Queen Chrysalis has been sold!

[Dragon620026]

EDIT:
I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to EVERYONE who commented. Thank you so very much for all of your kind words and supportive comments. You guys are are truly amazing and kind people. This was a very good learning experience and I now have more confidence in myself, my ponies and my pricing. If it weren't for all of you I would have gone crazy with doubt for the last couple of days. You also all have my boyfriends thanks for giving me confidence and encouraging comments. Even though he loves me a lot I was about to drive him crazy with all the second guessing I was having prior to hearing all your kind words.

By having these many positive comments I was able to realize that I had created a magnificent custom. I mean, I knew that I had made a beautiful custom but it wasn't until I started getting all these wonderful comments that I realized exactly how much of a magnificent custom I had made and it just shocked me. I'm really glad that all of you loved her so much. All the hard work I put into her was definitely worth it. I'm really happy that my hard work and all the hours I spent on her shows through in her.

So thank you all so very much for your support. I feel confident that I'll have everyone's support from here on out with customs to come! Hugs and lots of love to everyone! 

~~~

Hello! I'm finding myself in a bit of a pickle and  I'd like to ask people for their honest opinion. So here is my problem at the moment. I've had bad experiences in the past with pony fans and it got to me. :/

 A while back I made the main six ponies and I thought that it would be a neat idea to be able to offer them as a set instead of people going crazy trying to bid and collect them all at once. Plus it meant setting up more auctions for me. Anyways, I set a reserve to something I thought was fair and started the bidding low. Once people started bidding I started getting comments (mostly some other pony site) saying that I was crazy for wanting more than what people were bidding. This was for like six ponies and the bidding was around $100 once you divide that up it's $16 per pony before ebay and paypal fees (which is more my problem, i know, I just wish that people had taken it into a bit of consideration). Anyways, people thought that $100 for the set was more than fair and that I was being greedy and stupid for thinking people should pay more. Then I thought really?! That's so unfair to me since it is six ponies and since I did put a lot of work and detail into them.

There were a couple people that defended me and that understood so that helped. In the end they got to me and now I second guess myself on how much my work is worth. I've also heard of this happening to other people. People getting demands from pony fans or wanting customs/plushie for cheap and I've seen people leave or stop due to all the pressure and nagging of fans. I'm worried that this might happen to me. That I might get so many negative comments saying I'm crazy for wanting a lot of money for my work and then having it spread like wildfire and having those negative comments be the only reason why people know me instead of knowing me for my work. However, I have heard the other side of those instances from the creators and I'm relived to hear that creators feel the way I feel and agree with how I think.

So now my dilemma is this, I've made a pony that people are impressed with and blown away by. I always sell my ponies on ebay but the  thing is that it's difficult to find that number between what I think is a fair price for my work and people thinking I'm crazy? Sometimes the number is less than what I think my work is worth and the outcome is that only one person bids on her and she's undersold. I've been bummed out about it in the past but I get over it. Anyways, once I started working on ponies from the show I told myself I wasn't going to undersell myself, hence the reserve on the set of the main six. Then all the drama happened and it made me second guess myself with ponies.

Now I've got another pony and with all the hard work I put into this pony I'm second guessing myself.  I wanted to do eBay and I was/am still curious as to how much people were willing to bid for her but I just felt like everything was going to repeat itself and I'd either get negative comments and/or I'd undersell myself. Then there is the wildfire of negative comments, my reputation and it's just stressful and confusing. Lol, makes me miss the simple days where I sold ponies for $25. Ha ha...

I have an asking price for this pony but now I'm being told that I should raise the price because I'm underselling myself. Then there are other people that say that what I'm asking for isn't unreasonable. So I'm so confused... do I ask for more? Keep it at what it is? Am I REALLY underselling myself again? I'm just so confused...

So I'd love to hear opinions, comments, suggestions, words of encouragement, anything! Am I crazy?! How do people deal with this? Or how does one go about figuring out a fair price? Do creators pick a price and think, to hell with what people think, I deserve this? I know this is a lot to read but I'd be very, very thankful for any sort of reply.

As for the pony in question, here she is:

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[Crafty_Camel]

I haven't been customizing for very long, and just recently sold my first custom.  I told her $10, she gave me $25 (so I was pretty stoked about that!) lol but....  Your work is amazing!! That pony is fantastic.  The details are impecible and that's probably one of the best Queen Chrysalis' I've seen so far! In all seriousness... she's gorgeous!
 
Since idk what you're asking for her I can't say whether you're underselling yourself or not, but I honestly feel like some people want something for nothing.  Not just in the pony world, but with everything.  You put something up for sale for a reasonable price, and someone calls and offers you half.  Really people? REALLY?! 
 
I think your customs are great, and the effort and detail you put into them shows through for sure.  Don't let anyone succeed at making you feel like your work isn't worth what you ask for it.
 
 

[Maniah]

It would help to know what the price is... I can't say if I think it's fair or not without it..

Pricing is a very personal thing. It takes into account time, materials, skill, and self esteem. Someone with low self esteem about their work will always undervalue their work.. Pricing is hard, because we are all our own worst critics.. and we are also all our biggest fans. It's hard to see our own flaws sometimes.

This is why I say pricing is personal. There isn't any one correct answer when it comes to art. If you feel the price is worth it, and someone pays that price.. even iff 100 people tell you that price is too high... Guess what? It sold. Clearly there is a market for your product at that price. Those people just can't afford it, it seems.

If you find a price you are happy with, and its selling, then don't let those neigh-sayers get you down.

And honestly.. That Queen Chrysalis is STUNNING. She looks like she would fetch a price higher than I could ever pay.

[Dragon620026]

I haven't been customizing for very long, and just recently sold my first custom.  I told her $10, she gave me $25 (so I was pretty stoked about that!) lol but....  Your work is amazing!! That pony is fantastic.  The details are impecible and that's probably one of the best Queen Chrysalis' I've seen so far! In all seriousness... she's gorgeous!
 
Since idk what you're asking for her I can't say whether you're underselling yourself or not, but I honestly feel like some people want something for nothing.  Not just in the pony world, but with everything.  You put something up for sale for a reasonable price, and someone calls and offers you half.  Really people? REALLY?! 
 
I think your customs are great, and the effort and detail you put into them shows through for sure.  Don't let anyone succeed at making you feel like your work isn't worth what you ask for it.
 
 

Thank you so much for your kind words! Hearing you kind words make me feel ashamed for letting those people get to me back then and it also makes me want to stop those comments from affecting me.

It would help to know what the price is... I can't say if I think it's fair or not without it..

Pricing is a very personal thing. It takes into account time, materials, skill, and self esteem. Someone with low self esteem about their work will always undervalue their work.. Pricing is hard, because we are all our own worst critics.. and we are also all our biggest fans. It's hard to see our own flaws sometimes.

This is why I say pricing is personal. There isn't any one correct answer when it comes to art. If you feel the price is worth it, and someone pays that price.. even iff 100 people tell you that price is too high... Guess what? It sold. Clearly there is a market for your product at that price. Those people just can't afford it, it seems.

If you find a price you are happy with, and its selling, then don't let those neigh-sayers get you down.

And honestly.. That Queen Chrysalis is STUNNING. She looks like she would fetch a price higher than I could ever pay.

Thank you and your right.

