Anime Expo Artist Alley Vlog + Analysis!

[@tonyl5344]

1:14 - I am so happy someone else out there is able to identify that YES, there is indeed a different profile in taste and texture with water. You are definitely not insane.

[@elgatopeludin194]

exactlyyyy

[@lilsweetpea1229]

No literally because you can’t tell me deer park water and smart water taste the same 🙄🤚🏾

[@hiryuimajin]

Samesies. There is even a smell. Idk why but I am very specific with the water that I drink, I can't simply just drink random water or else I'd be in the loo the whole day T_T

[@Sammy_47]

Totally agree with this. Some water even have a certain thickness imo...especially fountain water from some restaurants which I never drink anymore.

[@Mualcaina]

I can’t believe this is the first video of yours I’ve watched?? I love the analysis breakdown, it’s interesting to see how other artists felt about AX 🙌🏼 Glad AX went super well for you!

[@qrbitsart]

Thank u maci! I def binged ur vids when ax prepping lolo, glad you had a good time there as well!

[@defrosted1863]

someone starting orv for you is the best compliment you could get in my opinion

[@kippy3085]

omg i was the spider-man cosplayer that bought the spider-verse print, thank you so much for the beautiful art! it's hanging up proudly on my wall, cheers!

[@ewlong1031]

You are correct about the taste of water. It changes depending upon the mineral content, including the absence of said minerals due to purification.

[@Anim3Gamer]

Random passerby viewer here who also went to Anime Expo. Something to note - the Convention itself was run far better this year then in past years, and that was generally true in Artist Alley. AA still had issues (the one booth that got so popular that Security was asking a 2-person booth team to line control a massive line queue), but was for the most part actually generally well spaced and wasn't massively overcrowded to the point of getting constantly stuck in aisles. Closing down the streets outside also helped with foot traffic flow and opened up space for people to fill in. There were no more areas where you'd get stuck in a hall for an hour for no reason. What might've heard profits for AA is the price of literally everything else - Parking was up roughly $5 to $30 across the street from the Con on the backside. Hotel Costs were up as well. Buying Food at the con was a very expensive affair that usually went north of $20. My overall spend for Anime Expo was probably north of $2k. In terms of Exhibit Hall/Entertainment Hall - I did the majority of my wallet damage in there because of Official Merch. I did buy some stuff in Artist Alley, but was largely disappointed that I couldn't find the Merch I was looking for. The types of stuff I was looking for: Indie VTuber stuff, mainly of those who were going to be at AX/AX-adjacent such as Dokibird, Bao, Maid Mint, etc. Wuthering Waves stuff, of which there were very few booths who had anything from the new Genshin competitor. Atelier series stuff, but this is honestly expected because Atelier while a cute series - it's not a big series that draws money. I also usually took note of more unique (but usually financially risky) Merch such as Mugs, Pillows, Shirts, Hats, etc. One of the things I bought at Artist Alley was a $40 Maid Mint shirt. Buying that type of merch, at least for me, is something I look out for and buy sometimes. I usually saw Genshin, HSR, and occasionally Hololive stuff with a smattering of VShojo stuff throughout the Artist Alley this year. That's not unexpected considering that Artist Alley always reflects the things that sell - and Hoyoverse & Corpo VTuber stuff sells. But it was annoying that it felt every booth was a Hoyo or Holo booth, with very little of anything else. Part of that is less Artists in Artist Alley, so less potential for fandom diversity. In terms of your booth, because I seem to recall passing by it rather quickly - I did see the great deal with the Postcard stuff, but my personal preference is Prints, and for the year (because of me also being at Offkai Expo) I was pretty good on Prints unless it blew me away. I also saw the HSR charms and almost wanted to stop to buy one but realized that I have wayyyyy too many keychain charms as it is. I probably would've picked up stickers, but it didn't seem like you had a whole lot of those or had any focus on them so I didn't look closely. I feel that I skimmed your booth for about 35-40 seconds before moving on. I was pressed for time, as most of my AA shopping was condensed into a 2 hour period around 3-5pm Friday before I left the Con to go to a off-site Concert. I don't know if any of this helps you out, but I do hope to see one of your booths at a future Con again.

