#but like people who sell stock photos want you to buy and use them

[little-lucub]

HELLO OTHERKIN/THERIANS/ALTERHUMANS/NONHUMANS/OTHERLINKERS/OTHERPAW!! DO YOU WANT TO BUY AN ETHICAL TAIL BUT DON'T KNOW WHERE? IM HERE TO GIVE YOU TIPS!

Okay I'll stop talking in caps now, but here you have my tail guide for any and all people who just want a tail!

Cruel fur farms treat their animals badly, and it's best to avoid them. Here are some tips on how to spot cruel farms from the ethically sourced ones! (Most tips from here!)

Disclaimer: I would only be wary of items if they show more than 2 of these signs. Just do research before you buy!

Signs that indicate a cruel source:

- Sold/Sourced from Asia (Asia has bad animal cruelty laws, here's a list per country on how good their animal rights are)

- From Wish, AliExpress, Amazon, Temu or EBay (Even the 'faux fur' ones can be real and cruel)

- If they use stock photos

- Asian lobster clams (This does not always indicate cruelty)

- If they look thin, small, and generally unhealthy

- Any usage of 'mink farms' in desc.

- If they are bleached or colored

- If the price is low (Under 20-25)

- No info about source (Always ask the seller if you're not sure)

Signs that indicate ethical source:

- Scraps that were being thrown away otherwise (Should be in item description or FAQ)

- Lived long and happy lives (Item description or FAQ)

- Thick, healthy tails

- Population control/Legal hunters (With a permit)

Now I'll show a few Etsy shops I've confirmed to be Ethically sourced!

^ Cute animal tails with charms

Prices: €28,48 - €68,35

^ Coyote & Possum tails, would check each item separately to be sure :3

Prices: €11,49 - €38,30

Disclaimer! These do not come with clips, you have to add them yourselves

^ Fox tails :D

Price: €43,28

^ Fox tails of all colors

Prices: €25,42 - €55,07

^ Fox tails

Prices: €23,94

^ Raccoon, mink, coyote, raccoon dog/tanuki, skunk & lynx tails! (tw for a lot of animal pelts)

Prices: €8,57 - €19,98

Disclaimer! These do not come with clips, you have to add them yourselves

Etsy shops that sell faux fur tails!

^ Variety faux fur tails with squeakers in them! Foxes/Canines, wild cats & nub tails!

Prices: €22,78 - €235,36 (Most are around €30-€40)

^ Faux fur cosplay tails & ears (Mainly the bigger ones like cheetah, snow leopard, etc.)

Prices: €25,63 - €102,52 (Most are around <40 and are often tail + ears combo)

If you know any other ethical/faux fur Etsy shops, please link them and I'll add them here! :D

[brxkxnhxxrtsclxb]

i wanted to make a list with tips for those who have recently discovered monster high and love the dolls and wanna partake in the hobby in starting a collection 🖤

for starters: i wanna say you do not need to watch the show / media attached to it if you don’t want to or don’t have the time. you can still enjoy the dolls cuz at the end of the day, they’re dolls and you can do whatever you want with them :3 they’re for play so create your own lore and enjoy it however you please 🖤 also, if the show wasn’t for you, that doesn’t make you less of a fan. you can still enjoy the dolls and hobby 🖤

also: MONSTER HIGH IS FOR EVERYONE !! it doesn’t matter if you’re male, female, nonbinary, straight or queer, you can partake in this hobby !!

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to start, find the dolls / characters that interest you most

whether you want to collect only dolls of one character or multiple of any and every character, it’s up to you to decide :3 it’s okay. there’s no right or wrong way of collecting. narrowing down the dolls you like best helps to get started. you wanna be sure your first doll(s) is special and really speaks to you 🖤

if you like several dolls and are undecided on certain ones, feel free to wait it out and see how you feel about them in a few days, a week, a month or however long you need

sometimes it’s best to wait and contemplate so you don’t end up regretting a purchase. of course if you do, or loved the doll at first but then changed your mind, it’s okay. you can always sell the doll later. you might be holding onto someone’s grail there !!

if you find you like a doll that has been available for a while but can’t decide between that one and a newer doll, go for the older one (this is specifically for G3 since that’s what we currently have widely available)

dolls have a shelf life of about a year. eventually lines start being phased out (currently SS3 is slowly being phased out) and we have no idea how much they’ll go for in the resell market (see SS1 and SS2 draculaura)

if you wanna collect G1 dolls, check out ebay, mercari, facebook marketplace and your local thrift stores. you never know what you may find and sometimes there’s good deals !!

when it comes to G1 dolls, you have to play the long game and have LOTS of patience. many of these dolls go for hundreds and that’s not okay imo. you don’t have to dump these amounts of money on them, especially since bills and other necessities gotta get covered first !! again, patience is key !! eventually you’ll score your grails

speaking of secondhand market, be careful and make sure you read the descriptions and ask questions. don’t be afraid to do so

unfortunately there have been a surge of scammers flooding the MH community. these are easy to spot. they will either use someone else’s photos for the listing, have zero reviews or refuse to answer questions and provide more pictures. sometimes it’s a combination of all. also know they’re not entirely honest about the condition of the dolls. some will not say they’re a smoke friendly home. please ask questions !! also, request them to add a photo with their username written on a paper to add to the listing to further verify they do in fact have the doll

do not purchase from scalpers

i know, kind of contradictory to say check the secondhand market and then say do not buy from scalpers. of course, it’s your money and you can do what you please with it, but if you can, try not to buy from them. it’s the reason they keep bulk buying the entire stock leaving fans without a chance at grabbing a doll they love and why they keep pricing what they price. if people stop buying from them, they’ll have no choice, but to lower their prices cuz no one is buying them and they don’t wanna sit with a stock of dolls they obviously do not want. so if you can help it, try not to buy from them. as stated before, it’s about patience and good deals do show up. also, wait from buying collector dolls on the aftermarket. the hype needs to first die down before they are lowered in price (happened with bride of chucky, creature from the black lagoon and addams family skullectors)

watch out when shopping online from walmart or / and amazon. sometimes other sellers will list a doll (G3) for an inflated price while they’re currently available in major retailers

you do not need every single doll

only buy the dolls you love. i know it can be devastating to love a doll and see everyone hating it, but don’t let that deter you !! with everyone sharing their personal collections and mattel pumping out dolls so frequently, it can be overwhelming and think you must have every doll. that’s simply not true. don’t feel bad for missing out on collector drops you weren’t fully in love with. and if you don’t really love a doll, it’s okay to opt out if you feel it’s the best choice. it’s also okay to purchase and sell later if you truly didn’t like the doll after receiving it

check for sales

i’m not sure about other countries but in the US, retailers will have sales and many dolls end up on sale. amazon does this too. check frequently. you never know when a doll you want may be on sale !!

check the community (get involved if you feel comfy enough to do so)

i encourage to check reddit, instagram, twitter and other forms of social media to keep up with doll news and leaks. it’s also a great place to make friends, ask questions and help each other out when drops happen. if you make good friends with someone, we can also use each other as proxy services if we live in different countries and grab each other certain exclusive dolls we have no access to :3 some dolls / lines don’t make it to certain countries

it’s okay to take breaks

mattel pumps out dolls frequently and the market can be so saturated, it’s overwhelming. it’s completely fine to feel that way and to take breaks when needed🖤

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these are all the tips i can think of at the top of my head

collections are personal and there’s no right or wrong way of doing it. whether you’re an in-box or out-of-box collector, the most important thing is to HAVE FUN !!

i hope this was helpful !! enjoy your collection and welcome to the community!!

anyone can feel free to add any other tips they have to help a new collector out 🖤

[20dollarlolita]

Describing some wigs

Many years ago there was as site called Amphigory.com, and while it's still up, the Amphigory that 16-year-old me spent days browsing is not the Amphigory that still remains. They're still cool, but they'd really scaled back the scope of what they sell. There used to be cosmetics, jewelry, hair dye, a few more things, and wigs.

One of the things that they did about their wig sales that really set them apart was the level of description that they gave every wig. This wasn't just a single stock picture and a name. They took their own pictures of each wig, inside and out, and described each one's strengths and flaws. They weren't like Arda, who designs their own wigs from scratch. They were more like a normal costume reseller, who had a collection of vendors that they'd order stock from. But, unlike most costume wig sellers, they had multiple pictures and a detailed analysis of each wig. You knew what you were getting, which was really important for cosplayers who might need to restyle a wig. If you've never restyled a wig before, you might not be aware, but the wig can make it very easy, or the wig can make it impossible.

