Shops vs Auctions

[Rose Koneko]

Which do you prefer to run, or buy from?


I know it depends completely on your schedule, what you're willing to do, and your level of skill, but sometimes it seems like auctions often bring higher offers than your shop.

On the other hand, a shop brings steady gold.


Personally, I'd rather buy from a shop than an auction. Usually the people I want to buy art from are singularly expensive, but I can generally afford maybe a piece now and then.... But people of that caliber usually group up, and it enters the millions. Plus..... I'm kind of lazy in keeping up with bids.  

[munoki]

I usually buy from auctions, because it's far easier to find high quality art in auctions than in shops (:

But if I were to sell my art, I'd do it in a shop. I don't believe my abilities are good enough to hold an auction yet ^^;  

[Errol McGillivray]

I've never really bought or been a part of an auction. I had a shop WAY back in 2004 where I did avatar edits.

You can hold an auction. Just keep your prices low. I think a lot of gaians would be happy for an affordable auction for people who haven't been around for 3 years to have the gold for other auctions.  

[tirbutt]

Hmm I usually offer smaller things in shops - but sometimes I can't keep it steadily open... but the goal of my shop isn't for gold - it's more for me to practice and have a 'home' to hang out in.

For larger pieces, I prefer to do auctions... Although I don't have patience for long auctions unless it's a joint one (something about bumping your own thread for weeks makes me uncomfortable gonk )

Now... as for purchasing art... it's almost IMPOSSIBLE to find good artists that are open unless they tip you off or someone gives you a heads up the moment they open... Also it's a huge hassle to sift through all the shops... it is indeed easier to find 'good' artists through auctions because the price tag is right on the title. XD;; I used to 'snipe' new artists in the pricing&assistance forums when they were asking for prices rofl I don't mind paying a good deal, just finding an open artist is the hard part...  

[Noirabu]

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I'm pretty much like Tir. i offer smaller in shops unless bribed otherwise and larger in auctions most of the time. I use auctions to bring in my gold and my shop.... well, its almost never open unless i'm REALLY REALLY bored. its more my hangout than anything unless i have an auction running. then all my friends migrate to my auction XD;;; as far as commissions go, i get more commissions through PM than actually opening my shop. its easier for me that way. plus, i think buyers are just tired of sifting through so many pages of shops, so i don't mind it when they PM me ((unless they offer me something ridiculous, like flowers or something. then i get pissed))

i don't usually buy art because the art i want is usually freakishly out of my price range so i really have no opinion on that matter XP
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[Rose Koneko]

;3 Hmmm... very interesting.

HA. I used to stalk the pricing assistance forum as well, asking for links to shops once they were open. xD I'm glad I wasn't the only one who would catch the new artists. (Though I saw people insisting on pricing the art of the particularly good artist lowly, then told me to be quiet when I commented that it was entirely too low, because they wanted to "buy good art cheap 4 once".)

What about piggy-back artists? I've seen a few auctions with people who were all pretty good, but with one or two who's skill seemed to be moderate to low, at best. It doesn't seem fair that they all share the gold equally, but then... I guess that's up to the person who picked 'em.

ninja If you had enough real money, or gaia money, to commission anyone here via shop or auction, who would it be?

I would say Silverbleed, or ah.... Dang, I don't know her Gaia name, but I know her as Kuroi. (I've actually paid real money to buy her art, the only person I've done so.)  

[tirbutt]

@noirabu: XD but pm's just arent' as exciting as an auction!! rofl but yeah I get those once in a while, but I'm usually already behind on other commissions and can't take them u_u;;

@rose: lol I don't usually price people because I'm not really sure on it myself... but I'd definitely call people out if I see them underpricing on purpose o_<;;

As far as piggy-back artists... dunno =w=;; personally I feel like as long as they're friends and no one feels like the other is pulling them down or whatever it's fine... but buyers don't like that kind of thing - I often hear it's the largest off-factor when bidding on a group auction - when they only want art from one or two of the artists and have to pay the others as well to get it neutral ...

