Queen Chrysalis has been sold!

[Dragon620026]

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.

Very true! I have noticed this with other creators as well. They too have mentioned at some point or another that buyers will not take the time and labor into consideration. As for the end result, I'm very pleased with it and I think that I did a good job on her. And I've been talking to people left and right about this and they just keep telling me that I am underselling myself. Then there's also the amount of interest that there has been through messages, deviantart and etsy. :/

[NoDivision]

Sorry, I don't want to be mean, because I can understand that a lot of work went in to this, but I think that your idea of selling it for no less than $300 is unrealistic. Who knows, she may sell for that much, you never know with how bidding goes, but I don't think you can start that high. Let alone start her listing for more than that. It sounds like you are saying that $300 would be your "fall back" price if she didn't sell for even higher? Just from my own observations, I don't think starting out asking that much would be successful. While some customs can go into the triple digits with bidding, most that I see on ebay with people starting with prices that high just sit there and no one bids.

The market for this pony is primarily bronies/other G4 fans, and one thing I've noticed is that most people in this market don't really seem to understand or care how long a pony took to make. If we all tried to base our pricing on the number of hours that went into it, I think a lot of us would never sell a single pony. So you can spend a lot of time justifying your price, but I don't think the point here is really what people would say about your pricing - you can brush that off, and haters gonna hate and all that. The point about pricing is that you have to be realistic if you actually want the item to sell, and price it to sell. Now if you're in no hurry, and just want to price as high as you'd like and are content to wait for someone to appreciate the work enough to pay that price, then by all means go for it. But if you want to sell, you have to be open to lowering your prices.

[PonySeeker128]

I can't determine what is or isn't a "fair" price for you. I feel that is something that the creator should decide, like Hannaliten said though, when it comes to customs sadly people don't apprecitate how much time you put into it. You should put a price on it that you are comfortable selling it at. If you think $300 is fair then put it at $300, don't let other peoples comments put a damper on your sale. In the end you need to feel satisfied with the outcome of your work as well as the sale, that's as far as I am going to go with the pricing though.
No matter how good of an artist you are there is always going to be at least one person who doesn't agree with the value of your work, you can't let those people put you down or take you away from what makes you happy.
Your custom is beautiful and I can see the hard work that you put into it, you should be able to take pride in it because it truely is a piece of art!

[flyawayraven]

De-lurking to throw my two cents in.

First off that is a stunning custom! She's definitely one you should be proud of.

Now in regards to people raining on your parade over prices, I think a lot of them are doing it to bully you down to a lower price. It's an incredibly cruel thing to do but it is effective, sadly. And as others have said they're doing it to be trolls.

But the bright side is that there are also plenty of people who will recognize your hard work! Given how much some G1 ponies sell for I don't think you're asking anything unreasonable. And for a good solid month of work that's more than fair. I don't watch FiM but from the screenies I've seen, your Chrysalis is dead on! There are plenty of pony fans out there who will clamber for your custom.

And if she doesn't sell the first time? Well just keep trying! And don't let those bullies get to you!

[Dragon620026]

Sorry, I don't want to be mean, because I can understand that a lot of work went in to this, but I think that your idea of selling it for no less than $300 is unrealistic. Who knows, she may sell for that much, you never know with how bidding goes, but I don't think you can start that high. Let alone start her listing for more than that. It sounds like you are saying that $300 would be your "fall back" price if she didn't sell for even higher? Just from my own observations, I don't think starting out asking that much would be successful. While some customs can go into the triple digits with bidding, most that I see on ebay with people starting with prices that high just sit there and no one bids.

