What Does it Cost to be a Convention Artist (with exact numbers and expenses) vlog

[@artbyinky]

This is so important!! People only often see the final numbers and never talk about expenses and losses. I appreciate your transparency in your convention videos so much.

[@Inkwell]

Absolutely!!

[@listentotheanimalscreamsha1511]

So for the days you're there. Do you break down your station everyday or do you leave your stuff there overnight? This is really cool.

[@Smajtastic]

​@@listentotheanimalscreamsha1511 You leave the stands up, how you secure stands are up to you Venues usually have security throughout the night

[@listentotheanimalscreamsha1511]

Thanks again@@Smajtastic

[@Smajtastic]

@@listentotheanimalscreamsha1511 no worries. Even simple stands can be a ballache to setup. One company I used to work at had the worst stand design (the manager wouldn't change it) Until they got a fancy trailor instead, which was much easier

[@ViloniousTV]

I love seeing creatives not gatekeep this kind of info. We're all on the same team here and being open about money helps make sure nobody is getting taken advantage of and driving down prices for EVERYONE.

[@kaychelboone]

The transparency on costs and revenue is immensely helpful. I'd love a video on how you sell your art on your personal online shop and with Etsy! Advice, tips, mistakes, etc would be so helpful.

[@beefxcake2523]

for ppl in the comments wondering what a good con weekend looks like, this 18k is exceptional really, I been doing this for 10 years, the best con i've ever done is 4,000 in sales in 2018 (not profit) selling charms, prints, books, shirts, buttons, and enamel pins. an average con can be as low as 1200 for a full weekend or less even. Sacanime i made about 480 bucks. this is not a get big money quick kind of venture. i find, for myself and AA friends, in the past 2 years average con has been less than 2000 in sales. this stuff is hard to do successfully! do not be discouraged if you aren't racking in over 10 grand a con, that's just simply not normal. congrats to you though, it's awesome that these kind of numbers are still achievable out there!

[@LuthienNightwolf]

These numbers are boggling my brain. I do Furry art and mainly commissions but I have dabbled with selling at cons and I'm happy if I even make $500 for the whole weekend. The fact that some folks are out there making thousands just kinda breaks me a little. (I'm aware that Furry is incredibly niche, but still.)

[@beefxcake2523]

@@LuthienNightwolf it is discouraging, granted this artist is making incredible art, they deserve every penny, but there are so many factors that go into how well you do at a con, whether you're a famous artist, or the number of vendors at a con or the attendance numbers, it all factors in on top of your own aesthetics and how well that's percieved by the attendees. I definitely encourage ppl to try it, but alot will find it's not for them or they do better at a more market/craft show type of venue rather than a con.

[@TheP1x3l]

It helps that Dragoncon has about 80,000 attendees, versus Sacanime being about 22,000.

[@Ms_AP_]

Check your average sale value. Having higher priced items will help bring that up which can increase your profit. T-shirts. Tote bags of your best sellers. Mouse pads. Stick to your best sellers on higher priced items.

[@beefxcake2523]

@@Ms_AP_ i have a bunch of T shirts and art books and hats n totes, etc. honestly the high ticket items are harder to move. yeah selling one T shirt is better than selling an equal amount in stickers or something smaller but i can't predict what each con is gonna want. my local ones prints are the big thing, which is great, paper is easier to travel with, but when i go out of state it can be anything. prints might not budge at all and then they want tshirts or sometimes a con is just sticker hell and thats all thats moving. it's really more fickle than just "have more big ticket items"

[@jjcymbolic]

This makes more sense why my animation professor wasn't in the best mood when covid hit hard. I did once ask him (when I wasn't a student), how much it'll change his funds for the years. And he said, the money he got from cons always at least matched the amount that he got as a professor. And considering he was a man with a wife and five daughters, I can see how having that money is huge.

[@willfenholtart]

You're making the best art content right now. Good job!

[@Inkwell]

ah, poked me right in the heart! thanks for watching!

[@KA-nw6iy]

You are the realest and most transparent and actually helpful artist on KZbin rn. Genuinely bless you for this information. We appreciate it so much.

[@Inkwell]

Thanks so much!

