#as commissions tend to be one-use and prints are priced expecting to sell a lot of them

[calicorn]

My experience with WeLoveFine/ForFansByFans as an artist.

This in regards to the Act 6/7 Tarot Project, which occurred from 2017 to 2018. I also want to thank @aryll for the chance to participate in such a project, and thank you for doing what you could with the group and what occurred. I realize this is a few years late, however, but it’s been bothering me ever since it occurred, and I only chose to speak my mind about it. But to summarize, the project started out as unofficial, however we were approached by FFBF in February of 2018. They were willing to sell the deck as official merchandise on their store. I have my own opinions on the company, as it’s known they underpay artists severely for their work despite selling most items for extremely high prices. A similar payment issue occurred with the Official Homestuck Zine, and one of the artists of the Tarot Project posted this in the comments:     “Can relate OP. I did work for the new tarot deck (using my throwaway account for that reason lol) but we aren’t being paid at all. No money. The only compensation we are getting is a free deck and an exclusive enamel pin which is pennies compared to what they’ll be making off us. One might argue that the project wasn’t supposed to be printed so I should be grateful it’s even happening but I expected a big company like WLF to y’know, pay artists... The only reason I agreed to letting them use my art was to get a free deck. I also honestly dislike WLF’s artist compensation policy. My art has been selected from the Fan Forge before and the idea of being able to sell my HS art was so appealing, but the execution is so poor. They don’t pay us until we sell $100 worth of shirts, but that is so difficult in a market that is so oversaturated. I wish they like, cycled designs in and out. Instead, they just keep adding more and more designs, drowning out old ones and just flooding the entire market. Plus, they get to withhold money from artists until every hundred-dollar mark. I can’t imagine how much they’ve made off of small time artists that get their design accepted and sell maybe 3 shirts since it happens so often.” So. What exactly happened? I’ll explain under the cut given there’s a decent amount to go through. Though to summarize; WeLoveFine/ForFansByFans is an extremely egregious company that does not value their artists whatsoever and will do what they can to pay them as little as possible. Please support said artists on sites that actually do give them fair pay, or support them via commissions.

There were a few bumps during the tarot project, though overall it went extremely smoothly and we released our art to the Tumblr blog. FFBF approached us during this time, and we were all given the option to agree to continue working or the project or decline. However, this is what was an important piece to the initial email sent out by the Tarot Project team;      • Each participating artist will get a full finalized copy of the deck, COMPLETELY free. This includes packaging and free shipping of the deck.      • Each participating artist will get an enamel pin commemorating the project, EXCLUSIVE to the artists of this project only, with a custom design as chosen/designed by us. What will most likely occur is that everyone who wishes to submit a design for the pin can do so, and as a group, we will vote on which one we would like to submit as our final design choice!     • Each participating artist will receive FULL COMMISSION on any further usage of their artwork by What Pumpkin or For Fans By Fans. For example, if they release a mini-print, wallet, etc. with your design on it, you will be paid in commission for the usage of your work. (If you have ANY questions about how this would work, please don’t hesitate to ask and I will hook you up ASAP with a For fans By Fans representative who can go over the details with you further.)     • Each participating artist will have a window in which they will be able to make updates or revisions to their illustration(s) before the project is released. This means that if something is bugging you about your work, or you feel that it does not reflect your current level of skill, you will be allowed to resubmit a new version before the project officially goes up as merchandise! So, the majority of us agreed to continue forward with the project and retouch our cards. From there, things continued, and we were emailed by a FFBF representative on occasion to discuss how the process went, as well as various other things that required discussion, plus asked to assist in the promotion of the 4/13/18 celebration on their website. This is where the issues began and would continue through the entire project, with it still being seen post-release of the cards. We were sent an email in April of 2018 requiring information to be provided in the  accompanying booklet of the deck, as well as being asked to answer various interview questions that would be posted to FFBF’s Tumblr, and most importantly; the Commission Agreement form. So what did it entail? This was the form I was sent. My interview was never posted. I have looked multiple times and never seen evidence it ever was, either. And this was also included in the email;    • We are going to be hosting a pre-order bonus promotion surrounding the new tarot set, starting 413. Anyone who pre-orders the set will be entered into a drawing to win a commissioned art piece from a random artist who worked on the tarot. You will be paid by us, FFBF, for this commission work in the amount of $50.  So we had to draw more art with a very close deadline date to obtain a payment  for art we had already created, both of which should have easily been worth more than $50 total. I signed without thinking, which looking back on, was incredibly idiotic, despite my own worries over the fact that even at the time, $50 did not seem like a lot. Progress continued. An exclusive pin was designed and created for the artists, though the production and delivery dates would be delayed to September of 2018. During this time, we were also invited to join FFBF’s Discord server as well, which I am still in, though am not active in. And eventually, we were provided a Commission Schedule. I do not know if I’m missing an email between the enamel pin shipment and this schedule post, however I cannot find any trace of it. This is the Commission Schedule email, and what it consists of. Of course I found it strange, because looking at the schedule, I could never find any sign of myself having been added. Obviously I should have replied then and there due to that, but I didn’t, and that is my own fault. But that rolled into October of 2018, when I did finally email back and asked about why I hadn’t been added. I was sent back this; “Hi Calicorn! I’m sorry I misinterpreted your response as not wanting to proceed:“3)  I am completely willing to sign up for being one of the artists for the commission raffle event, though I must say $50 would be underpaying considering most artists’ base prices for commissions tend to be $50 or more.” Then I sent “If you do not want to be part of the give-away, that’s totally ok. We are offering $50 for these commissions but if that price is not within your comfort, there’s no pressure!” You never came back with anything so I didn’t want to proceed since it seemed like you were uncomfortable with the amount we were offering – I’m really sorry if I misunderstood! The giveaway is actually over I’m sorry to say but I appreciate you following up about this. I wonder why the message went into spam.. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you Thanks!” And one of the most glaring issues popped up in October as well. When we finally received our decks in the mail, our project’s Discord group began to discuss the fact that our emails had been printed in the pamphlet without our permission. Mind you, this was also a project that included minors in it, and our emails had now been given away without our knowledge. Another issue with the pamphlets is the fact that FFBF had reused the same text from the Homestuck Kickstarter Tarot Deck, as seen on the New Booklet/Old Booklet, and here/here. FFBF then decided to remove the booklet from every outgoing tarot that gets ordered, with customers receiving a corrected digital PDF that was coordinated in its creation by Aryll. And apparently previous customers would receive this PDF via emails, as well as a link to download it on the product page. Thankfully FFBF seemed to have at least posted the PDF on the product page, however this seems extremely lazy compared to simply including the newly reprinted booklet. Though this may not be the last of issues, as I stumbled across the Amazon product page for our tarot deck earlier before typing this all up. To say the least, it is extremely infuriating, especially given the quality of the cards and how many people of complained about them on both Amazon and FFBF’s websites. Of course we, the artists, were never alerted to this development, nor were we paid for such.

But overall, we were hardly paid for our time and effort during this project, which is a massive disappointment, but perhaps that much should have been expected from WeloveFine/ForFansByFans, who are notorious for underpaying artists and overpricing products. Their actions are inexcusable, and I am still both disappointed and furious with this company as a whole. But thank you for reading, and please spread the word, as I do not want FFBF’s actions to go unnoticed.

[this-lioness]

A Question for Any Fellow Witches

(I know this is long, I swear there’s a point).

So yadda yadda yadda I’m an artist.  I do not make any secret of the fact that while I do art for fun, I am also trying to make some money with it.  We originally started doing conventions and art events as a means of selling my books, but because books tend not to draw people over I tried doing live commissions, and eventually selling prints, original art, etc.  It’s a good way to bring people over to the table, who then might also pick up both artwork and a book.

Last year we made an investment into this and started to do a bit of woodworking.

This summer we tabled at an event geared toward the goth / pagan crowd, the latter of which I am a part of.  We did surprisingly well.  A lot of the art I do doesn’t really appeal to the typical “Christmas craft fair” crowd, and for once people were enjoying my work instead of warily side-eyeing it, which was nice.

With the exception of prints, I tend not to “mass produce” designs. I might make one item of a particular design, or variations on the same general design, but by and large I sell items that are pretty unique.  I have a couple wands that are all different, for instance, and the deer skulls will never get replicated.  It’s really great to me when someone sees something that speaks to them personally, and are like, “I need to have this, this was made for me.”  That’s the best feeling.

A little while ago I got the idea to do custom altars.

Basically, small, somewhat portable desktop altars that the end user can essentially decorate as they like, but it provides a small, compact place that is uniquely their own.

They wouldn’t be just empty boxes -- they would have carvings, inlay, small shelves and recesses for things, etc.  I’m thinking they would mostly have a base, a back, and two sides (so they wouldn’t be either fully open or fully closed).  Eventually I’d like to do ones with hinges for doors and lids, so they would be sealable and portable.

I thought this would be good for people for whom space is at a premium, because it would be an attractive “starting place” upon which they could build their altar and move it quickly if necessary, and it would be in a sort of compact, contained space.

So the first question is: Is this something people would be interested in?

The second question is: What would you expect to pay?  At the largest these would probably be about 18″ wide by 10″-12″ high and about 8″-10″ deep.

Because I can do my designing digitally, materials are going to be the biggest expense in creating these.  Obviously I want to use less manufactured woods (no MDF or plywood), and real wood is not cheap, but knowing what people would reasonably pay could help me figure out how and where I need to source it.

EDITED TO ADD: I also had the idea of repurposing old curiosity boxes and jewelry boxes in a similar fashion, that might be available at a smaller price point, because then I’d only be customizing them, not designing and building them from scratch.

[xexilia]

I notice when you do your comics, it applies a certain level of toner. I ended up deciding on the route of using paint brush india ink, and charcoal for toner instead. Does this aesthetic difference change the marketability of graphic novel, compared to just using toner? In the context of the prologue in this web comic, it is used to denote a fog atmosphere. In the upcoming chapter, I might use it for graveyard fog.

I think first I need to establish that what you mean by “toner” is “shading”?

I do use tones, but tonER is the stuff used in and by physical printers. Print tones refer to the dots, lines, etc. that are present in the majority of my work and that Roy Lichtenstein emulated in his paintings. Tones are dots because that’s how printers print; Thousands of dots. The closer together, the more solid the shade or color is. I’m not trying to correct you on terms, but knowing this difference will help you later because I promise, if you buy toner online and expect to get tones, you’ll be disappointed by what arrives in the mail!

So, I think you’re falling into a common trap webcomic artists make in the beginning, which is focusing on the wrong parts of the project. You asked me if this changes marketability; But you didn’t tell me:

What medium do you want to publish in? Do you want to ONLY have your comics online, or do you want to print them?

Who is your target audience and age group?

Do you want to sell or profit off your webcomic?

The first question is important because far too often, webcomic artists design for the web/screens first, foremost, and only; Later, they decide to print a book, and this is when all hell breaks loose. Lots of media (Charcole, watercolors, etc.—media is the art term for materials) can look both better OR WORSE on a screen—this is where technology comes into play, like the scanner you have, the DPI (dots per inch) its able to scan things in at, and the size of scannable area. A lot of my favorite media and mediums (I like pencil on paper), are really delicate drawings—and like a lot of artists who favor these materials, scanners just never seem to do them justice. Lots of fine artists I talk to admit that they feel their work looks best in person, and no matter how high the quality scanner, small, delicate details get lost. Part of it can be a cheap scanner, the wrong DPI setting, but the other part can be the wrong medium (That’s the term for things like canvas or paper), or the wrong SIZE medium.

Size matters; Both in terms of the scanner surface area AND the size of your medium. A lot of people (And I did this myself for a lot of the first book), work on standard size paper—8.5 by 11 inches; But professional artists, print or not, are always better off to work at a LARGER size than the end result will be. When I printed my book, I didn’t come out too terribly for the size I worked in, because manga book page sizes are smaller than their American counter parts. I also knew I planned to print from the first page onward, so everything was designed for print first and web second—this is much easier and less time consuming to do than the reverse, because a lot of print errors can occur that don’t appear on screens—and literally can’t—and can take hours, days, weeks or more to fix, depending on how bad and common the issue is and how many of your pages have this problem. A big one is called moire, which DOES NOT show up on screens; This happens when an artist applies on tone directly over another. Because most of us work digitally these days, it’s even easier for artists to start doing this and not realize the consequence until you print a book. . .and discover all places where tones overlap create this weird square pattern within them—which is called moire. This is why it’s critical to use separate tones for different shades and such, because unlike solid color printing, you cannot overlay tones like you would layers in Photoshop or other such programs. Ignore this at your peril!

My first suggestion before you go to far is; Of you want to ever, EVER print this, print out a copy of a page at home. Even if you’re happy with it, consider how you may be printing or mass producing these things; If you’re going to make them via a copier at Kinko’s, take a page down to a copier at Kinko’s and see what quality you get. If you don’t like it at full size to the ratio you worked in (In other words, printing on the same size paper you created it on), you can get some improvement by using smaller pages—but going UP in page size will cause quality to drop. I now work on paper—digital or not—that’s always 11 by 17 inches AT LEAST. For anything I make, I try to work in a size 3 to 4 times larger than the end result will be.