The market for this pony is primarily bronies/other G4 fans, and one thing I've noticed is that most people in this market don't really seem to understand or care how long a pony took to make. If we all tried to base our pricing on the number of hours that went into it, I think a lot of us would never sell a single pony. So you can spend a lot of time justifying your price, but I don't think the point here is really what people would say about your pricing - you can brush that off, and haters gonna hate and all that. The point about pricing is that you have to be realistic if you actually want the item to sell, and price it to sell. Now if you're in no hurry, and just want to price as high as you'd like and are content to wait for someone to appreciate the work enough to pay that price, then by all means go for it. But if you want to sell, you have to be open to lowering your prices.

I know what you mean and agree with what you mean. That's why in the beginning I was debating between listing it on eBay or etsy. With eBay I just didn't want to deal with the bids and having it sell for too cheap. I don't know, I've just never had the best of luck with eBay and bidding. It amazes me how much someone is willing to bid for something that looks so rushed. Then when something good does come around people don't bid. I don't know, maybe that's just my luck.

I'm not really in a hurry to sell her. I know that it's going to take some time for the just the right person to come along and buy her. Overall, thank you for your comment. I will take it into consideration.

Post Merge: June 07, 2012, 04:42:02 PM

I can't determine what is or isn't a "fair" price for you. I feel that is something that the creator should decide, like Hannaliten said though, when it comes to customs sadly people don't apprecitate how much time you put into it. You should put a price on it that you are comfortable selling it at. If you think $300 is fair then put it at $300, don't let other peoples comments put a damper on your sale. In the end you need to feel satisfied with the outcome of your work as well as the sale, that's as far as I am going to go with the pricing though.
No matter how good of an artist you are there is always going to be at least one person who doesn't agree with the value of your work, you can't let those people put you down or take you away from what makes you happy.
Your custom is beautiful and I can see the hard work that you put into it, you should be able to take pride in it because it truely is a piece of art!

You know, I never really thought about that before. I always do everything I can to provide the best possible pony and I make sure that I'm 100% happy with the outcome of it. However, I've rarely considered the thought of being as satisfied with my sale as I am with the outcome of my work. I think you're onto something and I will take that into consideration.

Post Merge: June 07, 2012, 04:51:12 PM

De-lurking to throw my two cents in.

First off that is a stunning custom! She's definitely one you should be proud of.

Now in regards to people raining on your parade over prices, I think a lot of them are doing it to bully you down to a lower price. It's an incredibly cruel thing to do but it is effective, sadly. And as others have said they're doing it to be trolls.

But the bright side is that there are also plenty of people who will recognize your hard work! Given how much some G1 ponies sell for I don't think you're asking anything unreasonable. And for a good solid month of work that's more than fair. I don't watch FiM but from the screenies I've seen, your Chrysalis is dead on! There are plenty of pony fans out there who will clamber for your custom.

And if she doesn't sell the first time? Well just keep trying! And don't let those bullies get to you!

Thank you so much! You're actually not the first person to point this out to me. I had never really thought or imagined that people would be mean to creators in order to get them to feel bad about an asking price and getting them to sell it for less. The first time I heard this I was completely shocked and I couldn't believe it! But it makes sense...

Anyways, I've actually had a good amount of people show interest in her already so we'll see what happens

[Alatariel-Silimaure]

That's a wonderful custom!


If it makes you feel any better, the borg pony I made I won't sell for less then $1,000 >.> but then again that wouldn't even make me break even on how much I ended up spending on that pony

[Dragon620026]

That's a wonderful custom!


If it makes you feel any better, the borg pony I made I won't sell for less then $1,000 >.> but then again that wouldn't even make me break even on how much I ended up spending on that pony

Wow! Yes, that does make me feel a bit better. So are you still trying to sell or has it been sold?

[Kimmers4Ever]

First off... I love that pony. You can see the work that was put into it. And I don't doubt it's worth the $300 in time and effort. If people are talking smack about the quality and stuff, don't listen. There will always be people like that. If you like it, it's good enough! (I say that, but I have a hard time accepting my own. )

That said...  When it comes to price and expectations... I don't think it's trolling if comments comes from customizers. (Unless they are being really mean). Only cause we have been there and been selling. I know I've barely sold anything, most of what I've made ended up trades. AND I've been told multiple times I under sell myself.  I have a FIM LemonHearts I haven't even been able to sell. I gave up and just gonna keep her cause I like the character anyhow.  So she's mine now after trying to sell her for almost a year. 