[@cobaltplasma]

Loved your breakdown and really appreciated your insights regarding your pricing methodology in relation to what you saw other artists doing at the con; I'm a big believer in simplifying my offerings, at least with regards to pricing, because it makes for smoother, faster transactions. Glad to hear you did so well :D

[@sadpuppies1423]

the way I rushed to clear my schedule to watch ur video in peace is insane bc I rlly enjoy ur artist alley vlogs

[@qrbitsart]

omg thank uu 😭

[@serena7710]

Whomever says water tastes the same is literally outing themselves as non-water drinkers lol you are not crazy not all water tastes the same

[@Dudex11a]

I second this, I think it's absurd to say that all water tastes the same. Maybe you could say that most water fountain water tastes the same but I think if you drank them one after the other differences will really present themselves

[@littlebigkicker]

i third this some taste like metal

[@Inkwell]

Love hearing the analysis there at the end, I'll see you at AnimeNYC, which is also historically one of my lowest-performing cons, so hoping to change that this year.

[@qrbitsart]

wonder why I thought anyc was like west coast ax 🥲 hope we can make a comeback this year haha

[@StickerZooDesigns]

Omg the algorithm recommended me your channel and I’m already a huge fan of your vibe and conversations to the audience

[@qrbitsart]

thank uu and ty for your fun con vlogs too! 🙏

[@samanthajoy719]

I was at your table and in awe of your art! Secured the dungeon meshi print and I love it

[@Alissacalvillo03]

I got prints from your soul eater collection and I love them!! i was to nervous to talk to you and tell you I love your vlogs, but I saw your con vlogs before AX, and had to see your booth during AX!

[@qrbitsart]

thank u for coming by!

[@gyuppiifish]

I love watching your analysis and just general vlog from setup to close 😭❤ your art has always been an inspo! Here's hoping I can get into AX next year!

[@moonled44]

This was so insightful and fun to watch. Thank you for documenting and sharing your artist alley experience!

[@leox_un]

WAAH i was the stein cosplayer at 15:06 !!! you were very nice and im glad your con went well !!!!

[@keleibear]

Ayyy!! I said hi to you at your AX booth (bought a small arle print) and was hoping you'd post the vlog+analysis. Always so interesting heh

[@bumbadore671]

really enjoying these artist alley vlogs lately :)

[@pikarar]

just found your channel and art! this video was so in depth

[@qrbitsart]

thank u! stopped by your table with some other artists and one of my friends got ur apron, we love ur stuff!

[@pikarar]

@@qrbitsart OH-- 👉👈

[@beefxcake2523]

All my friends got into ax and i had super fomo but gonna gear down try and improve for next year. love watching the vlog! your set up is so cute!

[@wrenicee]

there's a full on food theory about the water thing 1:16 !!! it's cus of minerals and whatnot cus some water companies add artificial minerals or they do more purification than others and dont have any minerals at all! the minerals do indeed make a difference :)

[@MsMvsc]

19:38 I kinda feel like your point about series coming and going applies strongly to anime, but less so video games. People are always looking for niche games.

[@noebyuu]

as always, thank u for the banger content!! 💌 i hope to see you at a con soon!

[@tuapioca]

I forgot to pass by your table I'm so sad 😭😭. Hope you'll be at next year's ax I love your art sm!

[@ZekkSkywalk]

My suggestion for entrance if they do the same next year is Pico street in the area beneath the overpass that connects the south hall to the west hall. For exhibitors and priority the line was super short day one, and subsequent days even regular entry people could just walk right through if you were 45min before opening.

[@cocochoon]

waa wanted to say hello since you were right across from my table but it got so busy whenever i had time to walk by!!

[@qrbitsart]

omg same tho your display was so cute 😩

[@alemway4547]

Looks amazing

[@Aventurinesgirl]

Gonna try participating artist alley this year and just like you said definitely gonna draw more fanarts of older/not super hyped animes because everytime i go to a convention i myself and many of my friends do look for them but they’re almost always extinct tho i do understand alot of artist just wanna be safe but hey i hope luck is on my side😅 (its my first artist alley too :”)

[@qrbitsart]

good luck! 💪

[@cowbell7573]

19:12 i'm just starting out tabling and i wish i saw more of your con vlogs because they're actually really helpful! i wanted to ask what do you do with your fan merch that isn't as popular anymore? is it still worth it to lug everywhere if you only sell a small percent? or would you sell them at a discount? i've done discount bins for small postcards but they're usually a hit or miss

[@qrbitsart]

thank you! for old merch, I keep it as display, and bring very few to sell, if I don't have enough relevant stuff to fill the table out with, but otherwise I try my best to make new things to replace them

[@Chichilllive]

14:45 soul eater fan! If I was there I would’ve immediately bought those 2 prints lol

[@Starfytr]

Your analysis could have really helped a fellow artist of the past: Pablo Picasso. What was that movie quote from Titanic “…something Picasso…at least they were cheap.” Sold from his small table booth in Paris 😅

[@madlade]

ah yes the age old fear of carrying lettuce on the train!! Love that hahah!

