchase from you. If you're like me and socialising is tiring, just put in the extra effort. Trust me, it pays off. People like to buy from someone they can relate to.
- Look busy. Even if no one has bought from you yet, start working on your own stuff, maybe more samples. 

That's all I can think of for the moment, and that's just from my personal experience at my first con. Sorry it got so long!

ETA: I did not run into any of the behaviour Toshabi described, both at my table and at neighbouring tables. In fact, people were kind enough to pick up fallen items and merchandise off the floor and replace it on the table for us. Perhaps this is a difference in country and its people's mindsets, but I find Australians are generally quite honest.


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## Aoikit (Dec 17, 2012)

So over all it sounds like it is very much like any convention you could sell at. Only badges are very popular and there will be tons more suitors.

I have not spent much time around suits, is there any rules I should know?


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## Bulveye (Dec 17, 2012)

Aoikit said:


> So over all it sounds like it is very much like any convention you could sell at. Only badges are very popular and there will be tons more suitors.
> 
> I have not spent much time around suits, is there any rules I should know?


Pretty standard stuff. Don't pull their tails off, make sure they can see you, talk a little louder than usual, and give them the right of way if there's any doubt they can't see you.


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## Taralack (Dec 17, 2012)

Aoikit said:


> So over all it sounds like it is very much like any convention you could sell at. Only badges are very popular and there will be tons more suitors.
> 
> I have not spent much time around suits, is there any rules I should know?



In addition to what Bulveye said, also approach them from the front. Fursuits have pretty bad peripheral vision.


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## Tiamat (Dec 17, 2012)

Reading this thread sounds like going on a safari.


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## Taralack (Dec 17, 2012)

Tiamat said:


> Reading this thread sounds like going on a safari.



Well technically it may be... XD


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## Bulveye (Dec 18, 2012)

Tiamat said:


> Reading this thread sounds like going on a safari.


Dressing up in safari clothes with nerf guns at a con hunting fursuiters sounds like a crapload of fun!


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## Thaily (Dec 18, 2012)

It bears repeating: Get business cards that have your contact info and get your customers' contact info if you do commissions, I hear about a LOT of people losing contact with their artist/customer after cons.


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## Aoikit (Dec 19, 2012)

Thaily said:


> It bears repeating: Get business cards that have your contact info and get your customers' contact info if you do commissions, I hear about a LOT of people losing contact with their artist/customer after cons.



What I have done in the past is take down their phone number and text them when it was done.


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## Thaily (Dec 19, 2012)

Aoikit said:


> What I have done in the past is take down their phone number and text them when it was done.



Personally I wouldn't give out my phone number, especially taking time zones into account = nightly calls "LOl finished ur porn "
I'd just go with an e-mail address.


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## Tiamat (Dec 19, 2012)

Indeed, not that I have any experience conventions of any kind, let alone furry ones. But I'd like to chime in with Thaily about the emails, for a couple of reasons that I think are important:

1) Verbal and written agreements are actually contracts, even though they may be difficult to enforce. However, having everything in emails creates an excellent documentation of 
correspondence between both parties. Which is why it's always important to keep your cool and be polite. Should push come to shove and said documents need to be brought to light
it could be a major ace up your sleeve to have extra proof of a deals beginnings and sour points.

2) Best to maintain a personal, professional space. Emails can be dealt with in acceptable time frames. You don't want to have to filter calls from family and friends from clients who want to know where that rusty-trombone-playing-dragon oil painting they commissioned yesterday is.

3) Somewhat related to 2. If you are freelancing, you are working from home, you are the company. You don't have a staff. Its you alone. A phone call from a stranger can be far more intrusive than an email. 
If your mail gets spread around, its no big deal...but a phone number is a different story.


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## Taralack (Dec 19, 2012)

Thaily said:


> Personally I wouldn't give out my phone number, especially taking time zones into account = nightly calls "LOl finished ur porn "
> I'd just go with an e-mail address.



On the other hand though, I've found that some people at fur cons rarely check their email and prefer face contact with the artist. There were plenty of people I met there who I'd never heard of online. Especially if they came in from interstate they may not have stable internet at the hotel, so they won't check their email until they reach home.


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## Aoikit (Dec 20, 2012)

I have never had anyone miss use my number the last two cons I've used texting. If I am not going to finish the commission at the con then I took an e mail and used it to contact the person. One of the things I really want to avoid is the " come back later and see if its done" I don't always do things in order, doing quick small things during breaks from big things, and I have been badgered by commissioners " when will mine be done"'s a few times.


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