When I first began, I made my comics with a copier at Kinko’s, and discovered while my ink wash method looked good, it looked better with color printing; Color printing is ALWAYS more expensive, hence why when digital comic creation tools (Like Clip Studio) got invented, I was an instant convert! It saved a lot of time and money (Tones and such are all expensive), the environment (No trees died for my drawings), effort (Tones are REALLY tricky to work with by hand), and it’s no wonder that manga artists now are nearly ALL working digitally.

Also, for the disabled (Like me), digital allows us to work from beds, at home, etc. instead of in front of a desk, all hunched over. I don’t accidentally smudge ink, my cat doesn’t drink my ink (Yes, it’s a thing cats do!), and if I mess up, the power of Undo/Redo/Copy/Paste/Transform CANNOT be understated. I’ve mentioned it before, but I believe in working smarter, NOT harder. This is why I draw out a lot of backgrounds (Which you can’t see on the free copies online, but you can if you buy a physical copy or the Amazon eBook), separately, and I can just drag and drop them around as I need. That way, I can focus on drawing the characters and not on drawing a giant cathedral for every damn appearance it makes or scene change I do.

As for marketability; A lot of this depends on your target audience and age group. Even so, people tend to grow to like something even if it may be atypical of the general stuff they like. I’m generally not a fan of shoujo-ai—but many of my favorite anime and manga ARE in this genre! Turns out, if the story is good, I don’t care about the sexuality of the characters!

A lot of people expect or want color comics these days though, which is odd to me, since the manga produced in Japan is in black and white (Color printing is expensive—even for a major publishing company!) People still read it, and those who expect an artist to make a free webcomic with color pages and update several times a week or month aren’t aware of the time, effort, or consequences. Generally; No, they will NOT buy a book they’ve read for free online (As much as people love to say to support us creators, they rarely actually do), and they damn sure won’t pay for the extra cost of color printing. If you want to see the difference, check out Ka-Blam comic printers and do a price comparison between printing pages in color versus black and white.

Yes, there are people who do a Kickstarter and such and get these funds up front; They are exceptions, not the rules. Consider them—and most artists who make comics or art they make of their own choosing (Not commissions, but only originals), the same as you might someone who plays a sport and decides that they are GOING to play professionally for some orginazation or team—which is, they are counting on being in this LESS THAN 1% of their field. Yes, some people pull it off; The vast majority don’t—and skill isn’t the biggest factor in the end. Just like an athlete with all the promise in the world can have their career ended before it’s begun by an injury that never heals right, art itself is a career path with MANY hidden pitfalls and problems—and health is a major one. Too many of us don’t eat right, don’t exercise our bodies and minds, and so on; It adds up. I personally really recommend a diet with a caloric/carb intake ratio that works within your activity levels; In other words, if you’re determined not to work out (Which—don’t make this mistake), you can’t eat as much as you’d like—not only will you gain weight, but it impacts your health health, your blood sugar—it can be a recipe for an early, but preventable, grave or a LOT of suffering that could be avoided. I try to jog at least two miles a day, meditate daily, and really put my health as the main focus in my life—even before my art. I can’t draw anything or write more stories if I’m dead, after all, and I can’t produce my best work if I’m not in the best condition I can manage. With an autoimmune disease, there’s only so much I can do or control and I’m often still very sick and in a lot of pain; But I still do all I can to run or walk two miles—at least, and even if it takes me an hour or more—and to keep my heart rate at 120 beats per min. when I do. There’s a lot of days where this is about the ONLY thing I can manage and where my pain is so bad I cry and cry—because right now I don’t have a lot of means of relief; This doesn’t happen to everyone, but it means that health—no matter what you do in life—can make or break you at times. Audiences aren’t always understanding of these circumstances and yes, ones career can dry up as a result. Just because someone manages to play for the sports team of their dreams doesn’t mean their health can’t or won’t turn on them, or a serious injury will end their career; We do not live in a world where people will continue to support you because of a series of or singular unfortunate event.

This brings me to the last point, which is if you plan to sell or profit off your work; We all want to, but often making sales can come at the cost of producing something that we, as the creators, really love or are passionate about. I decided from the jump that, while profiting was nice, I’d much rather make the title I wanted to make rather than the one that sells the most copies; If I were concerned with it, trust me, Eternity Concepts would be a wildly different story, with different art, etc. I’d have written a formulaic story that was entirely predictable and changed so many aspects, you’d never recognize it; Manga fans tend to be teens, so I’d have made the cast all teenagers! It’d be set in school! Someone might magically transform to fight evil or some such thing.

I didn’t want that; If you do, there’s no shame in that, but audiences will keep buying and reading what we keep producing, and if we’re too afraid to take a risk on a chance that our story won’t make a dime—because making a dime is the most important part for you—then we can’t be surprised when it’s what people keep buying—because we aren’t even attempting to sell anything else.

Publishing houses (With novels and such) can be really guilty of pushing for changes based on market research; The thing is, the research is often based off past sales of what’s already in the market. Plenty of novels that became classics and best sellers got rejected for years and years until a publishing company was willing to take a chance and discovered that people can, will, and do enjoy new and different things. They might also do market focus group testing—but these are small sample sizes of average people—and your audience may NOT be average people.

All creative pursuits involve risks, at the end of the day; You just have to decide what rewards you want or are willing to sacrifice if you take them.

As for aesthetics, there’s no accounting for taste and I’ve seen plenty of paintings I hated sell for insane amounts of money, plenty of art styles I hated become popular titles, etc.

I will say this; When I, PERSONALLY, see a comic with tones or color, usually that’s digitally produced (It cuts out the need for a scanner!), it looks to me like it’s professionally made—by someone who is on their way or already at such a level.

While a lot of newer artists try to make do with other materials, again, the world is not a kind place and making do is just that—making do. Yes, there are a million and one reasons why one can’t get their hands on better or more professional materials—but sadly, people don’t want to hear excuses, and many successful artists got their tools by working jobs they hated, saving up, living in their cars—making major sacrifices to get to where they are now. There’s no easy road or shortcuts to the end; Yes, I do, sadly, think the mixed media approach you’re trying won’t be favorable towards your marketability—but I could always be wrong (Look at how many MS Paint comics made it big!) There’s a first time for everything.

Comics, though, is also about production speed, and traditional materials can come at the cost of working quicker. I’m a big fan of suggesting people save and wait and invest (And it IS an investment) in serious materials and tools if they wish to be seen and taken as seriously; This means making sacrifices and at the end of the day, plenty of people still won’t like what you make, no matter what tools you have or plot you employ. The person who NEEDS to like it most? . . .Is only you.

You cannot please all of the people all of the time, and the faster you accept that, the happier you’ll be with what you make.

[the-march-hair]

hello ! i was just wondering if you’d have any advice for someone considering setting up/starting commissions for the first time, thanks !

I think everyone has different advice and tactics, so anything I say, others may find me to be completely wrong, this is just my opinion on things. As artists tend to work alone there are as many ways to sell art as there are to make it! This is just what works for me.

Firstly understand that commissions are not a “quick and easy” way to make money if you are just trying to avoid finding a “real job”.

Secondly your followers are just people who like to use the internet, and yes potential future customers, but they owe you nothing. No one has to buy your work. Let them want to buy it because they want it not because you beg them to buy it.

Now I got the kinda negative bit out the way let’s talk business!

1) Create a professional art self on the internet. Whether thats just a tumblr blog where you only post YOUR ART or with the addition of a portfolio or otherwise, build a following of people who like your work and yours alone. Tumblr sideblogs are great, I have about 9 for various things, and I am very very strict with my @fionacreates account hence why I have accounts like this one for silly fanlulz. Some people do get away with shitposting, posting art, politics, fandom squees, asks, and lulz, but tbh I don’t follow a single art account that I like that combines it all.

Different people have different successes with different platforms. Find what works for you. I still use deviantART a lot, despite the shit people give it, because often it’s still where people go to find new people to commission and i’ve had an account for over a decade now,

2) Decide what you are selling. From experience “OMG WILL DRAW ANYTHING FOR CASH MONIES” kinda lends itself to either drawing stuff you hate, or no one hiring you because they dont really know what you sell. If you only love to draw portraits in black and white, don’t sell full body colour pieces.

3) Decide what your time is worth. Look at other artists who draw at your level of both talent and online following for a guide, but also make a decision on what your time is worth. If this is not at least minimum wage for the hours you put into it, don’t sell it. I could write a whole essay on why dirt cheap commissions aren’t a good idea. If you have to put your price high and no one buys it, keep improving, maybe find a non art job for income security. Your mental health will thank you. 

4) Make sure you know what copyright you are selling, and what’s more make sure your clients know. My cheaper “private” commissions are cheap precisely because they are private. They are for the client and the clients private use alone. My commercial work (board games, illustrations etc) cost more because the company that buys them, puts them on a product or uses my art to sell their product. For commercial work never ever do anything without a contract. Definately do your research about this.

5) Take a deposit. For most work I take 50% up front, make the piece and get the second 50% when I completed it, and then I send the finished file.

6) Draw your work printable. That is at 300 dpi. Your client will likely want to print the shiny art they bought!

7) Tell people about it and be very clear how they can contact you. People won’t message if they can’t find your contact details easily! Make sure it’s on your tumblr bio, twitter bio, linked in your sidebar to your commissions info, make it loud and clear you accept paid work!

Going back to an earlier point... do not pressure or expect anyone to buy your work. It sounds utterly heartbreaking to do it all right, get the nice folio, make the nice graphics, advertise on all the right places and get no emails! It may be a false statistic but I read a long time ago only 1 in 100 of your followers are willing to spend money on stuff you make, and that number goes down the more expensive it gets.  Use the time you have no work to make kick ass personal work and continue to share it on your social medias, people like artists who post regularly (even just sketches) and people are more likely to spend money on artists they like.

If you want to sell more full body designs, draw more for fun, show people what kind of thing they could be buying!

8) I don’t know where you are from, but for goodness sake look up your tax laws for self employment. Don’t get into trouble because you didn’t declare you sold some art on the internet.

9) You can say no. If you feel uncomfortable drawing something someone is willing to pay you for, do not draw it! Say no. The money is not worth it.

10) You will make mistakes. You will slip up, or your mental health might do something stupid like stop your working for a bit. I have no answer for this as it has also effected my own work sometimes even though I wish it wouldn’t. But talk to people you love about your work and let them in. An artist usually runs a solo business and that shit gets heavy sometimes. 

11) NEVER WORK FOR EXPOSURE you can expose yourself on twitter far more than anyone offering exposure on their account can give you. If their digital reach is large enough to make a difference to you, they have enough money to pay you. 

And lastly.....

Just.. make art! Make what you love and the people who also love it will find you. Get involved in projects, like zines, talk to other artists on social media, take part in hashtag events (such as #portfolioday was the 9th july on twitter and next on the 9th october). Whether you make money or not if you feel like you are an artist, you are one! Whether someone buys your work or not is not an indication of your ability. Don’t give up, go forth and be an artist.

I certainly don’t want to put you off with anything negative I have brought up, but I don’t want to send you forth with “omg ofc people want to buy your work, you’ll be minted soon!” But if you just go forth and do what you do best, and do try to keep a professional head on your shoulders (and let the artist run wild in the work) you’ll hopefully do ok!

As I said this just my opinion, I may have missed things and other artists who read this may do things differently, but this is just based on my own experience!

PS If you find the secret to rich clients who let you paint what you want... do get in touch.

[farmauctionscentre2-blog]

Choosing An Auction Firm

Equipment Auctions Centre

Estimating your property benefit:

Usually, one of the very first issues a company operator will inquire me is, "how a lot will the property bring at an auction". Just after finding the time to critique the property, the auctioneer really should provide the client a conservative estimate with the sale dependent upon his encounter as well as existing current market tendencies. It really is critical which the organization give reasonable expectations hence the vendor might make informed decisions according to their most effective curiosity.

Land Auctions Centre

Payment and Costs:

Is definitely the company you are considering operating for you or against you? The agreement you choose may perhaps identify this.

A company operator really should cautiously look at how the auction corporation is compensated. The most common commission structures contain: straight fee, outright purchase of belongings, assured foundation having a split previously mentioned to equally auctioneer and seller, assured base with anything over about to auctioneer or even a flat price structure.

Inside a straight fee composition, the corporation is paid out an agreed upon share on the full sale.

Within an outright acquire arrangement, the auctioneer only gets to be your finish consumer. The company purchases your assets and relocates them. Although this may be a possibility in certain exceptional cases, consider they will would like to order your assets at a really reduced rate to help make a financial gain in a afterwards day.

Within a bare minimum base ensure, the auction business assures the vendor the auction will produce a least quantity of revenue. Nearly anything over that quantity possibly goes for the auction corporation or split with the vendor. While a vendor may possibly come to feel a lot more comfy undertaking an auction figuring out that he is certain a minimal quantity for his sale, remember that it's the very best desire in the auction firm to protected a minimum amount base price as low as doable in order lower their financial liability to the seller and secure increased payment with the sale.