[@JoshWhiteDesign]

Coming from an artist trying to work more "professionally" this is honestly some of the best content I've seen. You sir, are epic.

[@grifinity84]

THIS DEF HELPED ME A TON AS AN ARTIST THAT SELLS AT CONS MYSELF I LOVE LEARNING WHAT OTHERS DO FOR DIFFERENT SHOWS AND HOW THEIR COSTS REFLECT PROFITS WHICH MANY PEOPLE TEND TO NEVER SHOW WHICH IS RESPECTABLE BUT I LOVE YOUR CONTENT AND SEEING YOUR VLOGS HELP INSPIRE ME TO DO MORE SHOWS!!

[@saidypoo]

It's sick to see how well things can go, appreciate you sharing all of this with us.

[@Inkwell]

thanks for watching!

[@Bookofshavings]

interesting video, i enjoyed it. however, as an accountant: Gross income: income after the cost of your goods sold BEFORE your other expenses Further you need to figure out how much each piece took to make and the printing cost. then you subtract that off the sale cost. then you subtract the additional expenses off that. Consider getting an LLC (they're cheap like 500 bucks) which should allow you to lower your taxes on the expenses. Listed price - cost to make & print = Gross income gross income - expenses = Earning before tax (&interest) earning before tax and interest -interest & tax = net income It would be very neat for you to break down all of your sales and pricing. I would assume some pieces sold better than others, and that you changed your pricing on the final day. Lots of interesting financial questions to be asked. Cheers.

[@whimmmsy]

I was looking for Artist Alley vlogs because I applied to the Dragoncon art show this year, and when your video popped up, I realized I recognized your booth banner! I'm actually staring at your art next to my computer while watching this, I must have subscribed after the show. I got three of your prints at Dragoncon, Sorcerers Companion, Donut Fish, and Queen of Fish, your assistant was very sweet. I love your work, and I thought your booth had such a great unique look, very memorable! THANK YOU for posting this one, no one ever seems to vlog the dcon art show, and I've been trying for years to find more behind-the-scenes realness about how the show goes for Artists. I really appreciate your transparency and for sharing the experience.

[@Yusio]

This has been really helpful. I sell at a local con in Hawaii, but some people have asked me if I'm going to go to the mainland for cons, and it always seems like an impossible task. Seeing you list out your expenses for an out of state show that required more travel fees was really helpful to gauge what my own expenses might look like, and for me to plan accordingly. I won't be able to travel out of state for a couple years because I feel I don't have enough merch to sell, but its become a really great goal for me to work towards! Your transparency is so helpful, and I look forward to more tips from you! This video definitely won me over to subscribe, thank you for all the hard work you put into it! And I also love how you highlighted all your fellow artists. One of my favorite things about the Con scene are all the friends you make along the way...!

[@Johndoe-co3pw]

I’ve been a tattoo artist for 16 years and tend to do really well selling my prints at tattoo conventions. I have often thought about trying out a con for the hell of it I have quite a few popular culture horror and anime related prints might be worth a try especially since the booth rentals are so reasonable.

[@HunterRobertsOehrtma]

See you at Dragon Con next year?

[@christineseguin2935]

Not sure where you are located, but Comic cons on the east coast often have tattoo artists. You should definitely consider selling your prints at a comic con.

[@davidmcfadden9526]

I'm glad I could help make this trip worth it a bit, I got a bunch of your pieces and I was hoping to compliment you directly but I kept missing you.

[@MrTayseanpwns]

This is so helpful. I work in the industry but had a hard time starting my own business. You inspired me to start investing in myself with making artwork with prints, pins, etc.

[@Inkwell]

That’s great to hear, best off luck with your business! ✨

[@trevormoser6716]

If you are going to the same conventions consistently look into finding a local printer that can print to the quality you like, usually saves some money. Also easier to ship back less stock.

[@wingedcanvas]

This is GREAT information for artists! Thank you for this; going to share the video with our community for sure!

