Otakon cost me $2400+ ✷ Literally the Best Con? Selling Out ✷ Artist Alley Vlog!

[@Gunheadchicka]

I appreciate you being transparent with your sales. It gives a realistic view of convention sales and expenses for aspiring artists and vendors.

[@Sundrop.Studios]

I like showing what’s possible! These numbers can vary a lot of course, from artist to artist, experience, and the event itself! This con was definitely an outlier for me, I usually don’t make this much 😅 but it’s great to have a stellar con that can offer padding for the slow months

[@Ciniqo]

Your videos are so fun to watch! I am the green teletubby that gave you the print 😂. I am so sorry that I forgot to give you my name! I was so starstuck and excited to meet you! I'm so glad to hear the con went well for you!

[@Sundrop.Studios]

I’m going to forever remember meeting you initially as Dipsy 💚😎 BUT THANK YOU FOR THE BEAR PRINT IM SO WARM AND FUZZY. Wishing you the best in your art journey!!

[@uniandumi]

Omg gurl you made $$$$ CONGRATS!!! ❤ that’s so awesome!!!!🎉

[@Sundrop.Studios]

it was amazing! but I also recognize I can't take this for granted, and this number definitely isn't a normal number!

[@ginnayyyy]

OMG I BOUGHT ONE OF UR KNIT BAGS ITS SO CUTE I LOVE IT SO MUCHHhhh. otakon has always been a fav for artist alley and prefer it much more in comparison to bigger cons

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Well hello!! I really hope you like it!! I’m really proud of them 🥹✨ thank you so much for visiting me

[@TempestStrife]

I remember seeing your art at the con! I stared longingly at the whiskey print. It’s so calm and warm.

[@Sundrop.Studios]

well hello!! I hope to pop up near you again, maybe then ;)

[@Mualcaina]

Congrats on an amazing Otakon!! 🎉 Hope to see you at another con 🥹🫶🏼

[@Sundrop.Studios]

SOON I HOPE!

[@Zomsbee]

I just found your channel and now I'm just going to chill, draw and binge ALL OF THEM!! Love your art style~

[@Sundrop.Studios]

You’re the sweetest!! Thank you so much

[@OTATTACK]

I WAS THERE, it's crazy watching the set up. Never seen that room so empty. Cool to see the behind the scenes.

[@Sundrop.Studios]

I’m glad you appreciate it!! Thank u for watching 🙌

[@KayMacheen]

i've never heard of this con before, but from what i could tell it looks like a great con!

[@Sundrop.Studios]

It’s a good one! Seems like a lot of fun from the attendee perspective, and very busy from the vendor pov!

[@artbyinky]

Your artwork is absolutely stunning!! Those prints 😮

[@Sundrop.Studios]

hello!! gosh thank you!

[@xtuffcookiex]

I adore when artist support one another

[@Sundrop.Studios]

It’s such a wholesome aspect of the community 🥹

[@BAESDart]

Im at 7 minutes but I gotta say your music selection is fire! The music really sets the mood and love how its not just the same song on loop lol. HEAT!!! Ok finished and damn you KILLED IT!!! this one was so dope aha

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Wait thank you lololol, I didn’t think anyone would care or notice the music 😭🙏🏼✨ and yeah it was a great event, everything really lined up for it to be a good show for me…very grateful for this chance

[@danielanajera8962]

Just found out your videos, you have no idea how useful this is! I appreciate the transparency with your expenses and sales! I am from Mexico and I would love to attend a con as an artist in the future. Going abroad for a con is a very big investment so I am always scared trying to estimate costs. And also I have no idea how much to expect for revenue abroad so this helps me have a range for consideration

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Good to hear that this is helpful! I would say that generally my expenses for travel is around $2000; but revenue is HIGHLY dependent on the event itself. Otakon has been my highest revenue so far, this number is not my norm :) I would encourage you to watch some of my other videos and take notes of which events might be doable geographically, distance, costs, etc! There are many events where I make less than half I did at Otakon. Only take risks you can afford to!