Within a flat price composition, the auctioneer agrees to point out up with the sale and simply call the auction. There's no incentive for that auctioneer to get the best price ranges for your personal property. The auction firm is compensated whatever the consequence within your sale.

What is the greatest option for enterprise owners? In my working experience, an arranged straight commission framework. This puts the duty about the auction corporation to supply the ideal final result for everyone involved. There exists an incentive for the auction firm to operate tricky for equally events, set up and operate a specialist sale, get the greatest bid and market just about every item about the stock. Effective auctions translate into a increased bottom line for equally the vendor as well as the auction company.

Auction Charges:

In most auction agreements the expenses to conduct an auction are handed to the seller. Should the auction business pays with the fees, it really is just absorbed in larger fee fees.

All expenses should be agreed upon ahead of time within a composed agreement. Standard costs will include things like the prices of advertising, labor, lawful service fees, vacation, gear rentals, security, postage and printing. A good auction business can estimate all costs dependent upon their practical experience in past auctions. An arrangement ought to be precise expenses charged as expenditures, not an believed amount of money.

Promoting is usually the very best value in conducting an auction. The auction business ought to setup an promoting marketing campaign that should boost the sale to its ideal benefit and not overspend to easily publicize the auction firm.

After the auction is finish, the auction business should give a complete breakdown of all charges on the vendor, together with copies of receipts within the auction summary report.

Buyer's High quality:

What's a buyer's premium? Should you show up at auctions regularly, you might be really knowledgeable about this expression. The auction enterprise rates a rate to the customer every time they acquire an item at auction.

The buyer's top quality is all over considering the fact that the 1980's which is typical auction follow. It had been to start with employed by auction houses that can help offset costs of managing brick and mortar long-lasting auction facilities. Due to the fact then, it's distribute to all facets of the auction marketplace. It's outstanding in online auctions and makes it possible for auction providers to go over included expenditures incurred from on line gross sales.

It is the duty in the auction company to supply very clear disclosure with the buyer's high quality to each the potential buyers and also the sellers. Those not knowledgeable about auctions tend to be taken back again through the buyer's top quality. They looked on it as an below handed way for the auction company to produce more dollars. Reliable auction organizations will give total disclosure in the auction contract, ad and bidder registration.

Ordinarily, an auction corporation will cost on the net customers a better buyer's high quality share than all those attending an auction in particular person. Further charges are incurred with on-line bidding and therefore are billed appropriately to on the internet buyers. This presents the vendor a stage actively playing area for each on line buyers and people attending the auction in human being. Without the buyer's premium, there is not any method to do this.

Pre-Sales:

We've all been there. We're seeking forward to attending an auction only to search out that some goods have been sold just before the auction date.

Being an auctioneer with above thirty-six years of working experience, I'm able to actually condition that pre-sales will hurt an auction. Whenever a corporation decides to liquidate their property, it really is simple to market off high-end pieces of kit by way of on line resources, products suppliers or to other firms. The seller receives instant hard cash and avoids having to pay a fee to an auction corporation.

Auctioneer's locate on their own appearing to acting inside a self-serving potential when probable shoppers say they are planning to sell off pieces in their stock just before an auction. It truly is really hard not to consider the auctioneer's fee every time they warn you to not pre-sell anything at all. Certainly, the auctioneer would like to get paid a commission on all those profits but it's a lot more critical the auctioneer secure the sale from prospective damaging backlash that comes from pre-selling. The shopping for community is aware when an auction has long been "cherry picked" before the sale and it demonstrates inside their bidding. It gets a sale of "leftovers" which impacts price ranges.

A consumer who buys before the auction normally will not attend the sale. They by now bought devices in a great price tag without having levels of competition. If they do go to the auction, they have a tendency to permit other individuals know of their good pre-sale buys which again, impacts charges and also the all round excitement of the sale.

It is actually significant to be aware of that auctions function most effective which has a complete inventory. You need competition on your larger conclude devices. The straightforward to market merchandise ensure it is attainable to get respectable selling prices for hard to market items.

Whenever a enterprise owner decides to liquidate their machines property, there may be only one option to make it happen suitable. Employing a good auction company will assist you by using a professional, orderly and well timed liquidation.

[emsysquared]

Top 10 Things I Learned From Artist Alleys

Hi guys! I thought I’d write a post on some things I’ve learned from selling my own art at artist alleys over the years & talking to fellow artists, as it’s something I’ve wanted to discuss and thought people would be interested. This isn’t really an Artist Alley 101 guide, as I wrote this in mind for both for beginners and veterans, because even if you’ve been tabling for years, there are things about the artist alley scene that can keep changing, or things you never knew about. Hope this helps!

LONG POST IS LONG WARNING

10. Bigger doesn’t always mean better – people keep thinking this, but it’s not always true.

Smaller conventions are easier to talk to attendees/artists because there’s often slow periods, and are good if if they’re local and you need a place to start. You can also get away with having only a few things to sell and if it doesn’t go well it won’t be a huge loss. Smaller cons tend to also have a lower table cost, and because the artist alley is smaller, it’s easier to “stand out”. Probably because of this, I’ve heard some cases where some people have made the same amount of profits from certain small cons vs. big cons, meaning, they actually got more sales per person at the smaller con.

Bigger conventions CAN command big bucks and keep you busier with sales because there’s more attendees and potentially more money to go around. However, they are also more competitive: if all you have is ONE print when everyone else around you has huge displays, you risk people passing by you because they may think you don’t have anything of interest to offer. As an example, maybe at the small con, your Overwatch solo D.Va print was the only one there and it did well, but at a big con, 20 other artists could also have similar D.Va prints and are now competing with each other, which is something you should consider.

Every con is different so when researching, you want to take into consideration the ratio of artist/vendor tables available in conjunction to attendee count, events/guests, and the con environment.

With both cons, if you frequent the same ones, try to keep things fresh and make new stuff or else you risk oversaturating your market and having people come up to your table thinking “I’ve seen that same poster 3 years already, and I already have it. What’s new?”

9. Just because something is popular doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll sell right away – there’s a fine line between “it’s popular so fans will buy it” and “it’s popular but it’s oversaturated because everyone and their mom drew it and it won’t sell unless you differentiate your work from everyone else”. I’d argue if you’re passionate about a series and it just happens to be popular, go for it! You should draw what you like, because it’ll show in how you interact with other fans and the effort you put into it.

If you’re only drawing for the popularity, well, there’s a bit of debate about this. And let’s be honest, some of us need to pay bills. I’ll argue if you ONLY draw whatever is popular to sell out, it can reflect in the quality of your work and make you unmemorable (and you can still risk it not selling), but hey, you do you. But drawing only niche things may also be tricky, since the fans are probably very passionate, but few in number. Sometimes finding a balance between both can work, but at the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide what path you want to take. Most artists start out doing fanart as it’s easier for someone to walk up to your table if they recognize their favorite character than a table full of random OCs standing in a backgroundless void. But that’s not to say originals can’t sell because....

8. Originals sell! Don’t be afraid to make original content – this might shock some of you but original merchandise DOES sell, according to many successful anecdotal stories from artists and art friends who’ve done it, and a lot of people have said it is very rewarding, especially when you consider how prevalent fanart is. However, originals can be harder to sell – it will highly depend on the subject matter you’re drawing and attendees at certain cons may be more or less receptive to them than others, so you may have to try different cons to find your market. What has worked for others may not work for you. You might even need time to develop a consistency with your work so people know what to expect from you.

There are also a few conventions out there, such as Otakon, which do require you to have a certain % of originals when you apply for their artist alley, so there’s that.

7. Have stuff with different price points at your table – my personal opinion is “Do not do print-only tables” but I know there are artists out there who DO command good profits only selling prints and posters of their artwork.

But why I say this is because (especially at anime cons) there are usually younger kids who don’t have much disposable income or don’t have a lot of wall space and thus, can’t always afford big $20 posters, which is where having smaller items like charms and buttons can help as impulse purchases. It may take you 10 purchases of $2 buttons to reach that equivalent amount, but if you do get enough sales they’ll add up. Plus, it’s easier for some people to make use of charms and buttons. 

Prints are still good because the profit margin is better and they're a way for your audience to see your "portfolio" and art style from afar. At larger cons where there’s a sea of artists, having many prints can help others see what you have or help find your table from a distance. Try and stick to common print sizes such as 11x17 inches, 8.5x11, 4x6 or 5x7, mostly on the basis that they’re easier to frame.

One thing - unless you plan on traveling to many conventions in your life, you do NOT need to print 50+ copies of each print if all you do is table at your small local con once a year. You will regret it and be stuck with them until you die (I’m not kidding). Unless a piece has proven to you it’s a best seller, I recommend printing 5-10 copies a print, 2-4 if you aren’t confident. You can always reprint more if they sell well, or replace them with newer prints.

Comic cons I hear are a little different, as their audience is usually older, but I can’t say much about them since I never actually vended at one before.

6. You gotta spend money to make money – You wanna make cool stuff like charms, lanyards, enamel pins? A button maker to make your own buttons? A dealer’s room spot instead of a regular artist alley table? Travel to cons outside your city? Heck, just buying table display stuff and getting new prints? That all costs money, bruh. This might require you save up, and some people I know even use their day job to help fund them to afford nice things. But artist alley IS also a business, and if you want your business to grow, you’ll need to take risks and invest in it. However, know that this should happen gradually over time and NOT overnight. If you literally have no previous experience selling your art and knowing what worked for you, do NOT carelessly throw down money to make every fancy merchandise imaginable.

5. Talk to people and engage with attendees! I say this because I’ve seen quite a few artists who are great at their craft, but aren’t good at business at all. Even if you aren’t confident about your work, still strive to be as professional as possible. And be your own cheerleader/salesman to your art! If the con is slow, don’t ignore customer’s questions by playing mobile games on your phone. People get energy off of you, and if you happen to seem like you hate people, attendees pick up on that. A lot of people who go to anime cons can be introverted/shy as well, so just saying hi and ask how they’re enjoying the con is a good start to engage with them! If you notice they’re cosplaying a character, tell them you like their cosplay or happen to have that character as a button! You’d be surprised some people may not know you offer a product because they overlooked it.

I usually let customers browse the table without bothering them, as people get uncomfortable if you’re being too desperate with sales.

4. Displays and Table Placement matter- Your table placement at a convention can dictate a HUGE majority of your sales, and how you display yourself also counts as well. You could have amazing art, but maybe your table is in some back corner where it’s not getting enough foot traffic compared to the people in the front. Additionally, if you have merchandise hidden behind other merch, other people can’t see it as they walk by. Presentation is important, there are so many possibilities you can do to make your table look nice.

The most common way people display their prints are usually either by using grid cubes, photography stands or PVC pipes with clamps. All of these have their pros and cons, and some artists even use a combination of the 3.

3. Cons are extremely volatile. Artist alley is NOT a place to “get rich quick” – To be blunt (and unfortunately, speaking from personal experience), you can’t predict when you’ll get dicked over by a badly-run con. No two cons are the same, and the same convention can even vary from year to year, depending on things like how it was run by staff, its location, when it was held, etc. At one con, you may sell out of prints. At another, only your commissions do well. Even something as simple as a venue change and increasing the amount of artist/vendor tables can affect sales. You can only prepare as much as you can and hope you survive the rainy days.

I used to think as you got older and sold at more artist alleys, your profits could only go up and boy was I wrong with that notion. The realest piece of advice I’ve learned is seeing seasoned veterans (who are used to making 4-digit profits or artists who have done this for over 7 years) having times where they hit a bad con and don’t even break even. If you’ve never had a terrible con before, you are either very lucky or you have not vended at enough different cons to experience this. 

A lot of different factors can come into play, and while some you can’t control, think of the ones that you can – was your setup bad? What do you see other attendees buying? Or maybe was this your first con in a completely different area and it caught you off guard?  If you feel your art was lacking, don’t lose confidence. Look at it as an opportunity to find yourself again, and work hard on your craft so you can show everyone at your next event “hey, this is the new and improved me! Look at how far I’ve come!”

2. Artist alleys can be stressful and are getting more competitive, but it’s important to develop a thick skin to keep moving on – I should clarify this, AA should NOT be a sea of cutthroat competition because every con has its mix of those starting out, the veterans who have been doing this for 10 years, and everyone else in between. And everyone has something different to bring to the table. However, the fact is… artist alleys are getting competitive each year just to GET IN. At some popular cons, there’s always more applicants than tables available, and you can’t take it personally when 1,000+ people are in a lottery for 90 tables.

As artists, we are always our worst critics as well, just because art can be highly personable to us. There’s a lot of things that can go wrong in the moment. Maybe you got more commissions than you can handle. Your new merchandise didn’t arrive on time. Or you worry your art isn’t “sellable”. All of these can be pretty frustrating and question your self-worth as an artist. But just know you are not alone, all of us have had those moments at least once, maybe even multiple times in our lives. Sometimes you just have to keep marching on, despite things. And if you need time to step away to take a breather, go ahead and take care of yourself first.