[@vulpipunkgaming]

Bless your content and congrats on getting monetized! Really inspiring but also realistic for a tabling experience at a larger con. Thanks for the insight and look foward to what you post next

[@electricbamboogaloo2]

Thank you for sharing. This was a perfect way to get myself motivated for an upcoming show and to prepare for it!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Have watched this video several times now- it’s both helpful and fun to live vicariously through

[@shockingdocumentaries4255]

Not only should your assistant eat every day, it might be best if she ate at least a few times a day. 😂 Oh yeah, you should probably eat too. 😊 Thank you for the breakdown in cost. That’s the best part of the story. I also like that you mentioned buying originals just as I was imagining doing the same if I was there. Except I’d hope to find someone that hasn’t been ’discovered’ yet.

[@MsRinda]

When I calculate my profits for a show I try to keep in mind that my production is an average of about 12% of sale price (differs wildly per product type of course), and I have to pay 21% VAT (Europe 💀), so mentally I have to immediately deduct 1/3 of the money I've made. And *then* come the travel and accommodation costs 😅 Your profits at the end honestly surprised me, I'm happy if I get to keep half of what I earn. Super interesting to see though!

[@Inkwell]

That’s a pretty good profit margin honestly, we % ours out similar I think my average production cost is around 25% but luckily I have no VAT to deal with.

[@lynn6297]

Thinking of doing artist alley in Europa too. ( Once I work up the money and courage ). Can I ask about your experience @MsRinda?

[@nyxicide]

I can't even begin to express how much I love your channel and videos like this. I want to do cons, and seeing the expenses behind them and not just the like clips of the vending and having fun at the cons is really important information

[@uniandumi]

Like fr big money moves, amazing art, such an inspiration. Like I was told for the past 20 years the starving artist trope and boy do you prove em wrong!! It’s friggin’ possible. THANK YOU!! ❤

[@Inkwell]

Thanks, I'm doing well but I know quite a few other people who are making way more at these events than I am so it is definitely possible!

[@Youmama187]

I believe attendance was more, but by how much I do not know. I looked through your booth, but was feeling oddball. Glad to see you making this

[@NestorCustodio]

Loved the breakdowns and hearing not only about what your expenses were, but *why* those were expenses you had to incur.

[@sarawithoutanH]

I think I saw your booth when I was at dragoncon! So cool to hear the behind the scenes. I heard that there were less people there this year because they capped registration more than they did the year prior

[@Inkwell]

Thanks for watching, Attendance did look smaller so I wouldn’t be surprised

[@Alfred_the_doodler]

Dude thank you, this was golden information. Especially the whole set up with assistance and how they get paid. Always wondered what was the norm in that process.

[@AngelOfMusic12457]

Not an artist, but I go to lots of cons. This is fascinating! It really gives context and appreciation for what some of ya’ll go through when you travel. In general, I really think this type of transparency is super important for folks aspiring to do this type of work. Thanks for the interesting video!

[@cobrachicken1869]

As an accountant in the artist space, stuff like this has always been crazy interesting! Congrats on the ~66% margin even with realistic cross-country travel (AND an assistant what??). Best of luck to you and I hope to see you at a convention some time!

[@Ethrendil]

I appreciate how transparent you are with numbers, as an artist it is extremely helpful.

[@Inkwell]

happy to help!

[@RichardFriendartist]

Great video Dustin. I really enjoyed meeting you at SDCC last year and missed seeing you this year!

[@brauncowski]

I really enjoyed the pace, transparency, and thoroughness of this video. Thanks for sharing it!

[@KrabiAdventure]

Suuuuper helpful. Thanks for taking the time. Excellent video. Loved the presentation. Loved your attention to detail and the sound of the money adding up. lolz.

[@sketchspells]

Thanks for making this video and sharing with us your experience and insights. I love seeing behind the scenes content.

[@Inkwell]

thanks for watching!

[@timkongart]

Love these videos man! Its not often you get such specific breakdowns from artists for conventions. I think these sort of breakdowns give people a real good idea of what expenditure to expect way before the event. The ups and downs of certain days and extreme highs on busy days. It also dawns on me how massively different the scale is over in the states when it comes to size of convention and possible earnings.