Amphigory's wig section is long gone, but I do still buy wigs from a similar company, one that has a collection of wig vendors whose products they sell. This is a shop that I go to is in person, and I love that. I know that I can find some wigs cheaper elsewhere, but I absolutely love that I can go to a small business, roll up to a counter, and physically touch the wigs before I buy them. I can look at them, turn them inside-out, and touch them. I also get to take the wig home that day, instead of waiting for shipping.

But not everyone has this opportunity, and on the offchance that people are considering buying a wig online and google the wig to see worn photos or reviews, here's me making a compilation of wigs I've recently bought and what they actually look like in person. Even with wigs from the same seller, some might be garbage, but some might be hidden gems. So, in the interest of making more information about which wigs are like what, here we go:

California Costumes Pink/Gray Ombre with Star Clips:

First of all, California Costumes gets 0/10 for creativity with names. I love me a good little nickname for a wig. The Costume Mansion, where I bought this, called it "Harmony," and I think that's a better name.

Yes, my wig head is cosplaying its Naruto OC. Let it do its thing.

This is a textured, ombre wig. The actual fiber is ombre, so an individual strand will go from gray color to pink, and the gray is a little bit softer than the pink. Some wigs that are tipped with another color accomplish this by having the color on the ends be longer hair than the top color, but this is a true ombre. I have not tested this for colorfastness, but it's possible that the pink tips won't age super well. The skin top is about 3" wide and does not go all the way to the front of the wig. This means that you can change the part a little bit, but it will always have bangs.

The whole thing is sewn onto a continuous cap, which isn't as forgiving of larger head sizes than one that's just wefts and elastic. It has the built-in net that you sometimes see with cheaper wigs, which is where your hair would go if you want to wear this wig without a wig cap. You, however, don't want to wear this wig without a wig cap. You know better. There's hooks in the back for resizing.

Wefts in the back are about an inch apart, but when I was shaking it around and trying to make it show the mesh, I couldn't actually make it show the mesh without physically parting it. Depending on how you put your hair up under the wig, you might have problems with the mesh showing in the back (lumpy hair will show mesh, hair that's smoothly under a wig cap won't). This is probably a wig you want a matching or light colored wig cap for if you have a larger head.

Overall, cute wig, stock pictures don't do it justice. Available for $20 on Amazon, in case you don't have a local costume shop to support. This item tag reads "ITEM # 7022-068 FTY # 346 HK2203" and I don't know what that means but if someone's googling the tag to look up the wig then hopefully that'll lead them here.

Yuki by Characters:

At least this one has a wig name. And boy howdy is that some big hair. The place I bought this from called it "Cupcake."

I tried on this wig because I really wanted to see how it was constructed, and I bought it because, when I tried it on, it was way cuter than I thought it'd be. It's a rougher fiber, which makes the curls hold their shape really well, but you're going to be fighting to keep the bangs and long forelocks looking smooth. There's no skin top, and the hair radiates from a sort of u-shaped blob at the top. There's so much going on in this wig that it's not particularly obvious, and also you will convince absolutely no one that it's not a wig, so that's not as much a priority to me on this style.

As for how it's actually constructed, there's no teasing in the wig to keep it that big. Instead, the actual cap of the wig is sewn into the shape of the big faux twintails, and then the hair is attached to that structure. Wigs are not hair. Anyway, that means there's pretty much no major restyling that can be done. It's just curly hair about 5" long on a funky structure to make funky big hair. Anyway, because thew cap of this wig is so oversized, it's really comfortable to wear, and it's really accommodating of large head sizes or a lot of hair.

Also because of the cap size, if you don't pin the temples on, it can slide back and make your bangs shorter. You can see that in my picture there. Mine did not come with the little rose clips, but it is supposed to come with the rose clips. It's much curlier than the stock images imply it will be.

This wig would be great for embellishing, since you can sew things directly to the funky shaped cap and not worry about where to support it. It also can handle a full sized BTSSB headbow, if that's a concern.

Someone's selling it on Amazon for $60 and you absolutely should not spend that much for this wig. I see other wig shops selling it for about $30, which is the upper limit on its real fair price, unless you really need the specific shape for it. I'm not going to link any specific shop since I don't have experience buying from them. "Yuki wig" and "Characters Yuki wig" are good search terms.

Characters Peggy Sue wig:

Okay so please be forgiving that my detail pictures are going to be of this wig already styled, because I didn't know I was going to do this post when I started working with it. I'll make a point to spell out what's stock and what's been done. Top pictures here are the most un-styled that I have.

This wig's got a coin-shaped skin top that all the hair radiates from. It comes with long, blunt bangs. The fiber is really shiny and is very easily reshaped by low hair dryer heat. High heat on my hair dryer, too close to the scalp, was how I made the frizzy spot in the back. The cap is a closed mesh cap, but it's nice and stretchy.

The weird boogers on the top of my wig are the orange hilights that I put in (they were just chopped from another wig), but that picture's there to show the size of the skin top. You can also see where I sewed some orange wefts into the wig for all-over recoloring. I re-parted the skin coin so that the hair has a linear part instead of radiating from the center, and then painted it with liquid foundation to make the parted area larger. Mine also has a LOT of baby powder dispersed through it to combat the shine. I spent like four days to try to make this $20 wig look like it's maybe a $35 wig. (The process was: "oh hey I'll be taking my wheelchair to the comic convention. I should cosplay Barbara Gordon because that will be fun. This will be easy and I don't need to put a lot of money or time into it." and then four days passed and I'd spent hours manually highlighting a cheap wig).

And it really needs a bit of love to get it to be less frizzy. Right out of the bag, my wig did not have that outward flip. Unlike the other two, I don't see this being a really usable wig for lolita fashion in pretty much any context, but hey, I'm on a roll with this post.

This wig is listing online for like $30, and that's a bit much IMO. If you have a local shop selling it for $20, well, that's a different matter.

If you want a wig just to change your hair color so that your bright pink hair doesn't clash with your coord, I once bought this wig (according to Amazon in 2015 so it's been...almost a decade...nice to know they're tracking that) and was pretty impressed with the quality for a $17 wig. So, you know, buy that instead of this Peggy Sue wig.

I do own the Lacey Costume Little Women II Wig (Amphigory's "Innocent?" wig) but it's late and I want to go to bed, and all you really need to know about it is that the fiber texture of the ash blond color is really dicey, so that's probably a case where if you need a pigtail wig you need to just get an Arda Chibi. I can still do details if anyone wants. It's just 9:30 and I have to put all these damn wigs away, so good night, everyone.

[silencedrowns]

Wig Seller Masterlist

Some people on were asking if I had a post about this and I didn’t, so I thought I’d make a big master post of wig companies I like! It’s in alphabetical order, with information about them listed afterwards. Currently I have fifteen brands on this list, but if I try and am really impressed by another, I’ll add it. I hope maybe one of them has that hard to find wig you’ve been searching for! I have the color samples for Arda, Assist, Classe, Coscraft, Cyperous, Kasou, and Swallowtail and am willing to help you check if a color from them is correct or not.

Airily

Japan only brand, so you’ll need a shopping service. Wide range of colors, including some that are hard to match in other lines, and a lot of base styles that I like more than other brands. Sells both wefts and lace front pieces. Lace hairline wigs are also available. Fit is medium (not particularly large or small). Price is higher. Swatch book not available.

Alice Garden/aiyaya

Amazon wig brand selling lolita/natural looking wigs. The variety is not good but if they have something that looks like what you need to wear with very little styling, you won’t get something as nice for the price! Styles are all very natural looking. Fit is on the smaller end of medium. Price is low. Swatch book not available.

Aoi Wig

Taobao brand doing character wigs, so a shopping service is required. These are hands down the best character wigs I’ve ever worked with. If you don’t want to do a ton of styling and they have the character you want, you literally cannot go wrong here. Fiber isn’t the world’s most durable but will hold up for multiple wears, and the price is good enough to make up for it. Fit is slightly small but larger than most taobao wigs. Price is a bit high for taobao but is still dirt cheap for what you get. Swatch books not available but the photo color is exceedingly accurate.

