# WHY IS THERE NO GUIDE ON HOW TO SELL A NOVICE FURSUIT HEAD?!



## She-King (Jan 25, 2013)

Okay, so, instead of sitting back, making fun, and going, "Oh gawwwd, that's horrible! They should be shot, flogged, or burned alive" can someone make a guid on how and WHEN to sell a novice build, especially if you're not the best out of the bunch. Or if it looks like a cat coughed it up?

Craftsmanship
What to sell your head as if you still want to sell it, even though it's your first, second, or third and you don't know how to fix certain problems that make your head look lopsided, off or anything else.

Like a fixer-upper head AND what a price range for such a head is, even if it's a finished head when it comes to its fleshed out-state.

What exactly to say with what's wrong with your head in your description so people get an honest, FAIR deal and you don't get chastised for trying to "Pawn" something off on someone.

I've studied fursuits for months before I made my first and one thing I never saw before I tried to sell my head, was a guide on HOW TO SELL a novice head.

Lots of first-timers think its as easy as 1 2 3. It's not, I've learned. 

Now, my head wasn't bad at all, but, there was so much wrong with him and the fur I used was just not a good choice for long lasting(It wasn't the nasty-kind of fur-it was clean-looking, but  cheap)that it was discouraged, even on the furbuy forums. Plus, I wanted a ridiculous amount for him and regardless of the materials I used and time spent on him, I was told, I couldn't ask such a sheer amount for him, even though I treated selling him like selling a painting or a drawing. 

With fursuits and being a novice, I guess your skill out weighs anything else, really so that is a majority of your sale price. If it doesn't look good ,really on the surface, it most likely won't be favored unless its fleshed out properly. it can  be done, but it takes time and the guide needs to be very practical with the first-timer because you know how you get when you WANT to do something and you don't THINK before you do it?

Also, can someone show how to list a proper price for a novice build so first-timers have an idea. Most people have no experience with selling anything and they just make up something and want something for it.

Methods on how to configure, time, price, labor, supplies, and challenge should be listed in this.

PLEASE SOMEONE MAKE A GUIDE SO MORE PEOPLE ARE PROPERLY PREPARED, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE POTENTIAL TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL PERSONAL BUSINESS WITH SKILL IN FURSUIT BUILDING! The FORUMS lack this and I think it's falling short for the fandom.


----------



## Ozriel (Jan 25, 2013)

http://forums.furaffinity.net/threads/125463-Tips-and-tricks-for-the-fursuiting-trade!

Feel free to add in.

A lot to do with selling is repeated consistency of your best work, and if it doesn't look like it needs a lot of work and the fur looks as if you jacked it off of a teddybear. If you cannot make your work professional, then you won't sell your product well.

And noobies need to learn to invest in practicing with YOUR OWN money and no one else's. If you want to get better, then put effort, do research, and fund your projects yourself.


----------



## She-King (Jan 25, 2013)

Ozriel said:


> http://forums.furaffinity.net/threads/125463-Tips-and-tricks-for-the-fursuiting-trade!
> 
> Feel free to add in.
> 
> ...



True, but what I'm saying is for this niche, it's not like other niches. Some people don't know HOW to do the research and it might not be enough. There are no books on how to sell or make fursuits. The community has to support itself. Nobody else will. I just don't know why there is a starter's guide for buying and making one, but not one for selling one. That's all I'm saying.  It feels a bit incomplete.


----------



## Ozriel (Jan 25, 2013)

She-King said:


> True, but what I'm saying is for this niche, it's not like other niches. Some people don't know HOW to do the research and it might not be enough. There are no books on how to sell or make fursuits. The community has to support itself. Nobody else will. I just don't know why there is a starter's guide for buying and making one, but not one for selling one. That's all I'm saying.  It feels a bit incomplete.



Most research is readily available on Google, and that's no excuse for people looking to make and sell and there will be different situations and cases to which a person wants to sell a suit...or suits.

Selling is different because people have expectations for what a person is looking for, and we aren't mind readers.


----------



## Dokid (Jan 25, 2013)

Also you just have to use some common sense. Such as "am I asking for a ridiculous price? Did I cheat my way through making it?"