1. … But you keep wanting to do them because they are also one of the best experiences you can have as a creative – despite the above, artist alleys have been an integral part of my growth as an artist. Seeing what everyone has to offer has challenged me to keep improving my art and helped me meet fellow artist friends thru our comradery of shared experiences, interests, and stresses. It’s very easy to feel dejected, but if you can keep pushing thru, you’ll probably benefit the most than those who give up at the slightest hint of being butthurt. The artist alley life isn’t exactly easily, but it’s heartwarming when you have moments where “doing what you love” and “drawing what you like” feel like it paid off.

Don’t feel bad if your first shows don’t go logistically or financially great! I never realized how lucky I was that my first AA, I broke even AND made profit, because many apparently don’t. Go into it as an opportunity to market your work, meet other artists and customers, and figure out what people like about your art. Artist alley is not for everyone, but if you find that you’re growing to love it despite the hiccups, keep going! My AA experience isn’t as extensive as others, but I hope with this, this is my way of giving back to the artist alley community that helped me grow as an artist.

 If you’re still worried if you’re “good enough” to do artist alley, here’s my final advice: just do it, bruh. 

[lorvan-luthor]

The Undervalued

          Art is ever present in our daily lives (Abinuman, 2017). It ranges its origins way back from when our species lived in cave up until now where we live in concrete houses. The ever-present art is born in new forms everyday or evolves from something already existing. What people, not all but an alarming amount still nonetheless, fail to realize is that we will not be here without it. After all, the greatest inventions and innovations of mankind were not made without creativity.

            One may have heard of the names Vincent van Gogh, Juan Luna, or Leonardo da Vinci. If not, then they may have been disconnected with the world. The names previously mentioned are famous artists of the world, the painting kind of artists by the way. It is easy to name artists who are famous and known years ago. But what about now? Who are the famous artists of the current time? It’s hard to name someone famous who is not dead yet.

            It may not be noticeable to a lot of people, but the art world has its trends just like the other worlds and communities. There are new names but same trends (Sheets, 2017). There are prejudices and inequality everywhere and we cannot seem to eliminate that. Most known artists, old and new (dead or alive), are male which is a sign of the patriarchal world we live in. They are also mostly white. And most probably of the European or American heritage.

            The problems do not start nor end with these global trends, the foundation of those who want to pursue art happens early. The lack of support from the people around us can make quite the impact. They are uninformed on how people make a living out of it. Artists are also shamed or ridiculed for having unoriginal artworks which is a great problem since having an original idea is unconventional because corporations tend to sell what is sure to sell and an original idea is a gamble to their finance or stock market place. Corporations fear creativity for its power to knock off their constants, whether it’s power, standings, or even prices (Topic, 2012). These are just some of the reasons why artists are discouraged from art or from exploring their art further (Abinuman, 2017).

            Another problem students face is the ‘unimportance’ of art subjects in school. The art, music, and humanities department are often dubbed as minor compared to the math and sciences dubbed as majors. The society has been programmed to credit the academic skills over the creative ones. Figures and terms and numbers often deemed useful compared to creativity called as wasting time. Due to this way of thinking, less people go to arts and less jobs are created for those with art degrees (Fearon, 2015). This led to schools and universities putting less to no prioritizing and funds of the programs inclined to art (Higgins, 2015). With lack of opportunities for employment, there comes the competition over position of the same expertise (Benitez, 2016).

            The problems mentioned before are not all we face but just some. The last problem to be tackled in this article is about the rates. One would think that with all the hard work, expensive equipment and education, artists would get at least a decent amount of money. No. I should be like that but no, that’s not how the world functions. People expects low rates because they think our work are not as valuable. When artists charge a proper rate, they are mostly seen as arrogant or ungrateful. While it is true that printing a work is easy, creating it didn’t take just whatever time we took in doing it. There are hundreds of thousands of pesos invested in our education and equipment (Manucom, 2015). To simply ask for a lower rate over a commission (or something as ridiculous as a shout out over social media) is like asking a doctor to operate you in the heart for only one thousand pesos (or a shout out which is just as ridiculous).

            In conclusion, artists started becoming undervalued some time ago and it only got worse since then. Many have suffered because of this. Students, professionals, and those dreamers with broken dreams. The industry of art is hard because that’s how the world made it be. And in this financial world we live in, who has the money to “waste” on “simple designs”. And don’t misunderstand. That statement has sarcasm written all over it.

           It’s no wonder why artists are undervalued today.

- LorVan Luthor

[bookkeeping250]

New Post has been published on Paula's Bookkeeping Solutions

New Post has been published on http://bookkeepingsolutionsusa.com/a-list-of-tips-to-start-balancing-your-budget-today/

A List Of Tips To Start Balancing Your Budget Today!

Lots of people, unfortunately, are not in control of their financial situation. Most of the time, this has to do with not having the proper information on this topic. You do not have any need to worry. This article will give you the advice you need to avoid financial disasters.

Do thorough background research on any broker you are considering investing with. Check their references, and ensure that they tell you everything you want to know. The experience level that you bring to the table is also important.

Eat as if you aren’t a tourist when you want to save on food costs when traveling. Your hotel restaurant, and any other restaurants in tourist areas, are likely to be way overpriced, so do some research and find out where the locals eat. You can find quaint restaurants with lower prices and great tasting local cuisine.

You can buy many foods in bulk and save money. Protein may be bought as a half side of beef which you place in the freezer, or large quantities of poultry or fish that are frozen and individually wrapped. Bulk purchases are excellent if you plan to use all the products you bought. Take some time out of one day and cook the whole batch of meat and make your meals for the week so that you time and money.

Avoid the large fees that some brokers charge. Brokers that invest long term tend to charge fees for making use of their services. These fees majorly affect your total return. Avoid patronizing brokers that charge high commissions, and do not invest in funds that have high management costs.

It is a good idea to always file your personal taxes when they are due. For a faster refund, file as early as possible. However, if you are expecting to owe money, you should wait to file until near the due date, which is April 15th.

Always put away money to save first when you get paid. It is easier to save money every week rather than waiting to see what you have left when the month is over. If you know the money is unavailable, it lessens the chance you will spend it.

Credit Card

If you are new to financial independence, be cautious about using credit cards, especially if you are under the age of 21. In past years, any college student could get a credit card. Today you need to have someone co-sign on your account unless you have a verified income. Always research the requirements and the fine print when considering a credit card.

Understanding the value of a certain item can prevent a person from selling that same item for a cheap price when it is actually valuable. Your personal finances will most certainly improve when you choose to sell that rare antique piece of furniture, instead of donating it to goodwill.

Try to set up an automatic pay plan to pay credit card balances with a debit card every month. This will make it a little harder to forget.

Schedule a transfer from your checking account to a high interest plan so that part of your paycheck is put aside regularly. At first it may seem uncomfortable, but soon it will become another monthly bill and the savings account will grow.

Financial Situation

Speak with your friends and family about the situation that you are in and ask for their help. By being honest about your financial situation you do not have to feel guilty about saying no if they invite you to dinner and you cannot afford to go. Some of your friends might be offended if you refuse to go out with them without explaining that you cannot afford to. Just be honest with your friends about what’s going on with your financial situation.

Look for ways to save money each day. Rather than shopping the same market all the time and making the same purchases, peruse the local papers to find which stores have the best deals on a given week. If an item is on sale, buy it instead of food that is at the regular price.

Watch out for any letters telling you about changes that your credit card company makes. Creditors are legally obligated to give you 45 days of notice prior to any policy changes. Read the disclosure of changes and see if the changes make it worth your while to maintain the account. If you do not want to keep the account, pay what you owe and close it.

Do not get into debt with things that are unnecessary. Having said that, mortgage and vehicle loans generally are okay, as it is nearly impossible for most people to purchase homes and cars without them. However, individuals should not put themselves in positions where they must depend upon credit to pay for daily expenses.

Money Management

Money management can be difficult for some people. However, now that you have taken in the above tips, you are on your way to joining the group of people that understand and apply money management techniques. Using the tips you just read will not only improve your financial situation, but your stress level, as well.

Learn more about Personal finance

[thegloober]

How to Find the Best Financial Advisor for Your Needs

The best financial advisor is one that takes the time to understand your financial goals while considering your needs and budget.

After working in the financial industry for the past eight years as Director of Client Operations, one thing is clear. Finding someone you can trust and feel genuinely comfortable with is a lot harder than some people think.

It’s your money after all, and finding someone who cares about it just as much as you do, can seem like a daunting task.

When it comes to the financial world, you have a lot of different options to consider such as financial planners to investment advisors.

So how do you know what financial professional to choose? Here’s a detailed guide on the types of help you can choose from, as well as the questions you need to ask.

INVESTMENT ADVISOR VS FINANCIAL PLANNER

The term financial advisor is very broad, meaning it can refer to anyone who helps clients manage their money. It’s like an umbrella that other terms fall under.

Both investment advisors and financial planners are alike in that they both help you manage your assets, but the services they provide can be different in some fundamental ways.

INVESTMENT ADVISOR

An investment advisor, also known as a financial advisor or securities advisor, is someone who can help you manage your investments and help you make investment decisions.

For a fee, they can provide you with guidance and work with you to determine the best investments for your portfolio.

To get started, they must have a complete understanding of your financial situation, investment goals, and risk tolerance. From there, they will assess your portfolio and develop a recommended investment strategy based on your overall goals.

Investment advisors can be very knowledgeable and helpful by telling you what types of securities to invest in (like stocks or mutual funds), the risk associated with each kind of investment, and what you can expect for your rate of return.

For me, one of the most significant benefits of an investment advisor is that they can also tell you what types of taxable income your investments will generate and how to make your investments as tax efficient as possible.

WHAT ARE THE FEES?

Investment advisors can charge their fees in many different ways. You should also ask your advisor to explain how they are paid before engaging in their services. This could have a significant impact on your portfolio.

Percentage of the value of your managed investments: Depending on much much assets they are managing, their fees might differ. For example, the fee percentage may be higher for lower-value portfolios than for high-value portfolios. To put it plainly, the more money you have to invest, the lower the fees. These fees usually range from .2% to 2% of assets under management.

Hourly rate or flat fee: Depending on the level of engagement, they may provide minimal advice or comprehensive advice. Due to the nature of this fee structure, their services can be ongoing or may be one-time.

Commission-based advisors: If your advisor is commission-based, they earn their money from investment transactions. This means there has to be a transaction, like the sale of a product or a stock trade for a fee to be generated.

FIDUCIARY DUTY

There are two main differences between a fee-based advisor and an advisor who solely earns a commission, and that is a fiduciary duty.

There are a lot of people who don’t understand the concept of fiduciary. For most people, they just assume that finance professionals do the “right” thing.

Fee-only investment advisors are bound by fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of their clients, meaning they have to put their client’s interest above their own at all times. Not only that, but they must adhere to strict guidelines of loyalty and care. Up-front disclosures must be given to the client before any contracts are signed to provide investment advice.

Commission-only advisors are not bound fiduciary duty.

In my opinion and if it were me looking, I would find a registered financial advisor that is subject to the Investment Act of 1940 and operates as a fiduciary for their clients. There is a great comfort knowing that your advisor is putting your interests ahead of their own and not merely selling you products for the commission.

FINANCIAL PLANNER

Financial planners provide their clients with advice that will help them enhance their overall wealth.

Some have a CFP (Certified Financial Planner) designation, while some have Chartered Financial Cosultant (ChFC) designations.

They specialize in many different services such as retirement planning, estate planning, and insurance planning.

WHAT ARE THE FEES

Just like investment advisors, financial planners are fee-based, fee-only, or commissioned-based.

Most financial planners charge around $1,000-$3,000 for an overall financial plan. Prices will vary for fee-only, fee-based or commission-based planners.

Fee-only and fee-based planners earn money from the financial plans they create for you. Commission-based planners only make money if they sell you a financial product.

The cost of a financial planner also depends on if you want to create a one-time financial plan or if you want your financial planner to manage your financial plan on an ongoing basis. Of course, it will cost you more over time for on-going management than merely getting a one-time plan.

WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

It’s true that both investment advisors and financial planners both help you reach your financial goals, but they differ in the types of services they provide and the rates in which they offer them.

If you are wanting to enhance your investment portfolio, and are unsure where to start with investing, an investment advisor might be a better choice.

If you are worried about your overall financial health, a financial planner might be better for you.

You need to ask yourself, do you need financial planning advice or portfolio management advice? A financial planner can help you avoid costly mistakes of poor planning and execution. A investment advisor can help you maximize your investment return potential by considering your risk profile and goals.

THE FINANCIAL COUNSELOR

As most of you know, I am an Accredited Financial Counselor®. The main difference between financial counselors and financial advisors is the target audience they serve.

When deciding what financial designation I wanted to pursue, I wanted to make sure it aligned with my true passions. Helping people who need it the most when they don’t have access to a lot of the same resources is why I decided to obtain my AFC®.

Financial counselors tend to serve individuals with lower incomes. They can specialize in getting of debt, budgeting, and saving money.

We possess the in-depth knowledge of the financial difficulties that low-income households face. Financial planners tend to be more focused on helping people save for retirement and meet specific long-term financial goals.

