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The Purpose of Auctions
11 years ago
A user was somehow disturbed enough about my latest YCH auction to send me a note declaring he would never bid such a high price, going as far as to declare to be speaking on behalf of "everyone" who wouldn't bid as well. This is useless information to me, given the nature of auctions, which is:
An auction is designed to take a product with a quantity of 1, and link it up with the *one* customer who values it the most. Standing up and declaring that you aren't that customer, to the seller, is pointless. It's like raising your placard in a live auction and declaring you aren't bidding. Nobody cares. The only thing that matters is the fact that the people who do value it, are bidding. I'm reminded of the people who've told me that my commission prices are too high, while I was struggling through a commission reserve list that was over 80 names long.
Unfortunately, before I could explain this, civily, and meticulously, in a reply to this user they pre-emptively blocked me from replying, perhaps in anticipating of feeling embarrassed, I don't know. But this is why I'm explaining it, here.
In the future, I'll be doing more auctions in conjunction with commissions. You can find my commission account at
jaydraws if you aren't following it already. I'm getting close to the end of my old reserve list (finally!) and will start taking new reserve slots sometime early this year. YCH auctions will stand apart as something different. For people who don't want to wait for space on the commission reserve list, and are willing to compete with other buyers, they have a chance to snag a YCH commission instead and likely get the piece faster than they would if they were on a long reserve list for a commission. The main trade-off is that the bidding process tends to increase the price a bit over what a normal commission would cost. That's how I'm going to work from now on.
Thank you all. You're the best fans. :3
An auction is designed to take a product with a quantity of 1, and link it up with the *one* customer who values it the most. Standing up and declaring that you aren't that customer, to the seller, is pointless. It's like raising your placard in a live auction and declaring you aren't bidding. Nobody cares. The only thing that matters is the fact that the people who do value it, are bidding. I'm reminded of the people who've told me that my commission prices are too high, while I was struggling through a commission reserve list that was over 80 names long.
Unfortunately, before I could explain this, civily, and meticulously, in a reply to this user they pre-emptively blocked me from replying, perhaps in anticipating of feeling embarrassed, I don't know. But this is why I'm explaining it, here.
In the future, I'll be doing more auctions in conjunction with commissions. You can find my commission account at
jaydraws if you aren't following it already. I'm getting close to the end of my old reserve list (finally!) and will start taking new reserve slots sometime early this year. YCH auctions will stand apart as something different. For people who don't want to wait for space on the commission reserve list, and are willing to compete with other buyers, they have a chance to snag a YCH commission instead and likely get the piece faster than they would if they were on a long reserve list for a commission. The main trade-off is that the bidding process tends to increase the price a bit over what a normal commission would cost. That's how I'm going to work from now on.Thank you all. You're the best fans. :3
RIGHT?!
Someone needs to get off his/her soapbox.
If I could, I'd like to eventually do art full time, and continue working my "normal" job part time.
It's very strange. o_o
Obviously the person does not get that you made the prices that way for a reason, and in that respect of their own choice to bid or not, I myself can't really bid on them myself, but I'm not complaining about it at all, I enjoy seeing the YCH because it gives me time to save up enough for future ones with different poses that I may want for my OC'sI love how people don't understand how this works. I'm also a fan of YCH auctions. If you have the money, then you'll win the auction.
I too find that very confusing.
But yes I love how some people are like "If I can't afford it no one can" towards artists, which is a little silly, if you were charging too much you wouldn't have any customers. The fact' you are swarmed by people wanting a piece from you be it comic, YCH, or some other type of commission is a sign you are a good artist who expects fair pay for your work; people need to deal with that. Not everyone can afford a Bently, but some can, and Bently cars are extremely good beautiful cars that require skill to create -just like your art.
Bitches be tripping today.
What universe do they live in?
I look forward to the day I can afford to commission you or bid on a YCH because it is something that would be well worth either the money or the wait ^^
How can someone twice as old as you be that... Ignorant?
Can't afford to bid on stuff.
But that's me, not you.
Carry on sir.
