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@ Lil moon
Did you ask them what exactly they said that you could not sell and why? Was it really because they were plushies? :O
Is it because they look too much like the real thing?
And yeah-I would do things the day before too (while stressing out majorly at the same time haha) Yeah things always pop up it is always going to happen. But at least it can be reported and taken care of.

Well, they basically told me that they saw my fanart (they listed a few, but used the word etc too) and said that I could not sell it, but that my originals were ok. ^^'' That was all so there was no explanation. That's way I sent them a follow-up email.

[I just think for artists in the artist alley who are selling their items should have it be a choice whether they want to sell fan art or original art. FANIME SYSTEM IS GOOD AS IS Period.]

I just think for artists in the artist alley who are selling their items should have it be a choice whether they want to sell fan art or original art. FANIME SYSTEM IS GOOD AS IS Period.

That's the point I am trying to make. The Fanime system is better than most, but there are still some issues that need to be addressed. I was basically told that I could not sell fanart at all simply because of my choice of art medium. But it wasn't in so many words so I'm waiting to see what is ok and what isn't.

PS:And how do people rushing art jobs last minute do anything? (unless they are tracing or something)
Sure they can show up with stuff unacceptable but I thought that if somethings wrong just report it to fanime staff and they will take care of it.
No artist is that stupid. Unless they want to get banned. If someone showed up with stolen fanart then they should be reported and then taken care of.
Is this supposed to relate to the 50/50 rule at all or is this just another thing entirely I am confused??

And there are instances of people rushing to do things last minute. You need to think outside of the print artists. People who work with their hands can make things even up to the day before. I know I do. This was just a point I wanted to bring up. It's not related to the 50/50 rule. And yes, you can report stolen works at the con to the staff and yes they do take care of it. They do a good job, really. I was just thinking that it's sad that even though they take so many precautions ahead of time, sometimes things just pop up anyways.

I think another important point that someone brought up is that artists do tend to create things the last minute. When you think about it, there's nothing special about it, but it does make a difference as to what shows up at the artist alley in the end. Someone could be approved for the alley and show up with tons of new art that the staff may find unacceptable. Some artists also submit links to their work, but they only put up "certain" works that the alley would deem ok just to pass through the system. (I know of one artist that does this.) It would be too tough on the staff to check each item that comes in, but as we all work on our art, sometimes we may not know if it's really acceptable or not. I know last year, a few people showed up with stolen fanart. ^^;

@chibimonster: Oh yeah. I agree I wouldn't want a 50/50 rule if possible. I just mean, if there had to be a rule for fanart, I would want it to be 50/50 as opposed to completely banning it. I think artist originals seem to sell differently between each artist. Last year I think 90% of my stuff was original, simply because I didn't have time to make fanart, and surprisingly, I did pretty well. I think I would have done better if I had more fanart items, but my originals do pretty well. I've just been getting more into fanart lately. And yes, it is fun to act like a mini business.  :D  I enjoy that part as well.

I was wondering about this too. I would go with the plastic myself just because they seem more durable. I was looking into having some made out of acrylic myself.

Wow, I can't believe how this topic just exploded.  :o Great comments everyone. @cutekick I think you do bring up some valid points. Thank you. I always appreciate learning more about copyright policies.

I do agree with everyone. I think fanart is really the main reason that people come to the artist alley so I don't think it should be taken away fully. If I only wanted to sell originals, I wouldn't be trying so hard to come to an anime con.  :P I don't mind the 50/50 rule. I thought it was interesting how Otakon has it set, but I think that it's fair. At least fanart is not totally banned there.

I really try to do good research before I decide what to make. I often like making plushies that companies haven't made yet or if they have, I try to make mine as different as possible. In the end, I just want to make fans happy.  :D

The artist alley is hard to regulate. But I wouldn't be so bummed if the art wasn't so subjective. Some crafts are approved, some are not, even if they are almost identical. People can say that they are different in certain ways. But how can you really compare? Art really is too subjective.

I haven't heard anything from the staff in a few days and I'm starting to get antsy. I'll go with whatever rules are set, but I would just like to hear something from them. I figured they are super busy so I'm trying not to panic, but it's getting closer to the artist alley cut off date. Oh why did my registration have to be so close?  :-X

@Hachimitsu-ink Why were pocky stick plushies banned? Those sound like such a cute idea.

It depends if people like your art. I also try to give it out when people purchase things because for some reason they don't seem to take one once they buy something. But they go by fast when people don't purchase anything, but they like your art. I usually bring about 500, but I always have some left over. But I do usually only have 100 or less left afterwards. I brought like 250 one time and I ran out. ^^: But this varies from person to person. Just starting out, I would agree you should try 250 if you can.

Essentially, we are looking for original art. If your work is based off of an established character, it enters a grey zone that we need to make a judgment call on. We will attempt to be as fair as possible, but the best thing for artists to do is err on the safe side. In the end, we are looking for items that will sell for their originality and do not piggyback on the success and work of another artist, professional or not.

