# How do people price their art so high, and get away with it?



## Inkblooded (Nov 27, 2017)

Ever since I joined FAF I noticed that everyone prices their commissions on here much higher than what I am used to. Even beginner artists commissions usually start at $10 for a sketch and go up to $40 and beyond.

This is bizarre. As someone who primarily uses DA and FA (main site, not forums) for commissions, it is rare that I am able to make a sale over $5-10, and if I want to make more than that then I need to do a very detailed painting. This is as high as I feel I can price where people will still buy it. 

It's not just me. The kind of artists I usually mutually watch have the same kind of prices and methods.
I am certain that you can only start to raise your prices once you get more well known - unless your art is god level from the beginning, nobody will want to pay you that much. Also - it seems people are willing to spend more money on a popular artist than art quality, kind of like paying extra for a specific designer brand of clothes even if the fabric is low quality and doesn't last long.

I also could never ask for prices close to my current ones when I first started commissions. My first commissions were all under $5. Nobody would pay more than a dollar or two.

So I am asking (not in a rude way), how is it that people are pricing their commissions much higher here?
Do you even get any customers, or do you just price what you want to get and hope for the best?
Or did I just get unluckily stuck with the cheapest people?


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## Arko90 (Nov 27, 2017)

Draw more, people (like me) are very exigent, so draw again, and post FREQUENTLY new draw on your profile, to make you known... actually that's all to help you  I don't know draw and I would like to draw... so I can't really help, I just thought about VoreLord, a very good drawer, who is a bit too expensive ^^


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## SSJ3Mewtwo (Nov 27, 2017)

Supply and demand is what it most often comes down to.  

Particular styles and certain levels of detail translate to (often at least) particular amounts of time invested on the part of the artists.  The more those artists post art of a certain quality and type, the more they are seen by the community as a whole, and the more they are exposed to what others offering commissions are charging for their work.

Those artists then adjust their commission pricing to what they feel is something that the community will pay for.  That's them adjusting to the furry art market's supply and demand.

As they improve in skill and in recognition, there is (at least potentially and barring a lot of other factors, like niche appeal or just simply still being under the radar) the incentive to increase pricing as demand increase.  They can only supply so much, so prices tend to gradually creep up.  Maybe some end up going a bit too high, and that reduces their demand, so they scale things back a bit.

Sure, there are some who make a huge splash right away, and draw a lot of attention to their product, so they can ask for higher than average prices right off the bat.  But overall a lot of the pricing you see is the result of months or years of fine tuning and improvement that's paced alongside the market demand for them.


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## SSJ3Mewtwo (Nov 27, 2017)

Also, just so it's said:  the inclusion of 'and get away with it' is probably not the most....uhh....."inviting" for feedback.


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## Inkblooded (Nov 27, 2017)

SSJ3Mewtwo said:


> Also, just so it's said:  the inclusion of 'and get away with it' is probably not the most....uhh....."inviting" for feedback.



I didn't mean it to say that it's a crime. It was more like "How can you price your art that high, while still getting customers and without people complaining?"


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## SSJ3Mewtwo (Nov 27, 2017)

Inkblooded said:


> I didn't mean it to say that it's a crime. It was more like "How can you price your art that high, while still getting customers and without people complaining?"



So I gathered, after reading the post itself.  Still, impressions matter when you're opening a topic where you want to get honest feedback.


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## BahgDaddy (Nov 27, 2017)

Inkblooded said:


> Ever since I joined FAF I noticed that everyone prices their commissions on here much higher than what I am used to. Even beginner artists commissions usually start at $10 for a sketch and go up to $40 and beyond.
> 
> This is bizarre. As someone who primarily uses DA and FA (main site, not forums) for commissions, it is rare that I am able to make a sale over $5-10, and if I want to make more than that then I need to do a very detailed painting. This is as high as I feel I can price where people will still buy it.
> 
> ...



I won't lie. Your attitude is probably bad for business. Good business people are chronically nice and bend over backwards for their customers. 

Another aspect is that people can charge whatever they want. But you've got no idea how much money they're actually getting.


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## SSJ3Mewtwo (Nov 27, 2017)

BahgDaddy said:


> Another aspect is that people can charge whatever they want. But you've got no idea how much money they're actually getting.



This is another totally valid point.  Yes, artists might have certain prices listed.  But it's hard to know how much business those prices are actually bringing in.