Also you have to inform who plans on buying it facts. Say what brand of fur you use. Say how to constructed it. Tell the truth. 

I mean I figured most of it was common sense. :/ My fursuit head is on sale right now (because I don't really want to look at it anymore since I'm getting a new one) and it's already bidded on.


----------



## Arshes Nei (Jan 26, 2013)

Why is there no guide on how to sell artwork if your stuff is fucking crap, with bad anatomy errors?
Why is there no guide on selling yourself as a doctor/lawyer without a degree?
Why is there no guide on a novice seamstress being able to sell clothes and can't sell a shirt with 3 arm holes?


----------



## Dokid (Jan 26, 2013)

Arshes Nei said:


> Why is there no guide on how to sell artwork if your stuff is fucking crap, with bad anatomy errors?
> Why is there no guide on selling yourself as a doctor/lawyer without a degree?
> Why is there no guide on a novice seamstress being able to sell clothes and can't sell a shirt with 3 arm holes?



Exactly. If no one wants it because they feel that it's junk...well I mean no one is going to buy it. You're either going to have to strip it clean and re-do it, or sell it for an insanely low price if you don't want to see it anymore.


----------



## Arshes Nei (Jan 26, 2013)

Dokid said:


> Exactly. If no one wants it because they feel that it's junk...well I mean no one is going to buy it. You're either going to have to strip it clean and re-do it, or sell it for an insanely low price if you don't want to see it anymore.



The last part is bad, because you could end up being on a fursuit shitlist for endangering customers. Remember this is an article that people wear. There's more risks involved than just a painting someone did.


----------



## Dokid (Jan 26, 2013)

Arshes Nei said:


> The last part is bad, because you could end up being on a fursuit shitlist for endangering customers. Remember this is an article that people wear. There's more risks involved than just a painting someone did.



Oh well I didn't think of that. I was thinking more on the lines of bad furring or other minor but iffy things like that.


----------



## BahrgeistSmile (Jan 27, 2013)

She-King said:


> There are no books on how to sell or make fursuits.



http://www.amazon.com/Critter-Costuming-Mascots-Fabricating-Fursuits/dp/0615584233 

Taa-daa.


----------



## Trpdwarf (Jan 27, 2013)

There is no guide on selling novice heads because...to be honest you shouldn't be selling novice heads to begin with. Novice makers shouldn't be spending time selling. They should be spending time improving. If they get away with selling novice work than there is no drive to really improve.

EDIT:Seeing people peddle novice crap on auction sites irritate me greatly. This is why the Furry Trading Post has something built in called standards. If you are not ready to sell/be hired than you are not allowed to advertise. No argument.


----------



## Springdragon (Jan 27, 2013)

I went with the insanely low price option. Materials used on a practice head are really not all that much. Maybe 1/4 of a yard of cheap fur, a few dollars worth of green foam, some plastic holiday ornaments, sculpey, and a tiny amount of paint. Since it was only practice, I sold it for approximately the price of the materials that went into it, 25USD. You can't get paid for your time if you didn't do a good job. 

As for how to sell, I put it on the table at a con and offered it to anyone who stopped to take a look. Some people are looking for cheap and some people are looking for good quality. The overlap in the two customer groups tends be be covered by "Why would I pay for that when I can do it myself"-ers. Since the item is obviously not good quality, focus on the low price by stating it every time you pitch the item instead of trying to go over all of its nice features.

It also helps that my first head wasn't terrible, just made of cheap fur and far too big for my body. It looks fine on a taller person.


----------



## Tigercougar (Jan 27, 2013)

*Cleans out ears* Dude, why you yelling?


----------



## Corto (Jan 27, 2013)

Arshes Nei said:


> Why is there no guide on selling yourself as a doctor/lawyer without a degree?


This guide actually exists, and it's helped me more than I care to admit.


----------



## She-King (Jan 27, 2013)

Dokid said:


> Also you just have to use some common sense. Such as "am I asking for a ridiculous price? Did I cheat my way through making it?"
> 
> Also you have to inform who plans on buying it facts. Say what brand of fur you use. Say how to constructed it. Tell the truth.
> 
> I mean I figured most of it was common sense. :/ My fursuit head is on sale right now (because I don't really want to look at it anymore since I'm getting a new one) and it's already bidded on.