[@TheMuffinBurgler]

You also had a sticker ripper! I had one guy rip the stickers off the display and I had to awkwardly tell him to stick them back on and I'd hand him what he wants from behind the table.

[@Sundrop.Studios]

A sticker ripper !! 😂😂😂 I’ve also had ppl intentionally rip my last business card off the table when I had taped it so ppl could take a picture of it 😭

[@TheMuffinBurgler]

@@Sundrop.Studios omg nooo

[@travelingponystudio]

Congrats! What a great con for you! I love that you include the expenses on the screen!

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Hello! Yes! This is by far my best con. Expenses were relatively low because I saved about $1k by staying with a friend instead of hotel 🫠

[@PhantomxDrive]

Glad you enjoyed your first Otakon! Personally, I actually felt like this year’s con was a bit subpar compared to past years. Aside from the Flow concert, which was absolutely incredible, the panels and the guests weren’t all that exciting for me. I usually walk out with at least 700 dollars worth of merch from vendors and artists, but this year I walked out with less than 200. All personal experiences though!

[@Sundrop.Studios]

I see! It’s great to hear perspectives from attendees, it rly helps give a bigger overall view of the con itself. I hope you had a good time, regardless 🥹

[@ChantelleArts]

your stall set up looks fab! 🥰

[@Sundrop.Studios]

[@mistapibb]

I am so glad to support your work girly!!!!!!!!!!!!! I bought so much ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ I finally got around to check your socials

[@Sundrop.Studios]

hallooooo! thank you so much T.T I hope to return next year!! thank you for your support, and for watching

[@twixerty6399]

AHHHHHHHHHHH my bestie and i bought your bags they are soooooo cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Sundrop.Studios]

HIIII THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT

[@YamA-ed2ot]

Omg i just got my bag in the mail and im watching now!! It was very nice meeting you, i cant wait to open it!

[@Sundrop.Studios]

YAY!! I hope you enjoy!

[@Throdien]

I saw you there! Omg your stuff is so adorable! If you ever get a chance to come back Katsucon in Feb is also a really great con to attend. I don't know about sales in relation to Ota, but it's just a fun con to go to :D

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Omigosh hiii! And yes Katsucon is absolutely a wishlist con for me, I just need them to let me in 😂🥲

[@fairymarsss]

This con looks like so much fun!!

[@Sundrop.Studios]

It was a BLAST, but it BUSY

[@biscuitfloof]

Yayyy I'm so glad you had an amazing Otakon! I hope to see you at a future event! 🥰

[@Sundrop.Studios]

hoping to cross paths again! Thank you so much for saying hi 😍

[@pixydust713]

Thank you for supporting PCRF! 🍉

[@Sundrop.Studios]

❤️💚🖤🍉

[@TheAndieSixx]

I remember seeing you at the con!!! Your art is so so lovely, I hope you get to come back next year!!!

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Hi hi! Hoping to see you again soon! Thank you so much ☺️

[@KawaiiStarz]

Your booth looks amazing! Your vlogs are always so fun :)

[@Sundrop.Studios]

thank you for joining in this week

[@BananaTreeCat]

AHH!! I stumbled upon your store quite a while ago, and I've been waiting for the right time to buy your Ghibli prints. I was so shocked when I saw your booth at ANYC!! I didn't realize you had a KZbin channel too! Instant subscribe!! Thanks for sharing your artwork with the world

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Hi hi!! Thank you for supporting the channel, so cool to have met you at ANYC!!

[@TheBardificer]

Congrats on a successful con!

[@thenerdymillennial]

I missed your booth this year!😭 I hope to catch you at Otakon next year! Your merch looks 😻😻😻

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Oh man!! I hope to be back next year too, hope to see u

[@Kyle-pb5lu]

LMAFO this randomly popped up on my fyp and i just realized this was the one stand i bought from in the arist alley (i usually only buy from the dealers alley) i ended up buying like 3 big posters... rlly great setup you had there!

[@Sundrop.Studios]

omigosh hi, thank you so much! I'm so stoked that you picked my work!

