Day 54 Question

[tripperfunster]

a) have you ever bid on a 'fandom' auction or purchased a commission?

b) did you get what you paid for? Or did you get burned?

I bid on three different artists/writers in two different fandom auctions (ie. help_haiti and help_japan) and I got burned on all three. *grumpy face* Do I have particularly bad luck? Or are artists/writers just that unreliable?

As for commish: I've only bought two or three and have been very happy with the results of all. I've been ripped off on ebay once or twice, but over-all have had a positive experience.

Comments

[theficklepickle.livejournal.com]

I bid on a short story once (I think it was help_japan) and it was perfectly fine, but I'm not sure I'd be in a hurry to do it again.

I've also commissioned art, although it was a long time ago. Every time the art itself was just what I wanted and I was very pleased with it, but two of the artists were absolute a-holes and really made me suffer along the way. It's a real rat's nest, IMHO, and unless you know the writer/artist already it can go horribly wrong.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Ha! I 'get' the a-hole thing. Artists are touchy, and non-artists can be demanding and not understand the 'craft', but the total non-delivery is what gets me hot under the collar.

[alisanne.livejournal.com]

a) Yes
b) I've been burned several times, although once I got even more than I'd hoped for *♥ you*

But yes, in several instances I've not gotten what I bid for in auctions. Usually it's been items from people who I don't 'know', although I know several people who bid on people they know quite well and who were still stiffed, so I dunno that there's any way to tell ahead of time what will happen. *shrugs*

As for commissions...For the most part they've been good. Maybe once I thought the art was overpriced, but since we'd had an agreement I paid the person. These days I tend not to commission much.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Well, I think I delivered exactly what I'd promised, but I'm glad it was more than you'd hoped for.

Two of my non-deliverers were people I didn't know and one was. Actually, now that I think of it, there's another person I know that I comished who never delivered. *sigh*

[alisanne.livejournal.com]

I expected 12 pieces of art from you since I won a year's worth of art, but IIRC you sent several pieces every month, so that was lovely. :)

I've not lost much to commissions because I try not to pay up front, but it still happens. *sigh*

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

I've won three auctions and put my own work up three times. I delivered my three stories, got the one story I'd commissioned (and was extremely happy with it), but was sort of strung along for several months by the two artists and never ended up getting anything but preliminary sketches.

I've also tried to commission art a few times. The two times I commissioned work from a close friend, I was pleased as punch with the results. Many more times, I've been turned down and refunded when the artists just couldn't draw what I wanted. And on one memorable occasion, I had someone deliberately try to rip me off.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't consider myself to be THE most reliable person on earth, but to rip off someone in a charity auction seems extra douchey.

And honestly? If the two artists would just say "Dude, I'm sorry, but I just can't do it now" I'd be okay. One just never answered my (very polite) emails and the other said "oh yeah, I forgot! I"ll get right on it" and then, of course, never did.

Oh internet! You a cheap whore!

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

It actually bothered me less with the charity auction because the money went to a good cause and I was happy to have donated one way or the other. One did irk me a little, though, because I had bid quite a bit on account of the artist's existing work being exactly the style I wanted a piece of fanart done in. I was really flexible and gave her several scenarios to choose from. She picked one...then radio silence for a long time. I checked in, and she said the scenario just wasn't working, so she wanted to do one with the main characters' backs to the viewers. That struck me as odd because although it was fanart, she had a ton of leeway with the character designs, and I felt like she was insinuating that I had been too demanding. But I okayed it anyway and then never heard back from her. That's the kind of person I'd probably say something to if I ever saw her offering her stuff again, because I don't think she's capable of making art to order.

[verizonhorizon.livejournal.com]

I've always been to nervous to participate in either end w.r.t. fandom. Money and fandom dont mix for me personally. However I've custom bought things on Etsy with great success.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

I've actually sold a fair amount of stuff (both personally and through charity type auctions) and I"ve never been ripped of money, but I have been ripped off 'stuff.'

I've never tried etsy.

[akatnamedeaster.livejournal.com]

Artists can be flakey, I know I'm one of them and flakey to boot. This is exactly why I don't take cash up front unless it's for finished work which I turn around quickly. I take a long time at the best of times and if something happens and I never finish I don't want to have anyone's money in my hand.