That kinda ties back to what I mentioned in my post.  They'll be working within the realms of supply and demand.  Sure, they might be supplying art and asking a certain price for it, but if the demand for that sort of art at that particular price isn't there....then they're just not going to get it.


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## -..Legacy..- (Nov 27, 2017)

Inkblooded said:


> I didn't mean it to say that it's a crime. It was more like "How can you price your art that high, while still getting customers and without people complaining?"



People usually won't complain if the work is solid.  That being said, I could do 4 $10 color adopts, on free bases no less, in 20 minutes.  They will sell quickly, if they are attractive. I personally have no desire to do it, so I don't.   Is it easy money?  All day.  There's people bringing in hundreds a week, on what many consider low effort work.  If you have a unique character/species/whatever, offer recolors on your pre-drawn base.  Bring something to the table on occasion, that people can't get anywhere else.  It's all just part of running a business.  You have to take in the market to see what's hot at the moment.  See how other artists interact with clients, and how their main page is set up.  There are a good amount of average artists that sell on their personality alone. 

If you consistently keep your price low, without testing the waters occasionally, people will get accustomed to that.  Now, I know there are a lot of subjects you prefer to decline.  But, have you found other types you enjoy that appear popular through research?  Would your style do well on a landscaped work?  Spice it up a bit.   

One last bit of advice, is to make your page "friendlier".  You can still get your point across, without sounding like it currently does.  If I didn't know you, and I was cruising artists to spend money on, I probably wouldn't have made it halfway down your page before moving on.  It sounds very abrasive, and like you really don't even want to talk to customers that have already paid.  It's just a big warning flag to most when you say you're quitting, as well.


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## Crimcyan (Nov 27, 2017)

The artists I usually follow undersell their art for cheaper then they should. Like for example my icon I'm using right now was only $8. I also noticed from alot of the better artist they also undersell so they get a lot higher tips.
So if you have a good attitude towards your customers you can sell for cheap but make back the more money from tips.
Then again I dont go onto FA to search for artists, I usually use tumblr or Twitter so it's a bit more civil.


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## Inkblooded (Nov 27, 2017)

BahgDaddy said:


> I won't lie. Your attitude is probably bad for business. Good business people are chronically nice and bend over backwards for their customers.
> 
> Another aspect is that people can charge whatever they want. But you've got no idea how much money they're actually getting.



My "attitude" shown on this forums is not shown on my art pages. So I doubt it.
I've actually been too kind to my customers, I think. I have made some bad mistakes in the past where I let people walk all over me and let shitty behaviour slide.



-..Legacy..- said:


> One last bit of advice, is to make your page "friendlier".  You can still get your point across, without sounding like it currently does.  If I didn't know you, and I was cruising artists to spend money on, I probably wouldn't have made it halfway down your page before moving on.  It sounds very abrasive, and like you really don't even want to talk to customers that have already paid.  It's just a big warning flag to most when you say you're quitting, as well.



Which page? FA or DA?
FA is intentionally rude due to the amount of rude comments and occasional sexual harassment I get from there.
And I am quitting, as you noticed, at least probably. So I don't worry about getting commissions from there.

As for DA I don't know how to make it "friendlier." I don't want to sound very friendly because that's fake, I am not a "warm" person who offers kisses and hugs to anyone who walks by. I am content with being neutral.


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## fralea (Nov 27, 2017)

What you have on your FA page is a red flag that screams scammer. Considering your commission backlog, well, if you are asking for more customers then.....

I only ever made sales on DA when I first started commissions. The market price there is much lower than FA, due to a lot of users being underage. I've never found it worth my while but perhaps I'm the wrong niche for that site. I started at $40 USD for a thigh-up full colour painting and have never had a dearth of customers even after raising price considerably. I work pretty slow so I'm turning down customers a lot, I could probably raise prices even more for full paintings (not sketches and stuff).

Any time I've had people say I was too expensive, either:
-they never contact me again
or
-they end up buying at full price anyway, even if I give cheaper options

My repeat customers tell me they appreciate my professionalism, fair TOS, ability to draw different bodytypes/species, and attention to detail in what they request (though I do often forget things... but I tend to notice them before my commissioners do and fix them or offer to fix them). Then again if someone had a bad experience I doubt they'd tell me straight to my face. BTW, I'm not a fast artist at all. I take months on big projects.