If you need financial advice because you’re having trouble paying the bills, need to sort out your debts, or are having trouble saving money, meeting with a financial counselor first, might be the best decision.

If you would like to know more about my Accredited Financial Counselor designation, you can find that information here.

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT FINANCE PROFESSIONAL

Ask family or friends for recommendations: The first place I would start is by asking close family or friends. Naturally, if they have a had a long relationship with a specific financial professional, then it might be a resource for you to look into. Trust is a huge factor when deciding who you want to work with. Leaning on the recommendation from someone you trust, is a great starting point.

The Accredit Financial Counselor Website: If you are low to middle-income, and are having a hard time finding professional help, I highly suggest checking out afcpe.org for an Accredited Financial Counselor.

The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA): NAPFA is an excellent resource for finding exactly what you’re looking for in your area. NAPFA is a membership group of fee-only advisors that require additional continuing education.

THE QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ASK

At the end of the day, you are building a relationship with an individual(s) that will have a significant impact on your finances.

You should never work with a financial professional blindly. There are essential things you need to know before you can make an informed decision on who you want to work with.

Start the interview process and make sure that you let the advisor or planner know that you are interviewing others. This will make them aware that you will not be making an immediate decision.

If you are just getting started with your financial plan, they should be understanding of that. If they make you feel dumb or show little patience for your situation – walk away.

To help you get started on your decision-making process, I created a Financial Advisor Questionnaire. The questionnaire includes ten of the most important questions you need to be asking a potential financial advisor.

I have also included a rationale for each question, so you know exactly why you are asking each question. Just print it off and bring the questionnaire with you to potential financial advisor interviews.

It’s important to ask these questions, but to also truly understand the answers that they give you. Click the button below to access my Free Resource Library and my FREE Financial Advisor Questionnaire.

Always remember, you are paying someone to help you understand your financial options. Ultimately, they are there to give you a clear understanding of your financial picture, not to make things more confusing.

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A little about me: I love helping women take charge of their financial lives. As an Accredited Financial Counselor, I love teaching about money management and realistic budgeting. Away from the computer, you can usually find me behind a camera lens or coloring with my 4-year-old son. Want to share your financial journey with me? Tag @thebudgetmom on Instagram or give me a shout-out on Facebook. I WANNA SEE IT!

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[legit-scam-review]

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, EOS, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, Monero, TRON: Price Analysis, October 24

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph. Every investment and trading move involves risk, you should conduct your own research when making a decision.

Market data is provided by the HitBTC exchange.

The crypto markets have been consolidating in a small range for the past few weeks. Investors who are currently sitting on the sidelines avoid entering a range bound market, and the volumes have dropped. We expect buying to start after the prices break out of their ranges and a new uptrend begins.

The next major event that can move the markets is the outcome of the pending Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) proposals submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Whatever the decision, the cryptocurrencies are likely to respond wildly.

The launch of Intercontinental Exchange’s (ICE) Bakkt platform on Dec. 12 might not cause the same excitement as the launch of Bitcoin futures last year by the CBOE and CME. Still, it is a welcome step. It can attract institutional investors because it will provide physically-delivered contracts.

Vertex Ventures, a subsidiary of Singapore-based government-owned investment company Temasek Holdings has invested in one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges Binance. This is a positive development because funds like Vertex Ventures tend to invest for the long-term and their gradual entry into the market will encourage more institutional investors to jump in.

BTC/USD

The range on Bitcoin has shrunk in the past three days. If the range expands on the upside, a rally to $6,831.99 is likely. A sustained move above the overhead resistance will invalidate the descending triangle and break the sequence of lower highs. Above $6,831.99, a rally to $7,400 is probable.   

Our bullish view in the short-term will be invalidated if the bears sink the price below $6,500. The BTC/USD pair will turn negative if it breaks below the critical support zone of $5,900–$6,075.04. Therefore, traders can keep their stop loss at $5,900 for the long positions.

We anticipate volatility to increase within the next few days. If the price breaks out to the upside, we shall trail the stop loss higher.

ETH/USD

Ethereum has been trading between the 20-day EMA and $188.35 for the past few days. A break down of the immediate support can push the price to the Sept. 12 intraday low of $167.32.

If the bulls succeed in breaking out of the moving averages, a rally to the top of the range is possible. We shall turn positive on the ETH/USD pair if it sustains above $250.

A break out of the range can carry the price to $322, which might act as a stiff resistance. Traders should wait for a confirmed breakout above $250 before initiating any long positions.

XRP/USD

Ripple’s volatility has died down. Both moving averages and the RSI are flattening out, which shows a balance between the buyers and the sellers.

The resistances on the upside are $0.5, $0.55 and $0.625, whereas the two support levels are at $0.388 and $0.37.

We suggest traders wait until the XRP/USD pair attracts more buying interest. We might propose long positions when we find a reliable buy setup above $0.5.

BCH/USD

Though Bitcoin Cash is trading inside a symmetrical triangle, the price has been hugging the support line for the past few days, which is a negative sign.

The moving averages are gradually sloping down and the RSI is in the negative territory. This shows that the bears have an upper hand.

A breakdown of the triangle will resume the downtrend and can plunge the BCH/USD pair to the next support at $300. Therefore, the traders can keep a stop loss of $400, just below the Sept. 11 intraday lows. The pair will turn bullish if the price breaks out of the triangle and sustains above it.

EOS/USD

The intraday range in EOS has shrunk in the past few days. The moving averages and the price are all bundled close to each other, with the RSI close to the neutral territory. This shows a lack of either buying or selling interest from the market participants.

This extremely low volatility is unlikely to continue for long. Soon, the price will either jump up or plunge from the current levels.

If the prices move up, a breakout and close (UTC time frame) above $6.8299 can be purchased. However, if the EOS/USD pair declines from the current levels, a fall to $4.493 and $3.8723 is probable. Traders can keep the stop loss on their existing positions at $4.9.

XLM/USD

Stellar is trading close to the downtrend line of the descending triangle, which is a positive sign. Though it has failed to break out of the overhead resistance, we like the way it has sustained above the moving averages.

If the bulls succeed in breaking out of the triangle, the traders can establish long positions on a close (UTC time frame) above $0.27. The target objective is a rally to $0.36, with a minor resistance at $0.3.

If the XLM/USD pair plummets from the current levels and breaks below the moving averages, a drop to the support zone of $0.184–$0.2 is probable.

LTC/USD

Litecoin has been trading close to the bottom of the $49.466–$69.279 range. On the previous two occasions, the bounce off the lows could not reach the top of the range, which shows that the sellers are in a hurry to liquidate on any small rally.

The LTC/USD pair has formed a bearish descending triangle pattern that will complete on a breakdown and close below $49.466. A breakdown will be negative and can sink prices to the next support at $40.

The first sign of bullishness will be a break out of $60, which will invalidate the bearish pattern. We shall wait for the price to sustain above $70 before turning positive

ADA/USD

Cardano has been trading close to the midpoint of the $0.060105–$0.094256 range for the past few days. The bulls are, however, finding it difficult to break out of both moving averages.

If the bears sink the ADA/USD pair below $0.069, a retest of the critical support at $0.060105 is probable.

On the upside, if the price scales $0.083, the cryptocurrency can rally to the top of the range. We shall wait for the price to either break out of the range, or fall to the bottom of the range before suggesting any trades.

XMR/USD

Monero has reached the 50-day SMA, which might act as a resistance. If the bulls break out of $112.5, the probability of a rise to $128.65 increases.

If the XMR/USD pair turns down from the 50-day SMA, it can slide to $100. The moving averages are flat and the RSI is close to the neutral territory. This shows equilibrium between the buyers and sellers.

If the bulls break out of the current range of $100.453–$128.65, the rally can extend to $150, which might act as a stiff resistance. A break down of $100 can plunge the pair to $81. We don’t find any buy setups, and are thus not recommending any trades on the pair.

TRX/USD

TRON has been trading inside the range of $0.0183–$0.02815521 for more than two and a half months. Currently, the price is trading in the upper half of the range.

The next movement on the TRX/USD pair will start after the breakout or breakdown from the range. A breakout can carry it to $0.04158193, while a breakdown can sink it to $0.00844479.

The price action inside the range will remain volatile. Therefore, we suggest traders wait for a breakout before establishing long positions.

Market data is provided by the HitBTC exchange. Charts for analysis are provided by TradingView.

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The post Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, EOS, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, Monero, TRON: Price Analysis, October 24 appeared first on Review: Legit or Scam?.

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[skratchceramics-blog]

Making like a tortoise?

13.02.18

After a whirlwind first year of trading in 2017, I decided I needed to rethink the way I was working. I want to feel more in control and less like I’m on a runaway train. I know that sounds a little dramatic for a handmade pottery business, but towards the end of the year I was working every evening and every weekend, as well as every child-free hour of the day. The lead up to Christmas is always going to be a busy time of year, but I was starting to feel overwhelmed by the tasks that were starting to spill over into January and beyond. I decided I needed to draw a line if I was to have any chance to achieving that elusive work-life balance.

As a first step I announced shortly before Christmas that I would no longer be taking commissions or wholesale orders. Commissions are an interesting challenge, and I’ve worked on some really special ones this past year, but they’re also more time consuming and I find the weight of expectation quite stressful. I’ve only made a couple of short forays into the realms of wholesale. Although it was lovely to make those connections, I was left feeling that there wasn’t much point for me at the moment. My hand-building processes and sgraffito decoration technique are slow, so I can only make a limited amount. If I’m able to sell all of that work direct to the public, rather than paying over commission to a shop or gallery, then that makes the most sense right now.

So my main new year’s resolution was to take it easy, not to rush headlong into things and just generally take my time. I don’t have to do it all at once! I can make what I like to make and sell it as I go, which is a pretty ideal way of working. My time is finite and I’d rather spend it making more unique pieces and selling them direct, than wearing myself out trying to keep up with batches for wholesale. Right?!

BUT the ideas won’t stop buzzing in my head. Aside from all the ceramic items I want to try making, and there are many, I keep day-dreaming about all sorts of other products that my designs could be printed onto. Could that be the way for me to enter the wholesale market?

Over the last year I’ve been contacted by around 30 shops, galleries and online retailers. I don’t know if that’s a little or a lot, but it certainly felt like 30 times too many that I missed an opportunity. Although you have to forego a certain share of your income, in many cases as much as 50%, there are certainly advantages to wholesale. When selling direct online, it takes a lot of time to photograph all the items, measure and list them and then there’s packing and posting them too. Sending off batches of work to people who’ll take care of the rest is  pretty appealing.

Aside from the wholesale question, there’s also the matter of meeting demand for direct sales. My most recent online shop updates have sold out quickly, leaving many people missing out. Despite giving it my all, I’m always left feeling that I haven’t done enough. But what if I could speed up certain parts of the process and increase my production without spreading myself too thin?

So, are resolutions made to be broken? Well, the year is young, so we’ll see. I’ve decided to carry on as I intended, but also take some steps towards creating a line of products more suited to wholesale. I’ve booked myself on to a two day course in June to learn how to make moulds and slip cast. Slip casting would mean I can take an original piece of mine, make a mould and then reproduce it over and over. It’s not factory production by any means, but it would be faster than my current hand building techniques. I would still decorate them by hand using my usual sgraffito technique - I’ll never stop that.  

The other route I want to investigate is having my designs printed onto ready-made products, such as mugs, bags, tea towels, stationery, you name it! First I need to learn how to edit my scanned drawings in Illustrator or Photoshop to create suitable digital files. Then I’ll have to research suitable British companies to help me create items that I think fit with my brand and ethos. It’s all new to me, but I’m interested to find out how it all works.  

To make it clear, I’m not thinking of producing these things instead of my handmade ceramics, but as well as them. Having some products made for me could fulfil a certain demand, whilst freeing up my time to create more large one-off prices. I could be wrong, but I tend to I think some people are interested in my items for the full-package - i.e. handmade pottery decorated with my unique designs - but others enjoy the designs first and foremost and would still buy them in other formats. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on that!

Lurking in the back of my mind is a nagging little voice telling me if I want to achieve everything I’ve talked about here, then I really might need to hire an extra pair of hands…and a head, to share the load. I’m not ready for that yet though. I’m not a natural manager and at the moment I just love working alone with just a podcast for company.

So, I’ve got a good idea of where I’m heading and how I might get there, but I’m going to try to make like the tortoise rather than the hare. I need to keep taking my time, keep it as stress-free as possible, and trust that the wholesale interest will still be there when I’m ready.

In the meantime I really, really must get round to doing some of the lino prints I’ve been talking about doing for months! That’s another process that it relatively quick in comparison to hand-built pottery and I love it too.

Thanks for reading, Kate x

Two weeks to go until the first shop update of the year on 1 March at 8pm GMT. Make sure you sign up for my quarterly newsletter to be the first to hear about my latest blog-posts, discount codes and special events.

You can find me on Instagram and my website with online shop is www.skratchceramics.com.