It is exceptionally bad luck to get burned three times though. :(

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Huh. It seems that it's not exceptionally bad luck at all. Charity auctions seem to have a pretty low delivery rate. Oh well. I mean, the money was still well spent, since it was to the charity and not the artist, but I'll think twice before doing it again.

[akatnamedeaster.livejournal.com]

I have to say I'm very surprised at the poor return rate going by what's posted here on paid commissions. Maybe the only solution is for people to only pat deposits up front and then the rest up completion.

I know I take forever and fail at them generally since my muse is very persnickity but I couldn't imagine taking money and then not delivering or at least giving a full refund when I realize I can't complete the art.

[accioslash.livejournal.com]

a) Yes. Many, many times.

b) I had far greater success receiving items from authors and artists with charities (like Sweet Charity) that weren't "help X" on LJ. The worst auction for me was Live Long & Marry. I won something like a dozen auctions all from people I knew, and dementordelta was the only person who came through. Though I had such a lovely experience not just with Delta's awesome fic but because rickey_a, who at the time didn't even know me, took it upon herself to write me a lovely long Snarry fic (she's an H/D writer) because she noticed I hadn't received much of what I bid on. It was such a lovely surprise.

In the end, it's all for charity and I bid on people whose work I enjoyed. So, I just look at it as donating money for things of theirs I loved from before that they did for free. It's all good. But I don't bid anything like the amounts I did in Live Long & Marry anymore. But I still get fun stuff like postcards and baked goods now and again in help auctions.

I'm less sympathetic about actual commissions I paid money for. I commission a LOT of stuff. Or I used to anyway. But now I wouldn't consider paying any money upfront. I've been burnt too many times. And, again, by people I actually know. Selling talent like made-to-order art is hard. Sometimes the muse just doesn't come through.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

yeah, but if the muse doesn't come through YOU PAY THE PERSON BACK!

It's not like I lost a great amount of money or anything, and really, it went to charity, so it wasn't really lost in the first place, but it certainly doesn't do much for my faith in humanity when people offer something that they clearly have to intent of delivering.

[accioslash.livejournal.com]

I feel like I'm talking out both sides of my ass. But I think it's unhealthy for me to stay disappointed/angry because people do not deliver on their promises. Especially when I see these same people managing to complete other people's requests in Exchange fests. But I do like them and their work and still assume they acted in good faith and meant to complete the work, but just couldn't manage it.

[dementordelta.livejournal.com]

Yep, have bid, have gotten some things but mostly gotten burned. I haven't even looked at most of the charity auctions to hit IJ/LJ when they come up because I can donate in other forums where my expectations aren't lifted and dashed.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

man, that sucks. I don't know if it makes me feel better, or worse that I'm not alone in this.

bottom line, it hurts the charities in future auctions. *grumbles*

[xenafox.livejournal.com]

Hahahahaha, we know I've bought commissions...The amount of Blades commissions in my little folder.. XD;;; many. I think I've gotten burned once.

That's REALLY low though, for it to have happened to you through Help_Haiti and Help_Japan :/

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

It IS really low. It actually makes me extra wary of bidding on people I know, because while I don't mind hating a stranger, it's uncomfortable to have non-delivery people on my flist!

[accioslash.livejournal.com]

+ eleventy BILLION. Especially when you see them gleefully signing up and COMPLETING other requests in exchanges.

[demicus.livejournal.com]

a) Rarely. I don't have a lot of extra $ right now so it's gotta be pretty darned special, make me smile every time I see it, be something I can't live without, or be for a good cause (e.g.help_japan). (˘⌣˘)

b) Nope, I've never been burned here (was severely ripped off on Craigslist once though). *looks around* Are you trying to tell me something? LOL!

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Ha! No! There was no horrid subliminal message there. Your package was sent on Wednesday, with a couple of little 'extras' in there! <3

[demicus.livejournal.com]

Thank you! ❤ And a hearty no thank you, to LJ for failing me on the comment notifications front one more time.

Edit: Woo hoo! I got it today! I love Spock's comment & his signature dramatic eyebrow raise on the package. (˘ε˘) The beading is absolutely spectacular in RL. I'm going to take it to a couple of my favourite custom art framing places to see what will look best. Thank you also for the wonderful extras! That's an awesome threesome with my favourite characters, & I'll be putting those pins to good use. I couldn't be happier, thank you so much!❤

[foxestacado.livejournal.com]

I bid on a few authors (all of whom I'm familiar with) for charity auctions, and won. For those, they've always been delivered, but not necessarily for exactly what I wanted. But they were all enjoyable experiences, and I saw it as a donation to charity more than a commission (where I would expect to get what I want).