I don't compromise on what I say I will and won't draw (unless I honestly want to draw it). Again, when I tell people no either:
-they never contact me again
or
-they change their idea and commission something else (I even refunded someone once when I thought I would be comfortable with their idea but I couldn't finish)

If people say things in my comments that I'm uncomfortable with, I warn them once politely to please stop. If they do it again they get blocked (I can think of maybe one time its happened). I even made a journal to link on my profile that says what I am and am not comfortable with comment-wise.

I think if you get through your current queue, consistently post new art in your gallery so people can see you completing pieces (also helps build more watchers/fans), and improve your professionalism/business practices, you could sell portraits like this one for $30 or more. Its very nice quality work.

www.furaffinity.net: Nat by Inkblooded

I hope that my experience helps you some.


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## Inkblooded (Nov 27, 2017)

fralea said:


> What you have on your FA page is a red flag that screams scammer.



What about it, exactly? Care to elaborate on that...?



fralea said:


> Considering your commission backlog, well, if you are asking for more customers then.....



I'm not. Commissions are closed.



fralea said:


> I think if you get through your current queue, consistently post new art in your gallery so people can see you completing pieces (also helps build more watchers/fans), and improve your professionalism/business practices, you could sell portraits like this one for $30 or more. Its very nice quality work.
> 
> www.furaffinity.net: Nat by Inkblooded
> 
> I hope that my experience helps you some.



Really? Because those were sold for $5. Nobody was willing to pay higher on either site.


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## BahgDaddy (Nov 27, 2017)

Inkblooded said:


> *My "attitude" shown on this forums is not shown on my art pages. So I doubt it.*
> I've actually been too kind to my customers, I think. I have made some bad mistakes in the past where I let people walk all over me and let shitty behaviour slide.
> 
> 
> ...



I looked at your profile. I've never seen someone use that much red lettering. Yes, it is your attitude. Perhaps you should have someone else write your terms of service into something more professional.


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## Inkblooded (Nov 27, 2017)

BahgDaddy said:


> I looked at your profile. I've never seen someone use that much red lettering. Yes, it is your attitude. Perhaps you should have someone else write your terms of service into something more professional.



What are we talking about, my FA page or TOS?
Because I don't have my TOS linked on FA and that's not in red letters. Only the FA page is.

If it's unprofessional, mind telling me exactly how and more importantly, how to improve it?


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## SSJ3Mewtwo (Nov 27, 2017)

Inkblooded said:


> My "attitude" shown on this forums is not shown on my art pages. So I doubt it.





Inkblooded said:


> Which page? FA or DA?
> FA is intentionally rude due to the amount of rude comments and occasional sexual harassment I get from there.
> And I am quitting, as you noticed, at least probably. So I don't worry about getting commissions from there.
> 
> As for DA I don't know how to make it "friendlier." I don't want to sound very friendly because that's fake, I am not a "warm" person who offers kisses and hugs to anyone who walks by. I am content with being neutral.



Your different pages/online locations do not exist in a vacuum, or sort of isolation.  

Behavior and perception that is attached to you in one location can (and very often does) follow that same screen name to other locations.  That's how negative reputations and the like are developed.  Someone under a certain handle portrays themselves a certain way, and that perception is passed around by those they interact with.  And that certainly can end up impacting how much you'll be sought after for commissions.

If you're looking to make money from commissions, it behooves you to be polite.

That doesn't mean you let yourself get taken for a ride, nor does it mean you not set firm policies.  But it's far from impossible to set firm policies that ensure people know what you're willing to do, for what price, and what their obligations are.

If you want examples of that...heck, look at the ToSs of the more recognized names.  There might be some snarky comments or the like on the ToS pages of furry artists that command very high prices and whom are in big demand, but overall they just lay out clearly what they expect, what they can do, and what others as commissioners should expect.