Bunners
Am pretty sure Fisk this is your JOB so you do have to make the money to live, no matter where in the world you are. I'm sure the art you do covers for the basics one needs in life such as:
Housing (rent or mortgage)
Food
Utilities
Gas
Car
Insurance
Medical (be it doctors or just simple cold medicine)
Which for me easily adds up to around $1,000 a month where I live. And if art is your ONLY source of income, your prices will have to reflect that. As a few above me said. Supply and Demand also comes into play. It's not like you are giving crayon piece that look like a 2-year-old drew it to customers, you are giving high quality art by you.
Sometimes what people with low-income jobs may have to do is.... SAVE UP MONEY!!! I collect Asian ball-jointed dolls and the are EXPENSIVE! But you know what? I SAVE UP! A few dollars here and there, if you are truly itching for art get a job or a second job. Artwork is just, in my opinion, another thing people can collect.
As you said... There is NO point in telling someone that you are not going to buy something from you. That's like me e-mailing Fairyland or Soom, two major BJD companies, saying that for all their hardwork, hours of casing, hours of sculpting, painting, sanding, etc. that I would not buy something from the for being "too expensive". In reality, you are just wasting everyone's time involved.
Fisk you are an AMAZING artist! As a beginner artist you also are a role model to us that one day we could have this be our jobs and love it! Don't let others like this make you even think for a second your art is not worth it. You worked hard to be where you are at now!
Well don't they feel entitled...
Keep doing the YCH's, they're always awesome to see how they evolve from the initial sketch to a final version once a character or characters are notched into place. I'm game to bidding if one pops up that fits any of my characters. :)
I understand it's a value thing...I mean, I'd never say anything I make is worth even $100 but someone outbid another for a comic at $130...And they're really happy that they're getting what they are.
And it helps you, as well, having to live off of what you sell...It's a great way to get money because people are willing to outbid others if they really want it. c:
♥
I tend to be a little temperamental I suppose, but I love the way you conduct yourself as a business person. Valid points.
I just don't understand some people.
I'm glad my clients and everybody in general has been pretty understanding and supporting so far. However, I realize that having a huge ammount of people looking at you makes it lot more likely that one person like this my appear from tall grass and make your day a bit more crappy.
I can sympathize with people who dislike YCH's or auctions in general. Either not having that much disposable income or on principle alone. But I certainly don't see them in terms of victims.
What do you do when you don't want something - you don't buy it. You don't like it on principle- don't participate.
One of the more disturbing trends I've witnessed in a recent YCH was a person going out of their way to say that there are other " just as talented" artists that could use the attention and business then proceeding to list said artists.
Aside from the issue that taste is subjective by nature ( and in fact goes hand in hand)
Considering that an auction is designed specifically to allow the client to define the value of the image - any and all input otherwise is irrelevant - and frankly rude.
I've actually been attacked for my first YCH and... similarly... been preemptively blocked because heaven forbid I have a sane and logical argument to back myself up.
Anyway man, here's to ( hopefully) less creepers.
But on the other hand, I don't care about it and Im happy, that a artist can make more money with his work this way. I would never bit on it myself, but nobody forces me to do so, so why complaining to the artist about it?
What is it about auctions that makes people go crazy and pay what normally wouldn't be paid? It's very rare that I see a YCH that would be better than something I could describe to an artist myself.
It's difficult finding artists willing to "wing it".
In a YCH auction, the potential buyer is presented with a rough of what the image will look like, beforehand. They have the ability to be attracted to the idea by the artist, and then decide if its worth it to them. This is in contrast to a commission where the commissioner has a general concept but may not have a specific idea of what the final pic will look like. Even if the commissioner provides intimate details of what they want, it's a little more of a gamble as to *how* much the final product will look like the commissioner's imagination, or how much it will please him, because the commission process starts from absolutely nothing. The YCH process starts with a cohesive image idea and a defined sketch.
Imagine someone bidding on the piece I have up right now, with the "background negotiable" stipulation, and with a bid over $200, they plan to angle for a background showing a public space, shops, other people, a clouded sky, etc. You could end up with a very playfully naughty and nice looking fully detailed image in the end, far and above the value of the sketch without a background right now.