Arda Wigs

American based. One of the most common brands for a REASON! Wide range of colors in a wide range of styles. If you have a larger head or a lot of hair, this is your new best friend. They sell lace fronts but not individual lace pieces. The big problem with them, however, is the stock issues. Colors run out quickly so sometimes you have to compromise on which style you buy, or place an order from one of their sister sites in another country that actually has the color you need. (OOPS this is no longer an option anymore! Luckily there are a lot of Arda wigs secondhand online.) Nobody has as much hair in their wigs as they do, which can actually be a problem in some styles; be prepared to pluck lace fronts and use thinning shears. Fit is LARGE; they have the largest wigs in the market. Price is a bit high but not exorbitant. Swatch rings are available for both their fiber types

Assist

Japanese brand, ships worldwide but EMS/fedex only so you’ll probably want to group order. Nobody in the market has as many colors as Assist; between their premium and basic lines, they have over 600 colors! DO NOT TRUST THEIR PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY TO PICK COLORS; you need to buy their swatch books or ask a friend who has them to help you choose, because those photos can be criminally inaccurate. If you ever order from them, buy a bottle of Face Cover Glue and watch it change your life as “wig sticks away from face and face framing pieces move out of place” become a distant memory, and I adore their contacts! They sell wefts and lace pieces in their premium line but not their basic. Price varies; Premium line is a great price for what you get, but Basic is incredibly cheap (but not quite as good quality). Fit is small; based on how they fit my clients they’re the smallest of the Japanese brands and if you’ve ever found taobao wigs too small, assist will probably also be too small for you. Swatch books or rings are available and also required.

Blue Beard

Taobao character wig brand, so shopping service is required. Blue Beard wigs are all affordable and decent. You won’t ever get a bad wig from them, but I’ve found that their wigs tend to require a lot of maintenance. Wide range of characters! No wefts available. When you find stolen taobao wig photos, more often than not they’re stealing from Blue Beard. The photos are all color accurate, but you’ll typically need to do a lot of styling to make the wig match the photo. Price is great for what you get. Fit is medium to small. No swatches available.

Classe

Japanese brand that requires a shopping service but oh what a brand it is. Classe has a wide range of colors but where it truly excels is in the range of extra styling supply options. You can buy lace front pieces, yes, but you can also buy stand alone skin top pieces in center whorl or long for parts. No brand is as flexible with what you can do with their wigs, not by a long shot. Make sure to check out their styling blog! Even if it’s all in Japanese, the diagrams are clear and the techniques are genuine life savers. The fiber is beautiful and the website’s color suggestion feature where the desktop version tells you a list of characters they’d use this color for makes picking colors a lot easier. You’ll pay a lot for them, but what you get will be worth it. I’ve been using them a lot lately because no other brand’s fiber is as easy to make behave like human hair. Naturalistic wig stylists and cosmetology people, this brand is for you! Fit is up to 59cm (!!) and is roomy in the hairline coverage to the point some people have to trim the ear tabs a bit shorter, although it’s my personal comfiest fit. (Upon further testing: Classe’s fit is going to be perfect for you if you’ve ever tried an Arda lacefront and found it somehow a bit too big in the cap but too skimpy in the ear and hairline coverage at the same time.) Swatch books are available and affordable.

Coscraft

Based in the UK but ships worldwide despite being way too unknown outside Europe. Coscraft is an absolute gem of a site with a wide range of colors (more than 80!) with plenty of unusual color options that aren’t found anywhere else that doesn’t need a shopping service, a decently large variety of base styles to choose from, and wefts and separate lace front pieces and stick on skin tops in every color. Unlike every other cosplay brand on the planet, their lace front pieces come in dark brown lace for darker skinned cosplayers and not just beige! (The skin top pieces are only in beige so far but hopefully they will work on this.) Also for some reason they sell ridiculously inexpensive corset coutil so for all the craftsmanship people, new source acquired! Even if you’re outside of Europe, Coscraft is so nice that it’s hard to believe their prices. When the pound is up vs your currency, they’re shockingly affordable. When the pound is down vs your currency, the quality per money feels straight up illegal. This is my current go to cosplay wig site for a reason. Fit is larger medium; it won’t be too big or too small on most people. Color swatch ring is available.

Cyperous

Japanese cosplay wig source that theoretically ships EMS outside Japan but I haven’t been able to get that to work for years so shopping service it is. Pour one out for Cyperous; they’re clearly in decline but as one of the original heat resist brands, they’re still here and still worth ordering from while you can. Nobody has as beautiful and delicate blondes as Cyperous; their Milky and White Milky are the best blondes I’ve ever used. They have a nice selection of lace wigs and the much rarer lace bang wigs as well as regular wigs, and wefts of course. No other brand I’ve seen has synthetic wigs that photograph as much like real hair as Cyperous. They can tangle a lot as a result but it’s worth the upkeep. I have no idea how long they’ll keep limping along, but look them up before it’s too late. Price is high but reasonable for what it is. Fit is a true medium. Swatches used to be available and no longer seem to be, but the photos are pretty accurate to my ancient swatch ring and newer wigs.

Five Wits Wigs

Five Wits is the most criminally underrated of the American wig companies because most of their stock photos suck. They really, really, really suck. The photos are somehow incredibly color accurate but represent the wigs as pulled directly from bag and plopped onto someone’s head or a mannequin without even combing them in a flattering way. I wrote them off until I got to see their booth at a con and realized quickly that these wigs are wonderfully made with beautiful fiber that typically photographs like a dream (how do they get such bad stock photos?!) and is so easy to style! Five Wits mostly stocks character wigs, but many of them are versatile enough to use for tons of other things and they offer wefts for some of their colors. The owners are friendly, the service is great, the actual wigs are beautiful, the price for what you get is wonderful, but those dang stock photos keep people from noticing why Five Wits is one of my favorite suppliers! Price is great for what you’re getting, especially for an American brand. The fit is larger end of medium (very few people find it too big or too small). They don’t carry swatch books but every single stock photo, despite being terrible, is an incredibly accurate depiction of the color so feel free to judge colors accordingly.

Kasou

I almost hesitate to put Kasou on here considering that one of the problems with them is that their shipping when it’s from their Chinese warehouse is occasionally “good luck getting your wig”, and I disqualified another past favorite of mine for this, but Kasou squeaked onto this list for two reasons: 1) their fiber and wigs really are spectacular and 2) they have the ONLY Jolyne Kujo pre made wig that I don’t hate. Order from them with confidence that whatever you get will be nice, but keep in mind that there are enough people who’ve had issues with wigs from their Chinese warehouse that you want to give yourself months of lead time if you go that route. They have a decent if slightly expensive price range, medium cap fit, and they do offer swatches. I NO LONGER RECOMMEND KASOU. I still stand by their products being nice, but there have been too many extremely expensive packages lost in the mail with them refusing to refund/replace among cosplayers I know for me to put them as a recommendation. If you order from here, do it with caution.

L-Email / wig-supplier

Not everyone needs premium wigs for heavy styling all the time, and that’s where L-Email comes in. This Chinese-based seller that ships internationally will sell you decent character wigs and decent base wigs for an incredibly affordable price. Nothing from here is going to be spectacular, but if your budget is low and you’re willing to put in a bunch of effort to make up for that, what you need is just a plain wig without tons of styling, or you want a character wig that’s a bit easier to upgrade with extra styling work than other brands because the hardest parts are typically done for you, L-Email is a great option for you. They’re just all around decent, and sometimes that’s what you need. Fit is medium, prices are pretty affordable especially if you go in with friends for shipping, and there aren’t swatches but the photos are typically pretty color accurate.

Sepia

One of the absolute oldest wig companies based in America; every cosplayer active before 2007 has bought at least one Sepia wig. They’re still here though, and now they have some heat resist lace fronts! Their range of fantasy colors is pretty atrocious but if you want some beautiful natural colors, you could do worse than shop here, especially considering there’s at least one more expensive brand (that I’m not putting in this list) that sources lace fronts from Sepia and resells! Fit is medium, price is medium, I haven’t bothered to see if they have swatches because I’m an ancient cosplayer and have the typical Sepia color codes memorized.

Swallowtail

If you’ve heard of this Japanese (shopping service required) wig brand before, it’s probably because the canon wigs in My Dress-Up Darling all come from Swallowtail. There’s more reasons than flexing about how you have the canon Shizuku-tan wig to consider Swallowtail, though! They have a massive color range with a lot of colors I’ve seen nowhere else in the world, and while the fiber isn’t the world’s most durable and is a bit shiny for my tastes in some colors, they’re affordable enough to be a competitive option even if you have to use a shopping service from outside Japan. They offer a full range of wefts and lace pieces and clip ons and a wide variety of base styles. The fit seems to be pretty true medium, and they definitely offer swatches (in the most chaotic ring setup I’ve ever seen. You’ll want to resort that one fast.)