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## fralea (Nov 27, 2017)

Feel free to link your TOS if you want a review. I might be too busy to look it over tbh but maybe someone else will. From your fa page:

*"I have a big art queue, and I have a lot of art I owe people. "*
As a potential customer, this tells me that you don't know when you have taken on too much work, and I may be walking into a situation where I have to wait months with no progress and no refunds. (I know you aren't open rn, but its the sort of thing people will keep in mind when you do open later.)
*
"Please do not ask me for commission updates daily, and no, you will not receive your art within 24 hours of purchasing. "*
This is just aggressively worded. It makes people think "wait, why are customers having to hound him for commission info?" Something more polite might be "Please do not contact me more than once a week about commissions, unless I contact you first. Thanks!"
*
"Artists are not art machines, we do not work 24/7."*
Again, aggressive. While some people may act this way, you shouldn't assume the worst of your potential customers right off the bat. It creates a hostile environment.
* 
"I can take anywhere from a few days to weeks for commissions, sometimes longer if I have a lot to do. If this bothers you, do not commission me. "*
Yet again, aggressively worded. Simply stating "My usual turnaround is a couple weeks, but I can take longer sometimes" is sufficient. Also since you say "if I have a lot to do" after "I have a lot of are I owe" earlier  gives people the impression you have a large backlog (which you do) and if they ever commission you they may also end up stuck in a large backlog.

*"I do not give refunds unless I deem the situation fair."*
'I only give refunds when I feel like it' is illegal. Granted, I am giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming that you DO give refunds if clients deserve them, but just worded it in a bad way. Its much better to have your refund policy laid out in detail for potential customers to look over and be reassured that you won't just refuse to give them a refund because you don't like them. Its more normal to not even mention refunds on your profile and just have it in your TOS. Some people might wonder why you have it mentioned on your profile.... they might wonder if a lot of customers contacting you for refunds and you are refusing them, which would make them nervous.

You also have a customer in your shouts asking you why you haven't contacted them about a commission. While its an old shout, it would still be a red flag. Not saying you should delete it, since that comes off as shady, but that in most cases you should try to keep things so your customers don't _have _to contact you via shout. If you are going to be gone for awhile (ex: you got the flu) try to contact your customers first and say you will be out of contact for X time. Sometimes this is unavoidable though, like if your emails to eachother aren't going through.

If I saw that profile page, I wouldn't be willing to risk more than five bucks on you either.


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## BahgDaddy (Nov 27, 2017)

Inkblooded said:


> What are we talking about, my FA page or TOS?
> Because I don't have my TOS linked on FA and that's not in red letters. Only the FA page is.
> 
> If it's unprofessional, mind telling me exactly how and more importantly, how to improve it?



Red writing comes across as aggressive, especially contrasted with FA's dark color scheme. It's also hard to read. People are going to see the red writing and instead of feeling engaged by you, they could feel intimidated and leave. (Color psychology is an established field of study and utilized by advertisers constantly. Walmart is blue = trustworthy. Dollar general is yellow = cheap. Amazon is goldish = high value. And so on.)

Remove your art queue. People don't need to know how much art you're working on, and don't care. Further, the amount of commissions compared to the numbers of pieces you have published there suggests to people that you don't work fast enough. I'm not saying you do or do not, just the way it comes across.

Try a writing style that takes you out of the equation a little bit.  Remove the line about artists not being art machines. You can say something else, like "good art takes time! Allow roughly 2 weeks for the piece to be finished from time of payment," or something else similar to what you say below. Otherwise people don't know how long it will take. 

Remove the line about "if this bothers you..." because it comes across as snarky. 

I'd also suggest changing you refund policy to something else, not making yourself the sole arbiter of what is fair. Customers have to feel like they have the upper hand, or they won't initiate interactions. 

These are just suggestions.


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## fralea (Nov 27, 2017)

BahgDaddy said:


> Remove your art queue. People don't need to know how much art you're working on, and don't care.



Disagree, disagree, disagree. When I commission people their queue is the first thing I look for, and then after their TOS. Mainly to avoid situations where you commission someone who has a huge backlog. But that's just me, so other types of customers may not mind if you don't post one.

The rest of what you said I agree with though.


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## fralea (Nov 27, 2017)

BTW ink, if you like red, I use the colour [ color=palevioletred ] (remove spaces, looks like this ) on my page. Its less eye bleedy, less aggressive, can be read on both light and dark FA theme, and is more of a light maroon so it doesn't look pink (I don't like pink much).


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## BahgDaddy (Nov 27, 2017)

fralea said:


> Disagree, disagree, disagree. When I commission people their queue is the first thing I look for, and then after their TOS. Mainly to avoid situations where you commission someone who has a huge backlog. But that's just me, so other types of customers may not mind if you don't post one.
> 
> The rest of what you said I agree with though.