~~~

In regards to the price... I'm so nervous saying it but I thought $300 was fair. I actually wrote a journal entry on why I thought this was fair and this is some of what I wrote:

1. Since she was EXTREMELY labor intensive and mentally tiring.
    If I remember correctly I began working on this custom on April 25th and I just finished with it yesterday. So a little over a month or less. There were days where I would get up and work on her and then there were other days where I just felt defeated or I wasn't feeling it. Long story short, a LOT of hours went into her no matter which way you see it. I already mentioned that my hands ached and that I had a little breakdown while I was working on her. There was also the day that I did nothing but lay in bed and think how I was going to go about "X" thing on her eventually I managed to give myself a migraine. There were also nights where I could not sleep because I just kept thinking into the night on how execute things on her just so. I've NEVER felt as hopeless and defeated because of a pony yet this pony managed to make me feel that way more than once.

2. I feel that I've made a product that is in short supply (at the moment) and it looks amazing.
    I don't know how to say this without sounding mean or like I'm putting down others people's work. So when you read this keep in mind I say this with the most respectful and kindest intentions. I've noticed that there aren't a lot of people that are making these. I mean there are the people that talk about making her and never do and then there are the people that make her but the quality and detail isn't up to par? I suppose I feel like the quality of my work and the overall outcome is worth more? Argh... I do hope I'm not coming off as a conceited meanie because that's not my  intention at all because this pony is HARD and I applaud all who have tried their best at making her.

So like I mentioned before I posted her up along with the price and I was told that my asking price wasn't unreasonable and then there are people saying that I should ask for more. I've also got other people saying that they want to save up for her and buy her and others that can only hope they get paid in time to buy her. So it's confusing... I just don't want to undersell myself because of the past but I don't want people thinking I'm crazy either and well, you know the rest from there. :/

[Maniah]

I completely understand what you mean about quality. The price tag is a bit "Yikes" to me. But hey. You feel she is worth it, and you are within your rights to ask for that! Worst case scenario, she doesn't sell and you lower the price after some time. Big deal. But if she does sell, at this price, and you had priced her lower, you would have been missing out.

If she were mine, I think I would have put her on ebay with a starting price of no less than $150

I understand about the long working times and the lack of quality. I have seen a lot of Queen Chrysalis' pop up within days of her episode airing, that were very low quality. Charming in their own right, but obviously rushed. It's made me feel perfectly justified in taking my time on my own as well.

Im glad you made a product so lovingly that does her justice, and I hope you manage to get the price you want for her Maybe you could submit her to Equestria Daily or something to drum up some publicity for her sale?

[rybett]

Wants!!!!!!!!!  But $300 with a 7yo that loves ponies, DH would have me shot, knifed poisoned and killed.  She is very lovely and well done.