That is true, but some people don't have common sense when it comes to quality, craftsmanship or selling something they have made. They may have it in other areas, but we shouldn't assume they all have it EVERYWHERE, because nobody does. :/ But you are right. I just figured it would help some people realize, they shouldn't sell at all if they are just starting out, or, at least, they could spend forever on something, doing it right, and still sell it because it was done WELL. Either way, if they wanted to sell it, for the sake of the fursuit business, since this would be an article of clothing in a manner of speaking, HOW would you go about selling something someone will be wearing? That is all I'm saying.


----------



## She-King (Jan 27, 2013)

Arshes Nei said:


> Why is there no guide on how to sell artwork if your stuff is fucking crap, with bad anatomy errors?
> Why is there no guide on selling yourself as a doctor/lawyer without a degree?
> Why is there no guide on a novice seamstress being able to sell clothes and can't sell a shirt with 3 arm holes?



LOL, some people aren't that smart! Some people think they can sell anything, without thinking about the skill it takes to have the right to sell something.


----------



## She-King (Jan 27, 2013)

Ozriel said:


> Most research is readily available on Google, and that's no excuse for people looking to make and sell and there will be different situations and cases to which a person wants to sell a suit...or suits.
> 
> Selling is different because people have expectations for what a person is looking for, and we aren't mind readers.



Mmm, true-true. Perhaps, (I have trouble knowing what I'm trying to say, especially on line -__-) I mean a guide that basically educates novices about being a novice. Some people can't stand it and they have to act like they are a proffessional and that does more harm than good. Plus, its utterly ridonkulous. You can't be better than you are and you shouldn't set yourself up to do something you have no experience doing, is what I' m saying. I guess the guide should be more about NOT selling novice works than selling one, but if you did want to sell something you can't stand to look at anymore, how do you sell it appropriately for what it is, "A piece of crap you can't stand to look at anymore" if anybody wants it.


----------



## Dokid (Jan 27, 2013)

She-King said:


> That is true, but some people don't have common sense when it comes to quality, craftsmanship or selling something they have made. They may have it in other areas, but we shouldn't assume they all have it EVERYWHERE, because nobody does. :/ But you are right. I just figured it would help some people realize, they shouldn't sell at all if they are just starting out, or, at least, they could spend forever on something, doing it right, and still sell it because it was done WELL. Either way, if they wanted to sell it, for the sake of the fursuit business, since this would be an article of clothing in a manner of speaking, HOW would you go about selling something someone will be wearing? That is all I'm saying.



Nowadays with the internet you can get almost all the supplies you need for one. Not to mention that when you build something to sell, you need to take into account what sells well. I mean I agree that you shouldn't build to sell when you're still a novice  If you need to sell it because you don't want to throw it away and it's decent then that's another story.

Also if you go about selling something that is meant to be worn it has to be 1. safe 2. usable 3. have a demand.

Without all three you have an unsellable piece of junk. Practice makes perfect and you're first few or even dozen heads are going to need a lot of work. Also I'm just curious but what did they say that needed to be fixed that you couldn't fix?


----------



## Springdragon (Jan 27, 2013)

I think about it like this:

1) Is the item so terrible that you can't understand why anyone would buy it?  Yes (2) No (7)

2) Is it salvageable? Could you strip it apart and fix it up with your new knowledge or would it be less work to just start over?  Fixable (4) Not Fixable (5)

3) It is probably okay to sell for a low price. 

4) Either treat it as a second practice by fixing it or strip it down to the base and sell it as a supply rather than a finished item.

5) Would you feel bad about ripping it apart and using the materials to make other things? Do you want to keep it and wear it even though you know you can do better? Yes (3)  No (6)

6) Rip it apart and use the materials for something else. 

7) Is the item of good quality but unsuitable for you specifically due to allergy or other complication? Yes ( 8 )  No (5)

8 ) It is probably okay to ask standard price as items of the same quality. It doesn't matter if it's your first head or your tenth. Quality dictates price.

Edit due to the 8 turning into a smiley face with sunglasses.


----------

