Art by Blix-it from http://blix-it.deviantart.com/
I know that as geeks, we are faced with the constant dilemma of how to spend our money. Especially at conventions where there is sensory overload because all the stuff that you can’t get anywhere else; it can be tricky to work out a budget from whatever is in your pocket. I am in the process of writing a big six-part article called “Six Weeks, Six Cons” where I travel to a different California convention every weekend for six weeks straight. I am on week five now, but it only took me until week two to realize that going to conventions so often was going to require a rearranged budget for the coming months.
Showing off my Square reader at the Fanime 2013 swap meet. Photo by Charles Eduardo Wilson.
In recent years, money has become really tight for me: I moved out of my parents house and am now staring bills in the face and have very limited income for my hobbies. I used to prioritize cosplay, then comics, then gaming stuff in my general hobby allocation. But at cons, that goes completely out the window! Add to that my new budget restrictions which have forced me to be even more selective. I am actually parting with a large amount of my collection over eBay and at swap-meets because I am dying to keep up with the currently popular series.
But what about the fans that attend conventions as members of the artist alley? For many of those people, their work is a labor of love that constitutes a large percentage of their income out of necessity. For others, it is something they have to save and set apart time and money for just to participate in it because they love it. Where do they spend their money when they have it at conventions? Most recently, they spend it with me.
Scarves being sold at the Ani-Jam 2013 AA in Fresno, CA. Made by Cheryl Gurat
I mentioned that I have been going to swap meets at many of the conventions I have recently attended. What I didn’t mention is that a lot of what I have been selling are old costume pieces, fabric remnants, and – of course – lots of comics, DVDs, figures, plush toys, and accessories. I love talking with the people I’m making sales to, so I often ask them about what brings them to the con and what they are looking for at swap meet. I have found that, surprisingly, a large percentage of the people I sell to are part of the Artist Alley of the con. Some are buying my fabrics to make more things to sell later that day. Some offered some of their work in trade for my wares. Others still said that they don’t bother looking at the dealers hall for their shopping needs because they could only afford something used from the swap meet. “Unless,” many of them sigh wistfully, “I can turn a huge profit for the con.”
I realized that I had been so focused on things like older, harder to find comics (that I would likely read once, then put in a sleeve and tuck away for safe keeping), that I have been overlooking the handmade accessories, high quality original prints, on-site sketches, and indie comics most Artist Alleys offer.
I never thought about where my money was going. While supporting the smaller businesses that exhibit at these shows is by no means invalid or less worthy, I have realized that it is also incredibly important to buy from the smaller artists, too. For older vendors, most have been well established for a while, and though the money I spend there might go towards paying their bills, I don’t feel like I have contributed at all to the continued creation of the art forms I love so much.
Fabulous custom pieces by Elizabeth Patrician, featuring me in my tentacle monster costume at Kinyoobi-con 2013
In my mind, it’s about making dreams come true. When I spend $1 on a button with my favorite Final Fantasy character on it, or $3 on a self-printed comic sampler, I know exactly where that money is going. It’s affirming for that artist that their dreams are getting closer to within their reach, or that their work is worth the time and effort they put into it.
When I take the time to explore the Artist Alley, I realize how much untapped, undiscovered artistic talent exists in our community and I get excited! What if I just bought a poster drawn by someone who would go on to later work for DC or Nickelodeon? What if the crotchet plushie I just picked up helps that young artist finance the project that lets them get discovered by Hasbro at a big industry con? I love thinking about those potential scenarios.
The beautiful handmade ikebana vase I bought at Kinyoobi Con 2013 from Earth Nation Pottery
I want to see those folks break even for the con. In fact, I want to see them succeed immensely! I want to follow them on tumblr and deviantart, and come back to them again and again to find out about their progress. I want to be able to say, “I knew them when,” back before they were discovered. I want the creative efforts that I purchased to turn into valuable collectibles in a future where everyone knows their name.
This weekend I will be hitting up my fifth out of six conventions, Japan Expo. While they are only in their first year, they are boasting a giant Artist Alley including a section for young artists just starting out. I know there will be a lot of awesome swag to buy at the Expo, but I’ll let it be known now: I plan to spend most of my money in the Artist Alley.
What sort of awesome stuff have you found in the Artist Alley? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned for the gigantic Six Cons Six Weeks article!