[Maniah]

Can I ask how you gave her a tummy tuck? Ive been trying to give mine a tummy tuck, but the plastic doesnt sand well by hand.. It melts with the dremmel.. And the xacto knife leaves bumps, so I smoothed her as best I could and abandoned that attempt.

[Dragon620026]

Ya, that's more or less what people are telling me. They're saying to ask for more and worst case scenario no one buys her and I drop the price back to $300. I wouldn't mind doing that but I just don't want a backlash of negative comments all over again. I have this fear of a wildfire of negative comments breaking out and hurting my reputation.

I just feel so torn because of what happened with the main six and people being mean. Then there's this twist now where other people are telling me that I should ask for more because I'm underselling myself and it's just so confusing. I'm pretty sure I can blame this on the fact that I'm a people-pleaser and I care about what people think and say on a daily basis.

So I'm unsure and 110% more confused with whether or not I should raise the price and just brace myself for what ever comes next. Best case scenario she sells. Worst case scenario she doesn't sell, I risk hearing some mean comments again and I lower the price.

I just don't know what to do 

Post Merge: June 07, 2012, 02:55:29 PM

Can I ask how you gave her a tummy tuck? Ive been trying to give mine a tummy tuck, but the plastic doesnt sand well by hand.. It melts with the dremmel.. And the xacto knife leaves bumps, so I smoothed her as best I could and abandoned that attempt.

Oh yes! I very carefully used a xacto knife. I cut it to where I wanted it then I added a bit of apoxie sculpt to even out the gaps, then I sanded it down. Just be very carefull not to cut your finger off. Always cut away from yourself no mater how tempting it might be to cut towards you.

[Maniah]

Sorry to say this, but you cannot live in fear. You're on the internet.. Mean comments will always be there. At least mean comments on the internet are easier to ignore than mean comment sin real life. And tha'ts exactly whatcha gotta do. Ignore them. Take them worth a grain of salt.

[Dragon620026]

Wants!!!!!!!!!  But $300 with a 7yo that loves ponies, DH would have me shot, knifed poisoned and killed.  She is very lovely and well done.

Lol, this makes me laugh. Thank you for that! And thank you for the kind comment.

[Maniah]

>.< Bah. I figured I would have to do it that way. I just didn't want to. My apoxie is drying on me too fast these days. I have had it since December and I honestly thought it would last longer.. but its been so crumbly so fast these days. I cant get it as smooth as I have before.

Ill just have to hold off on her even longer. Oh well. Gotta make wings for her before I can fill in her wing gap anyway.

Thank you!

[Dragon620026]

Sorry to say this, but you cannot live in fear. You're on the internet.. Mean comments will always be there. At least mean comments on the internet are easier to ignore than mean comment sin real life. And tha'ts exactly whatcha gotta do. Ignore them. Take them worth a grain of salt.

Thank you! That's what I found myself telling my boyfriend when he got home. I told him that maybe I should just follow people's advice/comments and raise the price and just not worry about what people say. And that I already worry and stress over what people say and do in regards to me on a daily basis and that I really shouldn't even bother stressing out about what mean people on the internet have to say. People that I'll never meet and that I'll never have to deal with for the rest of my life. However I suppose that I could put those mean people behind me and forget about them but it's the bystanders that I worry about. I don't want other people's negative comments to label me a certain way when in reality I'm nothing like that. I'd like to tell people my side of the story and then people can decided for themselves. Then again I suppose that if people are going to judge me based on what other people say then they might not be worth my time to begin with?

I don't know. I suppose that the least I can do if I do raise the price is just link this conversation and my journal so people know my side of the story in all this. Anyways, the reason why I'd like to raise the price is because people think I deserve more for my work. And surprisingly enough these suggestions are coming from people online. ha ha... oh gosh, what a twist. 

Post Merge: June 07, 2012, 03:11:00 PM

>.< Bah. I figured I would have to do it that way. I just didn't want to. My apoxie is drying on me too fast these days. I have had it since December and I honestly thought it would last longer.. but its been so crumbly so fast these days. I cant get it as smooth as I have before.

Ill just have to hold off on her even longer. Oh well. Gotta make wings for her before I can fill in her wing gap anyway.

Thank you!

You're very welcome! It's the least I could do to thank you for all you kind words. As for crumbly apoxie I wouldn't know what to recommend since I've never really encountered this problem :/

[Maniah]

Your work will speak for itself. People bad mouthing pricing are nothing but trolls, and obvious ones at that if the pricing works.

I just delete trolling negative comments

[Dragon620026]

Your work will speak for itself. People bad mouthing pricing are nothing but trolls, and obvious ones at that if the pricing works.

I just delete trolling negative comments

Lol, you're quite right! Thank you so much for your kind and wise words. You've managed to make me feel better about all this.

[hannaliten]

I don't know how fair or not that price is but that is a stunning custom!

One thing I've learned since starting customs is that people will not pay you for that time! If you take 2+ months to make a pony, it could still be selling for the same as a pony that took a week to make. Bottom line, people pay for the end result, not the time/amount of work put into it.