Sylvia_Wig

You can get a lot of decent lace fronts perfect for minimal styling on AliExpress, but Sylvia is my hands down favorite. If you need a natural looking lace front and you don’t want to spend tons of money, this seller is where you should be looking first. There aren’t any swatches or wefts, true, but the wigs have so much more lace than any of the American or Japanese cosplay wig brands, the caps run much larger than most taobao/aliexpress brands (comparable to Kasou or Five Wits), and there’s still plenty of hair to do more basic styles. The fiber is a bit thin and shiny, but it still photographs like a dream, and dollar for dollar you won’t find a better balance between quality lace front and budget friendliness than here. The hairlines are so natural that I have a few from here that haven’t required a single hair plucked to just… melt into my skin. There’s a reason this is my go to first source if I want a lace front and it’s not going to be heavily anime styled (like JoJo or Dragon Ball or whatever). Color stock photos are incredibly accurate; you can trust that what you see is what you’ll get!

since people have sent me asks about this: I do not recommend Epic Cosplay at all anymore. Their construction quality has drastically decreased in recent years to the point I keep getting people asking me to help fix Epic wigs that are literally falling apart, which is enough reason to not want to order from them, but they’ve also had a decade plus pattern of labor rights abuse and employee mistreatment including racism, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, and pregnancy discrimination.

[remyfire]

I don't know if I'll keep this post up because this is not what any of y'all are here for, but I have to get it out somewhere. This is just a lot of gritted-teeth venting, so if that's not your style, scroll on, I love you, I hope you see a cat photo soon.

Truly every day of my life I find myself gritting my teeth when I see another joke or article or post or anything at all about booktok romance novels, that specific style of book cover, the disdain about promotional graphics like trope maps, that whole kerfluffle because I just! Wanna be like. Hey guess what! None of us wanted things to go that way either!

Like it really is remarkable sometimes to remember how readers don't necessarily get to see us smaller romance authors gritting our teeth and bitching in our spaces because we hate the trends that are being pushed forward, but also we have to compete somehow, right? We have to be sell books. We have to find a way to be picked up and read in this oversaturated sea. We have to try and gain traction against those people who hire 50 ghostwriters at a time for pathetic rates to churn out romance novels so they can release one literally every month. We have to fight against the 99-cent expectations even though we're lucky to make 35 cents per book sold if we offer it at that rate.

I think one of the most insulting things that publishers did was decide that it was the author's responsibility to go viral on booktok. That way, the publishers got to save a hell of a lot of money on marketing budgets, right? No, we won't be arranging tours unless you're lucky, we won't be pushing your book as hard as we usually should. It is your job to have a social media following that is broad enough that you make your books go viral, not us giving it a boost as your publisher. If you don't go viral on booktok, we will probably not be signing you for another book, sorry, bud.

Cannot express to you either how many of us erotic romance authors especially were gritting our teeth when the cover trend started leaning toward basic primary colors and splotchy abstract shapes. I completely understand that not everybody wants a shirtless man with a 12-pack just slapped on the front cover of the book they're reading—I actually thought it was brilliant when I saw several self-pub authors offering both the traditional steamier cover but also an option of paperbacks with a more tame, understated cover that just makes it look more like a literary novel. But god, it felt so lazy, these aforementioned abstractly illustrated covers. They told me nothing about the book. There was barely a sense of themes or important objects and these shapes had no defining characteristics that set any of the characters apart and they just looked like YA novels, which is fine for YA novels, but how do you market your extremely high-heat romance novel in that cover trend? If you throw together those blotchy illustrated shapes, people are going to think it's sweet or closed-door, and then they get in there and there's 12 graphic sex scenes on the page, and they're furious about it. I loved seeing illustrated covers that were more detailed start to make a move forward, especially because it meant starting to separate the American cultural assumption that illustrated = childish. Letting them be sexy, letting the author be able to represent any kind of protagonist they wanted without being restricted to the tiny selection of mostly skinny white able-bodied cis models on stock photo sites? Incredible. Love that. Want more of it. Wish it was easier to get publishers to really buy in on that.

The fact that readers will complain about promotional things like trope maps when the publishers require the use of them. The publisher makes them, they hand them over, and now you are the one who will be using it because that is contractual and because even if it wasn't, you want your goddamn book in front of people's eyes. And if you are self-pub or indie, if you don't have a substantial marketing budget to spent thousands of dollars on ads, promotions, and whatever the hell else, you are all but required to follow the trend because that's the only way you're gonna get people to share your shit.

And god, the way that it's all reduced to just 'booktok romance novel.' I get what that's referring to, that exact grouping of authors and why they're frustrating, but holy shit, I wanna know how many of those readers have picked up a self-pub or indie romance by a marginalized author. I'll see people complain about the quality of romance novels as compared to the quality of romantic fanfiction and I wanna shake them by the shoulders and say, "It's there! It's out there! It's self-pub and indie romance authors out here doing the goddamn work and you! Aren't! Looking! For it! Because it's easier to mock the genre instead!" Especially self-pub/indie queer romance authors who are marginalized, they are out here revolutionizing the genre and not getting anywhere near the accolades they deserve.

It's just irritating and exhausting. It's frustrating enough to have your genre used as the constant butt of jokes, treated like it's a substandard genre, like all it is is trash, using 'bodice ripper' as a disparaging term for modern romance novels when that is a relic of a very distant past and a historical pinpoint about which we can have an in-depth discussion about the decades-long process of making it socially acceptable for a woman to talk about her sexual desires rather than the 'bodice ripper' days when a woman had to have them forced on her instead before she could ever dream of admitting that she might know her own body and its cravings.

It's frankly embarrassing to see my genre so poorly understood. That's all. The one genre that is devoted to making sure that every marginalized person can have a happy ending of their choosing—marriage, pregnancy, queerplatonic, no sex necessary, no marriage or kids necessary, whatever feels right—rather than just the skinny white able-bodied cis people, that's the one that is always getting the potshots taken at it, and it's really a goddamn shame.

[jessthetea]

This "Ice Club" thing has got to be some kind of promotional gimmick to try to raise awareness for the magazine. If you can download it for free, what's the point? I don't understand why Jess is even affiliated with Quil or Renell. Clearly she doesn't relate to or identify with their style and/or culture. She sticks out like a sore thumb. She has nothing to offer them as far as any creative advice or cultural experiences. Her whole association with them seems pointless and a con.

Jess is supposed to have a master’s in marketing from a well-known college. I say "supposed to" because if she’s behind how this is being marketed, it's really not great. You don’t charge people for a product and then turn around and make it free. A much smarter approach would’ve been to offer free copies at the launch party on a first-come, first-served basis, with a clear message that anyone wanting a copy afterward would have to buy one. That’s how effective PR and marketing work—especially for a new magazine launch. It’s hard to believe that neither of them thought of this.

Also, they never seem to have anything in stock. If you look at launch party photos, it’s pretty clear they barely had any copies to sell in the first place, which seems intentional so they could claim it “sold out.” But when you only have about 100 copies, of course it’s easy to sell out. Why not invest more money in additional stock for the website? Renell and Jess always play this “we’re so popular, it’s all sold out” game, but it’s obvious they only order a tiny amount to start with. And if you check the IG comments, it seems like they may even be using bots to snap up everything quickly (or at least allowing bots), creating the illusion of high demand when they probably only sold a handful of items.

As for how Jess fits in with this scene, I have no idea. She’s not “urban,” she’s not hip-hop; the only thing she probably likes about that scene is the partying (and maybe the drinking or drugs). It’s honestly surprising she’s with a guy who’s sober. At these events, she’s often dressed like she’s headed to a Victorian funeral or trying to be a goth teenager, all while looking 40. If she’s giving any advice, it’s pretty clear it’s not good. Why Renell keeps her around is a mystery.

