Good News/Bad News
Mar. 6th, 2004 05:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
my_window_seatGood News:
Had my first store visit. Met with Nan at Free Radicals to show her the sticker and magnet line. Focused exclusively on J.'s work. She loved the artwork and was very enthusiastic about it.
Bad News:
She can't carry it, because a)they aren't vinyl stickers, and b) the cost would be prohibitive. That last I'm extrapolating, but she said they get their sticekrs - which are vinyl - at pennies apiece, as opposed to what I can wholesale mine at without losing money. And the magnets aren't as high quality as the line they already carry and retail at the same price I have mine at, and having managed a retail outlet myself, I completely understand that you can't have two products, even if they feature different styles, at the same price, if the quality isn't comparable.
Outcome:
She gave me contact info for their sticker manufacturer and also their t-shirt outlet, and although she didn't exactly say so, it was pretty obvious that if I made the conversion to vinyl, it would be highly likely that they'd consider carrying the stickers, and if I can upgrade the magnets, same thing. Possibly t-shirts, although they have their own line and it's pretty broad already.
I guess I knew it would come to this. Not that it's a bad thing, it's just sort of a bummer. I like the process I have for doing what I do, but facts are facts - if you can't stick it on a car, it's less likely to sell to people in our age bracket.
Overall, it was still a positive experience. Nan was really cool - she could easily have just blown me off and left me whistling in the wind - instead, she offered opinions and really helpful contact stuff. Way above and beyond what most people would do.
What the next step will be - we'll see. Trying to figure out what I think I can do. I'm not exactly sure why, but I've really gotten attached to the idea of seeing this thing through to a successful conclusion. J.'s artwork rocks my socks, of course - and he's also been a real decent person to work with. And his stuff is easily accessible to people who've never even heard of his comic before, which is an edge he has over some of the other webcomic artists I was trying to enlist.
I dunno. I think the biggest thing is, I want to do something that I want to do. I guess that's the real bottom line.
We shall see what we shall see...
Had my first store visit. Met with Nan at Free Radicals to show her the sticker and magnet line. Focused exclusively on J.'s work. She loved the artwork and was very enthusiastic about it.
Bad News:
She can't carry it, because a)they aren't vinyl stickers, and b) the cost would be prohibitive. That last I'm extrapolating, but she said they get their sticekrs - which are vinyl - at pennies apiece, as opposed to what I can wholesale mine at without losing money. And the magnets aren't as high quality as the line they already carry and retail at the same price I have mine at, and having managed a retail outlet myself, I completely understand that you can't have two products, even if they feature different styles, at the same price, if the quality isn't comparable.
Outcome:
She gave me contact info for their sticker manufacturer and also their t-shirt outlet, and although she didn't exactly say so, it was pretty obvious that if I made the conversion to vinyl, it would be highly likely that they'd consider carrying the stickers, and if I can upgrade the magnets, same thing. Possibly t-shirts, although they have their own line and it's pretty broad already.
I guess I knew it would come to this. Not that it's a bad thing, it's just sort of a bummer. I like the process I have for doing what I do, but facts are facts - if you can't stick it on a car, it's less likely to sell to people in our age bracket.
Overall, it was still a positive experience. Nan was really cool - she could easily have just blown me off and left me whistling in the wind - instead, she offered opinions and really helpful contact stuff. Way above and beyond what most people would do.
What the next step will be - we'll see. Trying to figure out what I think I can do. I'm not exactly sure why, but I've really gotten attached to the idea of seeing this thing through to a successful conclusion. J.'s artwork rocks my socks, of course - and he's also been a real decent person to work with. And his stuff is easily accessible to people who've never even heard of his comic before, which is an edge he has over some of the other webcomic artists I was trying to enlist.
I dunno. I think the biggest thing is, I want to do something that I want to do. I guess that's the real bottom line.
We shall see what we shall see...