Yeah, that's so, but it mostly depends on competence. A good artist is going to open commissions when they can take on more work, and they'll take on how much they think is appropriate. I recently commissioned an artist. It took a month for her coms to open, and another month to get the finished piece. Of course, I requested one of DA's top artists, so, I was patient. 

What I think of as a reasonable queue is going to be different from another person's queue. Since I haven't sold artwork, I'll concede this point to personal examination.


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## Inkblooded (Nov 27, 2017)

fralea said:


> Feel free to link your TOS if you want a review. I might be too busy to look it over tbh but maybe someone else will. From your fa page:
> *"I have a big art queue, and I have a lot of art I owe people. "*
> As a potential customer, this tells me that you don't know when you have taken on too much work, and I may be walking into a situation where I have to wait months with no progress and no refunds. (I know you aren't open rn, but its the sort of thing people will keep in mind when you do open later.)
> *
> ...



These messages are temporary and were put there after I got a large amount of people asking for commission updates daily, some even within 24 hours of ordering it.
I plan to remove these once the current queue is over, and it wasn't originally there. It was added after people were harassing me constantly, and it seems to have worked.

*


fralea said:



			"Artists are not art machines, we do not work 24/7."
		
Click to expand...

*


fralea said:


> Again, aggressive. While some people may act this way, you shouldn't assume the worst of your potential customers right off the bat. It creates a hostile environment.



How so? I am just stating a fact. And once again, I am not assuming, this is in response to many people acting that way.



fralea said:


> *
> "I can take anywhere from a few days to weeks for commissions, sometimes longer if I have a lot to do. If this bothers you, do not commission me. "*
> Yet again, aggressively worded. Simply stating "My usual turnaround is a couple weeks, but I can take longer sometimes" is sufficient. Also since you say "if I have a lot to do" after "I have a lot of are I owe" earlier  gives people the impression you have a large backlog (which you do) and if they ever commission you they may also end up stuck in a large backlog.



But that would be lying. It's more like months. I also see no problem with honesty. If they can't be patient, I'm not the one to buy from. That's how it is.



fralea said:


> *"I do not give refunds unless I deem the situation fair."*
> 'I only give refunds when I feel like it' is illegal. Granted, I am giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming that you DO give refunds if clients deserve them, but just worded it in a bad way. Its much better to have your refund policy laid out in detail for potential customers to look over and be reassured that you won't just refuse to give them a refund because you don't like them. Its more normal to not even mention refunds on your profile and just have it in your TOS. Some people might wonder why you have it mentioned on your profile.... they might wonder if a lot of customers contacting you for refunds and you are refusing them, which would make them nervous.



This is in response to people asking for refunds of commissioned work that had nothing wrong with it. If you're buying art you should know what's fair to ask for a refund and what isn't.



fralea said:


> You also have a customer in your shouts asking you why you haven't contacted them about a commission. While its an old shout, it would still be a red flag. Not saying you should delete it, since that comes off as shady, but that in most cases you should try to keep things so your customers don't _have _to contact you via shout. If you are going to be gone for awhile (ex: you got the flu) try to contact your customers first and say you will be out of contact for X time. Sometimes this is unavoidable though, like if your emails to eachother aren't going through.
> 
> If I saw that profile page, I wouldn't be willing to risk more than five bucks on you either.



That wasn't a customer.
(For the record she was only shouting because I didn't respond to her note within 1 hour of replying.)
Besides, I cant delete shouts. There's nothing i can do about that.
It's also dated a year ago, so I think that speaks for itself.



BahgDaddy said:


> Red writing comes across as aggressive, especially contrasted with FA's dark color scheme. It's also hard to read. People are going to see the red writing and instead of feeling engaged by you, they could feel intimidated and leave. (Color psychology is an established field of study and utilized by advertisers constantly. Walmart is blue = trustworthy. Dollar general is yellow = cheap. Amazon is goldish = high value. And so on.)



It's red so it gets noticed.
It's honestly incredible what some people somehow are unable to read. I often have to resort to large, bold text simply because nobody will pay attention to it if it's written normally. 

Also emotional color therapy is debatable. You just listed yellow as "cheap," however other sources say it's happy and inviting, while I find it to be aggressive.
It tends to be a personal thing.



BahgDaddy said:


> Remove your art queue. People don't need to know how much art you're working on, and don't care. Further, the amount of commissions compared to the numbers of pieces you have published there suggests to people that you don't work fast enough. I'm not saying you do or do not, just the way it comes across.