You're also getting an image that the artist was specifically inspired to do, which can cause an increase in attention to detail and quality, instead of a commission in which the artist is simply going through the steps of process in order to finish. Sometimes I can tell a difference when this has happened.
And lastly, YCH winners tend to get to "cut" in the line of ordinary commission queue and get their pieces done sooner. To some people this means a lot. Others may not mind waiting months for a less expensive commission.
That's my theory as to why YCHs are attractive to some people, and why they are worth more money to them.
like an idiot in any way, and once I'm done, I get the message "this user disabled replys" or "you are blocked by this user."
My only objection to YCH auctions is it might limit the subject matter for a customer. As long as there are other options, like regular commissions or con sketches, I don't see anything wrong with them.
But I think it is EXTREMELY rude to post online and then block the reply. I also think it shows that the person is a dumb-ass. That may just be me, but I feel if you're going to state a position, you should be brave and committed enough to defend it. Who knows, you might get someone who can make you rethink your position. ^_^
It's that there's always somebody who can really afford throwing money at it, leaving others who've waited for a simple commission slot behind.
Hooowever: As long as the artist avoids doing -only- auctions it's okay. I don't think somebody should make every single picture he draws an auction, just to whore for the highest bids.
--Anonymous
But there are dozens upon dozens of folks who tried to 'cut a deal' with me. How they felt like buying this but only if I would drop the price or give them a discount or something to that effect. Or they'd just tell me how these things are too expensive for them to buy.
I understand people want to save money. But when someone comes up to me and says 'Hey, what is the bare minimum I can make you charge me to get what I want?'. this is not being frugal, just someone trying to strong arm me into giving them a benefit through passive aggressive pressuring, like I'd purposefully set the price high enough that they could only want it but never afford it.
And you were too right to call bullshit on that Fisk.
Best of luck! You are a great artist and deserve even penny :)
I would definitely recommend her to anyone.
At least you get attention from your auctions because your art is incredible amounts of awesome! XD
"Art has value. Products cost money."
What they're buying isn't really the art itself so much as a product based upon it. A digital copy, a print, the original... whatever! They're all products. Only way you can buy the art is if you buy the rights to it, which is sorta what a commission entails. If you're the only one allowed to have it, or distribute it, then in a sense you have bought the art.
In any case, the artist has a right to make a profit off of their work. "Exposure" and "Free Marketing" are never a fair trade. If people can't provide you with a decent compensation for your time and energy, they should just go somewhere else. Or better yet, make the art themselves. Nobody really wants to hear how much you can't afford something. If you're begging for help with your necessities, that's one thing. But demanding artwork for next to nothing? Boo hoo. Maybe when you learn to prioritize not starving over buying cheap furry artwork, you'll be a lot better off in life.
Ugh. Someone needs to invent a way to beat the stupid out of people without killing them.
In short, the purchase of an artwork pertains only to that physical object; things get stickier when the object is digital instead, and the body of law still is trying to catch up, if I understand correctly. Moreover, copyright and trademark are two different things: Copyright is legal protection against illicit copying of a specific artwork, regardless of medium. Trademark is legal protection of an idea that may appear in artwork. That’s why characters are trademarked instead of copyrighted, but a poster in which they appear is copyrighted. I’ve posted a short overview of the differences and similarities between the two.
Thanks for clearing things up a little. =)
why can't I have porn and money?
Some years ago, in response to a similar journal entry from another artist, I posted my own little essay on the subject.
It has none, you were messaged by some autistic idiot who felt he had to.
Continue with your lives, really.
The remaining 1%? That's what ignore lists are for. :)
YCH is still more honorable then Adoptable. Adoptable is just an excuse for someone to draw one character, color it a pile of different ways and then charge full price for them.
It's absurd how often I have to explain to people that if it was simply a matter of raw material being in the same area, we would not have a need for people to invest the time and effort to produce. You are not valuing a series of gestures int the middle of a field, you are valuing the years, and effort that go into a skill-set.
Entitlement issues are the worst to deal with. I am sorry someone undervalues your artistic prowess; in such a cowardly fashion too.
I would be willing to bet they enjoy your work when it is free. When you simply make something for sale, then you are the bad guy?
Maybe next time you can offer to shine their shoes, and do a jig for them.