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Post by RFlatstone on Aug 25, 2011 13:02:41 GMT -5
Hey RF, While I agree with your statement, honestly, i've ALWAYS found it cheaper (MUCH cheaper) on the net, or elsewhere. I'm no stranger to the inflated prices on 'hard to find goods'. Thing is, i'm speaking more to the vendors who complained that they didn't make one sale all day. One vendor even leaving Saturday morning. So all i'm saying is maybe they need to lower their prices if they can't sell anything. otherwise, i don't buy anything at cons anymore. I'm broke too! LOL -River Oh, sure, online. Showing my age again; I'm only just returning to the convention scene since a time before eBay. The truth is, the inter-web has changed the very concept "can't find anywhere else." But, yeah, I get what you're saying now. It's true at a con, on line or in a brick-and-mortar store; people will only pay what they are willing to pay. If you try to charge more, the widget won't move.
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kearstin
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Post by kearstin on Aug 25, 2011 15:21:06 GMT -5
I think it was also again a combination of bad vibes from a lot of vendors. I didn't want to walk by the end half of the con because A. too many people were stopping me in my tracks or interrupting me to go HEY COME LOOK AT OUR STUFF. and b. just sit there with dead "I don't want to be here" personalities that made me not even want to TALK to them.
River has a point, selling things isn't all about sitting there with your hand out and expecting work to happen. NETWORKING is a part of it. So if you're not doing so hot on the pricetag part, MAKE YOURSELF SOME NEW CONTACTS. You NEVER know who you'll get in touch with.
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River
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Post by River on Aug 26, 2011 5:00:16 GMT -5
EXACTLY! That's what my partner and I were doing. Did we expect to go home with bags full 'O gold from print sales!?!?! HELLZ NO!!! What we did hope for was to make new fans and create awareness to our studio. I would say it was a success! People remembered us from the cyphan party, our ladies, the work i put out. I call that a huge success that will (looking at the big picture) turn out to make our name more known. For example, people in the industry know Kearstin or Sparrow... why? cuz they had to network FIRST! Same thing can happen with these vendors. Some vendors actually walked around on friday and gave us their cards discussing how we can help each other out. Others, as Kearstin stated, just sat there with nasty attitudes and 'STFU' looks on their faces. Do you think that someone as a potential client would want to walk up to them?? hellz no. Cyphan is still a new con. I don't know what these guys were expecting (especially that one guy that closed shop on Saturday morning). When he left, my partner and I just shrugged our shoulders and thought, people won't spend money with him, but he's increased our chances of someone coming to our table and spending money with us! ok i'll stop jabbering and take a breath. -River
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Post by Sparrow of WPA on Aug 26, 2011 8:42:43 GMT -5
Yes, networking is a major part of it, and how you price things is too. But stop for a second, and realize that us criticizing vendors who were upset for not making money and might not be local is not going to look like a good convention to go to for vendors who might stop by here while thinking about going next year.
What they're going to see: "Cyphan didn't make anyone any money, but be thankful for the networking and stop bitching about not making back your expenses!"
This does not look like a great prospect for someone who is coming from Ohio, or Michigan, or even downstate Illinois. It cost us about $100 in gas round trip for just a three and a half hour drive. Just gas. So...I would be upset too if I was out more than $100 from coming from out of state.
Just think about it for a second, it's not just people who are already planning to come next year who will be coming here.
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kearstin
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Post by kearstin on Aug 26, 2011 9:01:36 GMT -5
River, I just want to be friends with everyone, lol that's how I look at it. Sparrow, I don't think we'll be advertising that to others, but I think it's one of those "it's what we're all thinking" things. I'm on the fence with both of it. I just am a firm believer on presence in the first place as a seller. Take costuming for example, or modeling: Yeah ANYBODY can take my picture, but, if I want to portray my work to it's potential, I'm going to want to polish it. Use the right photos, etc etc. I don't just sit here and expect the world to think I'm the hottest thing since sliced bread. I work. And it was just one of those things where a lot of the vendors were clearly not working. There's pros and cons to both of it, and not everybody is going to be 100% satisfied, but, just as Liz says in Shaun of the Dead... "WE HAVE TO MAKE THE BEST OF IT."
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Post by Sparrow of WPA on Aug 26, 2011 14:47:01 GMT -5
I understand, I'm just cautioning on it because I've seen some ranting about vendors being expensive/that one guy leaving/etc a couple times now and we do need to think about what that looks like to people who don't know us beyond our posts on this board. It doesn't make us look very good, especially if we're staff or other vendors.
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Post by scarbrs on Aug 28, 2011 0:38:35 GMT -5
I understand, I'm just cautioning on it because I've seen some ranting about vendors being expensive/that one guy leaving/etc a couple times now and we do need to think about what that looks like to people who don't know us beyond our posts on this board. It doesn't make us look very good, especially if we're staff or other vendors. Yes I agree with this fully.
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kearstin
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Post by kearstin on Aug 30, 2011 12:44:29 GMT -5
Definitely agreed. So let's move on!