[@red_light_3937]

As someone who had been in the past (Read; before pandemic), going to many of my local cons & meeting a lot of people selling from out of town. I’ve always been super curious about a more exacting number like this & I really appreciate seeing your video like this!

[@boysenberylcobbler]

Thank you! This was great, and I loved the lil vlog bits throughout the info/expense summaries

[@Inkwell]

Thanks, I’ll try to remember to record more at the cons I’m at

[@IchinShek]

When I used to travel for tournaments, my first stop was to a Walgreens or something to pick up a 24pack of water. Super cheap for something essential. If you drink tap, different cities have different stuff in their water which might mess you up.

[@firehorsewoman414]

Congratulations on getting monetized. Love your videos. I find your content interesting and tour artwork is beautiful!

[@jazap9327]

thank you for taking the time to make such a high quality and detailed video! it will be my first time as a fiber artist in a local con, so seeing other videos is very motivating!

[@Inkwell]

Best of luck!

[@NY_Mountain_Man]

Wow. Good for you! Much love, PS: Also, that diglett cosplay. Best cosplay ever. :)

[@oldspookylolly]

super helpful video! I'm gearing up for a convention coming up in about a couple weeks and seeing your setup and cost vs profits helped give me an idea of what to expect/ be ready for.

[@Inkwell]

Best of luck! Hope you make lots of $$$

[@bazomic]

Always love seeing your stuff at Dragon-Con. Keep up the great work and can't wait to see what you have next year. Looking forward to adding more of your art to my already collection. ;) Keep the vids coming, they are a huge help!

[@mdfyui8000]

With any field work I find it's always good to prepare prepacked bars just in case you have to skip or push a meal back, or even supplement a weak meal. Also it varies by the trip and individual but the fibre intake helps keep the digestive system going, though on that one I prioritise it to be a breakfast thing. Eating is one of those things that are easily neglected but make a big difference on how effective you are throughout the trip.

[@DevinElleKurtzArt]

Awesome video dude!

[@Inkwell]

🙏🙏🙏 thanks Devin!

[@chooyoo]

OH MY GOODNESS!! I bought two of the fish bags from you at otakon and they are my FAVORITE. i was so sad i couldn't remember your social! bless the algorithm!!

[@Inkwell]

happy to hear you like them!

[@itzjon650]

This is awesome. 1. Great video idea and amazing execution really informative and entertaining. 2. I dont know how your video ended up on my feed but during Fanime this year I really wanted some of your work and really regretted not buying it or getting your info. I am very happy on stumbling onto your video so serendipitously and cant wait for your etsy to open back up! Cant wait for more videos!

[@StephanieOplinger]

Of all the videos I've watched on artist business, yours have helped the most! Thank you for sharing your knowledge, and congrats on monetization! Could you perhaps do a video on planning how much volume of products to have prepared for a large show? I'm getting into in person market's, and I have no idea how to gauge how much product I should prepare to have on hand.

[@annajano2683]

Nailed it again! Such valuable content. I wish I were better with words so I could convey how much I appreciate what you’re putting out here.

[@Inkwell]

happy to help!

[@sjZhyren]

Love these videos. As someone who has just started out attending artist alleys and such. One thing I would love to hear is about the products themselves. What sort of products are a must have, what can be very profitable and what are more of a risk. How do you usually reach out to places when you're looking into making new products. Maybe even some advice on what makes a good product as opposed to lackluster one on artist alley. Personally I learned that I was living in a bit of a artist bubble, where the feedback I get is very technique oriented and didn't really reflect what did or did not sell. People just wanted to see cool shit instead of being as nit picky about the execution. Would you have any advice on how to 'test' out products one way or another.

[@Inkwell]

It is very true artists like very different work than what general consumers like. My best advice is just to make cool shit you are excited to make. Start with something small and local to try and sell at. It is the best way to see how your work/ products will perform. Everyone's work is different so without doing a test run there are no must-haves or anything like that. if you are making prints remember most people are looking for prints to put on their wall so not every artwork looks good on a wall, like a character design sheet might be a little harder to sell prints of for example as it's not really something designed to be framed or whatever.