[godtier]

any advices for a beginner artist pls?

hi there!

i guess it would depend on the medium you're working with or what kinds of things you'd like to do. i'll try to give some general tips that can be applied broadly!

disclaimer: a lot of "beginner" tips are going to be really, REALLY boring. developing an art style relies heavily on patience and repetition. it can get very boring and you will feel like you're not improving. but the more you do it, the more you will improve. that's what everyone says, but it's 100% true.

tip #1: start basic

if you're a super-duper beginner, you could start by taking stock photos of people and tracing over them in an art program. you could also do this on paper if you have any magazines lying around, but i know that's probs less common nowadays lol.

tracing over a human body can give you an idea of what the human form looks like and how it operates. i wouldn't recommend always doing this, of course. this is for practicing purposes if you're super new to drawing.

you could also set up the stock photo side-by-side in a canvas on a drawing program and try to copy it as closely as possible. this is what i'd recommend after tracing. you don't generally want to rely on tracing all the time since that can make your style look super stiff, so trying to copy something freehand develops your drawing style bit by bit.

if you are inclined to look through some books about figure drawing, i would highly recommend books by andrew loomis. they are from the 50s or so, but the methods and recommendations are timeless. the books are still in print for a reason.

tip #2: get a foundational understanding of the human form

another tip that a lot of people kinda roll their eyes at is the whole "get a foundation in anatomy/real figures before trying to draw stylized stuff." people don't want to hear that because, again, it's boring! but it's true: if you have a foundation in how real people look, you can easily apply that to a stylized drawing and have it look nice. beginners who don't develop a foundation can instead lean into mistakes from other artists and it can screw up their entire drawing ability. that's what i did; it took me years to undo a lot of the stuff i learned as a beginner from copying anime and manga because i didn't have the foundations of real figure drawing and i was too stubborn/bored/ADHD-brained to focus on the boring stuff first.

you can also try beginner landscapes to get and idea of perspective and form. again, another super boring tip, but it does genuinely help when it comes to figure placement in a scene and making the background not look like it's on a different plane of existence than the figure that's supposed to be in it.

tip #3: don't splurge on really expensive equipment/art supplies when you're just starting out

this is a big one. a lot of beginner artists (myself included when i was young) think that in order to make great art, they have to buy the most expensive, industry-grade equipment or art supplies. this isn't true. when you are just starting out, using basic stuff is fine to get the foundations down. i still don't use expensive pencils for my sketches! I USE TICONDEROGAS, THE BEST PENCIL EVER MADE (not sponsored).

what matters more than the utensils when you're just starting out is the paper you're using. i wouldn't use printer paper, for example, but sketch paper. here's a pretty cheap and good quality sketch book for pencil work. if you want to use other mediums, like markers, strathmore also sells good quality marker paper for cheap. is this like, PROFESSIONAL GRADE? no, not really. but you don't need professional grade to start with.

and i can say all of that, but why is that the case? well, mostly because when you're first starting out, you're going to make mistakes. a lot of mistakes. and expensive equipment and/or supplies are going to add up fast. do you want to use up all the ink on a 30 dollar set of 5 copic markers because you don't know the proper inking techniques? or do you want to use a 100 color set of crayola sketch markers to get a foundation down of how colors interact with each other for roughly the same price? (granted, copics are alcohol based and crayolas are water based. if you want to try alcohol based markers first, ohuhu makes a 48 color set for around the same price.)

tip #4: don't stress about being the best, just experiment and have fun

this is probably the BIGGEST one. you are not going to be great right away. that's just a fact. don't get hung up on how your art looks just starting out. just keep doing it. draw whatever you want. share with others or keep it to yourself. don't look at your art and give up because it's not an immediate masterpiece. just do whatever you think is most interesting and experiment!

tip #5: don't get offended by good-natured and genuine critique

last tip for today, and it's very important, just about as important as #4. there's a difference between criticizing to bring someone down and providing constructive criticism. if you ask someone who is also an artist to look at your art and have them tell you what they think, don't get upset if they tell you what they think. most artists have been in this situation. most of them are going to try to give you a "compliment sandwich:" start with a compliment, then provide critique, then end with a compliment. this is a pretty standard way of providing criticism because people will generally respond better when the positives of their attempt are highlighted first.

however, some artists or teachers might just come out the gate with criticisms. this doesn't mean they think your art is shite, but that they see potential. the worst thing for an artist is for them to surround themselves with yes-men who only praise them. that gives an artist, especially a beginner, a false sense of their current skill and can be detrimental to improvement.

if you are sharing a piece and for whatever reason don't want critique? just start with that. "i worked on this for x amount of hours and i don't want critique right now, thanks" is usually enough. but don't hide behind that. hiding from critique will make your art incredibly slow to improve.

and that's what i got for now! sorry for the massive response, but i tried to give some really basic concepts for beginners. if this ain't helpful or if you have something more specific, you can send me another ask! i'm happy to help!

[figurecollection]

hi there :-) i recently got into quite a few ips that, y'know, actually have anime figures made of them and i was wondering if you have any advice for someone who wants to start collecting but doesn't have a lot of cash? i hope this question doesn't sound dumb or anything, but i know figures can be pretty costly at times ^_^"

I love this question. My number 1 advice is to look up what characters you like on myfigurecollection and see if they have any prize figures. Prize figures are essentially figures used as prizes for claw machines or ticket lotteries, but are easy to buy normally. They usually come to about $30, and the quality is usually good for what you get. Look at the figure listings on myfigurecollection to see people's photos of the figures to see if you like them first. Prize figures are also less likely to be bootlegged as most are so cheap it's usually not worth it, but mfc documents bootlegs and will let you know if a figure has a bootleg version for sale.

Second, I recommend secondhand. Amiami, solaris, mandarake, and akibasoul all sell 100% legitimate figures, but I've also had great luck getting really cheap figures on ebay, facebook marketplace and depop. Just make sure they're showing actual pictures of the figure and not stock photos, and don't be afraid to ask for extra pics or info. I actually get most of my figures this way, especially since I'm into older series, but if something looks suspicious feel free to DM me and I'm happy to take a look.

There are so many options for affordable figures these days! Good Smile also have their pop-up parade line which you can get good sized figs for $30-50 (although the quality can vary so definitely check photos before buying), Figuarts mini are nendoroid-like figures you can get from $15-35, there are lots of trading figures available aka. blindbox figures if you don't mind taking a risk with characters lmao. Just make a little wishlist and do a little searching and you'll defiantly be able to find something you like.

You're also free to let me know what characters you like and your budget, and what country you're in and I can try to find something nice for a good price although I can be a bit slow to respond

[opinated-user]

Lily posted something about AI artists and compared them to stock photo companies? And I'm confused? Like... granted I don't know much about stock photos, but those at least require real people and photographers, right?

more important than that, stock photos were done with the full consent of everyone involved to be used for a specific purpose. if the picture is public domain, royalty free or some right are retained that is entirely within the power of the people responsible for that image (either a photographer or the company who comissioned that photographer, including the stock agency that distributes that image). it becomes a little bit murky with the internet that a normal picture someone took of their cat is later turned into a stock picture by someone else, that is a whole issue on itself, but that is how they're supposed to work. a stock company has the consent of the people responsible for that picture existing to distribute. ai art is nothing like that. all of it's references are real, either of art or real people because an ai doesn't actually create anything new. they're always making something out of the data it has been fed and many times that data includes the art of people who didn't consent to be part of it. some artist explicitely said they didn't want to be part of that data and yet people put them there, because there's no real respect or care about actual artist. a stock company can steal content that doesn't belong to them but an ai can't stop stealing from someone else. a stock company has the option of creating or buying the content directly from creators, ai art doesn't even bother to consider copyrigthed material in the first place. as a creator you can sell your material to a stock company and get paid, an ai art won't give anything to the original artists who made the art from which their generate images. i imagine maybe that LO means that since stock companies have a bunch of pre-made pictures ready to be use, that somehow makes them the same to ai in the sense that it takes from things that already exist? but since the main difference here is about respecting artists, valueing consent and, more important, paying people for their labor, then it's no surprise that LO can easily dismiss all of that considering that she frequently exploits her wife, exploited friends who were artists and didn't value their consent when they told her no.

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

🧵 again I agree with basically everything needle said about the Dior FW 23 collection, especially with how it jumped between high fashion and an almost working class aesthetic. That's why I called it originally an extremely Balmoral show, not only did it have a ton of highlands influences, it also felt like the ultra-wealthy play-acting at working class.

I prefer my high fashion to know what it is and where it stands.

Needle's comment about how commercialized fashion is nowadays feels like my perfect segue.

The creation of the luxury conglomerates has destroyed the high houses. I said it. LVMH is the one that seems to be talked about most in BTS adjacent spaces, but I guess this is mostly because of the LV brand deal (AND LV IS NOT THE SAME AS LVMH GOD IF I SEE ONE MORE TAKE THATS LIKE OH ITS OK HES AT CELINE THATS STILL A LVMH BRAND IM GOING TO SCREAM- ahem.)

But LVMH is not the only conglomerate. Kering is another big one. But this drive to have the houses as corporations with stocks and returns and eternal growth mean a significant stagnation in their actual creative direction. They want to sell what /sells/. You (BMT) touched on this in one of the posts, but I think it should be made clear that brands like Dior, despite being an old House with extremely revered bones, makes the vast majority of its money on things like makeup and small accessories. The marketing that they do using Idols or literally anyone is to entice people to buy the small luxury products, instead of the big ones. A $3k bag is a big ask for most people, a $50 lipstick feels like an easier pill to swallow. I can't believe how many people I've seen buying Dior after Jimin's brand announcement, explicitly for him.

But do I think that means that fashion is stagnant? This is such an interesting question to me because fashion is literally just the things that people put on their backs. I can talk forever about the high French houses or whatever, but the reality is that the world has changed. Fashion as both an art and a means of self-expression has never, EVER, been so accessible.