[@AshleyLynnn05]

Wow you killed it!!! Congrats on such a successful con!!🎉❤

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Such a high, I’m riding 🤩 too bad not all cons are like this 😅✨ but I’ll take whatever I can get 🙏🏼

[@quiettornado1970]

I used to work at shows with a company and saw many companies take tables from other companies if they needed extra instead going to the office and get it.

[@Sundrop.Studios]

ok that was my first thought tbh. I was afraid that maybe they did give me my table but because I set up a little late, maybe someone jacked it from my spot, which was easily accessible and visible from being a corner spot.... >.> my biggest fear was that the company was going to claim they already gave it to me and tell me that I was SOL T.T but it was fine in the end!

[@theghostegg]

I am crying laughing at the halloween candy, I'm so so sorry. I had no idea the jolly ranchers were so big until I also ate one and was immediately like oh nooooo LOL! But it was SO NICE MEETING YOU AT LAST! I'm going to absolutely raid your table at ANYC since I didn't get to stop by when you weren't busy 🫶

[@Sundrop.Studios]

LOLOL okay it wasn’t just meee! I’m so stoked to have met u irl as well, 🫶 have been a fan so long :>

[@itsbilis]

🗣️AAAAAHHHH NAPA mentioned!!🗣️

[@rdr_rt]

Hi! Thank you very much for this video! 💜 It’s really interesting to see the behind the scene for someone who want to try a first con this year! And congrats for all those sells !! ✨🎉 Even if for the moment I just expect to repay the price of the table and printings cost, I’m wondering if you know how much printing all what you sold at this cons cost you ?

[@Sundrop.Studios]

It’s hard to say honestly, because the price changes depending on how much quantity I order (each unit gets cheaper with higher quantities and bigger discounts!) and I have a variety of inventory too, not just prints. After some experience, I learned what my best sellers are so I focus on increasing the quality and margins on those items. I hope this helps a little!

[@wintrygarden]

I'll tell you for sure before I even get too far into this vid, that Uber from Dulles to the Walter Washington would have been probably $60 D: so metro was definitely the way!! Glad you had such a successful con!!

[@Sundrop.Studios]

That is brutal!! 😭💸

[@sheruko8426]

A new Video! Yay ♡

[@Sundrop.Studios]

YUS new video!! 🧡

[@illustratingchristy]

I love your energy so much lol

[@Sundrop.Studios]

LOL I adore that, thank you for joining this week!!

[@liz10.1]

New subby here! I do art on ig ( traditional pen drawings and digital art) and ive always wanted to try something like this ✨ your videos are so informative and inspirational! Cant wait to see more from you and maybe on day have a booth too!

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Huzzah! I’m so happy that you’re watching! Welcome :> if you ever begin your artist alley journey, I wish u the best!!

[@DarkPrincessOfLight]

Amazing amazing video !! Loved how you put all the costs to attend the con throughout the video, like the plane ticket & train ride. Super cool and informative ! ^_^ I'm def gonna sibscribe

[@Sundrop.Studios]

thanks for joining in!! so happy to have earned your sub ^^

[@DarkPrincessOfLight]

@@Sundrop.Studios I'm happy to have found your channel ! Very helpful stuff ^_^ your content makes tabling seem more approachable & attainable. Tysm !! 🍓🦁

[@icy2275]

11:26 LOL I KNOW THAT HAPPY CHAOS COSPLAYER

[@JamesMertke]

congrats on such a successful event!

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Thank you James! ✨🤩

[@plumpomo]

omg i'm from arizona and saw your products at kinkan!