Laminated badges? lol
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Post by Sparrow of WPA on Aug 30, 2011 18:04:26 GMT -5
Laminated badges are nice, but if plastic pouches would be cheaper I would go with that. I did end up losing my Cyphan badge the last day for a couple hours after we left, it got snagged on something in my car and dropped under the seat, but it does show the potential problem of having it just hole punched at the top.
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River
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Post by River on Aug 31, 2011 5:24:44 GMT -5
Laminatd badges definitly,
or at least have those reinforced hole thingies that you put around the punch hole of the badges.
Allow me to just finish my point of the vendors though.
I hear what you're saying Sparrow, there is always a cost involved. We can't ignore that.
but what i'm really speaking to is the unrealistic expectation of a couple of vendors and their bad attitudes toward the con. The vendors that sat immediately next to us were totally cool. And I saw people/customers gravitating toward them most likely due to their great attitudes and personalities.
As Kearstin stated earlier "We have to make the best of it" and perhaps that's what I should've said in the first place.
-River
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kearstin
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Post by kearstin on Aug 31, 2011 11:05:29 GMT -5
Ohh I do love me those plastic pouches, too. I just heard soooo many people lost their badges, or they ripped, etc etc. I love to keep my convention badges. It's like a trophy room with my collection haha So, the better protected they are, I feel it'll also show professionalism.
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Post by Sparrow of WPA on Aug 31, 2011 16:05:37 GMT -5
Oh, I understand about being unrealistic, River. But I'm saying that we should really avoid talking bad about it in general. It's been brought up in more than one thread iirc and that's no good. Everyone's had their say, bringing it up more than once really only serves to give off bad vibes.
For instance...Kearstin, you mentioned that vendors were either sitting behind their tables doing nothing, or being too eager to sell you things. The people at the very front of the convention would have been us, and we were trying to talk to people as much as possible, even going up to people. I'm not sure where the constructive part of your comment was, beyond making contacts, and that bothers me. So, what can we do differently? Cause I got nothing there.
On that same thread; I go to cons to make money. I go to make friends too, but I really cannot afford to go somewhere that will not make me even a dime. I am not rich, I am not famous, I got bills to pay like everyone else. I just make things and hope I sell enough to make back what I spent. So when I see it come up more than once that someone was upset they didn't make anything, it bothers me, because I would have freaked out too if that had happened to us. That's not being a jerk, not being a baby, that's the reality that finances are hard for everyone and if you cannot make anything at Cyphan you won't have vendors. So it's best to nip it in the bud and stop talking about it, because I'd like to hold out hope that coming next year won't break me financially.
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River
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Post by River on Sept 1, 2011 5:33:41 GMT -5
Agreed,
Back to laminated badges.
Yes the pouchy thingies are awesome. But it really boils down to cost. And I know Bollow has to watch his dimes and pennies.
Sparrow, a great idea came to me recently. All this talk about vendors and stuff. Perhaps, during Cyphan 3 we have a vendor get together? I regret not actually getting a chance to get to know you and your hubby, the guys next to us, and even some of the vendors across the way.
While at Cyphan my partner and I noticed that there's this great community between the vendors, some knew each other from past conventions and stuff. While we're at the con, we're there to promote ourselves, make money, etc. But after one day of the con (perhaps Friday as no one is leaving to go home and there's no huge bash planned like on a saturday) we could all sit down and grab a bite to eat? be a great way to know each other, ask questions, and build awesome relationships?
heck, we should bring bollow along too! I think it would be great for him to get to know the vendors who come out and support his show. -River
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Post by Sparrow of WPA on Sept 1, 2011 8:30:23 GMT -5
River, I would LOVE that! There was the vendor appreciation thing where we went for pizza, but it wasn't well advertised and not many folks came. I think if we can find someplace within walking distance that isn't going to molest our wallets it'd be really nice. Or we could even just meet up for drinks somewhere if finding someplace to fit all of us for dinner is difficult.
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River
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Post by River on Sept 1, 2011 9:03:28 GMT -5
Awesome Sparrow!
Maybe we can develop a thread just for that. or perhaps ask bollow if he can add a "Vendor meet and greet" sign-up to the website somewhere under the vendor tables or something.
My wife is very knowledgeable of all things food and liquore in that immediate area. There are relatively priced places we can go. But we can cross that bridge when we get to it.
I think having a vendor meet and greet would not only create a great networking environment but hopefully an opportunity for us to learn from one another. I know you've been doing cons for years so i'm sure I could learn a thing or two from you and perhaps others.
Bollow shold definitly come and it would be great to have that opportunity to bs with him, chat, etc. I know he likes feedback (hence this forum) good and bad (mostly good though) and he can also address concerns that may have arisen during our fist day of the con.
Anyhoo, We can curb this conversation to another thread or perhaps bring it up again a month prior to the Con this way we can solidify the logistics of where we'll eat, whose attending, etc.
-River
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