XD as far as being able to commission anyone on gaia... uh... I don't really know what artists are around nowadays... I kinda want some chikkuru chibis though rofl But I'd probably have better luck asking artists I know as friends rather than as a normal customer since most of the ones I'd want to commission are NEVER OPEN rofl  

[II BaBYRaWR II]

Yea, I think that the shops r better, but it is a hard decision. Auctions can sometimes bring you higher god amounts.  

[Noirabu]

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@tir- pfft, the auction i'm running now kind of feels like a drama whore from hell =A= hoping my next one is better since it'll be mostly with friends

@Rose- if i had enough real money, there would be SOOOOO many people i would commission. only preoblem is 1.) i'm poor and 2.) i have nothing for them to draw rofl

and i have a feeling i'm going to be more of a piggyback artists in my next auction *not a good feeling* everyone is better than me *A*;
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[Danaidae]

I'm...uh...guilty of talent-sniping in pricing threads too. >__>;;

Nowadays, it's really tough to find quality artists that are open but I usually enjoy buying from shops. Every now and then, that rare [and sometimes very reasonably priced] art shop will pop up and it's pretty fun trying to click the submit button as soon as possible. xD Auctions aren't bad and most of the time, you're getting really good quality for the price but I just don't have the $$$ upwards of a million to spare.  

[Rose Koneko]

@Danaidae - xDDD Awesome. Yeah, the good shops are either closed or full all the time, and it IS fun to grab a new thread as soon as it opens. Heck, I've seen fifteen people post at the same time in this one girl's thread..... *cough* Who I followed from the pricing forum.

@!2ice - asdfasdf NO, you're one of the artists I see around that's pretty amazing, you most certainly do not do that. *__*

@Tirael - Yeah, as long as everyone inside the auction is happy with it. xD I can get friends teaming up to do something, I've been asked to do a few auctions by artist friends I surely am not ready to be auctioning with.

@Noirabu - No way, you wouldn't be either. I've seen your DA, your art is pretty cool. =3 I certainly would bid highly for you.


I didn't mean small differences. =3 I like auctions when all the styles are different... I guess if it's a bunch of friends, regardless if there's one or two that you wouldn't normally buy from, it's the fact that you get ALL of them that should matter.

So, does spiffy matter in shops and/or auctions? Are you more drawn to threads that show off the artistic talent of each/the artist, as well as their creativity? Or is it all about the samples, pricing/bid, and that's it?

xD I know I'm easily impressed by pretty graphics, it's a bit of a downfall of mine. (I've been staring at Noirabu's post style ever since I first saw it.) I'm an utter Photoshop whore, so I appreciate the efforts. But that's usually just what initially draws me in. I usually look at the samples before clicking away (or bidding.... or buying.)  

[Noirabu]

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but but.... i'm working with tonosamanjuu and sinxai and possibly nuphi if she isn't too busy [/fail]
so yeah, i REALLY feel like i'm piggybacking ((even though i'm the one running it XD;;; ))

i won't lie, i'm definitely more inclined to stay and check out a shop/auction if it has a pretty front page <3
but if get that "i think this person has good art" feeling, i'll check samples regardless of what the shop looks like. i always check pricing last because it usually ends with disappointment AKA i can't afford it XP

((thanks heart ))
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[Rags of Ash]

I have to say...i've never tried an auction. I do shops, several in fact but I'm actually in my first joint art shop. Before I did freebies and then headshots. But like some, I only do it because I want practice. Not so much the gold. I'm selling it now because I don't have flash and therefore the only way to gain gg is from selling art xd

I do have a friend that does auctions on a regular basis because he only wants to do one peice at a time and doesn't want to worry with setting a price.

I can't say I've ever bought art from anyone on Gaia. Or anywhere else for that matter. I've not stuck to a single character long enough to want it drawn and - I'm poor so I don't buy the items I want for my avatar. xD Sad yes.

I've never even been to an auction thread. sweatdrop  

[munoki]

Ahh, some of you guys pointed out my greatest pet peeve for auctions... it's not artists who piggy-back per se; sometimes I really want art from this particular artist, but it's like there're 10 other artists in the auction, and it's just really annoying to fork out 2~3 million when it's clear that most people are only aiming for that particular artist's art.

Which is also why I like joint + indiv auctions so much more. Like they have one joint auction, and each individual artist has their own slots too :3