[fmind5]

Hidden orders

New Post has been published on http://www.financial-mind.co.uk/hidden-orders/

Hidden orders

Hidden Orders: A useful tool in a trader’s tool box to defend against predatory HFTs

  Ever since the publication of the book Dark Pools in 2012, it became public that ECNs and exchanges were accommodating HFTs firms by offering them special order types that most market participants don’t get. These order types enable HFTs to decrease the amount of “adverse selection” they are exposed to and to be at the top of the queue, key components of profitable market making.

Most HFTs firms have dozens (if not hundreds) of special order types at their disposal by exchanges and ECNs. Retail traders who want to be able to fight back and cut down their trading costs should learn and implement useful order types that are available to them.

There is an interesting tool that is not very well known by traders that can help you decrease the amount of HFT “gaming” your orders suffer. Hidden “native” orders are orders that sit on an ECN or exchange and that, in theory, are not seen by anyone. I say in theory because the exchanges/ECNs have broken the rules before in order to accommodate HFTs. It’s possible but unlikely that some of them have leaked information about hidden orders at some point.

These orders are different from iceberg/reserve orders, iceberg orders show up on the Level 2 window and on the direct feed data that HFTs receive. They usually appear as 100 shares and give HFTs an opportunity to “penny jump” the order by going in front of it by 1 cent. This exposes the order to adverse selection, meaning they will get out of the way when they see a shift in the short-term supply and demand and stay ahead of you by 1 or a few cents when they don’t. You tend to miss out on fills that you want and get fills that you don’t want.

Lots of traders report the experience of having a stock move down or up right to the point that their limit order is not get filled by one cent (or get partially filled). Sometimes this happens due to randomness, but a lot of the time this happens because HFTs use passive non-HFT orders as insurance. If they are bidding for a stock, they know that if they get ahead of you by 1 cent, they can get their fills and try to sell on the ask. If all goes well, they make the spread, if it doesn’t and the stock looks to drop, they dump their shares into your orders. You get your fill but now you are also underwater in the trade (or you left money on the table for a buy to cover order while exposing yourself to a squeeze).

A useful way to diminish this passive order gaming is to use “native” hidden orders. With these orders, the HFTs tend to only find out where your orders are after they have been executed (whether in full or partial). Let me give you an example: Let’s say you are short 1,000 shares of stock ABC, it’s trading at $35, it then proceeds to drop as you expected. You decide to take profits in the $34.60-$34.65 area because you think there will be some support at $34.50. You put a hidden buy order for 500 shares of ABC, native to ARCA at $34.64, 200 shares at $34.63 native to NSDQ and 300 native to NYSE at $34.63. When I say native to the ECN/exchange, I mean that it will only interact with the order flow of that ECN/exchange. For instance, if someone sells 500 shares of ABC at $34.64 at NYSE, you will not get filled because your hidden order was sitting at ARCA. Hidden orders can even be traded through, meaning, you can see prints bellow the price of your buy order. This disadvantage can be countered by using what I call a hidden order “net”. You use several ECNs/exchanges that have the most volume, instead of just one. That way you have multiple order flows to interact to.

By having your orders distributed that way, when the stock drops and stops in the $34.60s area, you will avoid being used as insurance for HFTs looking to make markets. If the stock really drops quickly, say from $35 to $34.50, it won’t make much of a difference whether you are using hidden or lit (displayed) orders. It’s on the marginal situations where your orders are on the bottom or close to the bottom that hidden orders can decrease your trading costs by exposing you to less adverse selection.

With the lit orders, having the HFTs penny jump you and prevent you from getting filled at or close to the bottom can cost you significant profits as the stock reverses higher and you are forced to hit the ask in the $34.70s area. With the hidden orders, the HFTs can still game you in a similar fashion but they can do it only after they find out that there are hidden orders at a certain level. In a fast moving stock with good volume, by the time they find out, it’s too late. Your order is likely to at least have been partially filled.

In addition, HFTs don’t like hidden orders because even though they can find out that they are at a certain level, they don’t know when they get cancelled or entirely filled and the free insurance is gone. They do like to use a trick against these orders, odd lot trades. Sometimes, in order to find out if there are hidden orders in an exchange/ECN they will send out orders for a tiny amount of shares (usually less than 50). When they discover the hidden liquidity, they can penny jump it or just keep sending odd lot orders to annoy and/or increase the trading costs of the trader behind it.

Routing a Hidden Order Net

Which routes to use to best increase the change your hidden order net will capture most of the volume in a particular stock? You have to be aware of where, currently in the US, most of the volume is going through. As of September of 2014, volume is distributed as follows:

Source: BATS Exchange.

By the table, you can see that in a NASDAQ stock (Tape C), NASDAQ and ARCA do most of the volume (over 37%). For a NYSE stock (Tape A), NYSE and ARCA do most of the volume (about 31%). For AMEX stocks (Tape C), ARCA and NASDAQ do most of the volume (about 38%).

When routing your net in a NASDAQ stock, the better routes are NASDAQ (sometimes still called Island by some brokers) and ARCA as a secondary route. When trading a NYSE stock, the better routes are NYSE and ARCA. For AMEX, ARCA is the main one and NASDAQ is a secondary route.

The Weaknesses of Hidden Orders

Hidden orders are not the Holy Grail, they just happen to be useful in certain conditions. In what situations are hidden orders not a great tool?

As a rule of thumb, if you have a large order or if the stock has low activity, hidden orders benefit is limited.

For large orders, having your net sit on the bid and ask for a long-time till it’s completely filled, might allow the HFTs to find out what you are doing with odd lot trades or just be looking at “phantom” trade executions. When they do find out, the amount of adverse selection you are exposed to increases because now they can penny jump you. The other weakness of these orders (not being exposed to all the order flow but only from the exchange/ECN you are native to) is still there. If you combine that with more adverse selection, that might have little or no added value over displayed orders.

In low activity stocks the problem is similar. It’s going to take longer for your order to be executed. There is more time for you to get hit with odd lot trades (which increases your costs if your broker has a minimum commission charge) and for HFTs to discover what you are doing.

When to use Hidden Orders

The ideal scenario for hidden orders are stocks with a lot of activity going off in the bid and ask, and a significant spread. This is usually the case in momentum stocks that are higher priced or some small caps.

The spread has to be large because otherwise it is just not worth it to try to save it. If you are trading something with a spread of 3 cents or less, you are better off just taking liquidity. If the spread is 10-20 cents or more, then it’s worth it. If fact, it can get quite expensive to hit that big of a spread over and over again.

Where hidden orders are really useful is when your stock is moving fast in a direction and you have a tough time with HFTs stopping right in front or order. In this case, having a net of smaller sized hidden orders nicely distributed in different exchanges and ECNs can pretty much guarantee that you will get fills with less adverse selection than otherwise would be the case.

Another situation where they can make you money is when you see a trade setup in a large spread stock that you believe is profitable only if you get in without paying the spread. If you get filled with the hidden order, that’s great, you get to participate in the trade. If you don’t (because the move happened before your fill), it’s not a big deal anyway because hitting the spread would turn the trade into a loser. You have a free shot at being in those trades. Over the course of a year, being in these trades can add up to a lot of money.

Pre-market and after hours

Pre-market and after hours trading is also a period where hidden orders can be a good tool in your tool box. First because usually the spreads are huge. Paying it without a piece of fresh news is extremely costly. What a trader can do is to put hidden orders in front of displayed orders in those sessions and participate in some of the “market making” that happens outside of regular trading hours. There won’t be a lot of activity or volume but the gain is so large that it can be worth it.

The way I play is to try to close my swing/overnight positions by having orders sitting at these extreme levels and checking the next day to see if I got a fill. Most of the time you won’t be but it’s so cheap to try it and occasionally you will get filled. Even odd lots trades are not a big deal there. If a stock closed at $40 and you get hit for 20 shares selling at $40.98, you are still profitable even after commissions.

Keep in mind that sometimes it’s better to have your order displayed instead of hidden. You want to show to someone nervous about their position, where the liquidity is so they can hit it.

Also remember that other people will be using hidden orders too, if your lit order has been sitting in the market for a while. It’s quite possible that there will be hidden orders in front of it at the same exchange/ECN.

Conclusion

Hidden orders are a useful tool in a trader’s toolbox if you know where to use them. They won’t solve all your problems or turn a losing trader into a profitable one. They can, however, decrease the amount of adverse selection your orders are exposed to. Especially in stocks with a good amount of activity but with larger spreads. If your order is not large and you choose good routes to send your hidden order net to, you are likely to decrease your trading costs as compared to using displayed orders. Ask your broker if they offer such option and how to use this order type.

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[myfinanceblog]

New Post has been published on My Finance Blog

New Post has been published on http://princefinance.princefamily33.com/2017/11/27/read-this-piece-for-helpful-gold-information-11/

Read This Piece For Helpful Gold Information

TIP! You can’t beat bullion bars for a solid gold investment. The weights vary.

Gold trading has sparked the interest of a great deal of potential investors of late, largely because of the difficult economic times many have faced. Sadly, most people have no idea how to do it right. These tips can help you make a profit from buying and selling gold.

TIP! Gold prices change frequently, so you must stay apprised on the values of your items. If you choose to sell gold, weigh and value pieces that have different karat values separately.

Before selling gold jewelry, see what the current prices are in the gold market. That way you will be able to ascertain if a dealer is providing you with a fair price or not for your pieces. Most dealers are honest and stick close to market value, but a minority try to rip desperate people off by low-balling their offers.

TIP! Before you put down your money for gold, make sure you have a firm delivery commitment from the seller. Be sure you have your delivery date in writing.

Realize that all items containing gold have some sort of resale value to dealers. From broken jewelry to gold fillings, it can all be sold. Solid 24-karat gold isn’t the only type that dealers are interested in, either. It may simply be gold plated or part of the item has gold within it. You’ll end up with some money in your pocket.

TIP! Be sure you research a company before sending them gold in the mail. Make sure you know when payment will be sent to you and insure your package as well.

Be sure to consult the spot price on the day when you plan to purchase gold. This information can be found on various websites, although they tend to fluctuate each day. Don’t buy anything marked up over 8% of this. Occasionally an unethical dealer may try to overcharge their customers.

Return Postage

TIP! Whenever you’re looking at selling scrap jewelry or gold it is best to explore many different companies to know the offers are legitimate. Though there may be a standard market price for gold at a particular moment in time, not every store will pay it.

If you plan to mail your jewelry, be sure that you find out how much the return postage will cost if the price offered you is too low. Most companies will give you free shipping to them but charge you an arm and a leg for return postage. Make sure you know in advance what you might have to pay to get your jewelry back.

TIP! Make sure that you step up to the market with a sound mind and wary eye. There are many swindlers to be found in the gold market.

Be careful before getting involved in the gold market. There are many swindlers to be found in the gold market. Many people want to keep the money you are owed for themselves. You have to do your research to keep yourself safe.

TIP! Look into market prices of gold before selling it. Compare the prices offered by different buyers.

When you try to sell gold, you must research the market to find the right price. You should shop around to get an idea of what others are offering for similar gold pieces. This will help you figure out a good price point. Begin the negotiations by asking for more than you expect to receive.

TIP! Investigate several gold dealers before choosing one to do business with. You may be surprised at the differences in the offers that you’ll get! Going with the very first buyer who comes along might prove a bad deal.

Make sure you read fine print in any sales contract to a full understanding. You should carefully read the whole contract especially if selling through a mail service. That way, you will be aware of the cut of your proceeds that will go to fees and commissions.

TIP! A lot of times, earring backs are gold, even when the earrings themselves are not. Clasps of necklaces and ring bands are often real gold as well.

There are other ways to invest in gold other than physically owning it. Stocks in gold mining or gold based mutual funds are two such alternatives. For those that want to buy real gold, make sure you think about how you are going to keep the items safe.

TIP! If there are any forms involved in your gold dealing, make sure to read them word for word. The gold market is one filled with money.

Knowing how to determine the grade of gold is essential if you want to invest in gold pieces. Karats are used to measure gold purity. Twenty-four karat gold is the purest form of gold and is the most expensive. You cannot just go by the karat stamp. When you know how to determine a gold item’s purity, you will be assured that you won’t overpay for low quality.

TIP! It’s best to acquaint yourself with any would-be dealer before you do business together. To help guarantee that you are selling to a reputable dealer, make a call to your local Better Business Bureau.

Many people are excited at the thought of making money in the gold markets. But lack of knowledge can lead to people being scammed by others. The above article will help those wanting knowledge on the gold market.