If it comes from non-customizers... yeah they probably want it lowered cause they can't afford it. I know I can't even rub two pennies together.

I do hope she goes for that much for you. If you do great! There are Brony's out there that sometimes goes nuts for stuff. I think what a lot of people above are saying is don't be surprised if you need to lower it, //if// you want it gone. If your okay with holding on to it, keep her at $300.00 for sure or over that. Eventually, someone may snap it up.  

I will cross my fingers you get what you want.

[Catlein]

I second flyawayraven on the advice that sometimes people bully custom artists about prices because they can't pay what the item is worth. I remember when your mane 6 went up and that was totally the case then! you had a bunch of whiny people who wanted a show accurate pony for cheap. So... in other words, set your prices as you see fit If it sells, it sells. If it doesn't, you either get to keep her or re-evaluate.

[Eviecorn]

The old "what's my time worth" question is so difficult to answer, and often times it comes with an unfair answer.  I encounter this a lot with artwork commissions and pieces that I sell.  I can take 10 hours to work on a very detailed drawing and have it sell for $40.  It's insulting to get paid what is basically less than $10 an hour for my work, but I know my market.  Sales is only half the reason I draw for, though.  I've seen pieces I took less than an hour on sell for $50 as well.  The market with these kinds of things is really unstable.

You just have to ask yourself if you're willing to settle for what people will pay.  I will tell you that, hypothetically speaking, if I had the money available, I might seriously consider making you an offer on that piece.  But that is me - I have different standards when it comes to artist integrity and level of work.  Most people buying these do not have a concept of that, but sadly, that is your market.  On the other hand, I've seen plushes of show character both well-made and questionable go for large sums of money.  It's very unpredictable.  The moral of this paragraph: personal preference mostly dictate sales.

Sell for what makes you comfortable.  If the thought of anything less than $300 doesn't sit well with you, then don't do it.  There really is no right or wrong way to approach it.

[Dragon620026]

First off... I love that pony. You can see the work that was put into it. And I don't doubt it's worth the $300 in time and effort. If people are talking smack about the quality and stuff, don't listen. There will always be people like that. If you like it, it's good enough! (I say that, but I have a hard time accepting my own. )

That said...  When it comes to price and expectations... I don't think it's trolling if comments comes from customizers. (Unless they are being really mean). Only cause we have been there and been selling. I know I've barely sold anything, most of what I've made ended up trades. AND I've been told multiple times I under sell myself.  I have a FIM LemonHearts I haven't even been able to sell. I gave up and just gonna keep her cause I like the character anyhow.  So she's mine now after trying to sell her for almost a year. 

If it comes from non-customizers... yeah they probably want it lowered cause they can't afford it. I know I can't even rub two pennies together.

I do hope she goes for that much for you. If you do great! There are Brony's out there that sometimes goes nuts for stuff. I think what a lot of people above are saying is don't be surprised if you need to lower it, //if// you want it gone. If your okay with holding on to it, keep her at $300.00 for sure or over that. Eventually, someone may snap it up.  

I will cross my fingers you get what you want.

Thank you, it's good to hear that people understand where I'm coming from with all this. But ya, I'm really in no hurry to sell her. I've got a job so this isn't my main income. If it takes a year or so to sell it then so be it. Thank you for crossing your fingers for me By the way, you did an AMAZING job on Ali'ikai'kea! She is BEAUTIFUL! I love her and whoever owns her is really lucky to have her.

[Kimmers4Ever]

Thank you, it's good to hear that people understand where I'm coming from with all this. But ya, I'm really in no hurry to sell her. I've got a job so this isn't my main income. If it takes a year or so to sell it then so be it. Thank you for crossing your fingers for me By the way, you did an AMAZING job on Ali'ikai'kea! She is BEAUTIFUL! I love her and whoever owns her is really lucky to have her.