I only accept a very limited number of art commissions, myself. I know myself, know I would only enjoy doing certain types of projects, so I will tell clients upright whether or not I would do the project. I do accept 50% payment upfront, and that's to bind the deal and make me accountable. It also takes up to a year for me to finish a painting, so I give myself plenty of time to work on it. I've always delivered on my commissions, and I have plenty of communication with my clients so they know exactly what my progress is.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Oh god, yes! I'm a pretty quick artist, but I'm very careful about accepting comissions. Partly because I'm afraid that i won't be able to do what the person wants well enough, and partly because I pretty much only want to draw what I want to draw, when I want to draw it!

[gestaltrose.livejournal.com]

I came through for my bidder on help haiti but failed completely at help japan. I do have a story 3/4 written for one of my winners but I cannot even get a hold of my other winner and re request what she wanted because I lost the email (I have messaged both of them and one of them got back to me) (lots of loss in my life last year and then this one kicked my muse out of my head altogether for a while)

I feel horrible.

On the other side of things I won a vid and the vidder didn't like my music or any of the suggested pairings (it was harry/draco but I would have taken harry/sev) and she ended up making her own vid that I hated and I think she did too. The thing was... when I was bidding I contacted her to make sure that slash wouldn't be a problem and she said it wouldn't but (later after I won) that she couldn't picture harry/draco to the song I picked or harry/anyone male it seemed. *facepalm* I bid on the vidder so she could make a vid for my sister in law to her favorite song I think it was 'Hard to say I'm sorry' by Chicago but it might have been something from Journey. It was a long time ago and I was just happy to have given something to charity.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Well, at least you CONTACTED (or attempted to) the people.

One person just never answered my emails (she did initally, but then stopped) and the other one was "Oh yeah! I forgot! I"ll get right on that" and of course, never did.

Really, a simple message of "I'm very sorry, but due to life circumstances, I'll not be able to deliver" would have made me feel better.

[clayangel.livejournal.com]

I've never done either. But I'm curious—did you get your money back? It just surprises me that there's no one holding these people accountable when there's money involved. When I run comm events, and people are doing things where they're getting art or stories in return for their own fan works, I always make damned sure that everyone gets what's coming to them. Without fail. And I think it would be that much more important to do so when RL in the form of payment bleeds into fandom. But maybe that's just me.

Though I can see why there'd be a wider margin of error when it comes to bids versus commissions. If the artist isn't getting paid and all the money is going to charity, then there's much less encouragement on their part to actually get the work done. Doesn't make it less shitty, though.

[accioslash.livejournal.com]

Sorry for butting in since I realize you were speaking to tripperfunster, but pretty much all of the charity auctions have a disclaimer that that while people are supposed to act in good faith and do their best to fulfill their offers, there is a possibility winners won't receive their items. Though some help communities do follow-up posts where they ask for pinch-hitters.

As for commissions where money changed hands, well, I suppose you could file legal action, but I think most people would consider that too much effort.

[clayangel.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm just the kind of person who, when I say I'm going to do something, I do it. So I just don't understand people who bail. I don't understand how you could be okay with doing something like that.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Word.

Sadly, reading the other comments, it would seem that a LOT of people are okay with it.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

They did have a pinch hit post, but I didn't feel right making someone else do the work for these assholes.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

No, I didn't expect my money back, due to the auction being for charity. The money never went to the artists.

They DID have a pinch hitting post, but I didn't feel right making someone else do the work that these other people had promised.

[torino10154]

I had heard about people getting shafted in other auctions before I ever had the opportunity to either bid or offer my services. I bid on something in help_haiti but it was my best friend, so she delivered more than adequately, also writing for the person who bid the second highest amount and that person also made the charity donation to seal the deal. I did also do swtalmnd's Sweet Charity auction and she delivered the goods as well.

When I did help_japan I only offered things I was ABSOLUTELY certain I'd be able to complete: one short fic/ficlet of about 2K and two sets of a 500 word ficlet a month for a year. I also baked several batches of biscotti. I did come up with what I agreed to for everyone and I believe they were happy, though one of my recips was silenceberry who passed away and I never did complete her set. /tl;dr