[@Swammey]

I have vended a lot of card shows. If you cannot make direct sales yourself it is very smart to have that assistant! It feels like half or more of my sales are made purely from the conversation had with buyers. Great job with the vlog, interesting

[@Dayssbefore]

Awesome video! Interesting to see the other side of it. I also appreciate your love for Magi! I’ll have to find you at a convention near me someday!

[@edenromanov]

Educational, Fun Editing and a relatable awkward yet endearing dude explaining his expenses and profits, subbed. 😁👍

[@calleysmith9028]

The chronological style is great, very informative!

[@aereio9141]

been binging your videos and its been very inspiring to me c: i got really lucky and got a job as a concept artist right outta uni- and i'm even working on AAA titles! but i can def see myself burning out and missing illustration-- ive wanted to sell my art at cons since i was young, but never thought it would be profitable D: but seeing this really gives me hope that i can always pursue other avenues in art and maintain my passion

[@namedrop721]

Sock up your cushy concept artist job money it will never be that easy freelancing or doing this, which is basically 3 jobs in one. Seriously take my advice.

[@aereio9141]

i freelanced for a few years before getting my job actually and earned *liveable* money-- im happy rn doing this but the average length of time for artists in the games industry is only 4 years D: i know i cant do this forever, and there will bee gaps in my employment as a concept artist since the jobs are so hard to come by!! just saying it's comforting knowing there's other avenues for me in the future if i need it c: dw i'm not hopping ship anytime soon :DD ((concept artist money is,, def not cushy LMAO)) @@namedrop721

[@annb5378]

I clicked on this video for the info not realizing that I've bought stuff from your booth at a prior NYCC. Love your artwork!

[@MPVCrafts]

Absolutely adored this video! I genuinely appreciate the time you took to share this priceless knowledge with everyone of us viewing! Your work is beautiful too! Subscribed! Best of luck and many blessings for you and your awesome crew!!

[@CarterSams]

You did great. Congratulations! Really cool to see this process and know the numbers.

[@BlueBannette]

Thanks so much for going into depths with your expense at these different shows. I do AAs as a hobby outside of my day job but I'm seeing it bring in more and more funds so I've been applying for more and more shows through out the years. I'd also love to see (if possible) you go into how you deal with taxes for these events (even getting retail licenses for shows that require it). I know not a sexy topic but I think its important lol

[@jimmoore3054]

love these breakdowns!

[@sleepyghostmp3]

Love these series of videos, makes you really admire the effort put in to selling one's work. Also very cool to see everyone lounging together in an airbnb together within the same struggle ha

[@KristianNeeTV]

These are really cool, thanks for putting these together

[@Nodonn]

Oh hey, I saw y'all. Nice stuff. Interesting to see how much ya made.

[@sggee]

I agree with other comments. Most YT’ers just show the profit from whatever their project is (building furniture, reno’ing a house, etc) but rarely show the cost so it presents this unrealistic aspect to things. Great job!

[@turtlelover30008]

I saw your running around at dragoncon but you seemed busy so i didnt want to interrupt you. Hope you had a great time!

[@Inkwell]

It was a great time, I hope your dragoncon was also good!

[@greenecrayon]

This was super fascinating. Thank you for sharing this breakdown

[@HelpTheLegend]

Final ! I'm so happy to see another video from you 🎉🎉

[@Inkwell]

Ahhh Thanks for watching!

[@The_miIk]

Thank you so so much for making this!! I have been starting to want to sell my art at cons so ita great to see the amount i might have to spend. :]

[@Someone-zn4dh]

FINALLY!!! A Video that talks about the loss and cost I am going to start my first con as a seller in 3 months (my friend have an opening last minute and ask me to join her)

[@Inkwell]

@@Someone-zn4dh best of luck to you!

[@rikku343]

this is wonderfully transparent and informative. thank you

[@Inkwell]

Thanks for watching!

[@daffy72]

You probably already know this but all of that can be taken as a write off on your taxes, including the table you bought. You need to fill out a Schedule C and Schedule SE with your 1040 at the end of the year. If you didn't know that then all expenses like this, including the materials to make your art and prints is also a write off.

[@ChrisLam]

i'm so glad i found you through getting into con AA videos! i'm not an illustrator myself but i can't wait to buy your art next time i see you in SoCal!

