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I love the concept, but it's really easy to get around. (It's why the IRS forces businesses to choose either cash or accrual accounting.) I'm not sure there's a practical way to take a percentage without a flat fee.

Well here's my solution. Have a ticket based system.

Example: Patron buys tickets from a cashier for $1.00 each (example). Artists then charge for their art prices in tickets (1 drawing = 3 tickets). At the end of the con, artists can then redeem their tickets for 90 cents, and the con can get 10 cents from every ticket.

It requires a little extra work (a cash out, volunteer to run it, getting tickets) but it helps solve some problems. Like then the majority of artists wouldn't have to deal with cash boxes and change. They just have to collect tickets.

Also, not everyone at AA is selling... we'd either have to exclude them due to cost, or charge a fee; otherwise the people selling items are effectively subsidizing the ones who are not.

Hmm, well I guess you could charge them a fee, but your right. I guess someone would have to bite the bullet on that point. Still I think the benefits weigh out this small problem.

Our current rate until con is $30. I think Fanime's AA is about as cheap as it can get for a larger con.

True. I guess with this more people would end up paying more then just paying the $30.00. Then again, $30.00 is still enough to discourage a lot of new artists especially in a recession. I mean this way you are guaranteed to make some money and you are only risking your time.

Well here's my novel idea on how we can make FanmieCon's Artist Alley better.

Right now, I find the way most cons do artist alley is counter productive. While most place charge about $50.00 a booth, and admittedly this is a very generously discounted rate, it prevents artists that are just starting up from participating in the Alley. Also, I find that most festivals/conventions have trouble making any money from their Alley, let alone break even.. However, I have thought of the perfect solution that allows conventions to make money from their Artist Alley's AND allow Artist Alley to support the conventions. Take a fixed amount out of the artist's revenue.

By not charging a fixed fee for a table at your artist alley and taking a percentage you will open up Artist Alley to a wide variety of new artists who normally couldn't afford a table. This could allow FanimeCon alley to be greatly expanded, giving the conventions patrons a wider selection of artists. Also, by charging a percentage of sales you will allow Artist Alley can become a small revenue generator for the rest of the event.

Now for some questions:

Q. But doesn't this punish people for being good? If a con takes 20%, someone making $2000.00 at our alley will have to pay us $400.00 of it.

A. Yes it does. However that still means that they are getting $1600.00 in a single weekend. Plus all the new artists you'll recruit won't lose any money if they take a chance on your alley. They'll only risk their time.


Q. Our convention doesn't want to be seen as greedy. How can we use this system while supporting the artists?

A. For starters you could promise to use any revenue generated from the Alley for it's improvement (better location, decorations, supplies, ect). Also, you can use it to fund projects that most artists couldn't afford normally. Like if the Alley makes $5000.00 in one year, they could use that money to fund an art book that the artists can collaborate into for the year after.


Q. People are saying we'll lose our most popular artists if we do this? What can we do?

A. Tell them there's still the vendors/dealers hall. Inform them that you've decided to focus on the entire community of artists as opposed to them. Say that if they have become popular, they no longer need the conventions help. Or just ignore them. Don't worry, they'll be back.

So what does everyone think?