[@shooley]

Congraaattts ❤❤❤

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Yayayay TY 🫶

[@ivyh8866]

Hello! I love your video and it is so inspiring to watch. May i ask do you have any tips for new artist selling at convention? Such as the quantity of each product, how many should I draw..., etc despite not having much fame or recognition yet! Thank you very much~

[@Sundrop.Studios]

I would say a convention artist absolutely does not need social media to be successful (granted you need a portfolio of some time to apply for cons though!) I think it truly comes down to display. I think 80% of people who purchase from me do NOT know who I am, judging from the amount of ppl who grab my business cards and just talking with them! Quantity of products depends on the event you’re doing. Bigger ones like Otakon and ANYC will obviously require more than like a small local con of

[@ivyh8866]

@@Sundrop.Studios Thank you very much for the info!! May I ask one more question? I've watch all your video about selling at artist alley and most of the items I see are original arts. Is this better on the long run compare to fan-art based on your experience? Thank you for your time~

[@black_heart_gaming583]

holy shit $$$$$ keep it up!

[@Sundrop.Studios]

I’ll try 😂

[@kaicastle.]

Wow! Really amazing how cons differ on each countries. In here, you'll be happy if you get break-even in most cons lol..

[@Sundrop.Studios]

I feel very grateful to make a career out of art here! 🙏🏼

[@kaicastle.]

@@Sundrop.Studios you're living the dream.. more power to you!

[@BlueBannette]

how did you end up getting that 2nd table if the venue didnt provide it? Did you have to go find a random one/ buy one???

[@meeshmallowz]

i think the venue was supposed to be provide 2, but something got mixed up, so the venue ran around to find an extra, not her

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Yep!! 👆🏼

[@MsMvsc]

where do you get custom shipping envelopes?

[@Sundrop.Studios]

I get all my shipping supplies from NoIssue, EcoEnclose, and SmallBusinessSupplyCo! ☺️

[@theamazingwrabbit]

OH HEY IM CLOWN HOLE???

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Hi there 😂

[@mullatoflove723]

Pog

[@s2driven]

drink soylent

[@Sundrop.Studios]

that's some guerrilla marketing for sure lol

[@markherman1211]

So Day 2 is 10hrs long, Day 2 profits were stated to be +$9,800... Are you telling me you made $980/hr selling stickers and prints? You'd have to make about 33 sales an hour at an average of $30 a piece, that's about 1 sale about every 109 seconds...Square can't even process that fast. How did you have time to speak to your customers?

[@Sundrop.Studios]

Square only takes a few seconds to process! My avg transaction was over $30/ per. All the factors fell into place: placement, display, lighting, traffic, advertising my location to make this my best financial con ever! Unfortunately I wasn’t able to have lengthy conversations with everyone but I am very grateful for the people who wanted to purchase something. This was a hyped up con and it didn’t disappoint (me), I’m very grateful for this opportunity and don’t take it for granted 🙏🏼

[@markherman1211]

@Sundrop.Studios That's very interesting. If you dont mind me asking, what was your average sale? From what I've seen/gathered first hand, this is a record bad year. Like, REALLY bad. I know folks(a few who are foolishly talented) working across a wide variety of media, who didn't even make 1/3 of what you made; at Cons with double or triple the attendance numbers too. Sounds pretty incredible.

[@Sundrop.Studios]

It’s been a very patchy past 2 years (for me) The most coveted cons are performing under what was expected (biggest example is AX, though I was not accepted this year, just from what I heard from my friends and vlogs).. This number is not my norm though! Like I said before, it was to combination of all factors lining up and have a strong, established con with happy attendees that made this my best for me! I have been doing half these numbers (or less) for other cons this past year. My avg for this show in particular was ~ $36.

[@trees534]

This sounds pretty reasonable to me. I’m friends with a lot of people that tabled and this number was close to the average(higher).

[@shrimogus]

bozo does not know that people buy multiple things at once 🙏

[@jefawksspaghettorium]

Wow insane!! Thank you so much for sharing! We could never attend such an event, going from EU all the way there is a huge hassle, and seems EU is way way cheaper and less interested in artists' alley than in USA. Sadly there are also next to no EU artists showing and explaining as best as you are. Congratulations 💯

[@peaball.studio]

I’m only 2 mins in and I’m in love with the editing and energy already ✨💖 amazing job 😍

[@Sundrop.Studios]

lololol thank you!! I really try to get out of my comfort zone and bring my regular self in front of the camera. Thank you for this comment!

[@peaball.studio]

@@Sundrop.Studios of course! Love it!