[lettingspencerjbzo569-blog]

Rumored Buzz On Conerney Estate Agent

Referral Reputation usually means which you've ceased the grind of trying to houses. You eventually become inactive, however in case you level a person who is looking to buy or sell a house for the property company, you obtain a percentage of the commission. Say farewell to pleasure and leisure. Here is your week: • Friday. Mailings, customer searching. CHAPTER 6: THE CLIENTS CHAPTER 5: THE "Old Timers" This provider that "hired" you'll now send one to an exercise "college" (these are companies which, for a price tag, educate you on exactly concerning the actual estate business and allow you to pass the state required test). Here is 2 weeks of courses that have very little to do with the livelihood. At different times during the week, you are going to receive yourself a two hour stints replying the phone. The idea is the fact that clients will call in looking for a realtor since they've a house they would like to purchase. I'd suppose that that has happened the moment, ever, in the annals of authentic estate. The majority phone calls into the old-timers. You did not think any such thing was liberated, did you? Here's the rundown on charges: If you're lucky enough to get you to definitely state they will use one to sell their house, you ought to know that their house is worth much more than the one three doors down which is exactly the same. Exactly why? Idon't understand. Maybe they're delusional. Maybe they're dumb. They're greedy. Maybe they're upside-down in your house. Possibly they need the cash. It really is probably each of the aforementioned. • Thursday. Nothing is required. This really is your weekend, enjoy. Tend not to spend money there's no necessity it. I am convinced it is totally different in YOUR area though, plus they truly are suggesting that the facts once they say so... When I state "old timers", I'm referring to the representatives which happen to be employed in the office for more than a yr. They are going to make eye contact simply because they count on you to actually be absent in a few months plus they don't really want to squander their time. Once you've been around for fourteen days, they'll start offering you that the "chance" to take a seat into their own receptive houses on them. What they're actually asking you to do is sit in a house for 3 hours that no 1 will visit, and basically sell it to these, on the off chance that you might receive a client out of it. • Business cards. They are free! Well, kind of. The most basic, crappy models are free, those which scream "I'm new for this!" You've got to cover, to find fine ones, having a film, and also you've got to pay for the picture. You will probably be asked to alienate everybody else by begging for referrals, you understand and also make situations. Celebrations, churchand school, the gym - anywhere...that you require to become angling for house purchasers or house vendors. It's horribly embarrassing for everybody involved. Don't forget to utilize just the page1=46 snare that is small everywhere you move! Their ideal broker is someone who is miserable and blessed, sitting on a pile of money money or an available field of credit, and only needs something to keep them occupied. Next in line is somebody who is unhappily wed, sitting over a heap of income or a available line of credit, also merely needs something to keep them out of the house and far from their spouse. If you're not 1 of these two, that's OK - they will require you. It really is odd to be involved in a financial project for somebody who you realize. They will use you to buy or sell a house, but no one wants you to know their financial business, therefore that it's hard. Your family and friends may want tiny favors, like...they will need all their cash. Yes, badly. I had a comparative ask if I would give them back my entire commission should I utilized me to obtain a house. I declined, and the request was the nail which sealed my real estate coffin shut. • Saturday. Mandatory coaching...every day. Done with all the mandatory 15-week teaching? Start out education that reproduces that which they taught you! CHAPTER 7: YOUR LIFE AS AN AGENT • Associations. The County Realtor Dublin Apartments For Sale Affiliation. It's mandatory that you join it. It charges dollars...each yr. Their State Realtor Association. You have to combine it. It costs money...each year. The Nationwide Realtor Association. You have to combine it. It costs income...each calendar year. Join this particular organization. Join this organization. You're going to get even, and possibly a magazine a pindown. It truly is all mandatory, plus it all costs money. They have complimentary biscuits at the conferences though. • Tuesday. In-house coaching, or "how to squander 3 stable hours of prime job time." I'm 1 man. Even the Realtor's affiliation is a huge conglomerate which has attorneys on the payroll. My brotherinlaw is legal counsel...but I still feel out-numbered. So you're going to notice I refer to real estate agents, not Realtors. • Monday. Mandatory conferences along with house excursions. The assembly is useless, which is why you find old timers there, they slough off following the very first house and wind upward God-knows-where. They are likely in the pub. The tour is pretty fun, though. You have to listen to every one complain about everyone they utilize and what from those houses. You get to stroll through a stranger's house and hear your co workers (proudly displaying their title badges) criticize the homeowner's choices in everything. Cases: Things thought for this carpeting? Have they ever cleaned this particular room? Wow, those are some kiddies in this film. I can't think they left Prozac AND Paxil . Realestate offices are listing places, therefore that it's easy to obtain an interview. As guess what, avoid being too stressed? You're hired. This isn't a meeting, it truly is a pep-talk. You inhale in the lobby and could walk in, you're probably however hired. • real estate agent prices get you the "real estate agent" pin. This really may be. CHAPTER 3: LICENSING CHAPTER 4: Mo-Re FEES, Expenses and Costs There are rules which state that even though your certification training is still occurring in a realestate office, that no one from that office may "recruit" you. Expect you'll be recruited. Some of those instructors was a Business X manager and obtained a distinctive fascination with me. He took me to open houses at homes throughout the months of training, introduced me to every one in any office, took me to lunches and carried me out. The full time, he talked about the way Business Y (who had delivered me into the practice) was horrible, and why Company X has been far superior, and also definitely the place for me. Ethical? No. Fun? Sure. I still went together with the company that sent me to the practice as it was the perfect thing. This means that in the event that you own a person which wishes to market their house for £330,000 nevertheless, also you and every one know it won't bring $250,000, you tell them you will list it to get their selling price, and after that gradually let the price decline when folks laugh at the house. CHAPTER 2: THE Job Interview Keep in mind, however, that you have two choices here: you can either become a Realtor or you can become a Realtor. Yes, you see that right. I'll make no decisions regarding this organization's worth, with the exception of to say that sitting through the most boring training ever nets you a tiny R pin. Nothing says I'm a victory a lot better compared to a pin using an R on it...directly close to a name label. Ethics rule #1 would be "simply acquire the record." • vehicle. They will cover the vehicle! No, they wont. If you are one of the most notable 2 manufacturers, and are willing to set a God-awful giant decal over either side and rear of your own (correctly coloured) car, they will cover a minimal amount to you. Why shouldn't they? Oahu is the ads they can get. CHAPTER 10: AFTERTHOUGHTS

• Cardkey. You want this to access into almost any house that's on the market. It's true, you've got to cover this. And it can't be shipped by them; you require to drive 30 miles to pick it up. • Tip 3: Everybody you understand will soon feign support whilst questioning the decision and also making fun of you. I'm serious, and you know that this. You've despised with, didn't you? • Office Aid. You are hated by them. That I met Travis the first day, he had been in the middle of the hissy fit because someone had stolen his own Cross pencil. This is clear, since it is not just like they sell them. Yes, they are really sold by them . The hissy fit lasted an hour, and included our manager delivering out a phone communication to every single representative from any office to please go back the pencil if they had it. Travis kept a much-needed eye on the labels that one would use to send out these mailings. You had to request the quantity, to receive them. You can find 25 in the sheet and you would not get 3 sheets if you're printing 68 labels. Also don't forget, exclamation points are used by top manufacturers! Lots of these! In what they do! Just an FYI. I suggest: Just an FYI!!!! • Licensing. If you speak with a actual estate organization earlier you take the class and obtain licensed, then they will cover your course. Very well, kind of. They will pay for it, then take the commission straight. Wait patiently, that paid for this? It's true, you did. You didn't think that was free, did you? You are hated by them. • Computers. Don't understand a computer system? Do not stress, no 1 else does. Everyone I worked with was dreadful with any instrument that is technology-related, although I don't know why. They needed assistance and also the computer system's were always down having a virus of some kind. • Sunday. No more football matches, household picnics, etc.. as you require to take a seat in Open Houses. This is my own story. Don't let it change your mind if you want to enter the world of real real estate. I had a previous realestate agent inform me what a horrible idea it was and I went together with my dumb plan. • Mailings. I lucked out with Company Y, and they also pay for postings. This means the promotion substances are provided by them plus also they pay the stamp for some amount to be sent out. A Rottweiler shielded addresses that you could send mail to's database at our office, a man I'll contact Travis. Travis was tan yearlong, using slicked-back own hair, also he had been dressed as a 1970's JC Penny mannequin daily. Idon't know if he was homosexual, but I bet his boy turned out. When there are not enough newbies in your office, they will battle over your house-sitting attempts, and may even supply you with dollars (don't get excited, so I'm talking around £ 20.) Get paid I never really did get covered out helping someone. • Hint 1): there is certainly a whole lot of funds. It really is simply not likely to be made by you. In fact, a lot of it's actually going to come FROM you. The actual estate organizations themselves make an enormous quantity of money in a part by fighting folks through their "apps" and spitting them out using emptier pockets. CHAPTER 9: "ETHICS" (note quotation marks) •The Multi-List Program. You cannot be considered a true real estate agent without access to the MLS. It must be liberated? No. CHAPTER 8: "Assist" (note quote marks) • Hint two: There's no wages. Make sure you have sufficient money in the bank to eat and pay your bills for 6 months. And start searching to get a job NOW. By the time you get it, you are going to be from dollars. I landed a spot at a company 6 weeks and 1 day from the day of my lay off. If it was not for Un Employment, I'd have been surviving in a cardboard box waiting to the property profession. You are hated by them. • Your internet site. The company has set a page up for you in the website, you require to fill it using useless items that no one cares about, like "resident of (our general place) for umpteen a long time" and Realtor and "Member of (Our County) Real Estate Club. None of this helps you or them, however, it will not fill the webpage, even although no one will look at it. It's possible to put an image up . Whatever you have to do is get the phone, notify the organization their name along with cell phone number and where they are looking. The irony? It's payday. I know individuals who made more about referrals than I did as a realtor, many occasions around. Needless to say, there's a fee nevertheless, you did not think that was liberated, did you? Also also to stay in "citizenship standing" that you need to simply take ongoing coaching. • Signs. Big signs, symptoms, vinyl signs, steel signs, name signs, for sale signs, open house indications. You have to get them, you need to pay for them, and so they cost hundreds of dollars. • Title label. Good information, the title tag is totally free. The awful news, you've got to have on a name tag. Back once I experienced a real job, I understood a gentleman who always believed "In case a man has to wear a name tag during his job, he is not very profitable." I'd a beautiful Ford Mustang GT when I got this "job". I sold it as I had been told that you have to simply take all of your clients around the place to view houses. Out using the sport vehicle, in addition to all the Volvo station wagon (in the dreadful corporate color, needless to say.) As it turns out, no one wants to ride with their real estate agent; they want to follow you all around. This will be for many good reasons: hence they really could escape you when they desire, so they may talk about the houses with no hearing them (even if you're their reputable adviser)...oh, and they hate you. I overlook that Mustang. • Wednesday. "Twilight" open houses. This implies that the nighttime is shot. How do you create matters better? You have their nation included! CHAPTER 1): SOME QUICK Rookie 'S Recommendations • totally free trips! 5 decades from today, in the event you overcome ALL the odds, perform hrs that are ridiculous and sell everything that you buy near, you may possibly receive a absolutely free trip. Don't hold your own breath.

[kingswoodart-blog]

Should Collectors Consign their Works to Auction Houses? 5 Questions you need to ask.

As a private Art Dealer, my heart drops when I hear my Collectors and Owners are considering Sotheby’s or Christies.   Of course, I would always reccomend the private sale route as the personal relationship is flawless, the  cost is significantly less and anonymity is key. However, If you are new to the selling market and are more comfortable with having Christies, Sotheby's or any major auction house for that matter, handle the sale of your work, this article I hope you find helpful.  

Selling an artwork at auction can seem daunting, especially if you’ve never done it before. But the road from your attic to the sale room doesn’t have to be bumpy and dimly lit. The easiest way to smooth the path is to simply ask questions. We spoke with auction house experts on what consignors should ask them; here are five questions to keep in mind when consigning a piece. 

What auction will my work go into, and when will that happen?

While auctions usually only last a few hours, they often take many months to put together. Auction houses need lead time to market their sales, print catalogues, photograph the pieces, and even get the works authenticated, if required. As such, the deadline to submit a work to most traditional auctions is somewhere between a month and a half to three months before the gavel is going to fall, depending on the sale and the auction house.

Submitting work well in advance of this deadline can be an advantage. Earlier on, auction houses tend to be “less selective and more open,” said Richard Wright, founder and president of the auction house Wright. “Every auction house builds their auction from zero.”

Scott Nussbaum, Phillips’s head of 20th Century & Contemporary Art, New York, notes that consignors generally are not coming to his auction house with the sale they hope to offer the piece in already selected—and that’s okay. Having conversations between consignor and auction house early gives more time to determine if auction is even the best route to ensure a favorable result (sometimes a private sale is preferable), and, if so, which sale the piece will be offered in. Nussbaum said there are plenty of opportunities year-round.

“I think there’s this common misperception that the auctions are only every so often and that if you miss a deadline you have to wait a long time,” he said. “The fact of the matter is we basically have an auction every month somewhere on the planet.”

Indeed, when working with an auction house like Christie’s, Sotheby’s, or Phillips, all with multiple auctions in most categories at their locations across the world, consignors should ask where a work will be put up for sale (London? New York? Paris?) and why. Getting the answer right, as with many of these questions, will ensure the best possible result.

“What we factor in most is where a piece will do the best and where the best returns will be for the seller,” said Scott Niichel, co-head of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sales in New York. That is often the location closest to where the work is, but it can sometimes be the location closest to the location of a potential buyer. If an artist has a regional market, then the auction house will make sure it is offered there, for example.