What I think actually happened is that the big houses (mostly these are euro houses, especially French, some Italian, a handful of British and American) have become over-commercialized. The immediate drive towards streetwear in 2015-2020 also didn't help (see: especially the absolute horror that has become the Balenciaga name). I also see a lot of weird takes about Couture as a concept, as if clothing can't be art for the sake of being art if I see one more twitter post about "I would never wear that" over some person walking a runway in a guo pei dress that weighs a thousand pounds, I'm gonna lose it.

But I also think that today, in early 2023, there are so many people designing and making clothes and putting their art out into the world. PFW just isn't the place to see that, mostly. I think if any of your readers are interested in fashion beyond the traditional houses, it's always good to check out the other major city's fashion weeks. And if PFW is what interests them- look at the brands that are maybe unfamiliar. That is where the art still lives, sorta.

I had no idea about Dior and making money mostly from small luxury goods. That's new to me. Given how it's in the lower price range, I saw it more as an entry which then leads the consumer (one who is just starting to get accustomed) to buying other, more expensive stuff. There's definitely a focus on that on social media and now with Jimin's Dior deal, a day doesn't go by in which I don't see clips on tiktok with Dior hauls and Jimin photo cards.

I actually thought about the hyper focus on streetwear for the previous ask about commercialization. I remember the time when it wasn't that big or at least it was somehow separate. Now it's sort of like a blend and trully the only thing that reaches out to the big internet audience with their IG accounts and how easy it is for anyone to curate their own fashion self. I also have issues with the sort of comments about Couture because they are unnecessary if one would have the courtesy to actually understand what it means. No one expects it to be street style and yet, they use that as a filter.

I think that, especially in this fandom space in the last few weeks and days, the interest and curiosity spiked, for better or worse. So, in the context of that, your advice is most welcome for anyone who wants to explore more.

[douchebagbrainwaves]

6, BRIEFLY

Most of the qualities I've mentioned are things that can be cultivated, but I have to sit on the other side of the head and tell them: Wake up. But Cybercash was so bad and most stores' order volumes were so low that it was very remiss of me to have forgotten all that stuff within three weeks of the final exam. Boy, was I wrong. The creative class flocks to a handful of executives, politicians, regulators, and labor leaders. It was a novel thing to be in the twentieth century. A speech like that is, in my house in Cambridge, which was built in 1876, the bedrooms don't have closets. How was the place different from what they expected?

How did things get this way? When I look back at photos from the 1970s, I'm surprised how empty houses look. And frankly the thought of a 30% success rate at fundraising makes my stomach clench. Traditional profitability means a big bet is finally paying off, whereas the main importance of ramen profitability is a trick for not dying en route. Business still reflects an older model, exemplified by the French word for working: travailler. If it fails, that is. If you have to push down on the top?

So while I stand by our responsible advice to finish college and then go work for an existing company for a couple years be the CEO. That's why we rarely hear phrases like qualified expert in the software business I know from experience that some undergrads are as capable as most grad students. At the very least, crank up the font size big enough to make it big if and only if they're launched with sufficient initial velocity.1 And the books we were assigned. A button that looks like it will make a machine stop should make it stop, not speed up. What are you going to do. The wise man was someone who knew what the right choice. Err on the side of the river. The mistake they make is to underestimate the power of compound growth. Galleries are not especially prone to waste money.

What if I run out of ideas? Imitating nature also works in engineering. A round. Slashdot or Delicious. I remember telling David Filo in late 1998 or early 1999 that Yahoo should buy Google, because I tried to opt out of it, and it was hard to take search seriously.2 Google, and Microsoft.3 But they had the most opaque obstacle in the world between them and the truth: money. Unfortunately, beautiful things tend to get discarded. No amount of discipline can replace genuine curiosity. As often happens, Ron discovered how to be the best solution. In principle they could have; the king could have invented firearms, then invaded his neighbor. And yet both have the same answer: 1/1-n Whenever you're trading stock in your company for something that more than doubles the company's average outcome, you're net ahead, because the best founders are making it.

In school you are, the more risk you should take the riskiest investments you can find just one user who really needs something and can act on that need, you've got a toehold in making something people want. Poof goes the axiom that taste can't be wrong.4 Whereas if you're doing the kind of pain you get from engaging directly with your earliest users will be the best you ever get. It makes people trust you. Indeed, it evolved from actual warfare: most early traders switched on the fly from merchants to pirates depending on how one feels about airy abstractions, let's try considering it as a hard sell; we soon sank to building sites for free, but before the Web it was harder to reach an audience or collaborate on projects. Like paying excessive attention to early customers, fabricating things yourself turns out to be mistaken, but he described his co-founder as the best hacker he'd ever met, and you could tell he meant it.5 The first twenty years of everyone's life consists of being piped from one institution to another. To do good work you have to do the best work they can, which is figuring out what those problems are. I used to write papers for my friends.6 Many a hacker has written a PhD dissertation knows, the way Reveal did.

Why would great programmers want to work sixteen hours a day on it.7 And in addition to the direct cost in time, there's the cost in fragmentation—breaking people's day up into bits too small to be useful. The problem with patent reform is that it gives your mind something to chew on: when your eyes are looking at something, your hand will do more interesting work. That's why we're doing it during the summer—so even college students can participate. Since risk and reward. A, but I found the same problem there. Outside writers tend to supply editorials of the defend-a-position variety, which make development a lot cheaper, but our attitudes toward it haven't changed correspondingly. Obviously it has to be making money the way it ultimately will. The most common unscalable thing founders have to do is make something valuable. If circumstances had been different, the people running Yahoo might have realized sooner how important search was.

Notes

Though they were friendlier to developers than Apple is now. Charismatic candidates will tend to get a personal introduction—and in a certain level of incivility, the space of ideas doesn't have dangerous local maxima, the thing to be started in 1975.

If near you, however.

Whereas when you're starting a company growing at 5% a week for 19 years, but when companies reach a given audience by a combination of a press hit, but less than 500, because even if it's not the shape of the world you'd want to. VCs if the growth is genuine.

The most striking example I know this is mainly due to I. Most unusual ambitions fail, unless the owner shouldn't pay me extra for doing it with. The current Bush, for example, would be critical to do something we didn't, they may prefer to work on Wall Street were in 2000, because time seems to me like someone adding a few that are only doing angel deals to generate everything else in the first year or so you could build products as good as Apple's just by hiring sufficiently qualified designers. And you can imagine cases where it does, the last round just converts into stock at the start of the good ones don't even sound that plausible.

Steep usage growth will also interest investors. Whereas when the country. It did. This sentence originally read GMail is painfully slow.

It might also be argued that we should be especially conservative in this article used the term whitelist instead of reacting. But it is dishonest of the Facebook that might work is merely an upper bound on a wall is art.

Which is fundraising. They can lead to distractions even more clearly. As Anthony Badger wrote, for the same work faster.

[bananarangcumberdongisonmydash]

I thought the "poor people deserve art" was specifically about owning art in your home, about how artists would sell their art really cheap just because people wouldn't buy it any other way.

And I'd tell any artist out there to please don't sell their art so cheap it doesn't account for the cost of the materials or it just barely covers them exactly, leaving no margin. This isn't just me saying oh please charge more to your art but, a business which doesn't even cover the materials and your work hours like a salary is a bankrupt business with no profits.

Digital media should also cover the materials. First, if you are still paying your computer/tablet/cellphone/whatever in installments pretty much you have to add that money as a material. And if you paid something so expensive in cash, pretty much you have to calculate how your life was affected by depleting those savings.

You also have to add the electricity you pay at home or your office as a material, as you can't use any of your utensils if you don't pay your electricity bill and there's no way to make it cheaper (because it's not like traditional art where you can pay outside to save in electricity).

Also you should count internet services, software prices (again, both if you are paying monthly or how a really big payment affected your economical stability), any stock on any way, things which would run down and need replacements like the tips of your digital pencil.

That doesn't even account for your work hours/salary yet.

When you have accounted for everything then you can decide what extra value you add but never charge less. You'd be in the red if you charge less and it will be like you're giving things away.

A solution? You can sell prints instead of originals (yes, selling the original editable file counts as selling the original). You can sell small prints in the shape of magnets or tote bags so you actually get a profit out prints. Frame your prints so you don't just sell pieces of paper, you can look for relatively cheap big picture frames and add something called Paspartout or Marie Luise, they're just cardboard cut in a way to frame a smaller painting into a bigger picture frame, you can make one of them just by cutting the kind of pasteboard you would get for elementary school projects. Just that small cardboard frame naked a huge difference on making your framing look more professional. Print your paintings in small photo paper like on Sam's club or Cotsco, the one who charges less. And then make an album with all the photos and sell it.

