There's a lot of opinions on YCH auctions. It seems like more artists are putting them out there and more people are asking the question "why would someone pay (large sum of money) for a pic they have no control over when a custom commission from (the same/similar artist) costs less?"

So I thought about it, and the answer seems very simple to me: Instant gratification.

The foremost point is that most of these YCHes have a very fast turnover. Sure you could pay less for a custom commission, but lately artists queues have been jammed up. First you have to watch FA like a hawk for a brief chance to even get in the queue, drop your money right away, then wait for weeks, months, even years. You may forget about your commission by the time the artist even looks at your request and then get disappointed by the result. Not only do you get this YCH artwork right away, but it's already past the "initial sketch" phase and submitted to you for your approval before you even put a dime down for it, which removes a lot uncertainty over the end result. If you don't approve after all, you simply don't buy it.

Personally? I've seen a few that tempted me for a moment until the bidding got too high. I don't think it's a terrible idea, though I fear the large numbers being tossed around right now may make artists hop on the bandwagon and further neglect the traditional commission model, the problems of which have fueled this new market. It may be a quick buck, but I think some artists are starting to rest on their laurels because of it.