What’s the breakdown of the fees that I’ll pay?

While the fees an auction houses charges buyers are pretty much set, the fees charged to consignors are determined on a case-by-case basis, notes Niichel. “Ultimately, that’s a confidential discussion between us and the consignor and is really based on the value of the material itself,” he said.

Because of their variable nature, it’s possible to have fees lowered or waived, especially if you’re bringing an important lot to an auction house. “Your strongest time to negotiate is before the consignment,” said Wright, before you’ve committed your artwork to one place and while you still have the option to take it somewhere else.

So what are the fees? Along with the vendor’s commission that auction houses charge consignors for handling the work, auction houses can charge storage fees, photo fees, promotional fees, insurance fees, and shipping fees (to name a few). If you don’t want to be taken by surprise, read your contract carefully, advises Wright.

He also noted it’s worth discussing something no consignor wants to think about: what will happen if a piece doesn’t find a buyer? Should a work fail to sell, the last thing a consignor would want is to be hit with an unexpected return shipping charge.

How will the auction house market my piece?

Once a work is in the hands of an auction house, how hard will its team work to sell it? There are several primary tools an auction house has at its disposal when marketing a piece. Works are shown in a pre-sale physical exhibition and are also posted online. But, while it may be surprising given our technology-driven world, Niichel said the “absolute number one tool that we have for promoting our sales” is still the printed catalogue, in which all consigned works are included.

Like most things about the consignment process, what level of marketing an artwork receives depends on its importance and history. If you have a never-before-auctioned Jackson Pollock splatter painting, you might reasonably expect it to wind up as the auction catalogue cover (and you can negotiate with the house to ensure that it happens before agreeing to consign). But while star lots almost always receive more prominent marketing, what constitutes a star lot varies depending on if you’re consigning with a large or small auction house. While it shouldn’t overly sway your decision, a five- or six-figure work is much more likely to receive significant marketing effort at a smaller house than it is at Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips.

Along with the quality and history of the work itself, a factor in determining marketing is timing. Wright notes that pieces consigned ahead of an auction deadline are photographed first, and thus are more likely to appear as a banner image for the sale. Though Wright said the house changes that image when needed, it still never hurts to be an early bird.

How likely is it that my piece will sell?

Nussbaum put this question a bit more simply: “How do you compel someone to raise their paddle?”

There is always some element of risk in putting a work up for sale. And as a consignor, it’s easy to quickly get into the weeds when trying to suss out if a piece will sell. You can ask an auction house how similar works—comparable pieces by the same or related artists—have performed recently. But, cautions Niichel, it’s far from an exact science. For example, works that haven’t been sold for generations tend to over-perform similar works that have been sold more frequently.

Then there are also the more intangible aspects of working with an auction house, a process built on relationships, but one that can translate into firm economic results. If you want a sense of how likely it is your work will sell, part of the equation is the specialist at the auction house handling your piece. Just pick up the phone and give the auction house a call.

“You can learn a lot very quickly in speaking with someone,” said Wright. “You can truly understand their level of interest, how knowledgeable they are, and how committed they are to understanding your piece and the market.”

Estimates are also a crucial component of this question, and might come up in a conversation around how an auction house is going to market a work. Consignors may think their love of a piece should translate to an extremely aggressive estimate, but Niichel said “it doesn’t always serve their best interest to push for a higher estimate.”

That is: Aggressively high estimates can often hurt, not help, the consignor’s return. Don’t be afraid to ask about the rationale behind the estimate an auction house quotes you, but also understand that an estimate’s purpose isn’t to reflect a consignor’s personal belief of the value of the work.  

“The more aggressive you get with an estimate, the smaller the potential audience for the art,” said Nussbaum.

Why is this auction house best suited to sell this work?

The auction house landscape is a duopoly, with most of the market share going to Christie’s and Sotheby’s. Phillips is a strong third, and then other auction houses like Wright, Heritage, and Bonhams make up the remainder of the market. There are pros and cons of going with a bigger auction house over a smaller one (and vice versa). So with all the choice out there, which house is best for you? A good place to start is asking why an auction house thinks they’re the best fit for your work and letting them do the explaining. When they compete with each other, the consignor wins out.

“It’s worth someone’s time to get multiple quotes,” said Wright. “There is a fair amount of variability in the commission fees and in these miscellaneous fees.” Wright argues that less-prominent works can be better suited for a smaller house like his.

But lowered fees are different than ensuring a sale. If you have an artist with a deep market and an international following, the global reach of an auction house like Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips can be key. To evaluate the best fit for your piece, Niichel advises looking at past auction results to see where comparable works have sold and sold well. If, when looking at past auction results, all or a majority of the works by the artist you’re trying to sell in the expected price range for the work have been sold at one auction house, it’s a strong indication that house has particularly strong relationships that can help sell the piece.

“Auction houses will try to win business but they may not have any track record with the artist,” said Wright. “They may or may not do well with it, but you should at least know that if you decide to go with them.”

Nussbaum said that, ultimately, the best way to know if the auction house is a good fit is to get on the phone with the relevant specialist and gauge their level of interest. If they can’t explain what makes the piece valuable to you, chances are they can’t explain it to buyers.

“It’s not the auction house that sells the work of art, it’s the people,” said Nussbaum.

[karlymichelle1]

Please forgive my rant, or maybe not....

As artists, the system is designed the fail us....

To all you artists out there, the system seems to be set up so we will fail - or at least - so we won’t prosper without a whole lotta luck.

To me, a non-businessy person, it seems like a ridiculous business model but maybe I’m missing something.

In this little rant though, let me clarify early on I am not talking about the ‘elite arts’ - that art which can be bought in high end commercial galleries or art that is displayed in funded and established galleries - e.g. the NGV here in Melb. These funded galleries that have free, public exhibitions are doing an enormous service and need to continue to do so. However, they are funded. Also, they do tend to supplement their free exhibitions with paid ones. Also, they are actually a different, whole kettle of fish....

Back to rant:

For the general punters out there, here’s how a lot of galleries work:

You go to a gallery, you get to view the art for free, you leave.

You can buy work if you wish but you probably won’t.

—-

This is the model for nearly all community art galleries and local galleries.

In this little rant, I am talking about the everyday and local galleries, and the artist who lives down the street from you and is trying to save up enough money so that they can afford to hire a gallery to show their work and buy frames.

And yes, you read that correctly - we the artist pay to have exhibitions for a lot of spaces. Not all, but a lot. And you don’t really have a chance of getting invited to exhibit somewhere that will pay you without the exhibitions that you’ve paid for yourself.

Generally, gallery spaces incur none of the financial risk whatsoever. The artists do. But galleries do get some of the profits.

We, the artist, pay a fee for the hire of the gallery space. And I do get that there are expenses that have to be paid to run a gallery.

We more than likely have to pay for advertising (It was included only as standard in the hire cost in one gallery in my limited experience, I have done it myself for the other exhibitions rather than pay extra when available - but if you print anything out, that of course still costs).

We generally have to promote our event ourselves. For some strange reason that I don’t understand nearly all the galleries I’ve exhibited in (admittedly all local, small community galleries - but all established galleries nonetheless who have exhibitions continually) don’t have a great media presence. I have a larger social media presence than most of them which is saying something. So I have create Facebook events, made specific social media banners, sent out emails, put up posters, handed out posters etc. for all of my exhibitions - it takes heaps of time with very little pay off - or at least it feels that way.

I’m not saying I wouldn’t do any of this anyway - but when all a gallery does is put up a poster on the door, maybe a single online post, and send out an email to what is actually a very small list of people (which they possibly lead you to believe was somewhat inflated when you initially spoke to them about hiring the space), it doesn’t feel like they’ve bothered to do much at all. I’m continually surprised at the small online footprint of some of these galleries. And I still don’t understand how galleries that exhibit something new every 2 weeks to 1 month don’t have regular relationships with local papers and advertising places. But again, maybe I’m missing something.

Then we the artist pay the gallery if any of our work actually sells in the form of a commission. Sometimes this is up to 40% but seems to more commonly be about 25/30%. This means, for me anyway, that I price my art at what I think is a reasonable amount for time, materials etc. but I generally don’t add in the extra for the commission - I just take the loss myself because I believe that if I was to put it up even less of it would sell.

Sometimes we even have to pay extra for insurance. But more often than not we’ve already paid for our own insurance anyway. Most of the time though, insurance doesn’t cover the actual artworks, either theft or accident (and I have had people in the gallery touch, move and generally get way to close to pieces so accident is a real possibility - often without the gallery letting them know that it is inappropriate). Insurance just covers public liability, and if we can afford it, personal accident.

Then we the artist essentially pay the general public to come to the opening night because we have to provide for the opening night spread (I’ve had to do this this for all bar one exhibition. Sometimes you don’t organise it yourself, instead you pay for someone else to. I’ve taken to taking on this responsibility completely myself, mostly because I don’t really like the ‘standard’ exhibition opening night traditions (but that’s another whole rant) but also so I have some oversight to the amount that is spent).

Also, ever been to an artists talk event? Maybe not, but they are often scheduled or it is highly recommended that you do one by the gallery and they are often free. Why? Why do we expect a guided, in-depth talk by the artist about the creation of their work to be free?

For some galleries, yes I think this should be free, because they can afford it, they are probably able to pay the artist themselves, and frankly it is going to be beneficial for society to make them free (again, I’m talking larger galleries, those with government funding etc. who can bring in a different type of artist, not your local community art gallery).

So, to sum up, we the artist, have to create a body of work, front all of this money, spend all of this time, with absolutely no guarantee that anyone will buy our work.

Or even turn up to look at it.

It is a system designed to fail us. It is a system that is designed to make the arts seem elitist because to become elitist is the only way to survive. It is the only way to make money. That is, if you can even become an ‘elit’ artist - if your style fits what mainstream society wants, and if you can survive long enough to become noticed.

But to be a grass roots, local, relevant, everyday artist dealing with the issues of society doesn’t pay the bills. It barely covers the materials, so forget about getting any money for your time.

And you know what? This doesn’t just mean the system fails the artists, it also fails society. It does this by not valuing the arts, and the experience and opportunities they offer, by not placing a price on the education and the expectation that someone else can teach you something about art and, most importantly, it deprives us as a society from experiencing more art, of participating in more art. Because I firmly believe that if it wasn’t so expensive to be an artists, that if there was more money to support artists, that there would then be more art and more good art - relevant art, art that invites you in, art that challenges you, that surprises you, that is locally relevant, that is relevant to society, that speaks directly to what is happening in life right now.

To make the art free to access like this, with no means of funding the artist, de-values the artist and art we are creating, because it creates an expectation that it should be free. And this means that there will be less artists and certainly less diverse ones - and possibly less creative and engaging and brave ones because we instead spend so much time simply trying to just survive - which means creating ‘mainstream’ art rather than the art that is actually needed (again, another rant for another time).

My proposal to counter this is $5 (or maybe even $10????) entry to local galleries wherever possible.

I get that for some places this is not realistic but seriously, what’s the harm of putting up a donation tin that is for the artist, or maybe split between the gallery and artist at the end of the exhibition? How is that so hard? Why would that be so wrong? Would that really stop people from going? If you want to be really specific - kids in for free, some sort of group discounts, and after your first entry, you can use your ticket to re-enter the exhibition for the length of the current show.

Would that be so bad?

Except for Artists talks - you’d need to pay your $5  again for that because seriously, you expect us, the artist, to make the art and then talk about it coherently? Artists are generally visual creatures and you’re asking us to also be eloquent?!

And for all those naysayers out there who want to come back and say ‘I value the arts’  - sure you do - and I do believe you - but when was the last time you paid for something that wasn’t pop culture music or film? When was the last time you bought an original piece of art from a local artist? Or a print from a local artist? When was the last time you were prepared and bought a set of handmade cards that’ll cover all the cards you need for the year from a local artist rather than the cheap and cheesy from the newsagent shop as you are on the way to a birthday party? When was the last time you bought a beautifully crafted wooden cheese board from somewhere in Olinda as a gift? Or some handmade jewellery from a local market? Or ordered some beautifully and painstakingly handmade clothing from a local maker?

Forget about gifts and presents - When was the last time you bought something locally handmade rather than the cheap version from a large shop? When was the last time you spent time in a gallery just because?

When was the last time you allowed yourself to be inspired by the craftpersonship? Were awed by the beauty? Challenged? Comforted?

Would you have been prepared to spend $5 to get in?

Would a $5 fee have prevented you from going?

Does it seem that unreasonable?

An aside: And don’t say just go and get a grant. Grants are not that easy- they require realms of paperwork in advance, again without any guarantee you’ll get it, they often require a huge amount of planning and preparation, again without any guarantee you’ll be able to put it into action. You also have to be aware of the available grants. And apply. On time. Often you actually need help from other organisations to submit, which could cost money upfront. Sometimes I think it’s only worth it if you are going to do the project anyway, and just hope that the grant comes through to help. Or, it’s a way to fund the big, really big projects.

But as a local artist, just trying to get your next exhibition up and running - it’s often pretty far fetched.

That’s my rant.

Pay the $5.

Support the arts.