Con Report: Motaku, Day 3
Alrighty! Finally getting around to this.
Day 3 was a pretty typical Sunday. Fair traffic, plenty of lookers, a few last minute impulse buys from people who had been on the fence all weekend, but most people had blown their wad. I received the most commissions on Sunday and from repeat customers! Also, more people stopped to chat on Sunday which was also nice.
Motaku implemented a system of "Conbucks" this year in which they gave out gift certificates as prizes for various contests. They approached the vendors and artists, offering them an opportunity to get a "free" table next year if they made $75 in con bucks. It wasn't a bad system. I just don't think there were enough conbucks awarded to make it worth the vendors' while. We made $45 in conbucks, which means we were close! But that was $45 of free merchandise essentially. It was a noticeable percentage of our take-home profits. I wonder if we can apply it toward a discount on a table next year.
As for trends, BLEACH is still big here. Pokémon is having a huge resurgence and no one really has a good theory as to why. Pokémorphs (anthropomorphic pokémon) seem to be a big inspiration for it, and I suppose Gold and Silver. I think many of the children who grew up on pokémon are now teens and young adults. That may have something to do with it. Along those lines, you can tell which kids grew up with the Fox Box because YGO is big, too.
Naruto fandom has died down to a murmur. Video games are big. As is usually the case, things that have yet to be released stateside, but are readily available in sub still aren't big. I was a little disappointed in the DRRR! fandom. Soul Eater has a small but strong following. I anticipate it will get bigger with word of mouth.
Hetalia is out of control. The fans move in mobs. They spaz. It frightens us.
Prints (8"x10" $10)
Stein - 2
Renji and Zabimaru - 1
Prints (4"x6" $3)
Blair - 2
Stein - 2
Ishida/Orihime - 1
Ichigo/Zangetsu - 1
Sketchcard (2"x3" $10)
Hichigo
Traded:
Corgi
Cammy
Keychains ($3)
Gemini - 1
Edgeworth - 3
Capricorn - 1
Phoenix W. - 2
Virgo - 1
Pisces - 1
Havoc - 3
Aquarius - 1
Cancer - 1
Scorpio - 1
Commissions
Yami/Yugi (YGO) - 9"x12" pencil $30
Orange Tang (OC) - 6"x9" ink $15
Yusei Fudo (YGO) - 6"x9" ink $15
Silver/Gold (pkmn) - 6"x9" ink $22
Emperor of Snakes (OC) - 6"x9" marker $20
Aqua (KHBbS) - 6"x9" pencil $10
Yusei/Sherry (YGO) - 6"x9" ink $22 ($15 conbucks)
Sartorius (YGO) - 9"x12" marker $30 in conbucks
I busted my ass to get that last commish in before the con closed XD
Man con-goers were first-timers with lots of families attending together. Total attendance was ~520(?). I think attendance may have been hurt by the fact that it was the last weekend of RenFest and the weather was perfect! Sunday there was an away Chiefs game, but they were the only team undefeated at the time.
For a 2nd year con, it's pretty good. Just about what I estimated. We spent some of our profits on porn and a new series that I want to pick at.
Nebraskon's in a few weeks. I don't think I'll have the NM manga finished by then, but I can definitely make more keychains, ATCs, and prints.
Day 3 was a pretty typical Sunday. Fair traffic, plenty of lookers, a few last minute impulse buys from people who had been on the fence all weekend, but most people had blown their wad. I received the most commissions on Sunday and from repeat customers! Also, more people stopped to chat on Sunday which was also nice.
Motaku implemented a system of "Conbucks" this year in which they gave out gift certificates as prizes for various contests. They approached the vendors and artists, offering them an opportunity to get a "free" table next year if they made $75 in con bucks. It wasn't a bad system. I just don't think there were enough conbucks awarded to make it worth the vendors' while. We made $45 in conbucks, which means we were close! But that was $45 of free merchandise essentially. It was a noticeable percentage of our take-home profits. I wonder if we can apply it toward a discount on a table next year.
As for trends, BLEACH is still big here. Pokémon is having a huge resurgence and no one really has a good theory as to why. Pokémorphs (anthropomorphic pokémon) seem to be a big inspiration for it, and I suppose Gold and Silver. I think many of the children who grew up on pokémon are now teens and young adults. That may have something to do with it. Along those lines, you can tell which kids grew up with the Fox Box because YGO is big, too.
Naruto fandom has died down to a murmur. Video games are big. As is usually the case, things that have yet to be released stateside, but are readily available in sub still aren't big. I was a little disappointed in the DRRR! fandom. Soul Eater has a small but strong following. I anticipate it will get bigger with word of mouth.
Hetalia is out of control. The fans move in mobs. They spaz. It frightens us.
Prints (8"x10" $10)
Stein - 2
Renji and Zabimaru - 1
Prints (4"x6" $3)
Blair - 2
Stein - 2
Ishida/Orihime - 1
Ichigo/Zangetsu - 1
Sketchcard (2"x3" $10)
Hichigo
Traded:
Corgi
Cammy
Keychains ($3)
Gemini - 1
Edgeworth - 3
Capricorn - 1
Phoenix W. - 2
Virgo - 1
Pisces - 1
Havoc - 3
Aquarius - 1
Cancer - 1
Scorpio - 1
Commissions
Yami/Yugi (YGO) - 9"x12" pencil $30
Orange Tang (OC) - 6"x9" ink $15
Yusei Fudo (YGO) - 6"x9" ink $15
Silver/Gold (pkmn) - 6"x9" ink $22
Emperor of Snakes (OC) - 6"x9" marker $20
Aqua (KHBbS) - 6"x9" pencil $10
Yusei/Sherry (YGO) - 6"x9" ink $22 ($15 conbucks)
Sartorius (YGO) - 9"x12" marker $30 in conbucks
I busted my ass to get that last commish in before the con closed XD
Man con-goers were first-timers with lots of families attending together. Total attendance was ~520(?). I think attendance may have been hurt by the fact that it was the last weekend of RenFest and the weather was perfect! Sunday there was an away Chiefs game, but they were the only team undefeated at the time.
For a 2nd year con, it's pretty good. Just about what I estimated. We spent some of our profits on porn and a new series that I want to pick at.
Nebraskon's in a few weeks. I don't think I'll have the NM manga finished by then, but I can definitely make more keychains, ATCs, and prints.