Absolutely not. It's there so they can check the progress of their commission themselves and don't have to send me a note about it.



BahgDaddy said:


> Try a writing style that takes you out of the equation a little bit.  Remove the line about artists not being art machines. You can say something else, like "good art takes time! Allow roughly 2 weeks for the piece to be finished from time of payment," or something else similar to what you say below. Otherwise people don't know how long it will take.



Once again, "two weeks" would be a blatant lie. Normally with a blank queue, a week at best, but not in this condition no.



BahgDaddy said:


> Remove the line about "if this bothers you..." because it comes across as snarky.



I am only being honest. If they're impatient, there are plenty of people who can work quicker.



BahgDaddy said:


> I'd also suggest changing you refund policy to something else, not making yourself the sole arbiter of what is fair. Customers have to feel like they have the upper hand, or they won't initiate interactions.



Like what, exactly? I don't give refunds for finished work (unless it was a major mess up on my part that I'm unable or unwilling to edit.) How is that not fair?


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## fralea (Nov 27, 2017)

BahgDaddy said:


> Yeah, that's so, but it mostly depends on competence. A good artist is going to open commissions when they can take on more work, and they'll take on how much they think is appropriate. I recently commissioned an artist. It took a month for her coms to open, and another month to get the finished piece. Of course, I requested one of DA's top artists, so, I was patient.
> 
> What I think of as a reasonable queue is going to be different from another person's queue. Since I haven't sold artwork, I'll concede this point to personal examination.



Mostly I compare their queue to their gallery to see how often they post commissions. (Not failproof obv). If they post commissions all the time, a bigger queue isn't a big deal because they probably work fast. But if they have a huge queue and few commissions posted, that sends a red flag for me.


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## fralea (Nov 27, 2017)

If its months, why does your page say a few days? Say a few months. You can fill in the time for however long you take. Its ok to take a long time if you are upfront with your customers about it.

Honestly... I don't even want to reply to the rest. I had been getting to the point in your other threads where I felt like you were trolling, but then changed my mind when you actually tried my advice in the horror story thread. You seem to have an excuse for everything anyone ever suggests to you to the point that you don't even consider other points of view at all, so even if you aren't trolling, its just too exhausting trying to help you. Good luck with your business.

Some of your responses make me think you didn't even read what I wrote.


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## SSJ3Mewtwo (Nov 27, 2017)

Inkblooded said:


> These messages are temporary and were put there after I got a large amount of people asking for commission updates daily, some even within 24 hours of ordering it.
> I plan to remove these once the current queue is over, and it wasn't originally there. It was added after people were harassing me constantly, and it seems to have worked.
> 
> 
> ...



Just to point out the obvious:

You opened the thread to ask for opinions and advice about pricing, how people do things differently, and how you could do things differently.

The advice you were given was very, very good advice, and it was given fairly gently.

You rejected or objected to every line @fralea gave you.

Try to not do that.  Don't be defensive about how people are responding to what they see on your profile, and the response it generates from there.  They're giving you feedback.  Don't wall yourself off from it.  That just creates an even more negative impression.


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## Inkblooded (Nov 27, 2017)

fralea said:


> If its months, why does your page say a few days? Say a few months. You can fill in the time for however long you take. Its ok to take a long time if you are upfront with your customers about it.
> 
> Honestly... I don't even want to reply to the rest. I had been getting to the point in your other threads where I felt like you were trolling, but then changed my mind when you actually tried my advice in the horror story thread. You seem to have an excuse for everything anyone ever suggests to you to the point that you don't even consider other points of view at all, so even if you aren't trolling, its just too exhausting trying to help you. Good luck with your business.



Because I was talking about usually, not the current situation.

What are you talking about? I'm not "trolling" (who even uses that word these days?)
I'm genuinely asking. If there's a problem, care to explain it?

I don't think I am "rejecting advice." You are just unwilling to give it.




SSJ3Mewtwo said:


> Just to point out the obvious:
> 
> You opened the thread to ask for opinions and advice about pricing, how people do things differently, and how you could do things differently.
> 
> ...



I did neither, I just explained it and the reason it's there.


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## fralea (Nov 27, 2017)

I told you, I don't want to talk to you anymore. Sorry.