[@ChloeCanary]

Very insightful video! The canopy booth setup looked great, well worth the extra time to put together

[@Inkwell]

Thanks you 🙏

[@lizziesartwork]

Omg thank you for making this!! It's so helpful to see the hidden expenses of things

[@TheP1x3l]

It was cool seeing your booth at Dragoncon! Thanks for your hard work in documenting all this. :D (Also I recognize your "In this economy?" ribbon! Mossbadger is a friend of mine :P )

[@listentotheanimalscreamsha1511]

Wow this was a good video nice to see you take care of your people. I think I would get anxiety doing this, but love to see the process. Thanks.

[@IFrAgMenTIx]

This was super informative AND also enjoyable to watch, thank you 🙏🏻

[@paulpardee]

We didn't have any problem getting into the Expo floor Friday or Saturday, but the line was HOURS long on Sunday and Monday because they weren't letting people in. As you can imagine, that really limits what else you can do at the con. Considering how much they charge for booths, it's kind of a big deal to limit traffic that much (At one point, they were only letting in 30 people every 2 minutes)

[@PSMITHjl]

Very informative! Thanks for making this video!

[@Inkwell]

thanks fo watching!

[@ChantelleArts]

this is really interesting! the expenses are a lot considering the time frame but that profit is crazy good ❤

[@ChaosPhantom00]

Amazing video thank you so much for sharing. Wishing you lots of success in the future!! It's crazy how much is overlooked if not careful of small expenses that add up. Take care! 😘

[@seekittycat]

I legit didn't even think of so much of this 😭😭 you just saved my mental health thank you

[@NotTheRealAutomator]

Man I just love watching these videos please make more thanks

[@Inkwell]

Will do!

[@pstormblessed4387]

I've always wanted to try doing a table at a con before so this kind of video is absolutely awesome to see with all the helpful info you packed in! Would love a video or something saying how much of your art pieces you bring to sale at the conventions. i.e. as a brand new artist at a con you should bring 'x' amount of inventory.

[@deedL3]

i thumbs up the video on the part where you carried that suitcase up the stairs. i felt my arms burning

[@CattCali]

It's honestly so cool to see different artists I've bought art from in this video

[@realitymill]

Very informative - thank you for this! Myself and another artist friend have been talking about starting selling at shows starting next year after we have some inventory built up. My work is more 3d / sculpting and would comprise of original clay sculpts and resin casts. Not sure how well those will do, but only one way to find out hah.

[@Inkwell]

Best of luck!

[@Gizzlebear2U]

Very informative about details I don't often hear about. Well done mate!

[@MikeBurnsArt]

Hugely insightful video! Very illuminating (and fun to watch :D)

[@MidnightGallery24]

Thank you for listing the artist names and Instagram handles. I love finding new artists and this really helps.

[@lilacdoodz]

Your videos are so informative and entertaining! So glad you got monetized!!

[@Inkwell]

Thanks so much!

[@remilemonde]

This was such an excellent breakdown. Thank you for this video.

[@Inkwell]

Thanks for watching!

[@D3caf_]

This was a really interesting watch! Really insightful for a hobby artist like me

[@Inkwell]

Hope it helps, good luck with your work!

[@shmepa]

Really insightful!! Thanks for sharing!

[@Inkwell]

My pleasure!

[@artbyciarrastebbins]

Such an insightful video! I just started tabling this year (2023), and it was so helpful to see this breakdown of costs for cons outside of your local area. Since I’m just starting and very small scale, I’m of course sticking to local venues! But I would definitely love to get this level someday! Thank you for your insight and transparency! 🩷

[@Inkwell]

Best of luck with your shows, and thanks for watching

[@markus_luik]

The U.S is terrifyingly expensive

[@bleachedout805]

Yes it is.

[@David-tt3yz]

Excellent video! Thanks!

[@glittergoblin]

I would love to hear a breakdown of what kinds of merchandise at what price points made up the bulk of your inventory and earnings! This stuff is so import; people often think of being an artist as living the dream without realizing how important and difficult the business side is! Thank you for sharing. 😊