Thank you so much. ^_^

[Dragon620026]

I second flyawayraven on the advice that sometimes people bully custom artists about prices because they can't pay what the item is worth. I remember when your mane 6 went up and that was totally the case then! you had a bunch of whiny people who wanted a show accurate pony for cheap. So... in other words, set your prices as you see fit If it sells, it sells. If it doesn't, you either get to keep her or re-evaluate.

Lol, I'm glad you remember and agree! Ya... it was lame and a shame I had to go through that. Needless to say I managed to get a decent offer on the set from the high bidder and they sold! So it worked out.

But I do think your right. I think that if it sells, it sells. If it doesn't, I can either keep her or re-evaluate the price. So that seems to be what I'm leaning more towards since more and more people believe that it's the best thing to do and I don't really lose anything from trying.

Post Merge: June 07, 2012, 06:33:32 PM

The old "what's my time worth" question is so difficult to answer, and often times it comes with an unfair answer.  I encounter this a lot with artwork commissions and pieces that I sell.  I can take 10 hours to work on a very detailed drawing and have it sell for $40.  It's insulting to get paid what is basically less than $10 an hour for my work, but I know my market.  Sales is only half the reason I draw for, though.  I've seen pieces I took less than an hour on sell for $50 as well.  The market with these kinds of things is really unstable.

You just have to ask yourself if you're willing to settle for what people will pay.  I will tell you that, hypothetically speaking, if I had the money available, I might seriously consider making you an offer on that piece.  But that is me - I have different standards when it comes to artist integrity and level of work.  Most people buying these do not have a concept of that, but sadly, that is your market.  On the other hand, I've seen plushes of show character both well-made and questionable go for large sums of money.  It's very unpredictable.  The moral of this paragraph: personal preference mostly dictate sales.

Sell for what makes you comfortable.  If the thought of anything less than $300 doesn't sit well with you, then don't do it.  There really is no right or wrong way to approach it.

Ya, I believe that if I wait and don't listen to what people say that there is someone out there that will appreciate the level of work and is willing to pay for it. I'm in no hurry for that person because I know that that person will do me the favor of taking care of her as a collectors piece. And that means a lot to me because I take comfort in the fact that someone will take care of something that took so much time and effort to make.

[Sarahlacewing]

I suppose I am one of those people that could not justify spending that much on one custom.  I just don't have the funds. So I am not your target buyer lol. 

I know you feel like you have made something really special and I agree that you should not sell for an amount that will make you unhappy. As the artist it is your right to set whatever price you wish and if people dont like it or cant afford it they are free to not buy it.

But be aware there is a relatively small group of people willing and able to drop that much on a custom, even well crafted or by famous artists.  I don't know if eBay is the best place to find those folks. Plus fees and if you sell international the shipping and customs are huge when you insure/track. And you would want to.

[Dragon620026]

I suppose I am one of those people that could not justify spending that much on one custom.  I just don't have the funds. So I am not your target buyer lol. 

I know you feel like you have made something really special and I agree that you should not sell for an amount that will make you unhappy. As the artist it is your right to set whatever price you wish and if people dont like it or cant afford it they are free to not buy it.

But be aware there is a relatively small group of people willing and able to drop that much on a custom, even well crafted or by famous artists.  I don't know if eBay is the best place to find those folks. Plus fees and if you sell international the shipping and customs are huge when you insure/track. And you would want to.

That's another thing that I've been hearing a lot too. And I know what you mean by insurance fees and whatnot. But even then sometimes those things aren't even worth it. The post office recently damage a pony, Princess Celestia. She was insured and we filed a claim. The claim was approved and the money was sent to the buyer. The post office took the pony and destroyed it, no if, ands or buts about it.