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## BahgDaddy (Nov 27, 2017)

Inkblooded said:


> These messages are temporary and were put there after I got a large amount of people asking for commission updates daily, some even within 24 hours of ordering it.
> I plan to remove these once the current queue is over, and it wasn't originally there. It was added after people were harassing me constantly, and it seems to have worked.
> 
> 
> ...



I'm not giving you any more advise. I am a salesman. I've sold equipment, started three different profitable businesses, bought and sold livestock, I even staged and sold a house I fixed up. I also am the son of a psychologist. Point is I know a thing or two. 

Until you learn to respect other people, you will continue to have problems. People give you advise constantly on this forum, and it is clearly a waste of time.


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## Inkblooded (Nov 27, 2017)

fralea said:


> I told you, I don't want to talk to you anymore. Sorry.





BahgDaddy said:


> I'm not giving you any more advise. I am a salesman. I've sold equipment, started three different profitable businesses, bought and sold livestock, I even staged and sold a house I fixed up. I also am the son of a psychologist. Point is I know a thing or two.
> 
> Until you learn to respect other people, you will continue to have problems. People give you advise constantly on this forum, and it is clearly a waste of time.



Don't say you're going to offer advice and then back out. Critique is worthless unless you offer help on how to fix the "problem."

The thread isn't even about my page anyway. It's about art pricing.


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## -..Legacy..- (Nov 27, 2017)

And you can expect to beg for commissions with low prices, when you have this type of situation.  It's very relevant.  

You've been given great advice, and turn around to tell them they've given you none.  

Honestly, what you're doing obviously doesn't work.  Maybe it's time to try some new ideas (all of them here), or get comfortable at your current position.


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## SSJ3Mewtwo (Nov 27, 2017)

Inkblooded said:


> I did neither, I just explained it and the reason it's there.



But they were pointing out that regardless of your reason for it being there, the fact that they saw it there created a particular impression upon them.

If it's creating that impression upon them, other potential customers might be having a similar reaction.  

So rather than stating why certain things on your profile or ToS are there, look at the advice you've been given, and see if you can incorporate it in a way to make your profile and policies more approachable to a greater number of customers.

A key line from your response to @fralea stands out to me:



> It's red so it gets noticed.
> It's honestly incredible what some people somehow are unable to read. I often have to resort to large, bold text simply because nobody will pay attention to it if it's written normally.



You will ALWAYS get people who approach you without reading all of your rules.  Always.  Always always always.  That's just how it goes when you're doing a customer-focused job.

I work in fine-dining.  If a guest asks me if we have any Beaujolais Nouveau from...1942, while they are holding the current wine-list in their hands, it doesn't do me any good as the server to tell them "Can you not read, ya twit?  And why would you drink Nouveau that's 60 years old, anyway?"

It's my job as a server to just roll with it and work the customer who's satisfaction I'm trying to achieve (and who's money I want going into the business).

As a response to something else:



> Besides, I cant delete shouts. There's nothing i can do about that.



You can delete shouts from your profile page.  Just go to your control panel.


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## fralea (Nov 27, 2017)

Can confirm, always have people ask questions that are stated clearly in 10 places. And I always answer politely or politely give them a relevant link.


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## BahgDaddy (Nov 27, 2017)

Inkblooded said:


> Don't say you're going to offer advice and then back out. Critique is worthless unless you offer help on how to fix the "problem."
> 
> The thread isn't even about my page anyway. It's about art pricing.



We did offer advise. You immediately dissect people's posts and tell them why you're not going to even consider any of it. The thing to do if you disagree with advise offered honestly is, "I'll think about it, thanks for taking the time to try and help me out." Not "here's why you're wrong about everything."


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## SSJ3Mewtwo (Nov 27, 2017)

Inkblooded said:


> The thread isn't even about my page anyway. It's about art pricing.



True, and that is still the subject of the thread, we're just using your page as commentary.  And I myself used it as a contrast for artists that are charging the higher prices.


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## Inkblooded (Nov 28, 2017)

SSJ3Mewtwo said:


> But they were pointing out that regardless of your reason for it being there, the fact that they saw it there created a particular impression upon them.
> 
> If it's creating that impression upon them, other potential customers might be having a similar reaction.
> 
> So rather than stating why certain things on your profile or ToS are there, look at the advice you've been given, and see if you can incorporate it in a way to make your profile and policies more approachable to a greater number of customers.



But they have a bias against me others don't. I'm pretty sure they only think it's "hostile" because thats what they think of me from the forums. No one else has ever said anything about my page.