And never accept a commission if the client refuses to pay for even the materials. Because you can get into an agreement to make a smaller/less complicated piece. But there's always someone who basically wants things for free, you shouldn't work with people like that and honestly I think they should be blacklisted in the rest of the community.

I both believe "poor people deserve art" and "artists deserve food", but it's hard to reconcile those beliefs. I blame capitalism. And I suppose it mostly matters who you're stealing from?

I don't mean to question you at all, I'm against people pirating your stories. I guess I was just wondering if you had more thoughts regarding the reconciliation the two beliefs I quoted above.

I think the reconciliation is working toward a future where things are better, and authors and artists don't have to beg people not to steal from them because they think every author is Stephen King, who wouldn't notice if you stole the pennies found under his couch when in reality most of us are hunting for spare change down the back of the couch because we are earning below minimum wage.

We need people to embrace the idea that art belongs to the working class, both in terms of consumption but also creation.

If you don't support the working-class creators, you'll only end up with rich fucks with no scope of the world beyond their own narrow view of privilege.

Indie creators are actually working very hard to change the way the industry works, and the publishing industry is shitting itself over it. They don't like the success some of us are having. It's why they keep upping prices while slashing corners on their own production (while never affecting the man at the top) to try and stay competitive within the rat race they've created.

They're not interested in the proliferation of art. They're not interested in making sure their authors can afford to live. They don't want more diversity. They don't want inclusion. They want profit at whatever the cost.

And while indie creators very much need to get paid because we live in a capitalistic society and everything is burning down around us, and a carton of eggs now costs more than what I earn per hour, our creativity is directly at odds with the type of profiteering big publishers want.

The money should go to the writers. Not the CEOs. The money should go to the workers in the print houses. Not the CEOs. No one needs the kind of wealth these people have. It's obscene. We need direct action against these conglomerates. We need unionization. We need a means to fight back so that we can make art and make it accessible.

So, how do we do that? I don't know. I'm just a very tired, disabled creator doing my best to keep my head above water. But I think getting people to realize that art and books are worth saving up for would be a good start.

That putting money in the pockets of creators is just as important as your own enjoyment of their art. Because if there aren't any artists, you've got nothing.

Getting them involved with their local libraries would also be a great start. Educating them on how the industry works is part of that. The number of people telling me they had no idea libraries paid authors is staggering. And that's intentional. It's a by-product of right-wing propaganda to make you think libraries are worthless and just sap taxpayers' money.

They're not.

If they were, the fash wouldn't be trying so hard to take them away.

Basically, we need working-class solidarity and for certain people on the left to rid themselves of the idea that just because something isn't borne of manual labor, it doesn't have worth. We need the artists and the dreamers as much as we need to bricklayers and the craftsmen. Otherwise, what's the fucking point of it all?

[slimmestslime]

just went to a con yesterday, pretty decently sized and wasn’t like. fifty people this time. was really fun though

(rambling \/)

saw sooo so many hazbin cosplayers and merch. lord fucking above i was drowning. BUT. i did see a cool as shit daft punk cosplay duo, some hyperspecific guys that im pretty sure handmade their cosplays from scratch. one guy’s stuff was like half articulated and it was a mecha type of thing. so that was pretty awesome. one girl came in on stilts for this like. monster-girl type cosplay? i could be stupid. but it was really cool

the merch booths were half/half. its convention prices As always, but there was some pretty banger shirts and stuff like terrariums and bonsai displays. There was a guy ripping us the FUCK off for 50 dollars a shirt (which were poorly printed), when directly across thw convention a guy was selling 3 for 50.

found a booth that i coined the Plushie Emporium because it was all entirely licensed plushies in like. a box you could walk into. was really cool but by the time i did my 10th lap or so i walked in. realized im five bucks short of buying anything in there nd walked back out. told the lady that i really liked her stock and i dont think she understood me. which um. i feel really bad for.

obligatory japanese food booth, and also two 3dprinted stalls which were neat. one of the stalls decorated like, ram sticks with a pokemon figurine and then other stuff. and im regretting not buying them now… fuck… and they had really nice 3d printed pokemon that were low-poly esque. …my only regret is not buying anything at that booth..

anyway! apart from merch, me and a friend attended some panels. one documenting 90s-late 2000s cosplaying, and another talking about oold old anime. and how anime evolved into the mainstream. both were pretty cool and funny. but we attended this one panell, “who’s line is it!” or, something. and its an improv panel. and holy fuck was it good. like it was rising improv artists doing really funny skits. was genuinely awesome

OH and. ONE person recognized me. he went “Hey Hank.” and i did the fucking thing where you freeze up and all you can say is “Hi!”. nd i felt like such ass i was about to go find the guy again and freak out and be like “YOU KNOW MADCOM TOO?!” but um. my friend told me not to worry abt it. but he was the first person to point me out!!! And of course he sounded like the fucking nerd emoji!!!! i think my brain forgot i Was indeed cosplaying as the wimbleman himself. and i just factory defaulted. sucks but whatever. he probably forgot by now (But i didnt

+before i forget, we played taiko and the controllers they had fucking Sucked. i dont know what wronged them but it SUCKED. i would have been FINE if i knew the KA placement WAS AT THE TOP OF THE RIM!!! I WAS HITTING THE SIDES!!! evil.

anyway. photos! Which isnt many.

^ obligatory wimbleisms, i didnt get many photos of my cosplay cause. i was mainly just Roaming around

^ funny stuff we found. and yes there was unironically good plushies there!! Really good. but then they had these too.

all in all. good convention. got myself a sakura miku figurine, wanted a nendoroid, Didn’t find any at all. but otherwise was fun. and this is technically my first proper convention, my first one was…. small. AND my first time cosplaying!!

i hope i can evolve Walmart Wimble out of the clearance section and actually upgrade the coat, figure out a better headwrap that isnt a cap, aand wire LEDS into the goggles. <- ( took engineering classes for 3 years, I Just Need Materials and a slight handholding. ) OH and bandages. cant forget about bandage wrap for the arms and head.

but yeah im sore as shit. :3!

[passiveincomemoney]

10 Lucrative Passive Income Ideas You Can Start Today

In the quest for financial freedom, passive income has become a key objective for many individuals. The allure of earning money without the constant need to work for it is undeniably attractive. As we navigate through 2024, let's explore ten lucrative passive income ideas that you can start implementing today to bolster your financial portfolio.

Dividend Stocks: Investing in dividend-paying stocks can provide a stream of income. Companies pay out a portion of their profits to shareholders, and these dividends can be reinvested or used as a source of passive income.

Real Estate Investments: Real estate continues to be a popular choice for passive income. Whether it's through rental properties, real estate investment trusts (REITs), or crowdfunding platforms, the real estate market offers various opportunities for passive earnings.

Peer-to-Peer Lending: Platforms like Prosper allow you to lend money to individuals or small businesses online, earning interest as a passive income stream.

Create an Online Course: If you have expertise in a particular area, creating an online course can be a great way to earn passive income. Once your course is created, students can purchase it, and you can earn money with minimal ongoing effort.

Write an E-Book: For those who enjoy writing, publishing an e-book can be a source of passive income. With platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, you can reach a global audience and earn royalties. Writing an e-book can be rewarding, allowing you to share your knowledge, stories, or expertise with a wide audience. The process begins with identifying your target market and choosing a topic that resonates with them. It's essential to research what potential readers are interested in and what is currently available, so you can find a niche that your e-book can fill. Once you have a topic, plan your content structure carefully, outlining the chapters and key points you want to cover. The writing phase is where you bring your e-book to life.

After writing, editing is crucial. Consider getting feedback from peers or hiring a professional editor to ensure your e-book is free of errors. Once edited, format your e-book for various platforms, keeping in mind that each may have specific requirements.

Finally, focus on distribution and marketing. Platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing or SendOwl can be used to publish and sell your e-book. Promote your e-book through social media, your website, or email marketing to reach potential readers.

Affiliate Marketing: By promoting products or services and earning a commission for each sale made through your referral, affiliate marketing can be a lucrative passive income source.

Flip Retail Products: Buying products at a lower price and selling them at a higher price, also known as retail arbitrage, can be a profitable passive income strategy if done correctly.

Sell Photography Online: If you're a photographer, selling your photos on stock photography websites can generate passive income as people purchase your work. Websites like Alamy, 500px, and SmugMug Pro offer various commission models and community features to help photographers monetize their art.