[@Oreocupcwake]

I agree with you on the bad water comment. My parents think I'm crazy!!!!!

[@hybridmink]

Hey, great video! I'm upgrading my setup and I'm curious about your backdrop stands. I grabbed 3 big ones, but I like how you seem to have extensions for your sides instead. Would you mind if I ask where you got those? I can't seem to find them anywhere. Congrats on AX!

[@qrbitsart]

hey, thanks, so it's a little complicated, but basically I remove the horizontal bar of the photo stand and replace it with 15mm smallrig rods+screws (from amazon). I attach the horizontal rods to the vertical poles with smallrig super clamps, and then attach the wings with niceyrig 90deg rod clamps. it's more stable if you have another set of vertical photostand poles (sounds like you do) to clamp to the front of the table, but it's basically the same formula

[@hybridmink]

@@qrbitsart Oh wow, a really custom setup, nice. Thanks for the info!

[@elizabeth-lmhxmx]

9:18 WHATTTTVI DIDNT SEE THAT! I wish it was easier to see where the stamp rallys are…. a lot of the time they're hidden or artists forget so sad I would've loved the p3 one

[@qrbitsart]

if you join the ax unofficial discord, they make a huge spreadsheet every year listing all the artists & stamp rallies! I believe there were like 100 of them this yr so it was very helpful to keep track

[@elizabeth-lmhxmx]

@@qrbitsart no way omg!! and here I was struggling for years.. thank you! I’ll check it out 🫶🏼

[@saberphoenix4152]

Give them Canadian water… it tastes so much different than in the states

[@BuffySchnauzer]

I have a question, isn't it illegal to sell fan art since they're not actually your original characters? Unless the seller gets permission from the creator, couldn't they potentially sue you?

[@qrbitsart]

ye it is a gray area, some booths in exhibitor (not artist alley) were getting takedown requests from certain copyright holders, and sometimes your Etsy listings get taken down too, & you would just comply in those cases. but it depends on the series... for example hoyoverse allows individuals to sell fan merch, and most overseas studios see it as free advertisement... western studios not so much

[@ceevee_co]

I sent my packages to the same hotel! While staying at the JW LOL

[@qrbitsart]

lmaoo 😭 they must be used to it by now

[@h.ouseofheaven]

tell vivi tanner said he adores her she is so #kawaii

[@soggy_tofu8544]

I DIDNT REALIZE IT WAS YOU WHAT

[@artbyinky]

I’m the same way with water! Water fountain water gives me toilet water energy. Like you can taste the smell 🤢

[@user-Ms.Bear025]

Nope, all water is different I know it because of its taste

[@BlindArcher17]

Tarter sauce?!

[@qrbitsart]

😔

[@KennedyDeborah-e4l]

Thomas Donald Lewis Frank Thomas Mary

[@rebalblazinghard]

Be careful on selling copyrighted stuff at cons.

[@OwlCity447]

oh wow i cant believe you're just hand-cutting your prints with scissors... i wouldnt believe myself enough to do that 🥲 i'd at least use a paper cutter

[@Daez.]

IM SO HAPPY YOU MENTIONED zzyzzyy because i could find their name after i bought from them. T_T thank you.

[@joylychi]

I always love watching your videos, and it's so cool now to also see your analyses of artist alley!! I wanted to stop by at AX, but ended up running out of time (I think we also just missed each other at ANYC because I was talking with your tablemates). I completely agree about the self serve system, I think I've found that people are more likely to engage as a result and when the items are cheaper, it's easier to just grab and commit to a sale XD AND STAMP RALLIES AT AX I THINK WERE SUPER HELPFUL IN GUIDING PEOPLE TO MY TABLE! It's a shame ANYC banned them this year. While I didn't get into ANYC this year, i hope it goes way better for you this time (esp if you solo table!!!)

[@qrbitsart]

yaa so sad rallies are banned at anyc, hope we have the chance to say hi sometime!