If it's mainly original work that is allowed in the artist alley, then maybe there should be no fanart allowed at all or maybe a limited number allowed. It's really that grey area fanart rule that allows it that's confusing me. I know it was made mainly with print artists in mind because their unique style makes it ok for them to sell prints of characters, but for craft artists, it becomes more of a challenge. I just wish some overall rule could be established because many of us of are being told mix messages. I'll be sad if I go to Fanime with all originals and I see the person sitting next to me selling plushies that I was told I couldn't bring.  :'(

Really??  Thats really odd... I hope the issue gets cleared up soon since I had read through the rules it didnt specify anything about fanart plushies being not okay to sell...  I took that in mind when deciding what the make and had already started >_>

Yeah, there's no concrete rule about plushies in the agreement. Maybe they want us to make the plushies more abstract? ^^;; I really don't know.

A friend of mine who got accepted also received a similar email asking her not to sell the plushie she was making of a character. Im also wondering what the deal is with this as I was planning on selling Plushies and had already gotten started making them and purchasing materials.... 

There seems to be a little inconsistency in the review process. A friend of mine, who is selling the exact same character plushies as me, got accepted instantly with no one telling her that she could not sell those plushies. But I was told I couldn't? I really hope we can sell fanart plushies. I know there are several of us out there who want to get started making stock. But I can't until I know what is ok to sell.  ???

I just got an email from the artist alley staff saying that I can sell my original items, but unfortunately, no fanart items.  :'( I'm a craft/plush seller so of course I understand why my work comes into question, but I feel like I'm being banned from completely selling fanart. Under the artist alley agreement, there is a small section that allows for fanart:

"b.Fan art clearly showing the artist's work being produced and not intended to replicate the original style or the official likeness of a work held by the license holder"

To me, this answer seems pretty vague. For example, I sell plushies of characters. I like to make the plushies look as much like the characters as possible so could my eye for detail mean that my plushies look so much like the real characters that they are not to be sold? However, the plushies are made from my own pattern and my own choice of fabrics. In my eyes, making plushies of characters "is" my own original style of fanart. I am not copying existing licensed plushies in any way, shape, or form. I am also making plushies of some characters that don't even have any plush versions even being sold.

I know that there are a few artists like me who have gotten accepted without evening knowing about this policy and I worry how the staff will view their work once it arrives. I already sent a reply to the staff about these questions so now I am patiently waiting for an answer. Have any of you artists out there also received this email? I've been selling my plushies at Fanime for a few years now and I really hope I can still bring some fanart related ones again this year.

I'm curious, how consistent are your prices? I mean, I sell things like plushies online all the time, but sometimes I change their prices just a bit for conventions. Sometimes they are cheaper, sometimes I add a bit more to their cost. I'm going to be bringing some plushies that I sell for quite a bit online, but I am worried that they won't sell too well at a convention because of their high price. Should I decrease their price just for the con or should I go ahead with my original selling price?

Thank you so much for the info! This is quite eye opening.

Both my small and mid-sized plushes are 3D mushroom plushes (felt stalk, faux fur cap). How would you recommend pricing those?  I'm not sure if it counts as complex or not. it doesn't involve any clothing or fingers, but it's more than just a 2D shape :x

Ok, well this is just all based on my opinion so you do what you feel is best. But, for me, I start all keychains at a base price of $5 and go up from there. I would say, for your 3" mushrooms, they should be around $5-$8. I wouldn't get into the 2 figured prices since it might scare some people off. As for the 6" ones, maybe like $10-$15. I'm actually going to be selling mushroom plushies myself. Mine are 8" and I sell them for $15 and $20 each depending on their details. And they have sold quite well online for my prices.

Sorry that noone responded to your questions about plushies. I sell tons of plushies at Fanime. The price really depends on lots of factors; cost of materials, the time you put into them, and the amount of detail. My cheapest plushie is $5 and is 5" tall, but it's super cheap because it is incredibally easy to make and it sells out fast. But here is estimate for price ranges. Small 3" plushies should range around $3-$8 depending on detail. For plushies that are 6", maybe around the higher end of the 3" price range or a couple of bucks more. It depends on what you decide to make. Like a simple animal plushie would be much cheaper than a complex anime character plushie no matter what size.

On the email it states:

"Once the Artist Alley staff reviews the supplied link to your work and sees that it meets the rules of the Artist Alley Table Agreement, your account will then be able to make payment."

Do that mean that we will not have to pay right away when we sign up and we will be notified later?

If I can finish my cosplay in time, I'll be Chibi Italia and my friend will be there as Taiwan.

The link to check our accounts is down. Will we be notified of our seating locations and will there be a picture layout of the alley that we can refer to?

When can we expect to get the rest of the table assignments? Since I'm still waiting on mine.

Hello. I was just wondering, my anyone come and view this competition?

Quick question: Do you need to buy a ticket in order to come see the Masquerade contest? This is my first time at Fanime,