Invest in High-Yield Savings Accounts: While the returns may not be as high as other investments, high-yield savings accounts offer a low-risk passive income option.

Rent Out a Parking Space: If you live in a busy city, renting out your parking space can be an easy way to earn extra money passively.

Passive income can be a powerful tool in achieving financial stability and independence. However, it's important to conduct thorough research and consider the risks associated with each passive income idea. Remember, while some passive income streams may require significant upfront investment, the potential for long-term financial benefits can be substantial.

With the right approach and mindset, you can start building your passive income streams today and pave the way for a more secure financial future.

[meat-online-ipswich]

Several Factors to Focus on When Buying Meat Online

Would you like to stay sane maintaining your social life and work life? If yes, then set your priorities straight. You could just buy meat online also as it brings much convenience. You are also assured to get cheaper and better-quality meat. The online butcher will also eliminate the presence of a middleman. They also purchase meat straight from the supplier. Meaning to say, it would be meat in quality cuts at a restaurant and at a lower price.

Keep these factors in mind when buying meat online Ipswich.

Know Where the Butcher is Sourcing Meat

When you buy meat online, your concern will be the quality. Will you get the same or an even better option as compared to the supermarket or a local butcher? Do you think it will just be a waste of your money? The butcher should tell you the way meat is slaughtered and raised.

A lot of people purchase directly from the farmers so they can obtain the freshest meat at its highest grade. A higher transparency level is a good sign of quality. Any possible information regarding meat quality must be as stated on the website of a butcher.

Selling high-quality meat would mean nothing if there is an unskilled butcher. Butchery will always be a skill requiring experience. So, be certain to search for that information. Know how they have been operating in business. Know the farms that they are working with. The premium butcher must have not just premium meat cuts but even unmatched skills.

Read Some Reviews and Get Opinions

Buy meat online in Ipswich and remember that it’s the same as you buy products online. You will look for reviews and you will search for the websites. Then, you will decide if you will buy it or not. A lot of butchers will display the awards or certifications on a website. It will often be awarded by government associations or industries. Know the way pictures will appear on the website. Use a stock photo or even photos as it will mean to say reputability.

Look through the social media feeds of the company. Search for the reviews online to get an idea about response times, quality, and things to expect. There are food bloggers and YouTube chefs who might recommend something. This way, you could source meat online and surely, they may have coupon codes that you can benefit from the most.

The right online butcher will be there to help you when you choose meat. This is true with each cut of steak you have ever wanted. If they have a good reputation, this information must be posted directly on the website. You will also depend on them for skills and knowledge. If anything is suspicious or sketchy on social media posts or website, it’s something not a waste of money and time.

So, keep these factors in mind to guide you in choosing to buy meat online in Ipswich! This way, you will be guaranteed quality meat cuts that are fresh!

[frobinfandays]

What is a Creative Common lisence?

Hello everyone! I want to thank the three people who submitted themes to use in #FRobinMonth24

Even if it's only three answers I am so thankful! That really helps a lot because it means I have to pull up way fewer idea.

That being said I asked for inspirational fotos and one answered, that they don't understand creative common licensing.

Which is fine! It is not easy to understand.

So, I decided to write a little text about copyright and license and the usage of certain things online.

Please be aware that I am no lawyer and that copyright might be different from country to country. I also don't guarantee that everything I wrote here is 100% correct!!

More under the read more (sorry to mobile users).

What is copyright?

As Wikipedia puts it:

A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives the creator of an original work, or another owner of the right, the exclusive, legally secured right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, educational, or musical form. Copyright is intended to protect the original expression of an idea in the form of a creative work, but not the idea itself. A copyright is subject to limitations based on public interest considerations, such as the fair use doctrine in the United States.

A copyright is an intellectual property. This paragraph I copied from Wikipedia is the intellectual property of the wikipedia editor who wrote it. They have the copyright to it. But the "Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0;" (CC BY-SA 4.0).

And we'll get into what that means later. (Also I quote it and linked back to the source)

So, Copyright... Oda created One Piece and gave Shūeisha the "copyright" to print it in the Shonen Jump Magazine, basically giving them the right to copy it.

And legally created merch of One Piece is licensed. And the manufacturers bought that license.

Which is why fan-zines that are sold for profit are in a very, very, very grey zone. I don't think ayone within that community is actually allowed to sell those or the merch. Even the charity zines are in a grey area but not as much as the for profit ones. In some countries selling fanart (even commissions) is illegal. The only reason that the big names don't go after those zines is because they are aware that it's good publicity and the "profit" is too small. Also they often don't know about it. Still, be aware of the risks!

On a much lower scale, if you go to any Stock website, you can buy licenses for most of the photos to use. This is mostly used in professional context because you can't just go online, search for a picture, take it and use it in an billion dollar ad campaign or something else. If the creator finds that and gets angry, it can get very expensive.

Or that is the theory, otherwise there wouldn't be so many illegal copies of all kinds of websites like Shein. (Which is the other side of the coin)

And while these rich companies should actually buy the right to use designs, pictures, and other intellectual property, there are a lot of poor artists and they also need pictures and inspiration.

So, what is Creative Commons (CC)?

Creative Commons is the nonprofit behind the open licenses and other legal tools that allow creators to share their work.

Creative Commons is a way for artists to share their work but to add limitations too with a simple code.

The text I had in the form for the submission to the FRobin month was the following.

Please feel free to submit/link a picture prompt (a photo you have taken yourself or which has the correct common license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/). (CC BY, CC BY-SA, CC BY-NC or CC BY-NC-SA)

Of course a picture of yours that you submit, you allow to be used in a creative way in a fanwork or to be an inspiration for fellow artists.

I also want to encourage people to use the picture prompts within the artwork too. For example in a manipulation, animation, collage.

In theory to do that legally I asked for your own pictures or links to pictures that are shared with the creative common licenses of BY, BY-SA, BY-NC or BY-NC-SA.

There is a total of six common licenses but those four are important for this very case. Why?

CC BY This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use. CC BY includes the following elements: BY: credit must be given to the creator.

-> With other words the medium (song, picture, video, etc...) can be used in any imaginable way. You are even allowed to sell or earn money with what you created, as long as the original creator is credited.

CC BY-SA This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms. CC BY-SA includes the following elements: BY: credit must be given to the creator. SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.

-> The medium (song, picture, video, etc...) can be used in any imaginable way. You are even allowed to sell what you created, as long as the original creator is credited.

PLUS the thing you created is also allowed to be used in the same way, so someone else can use it in any imaginable way, is allowed to sell it as long as they credit you.

CC BY-NC This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. CC BY-NC includes the following elements: BY: credit must be given to the creator. NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.

-> The medium (song, picture, video, etc...) can be used in any imaginable way, as long as the original creator is credited.

BUT you are not allowed to sell it or earn money with it!

CC BY-NC-SA This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms. CC BY-NC-SA includes the following elements: BY: credit must be given to the creator. NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted. SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.

-> The medium (song, picture, video, etc...) can be used in any imaginable way, as long as the original creator is credited. You are not allowed to sell it or earn money with it.

PLUS the thing you created is also allowed to be used in the same way, so someone else can use it in any imaginable way, as long as you are credited. But it can be used to be sold it or earned money with.

---

There are two more licenses that don't allow the change of the medium, which is why I decided to not include them.

Now, looking back the Wiki-quote and actually all of Wikipeida is shared with the CC BY-SA license. You are allowed to quote from Wikipedia in any paper you want as long as people are allowed to quote within the same license. With other words if you are now having a discussion about

Now, since this is a fandom blog, I want to take a short look at fanart and fanfiction.

Legality of fanworks

Fanart and fanfiction is most of the time running within the legality of "Fair use" (again Wikipedia) and likewise laws within each country. (So again, check within your own countries texts within the copyright laws.)

Fair use is a doctrine in United States law that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder. Fair use is one of the limitations to copyright intended to balance the interests of copyright holders with the public interest in the wider distribution and use of creative works by allowing as a defense to copyright infringement claims certain limited uses that might otherwise be considered infringement.

I can't find right now the exact quote but the overall understand is that as long as you don't sell your fanworks, based on copyrighted works you can always claim fair use if someone tries to sue you.

Which is why Ao3 has it in their TOS that you are not allowed to post advertisement. (Explaination) You are not allowed to link to your Ko-Fi or ask for commissions or donations.

Because then you might not be able to claim fair use and Ao3 as the hosting website can't either.

And again this goes back to the fan-zines, fanarts and also fanfictions that might be sold for profit.

To read more on the topic, Wikipedia's, Legal issues with fan fiction sure is a source but so is fanlore's, Fandom and Profit.

Sorry for the long text. I hope you have a good day!

(x)