Its not that I'm disregarding their advice but I dont think it comes from a neutral view, and unbiased advice is what I need.




BahgDaddy said:


> We did offer advise. You immediately dissect people's posts and tell them why you're not going to even consider any of it. The thing to do if you disagree with advise offered honestly is, "I'll think about it, thanks for taking the time to try and help me out." Not "here's why you're wrong about everything."



But I didn't. Just because I didn't immediately do your idea doesn't mean I'm "dismissing" it. You need to explain why you think it's a good idea.


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## SSJ3Mewtwo (Nov 28, 2017)

Inkblooded said:


> But they have a bias against me others don't. I'm pretty sure they only think it's "hostile" because thats what they think of me from the forums. No one else has ever said anything about my page.
> 
> Its not that I'm disregarding their advice but I dont think it comes from a neutral view, and unbiased advice is what I need.



If you're asking for advice on a forum where you either know that you have created something of a reputation of being negative and not caring about it (or suspect that to be the case), then you should already be acknowledging that you might not get an unbiased point of view. 

That said, no, the advice you've been given to improve your page's presentation and pricing was objectively very good advice, and came from people not obligated to give it. 




> But I didn't. Just because I didn't immediately do your idea doesn't mean I'm "dismissing" it. You need to explain why you think it's a good idea.



You pretty much said no to everything, even after users like @fralea and @BahgDaddy not only gave advice, but also clearly stated why they were giving that advice. They didn't just say "You need to do 'this'".  They said what you should consider doing, and why, such as describing what impression your information created on them, and why they felt their suggestions would improve things.

If you're going to brush all of that aside, that's your choice.  But that essentially means you're acting like the manager and chef from the Kitchen Nightmares episode "Amy's Baking Company".

And the people in this thread aren't giving you pricing advice in Gordon Ramsey's style.  You're getting pretty polite feedback.


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## Inkblooded (Nov 28, 2017)

I think I need more than a few biased user's input on "your page is too aggressive." 
And anywya, I am NOT taking commissions on FA, so I see no reason to change it? The message is specifically for existing customers on FA who don't realize that it takes more than an hour to complete their commission.
If I was taking commissions on FA i would change it. But I am not. In fact I am quitting FA most likely


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## SushaQvQ (Nov 28, 2017)

Good artists deserve to have their art priced high, they put a lot of work into it and they can sell it as highly as they want ^^


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## SSJ3Mewtwo (Nov 28, 2017)

Inkblooded said:


> I think I need more than a few biased user's input on "your page is too aggressive."
> And anywya, I am NOT taking commissions on FA, so I see no reason to change it? The message is specifically for existing customers on FA who don't realize that it takes more than an hour to complete their commission.
> If I was taking commissions on FA i would change it. But I am not. In fact I am quitting FA most likely



You've said repeatedly that you are likely quitting FA, so I believe that's been understood. 

But the advice you were given applies to your policies and approach to other places where you advertise commissions, such as your DA page, which I see has similar structure.


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## Inkblooded (Nov 28, 2017)

I don't see anything wrong with my DA page. It does not have red text and I don't need to be as blunt because DA customers are usually more respectful.


Anyway... back on topic, if/when I ever open commissions again I guess i'll price my art based on what I want and see if it works or not.


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## mizulu (Nov 28, 2017)

I actually have an idea of how what I'd be satisfied with the amount of work i put into them and the level i have , but I still went and asked on ocial media now that i came back how much ppl would pay for stuff similar to mine [according to level and style] beside 2 or 3 kids obviously lowballing most of them said higher prices than what I had in mind  and the rest around what I had in mind , so I decided to stick to that , but since i came back and have been looking around a lot to get ideas of what ppl like what they want and what other artists offer , I've been pretty shocked at the amount of ppl lowballing great art and at how beginner to mediocre artists overprice their works and actually get commissioned... this world is functioning upside down i swear


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## Katook (Nov 29, 2017)

I have one theme of pictures that gets commissioned more often than any other type, and that's couple art. So I charge a base price of ~$30 for two fully coloured characters because that's what I'm used to doing.
For a single character or more characters, price is adjusted on an as needed basis.
Other ways I charge is going into an add or job offer with a budget listed in the post and will offer either below what they want to pay or exactly if it's near my price range.
If someone wants to only spend $10, then I don't bother.
My small pieces average $25, my larger ones $100


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