Author Topic: What are alternatives for microstock? (Read 13900 times)

Karimala · « **Reply #50 on:** June 08, 2011, 17:22 »

Quote from: lisafx on June 07, 2011, 09:34

It sounds like FUN. Something to break up the monotony of shoot/upload/repeat

Zazzle is proving to be the key to breaking up the monotony...for me anyway! Microstock burnout has been my constant companion for a couple of years now.

My store primarily consists of public domain vintage postcards that I've collected for nearly 40 years. I simply realized one day I have this amazing collection just sitting in shoeboxes in my closet waiting for what? To be sold at a later date? I can earn so much more now by digitalizing them, cleaning them up, color correcting them, and then licensing them at Alamy and adding them to products at Zazzle than I can waiting for the day when I decide to sell them. Just the change in focus has been enough to break up the monotony. I still get to shoot, plus now I also get to enjoy my postcard collection in the process, which I wasn't doing while they sat in the closet.

The hardest part is setting up a great store. Adding products is the easy part, especially if you create your own "quick create templates." I can crank out upwards of 44 new products every 30-45 minutes with my custom templates.

gwhitton · « **Reply #51 on:** June 08, 2011, 17:55 »

Quote from: VB inc on June 08, 2011, 17:06

Quote from: helix7 on June 08, 2011, 14:40
Quote from: suwanneeredhead on June 07, 2011, 15:11
Thanks! I think your style is suited to Zazzle very much... now you just have to select which of your stuff, and create new stuff, that appeals to consumers (its a totally different market than microstock), and once you have a pulse on that, your sales take off.

Alright, you've talked me into it. I'm putting a few designs up there in iPhone and iPad products. We'll see what happens.

This has seriously intrigued me to... it looks like i have to log onto my zazzle account i opened up 3 yrs ago. I think the potential is there for the ipads and the iphones

I am not sure the iphones and ipads are best place to start. Their base price is pretty high. At a minimum I would try a few other things...take advantage of their multiple offerings, and put the same design on several...where it make sense of course. For me the worthwile items have been stamps. There multiple examples I can point you two where themed products whether its Christmas, Graduations, or Wedding, are great sellers if you have very appealing designs.

helix7 · « **Reply #52 on:** June 08, 2011, 18:19 »

I'm still a skeptic. I have a hard time believing that I can make any money selling print-on-demand iphone cases and buttons. But I'm willing to give it a try. A real try this time and not just the couple of stamp designs I had up there before.

Here we go... http://www.zazzle.com/emberstock

We'll see what happens...

madelaide · « **Reply #53 on:** June 08, 2011, 18:36 »

Yes, Zazzle sucks, keep away from it.

VB inc · « **Reply #54 on:** June 08, 2011, 23:05 »

Quote from: helix7 on June 08, 2011, 18:19

I'm still a skeptic. I have a hard time believing that I can make any money selling print-on-demand iphone cases and buttons. But I'm willing to give it a try. A real try this time and not just the couple of stamp designs I had up there before.

Here we go... http://www.zazzle.com/emberstock

We'll see what happens...

good stuff... keep us posted. i think your swirls will sell.

Microbius · « **Reply #55 on:** June 09, 2011, 02:22 »

How much do you guys price up your products by?
I think I may be overpricing mine.

Anita Potter · « **Reply #56 on:** June 09, 2011, 02:59 »

I keep mine at 15% commission not that it's done me any good

luissantos84 · « **Reply #57 on:** June 09, 2011, 03:26 »

Quote from: Microbius on June 09, 2011, 02:22

How much do you guys price up your products by?
I think I may be overpricing mine.

I have most at 30% time to time a sale.. I have spent there like 20hours tops

Microbius · « **Reply #58 on:** June 09, 2011, 03:51 »

I'm somewhere in between at 25%, I've made a few hundred pounds there over the last year or so but that's with a good few thousand products (I've been bulk creating), so I don't consider it a good return on my time.
I'm considering just leaving that shop to tick over and setting up a few smaller more focused/ niche shops I can promote better.
I'm also on the ArtsProjekt side of Zazzle with a few things, without any sales there. I try to keep the two separate, more stocky stuff at the normal Zazzle shop, more creative stuff that has taken longer to create at ArtsProjekt.

madelaide · « **Reply #59 on:** June 09, 2011, 06:13 »

I don't recommend the bulk creation tool. I think each product needs to be carefully designed to be attractive.

Microbius · « **Reply #60 on:** June 09, 2011, 06:53 »

Maybe that's where I'm going wrong, that's why I was thinking about making some smaller more targeted shops with better thought out products.
When I first started up everyone as advising me to just get as much stuff up as quickly as possible.

sharpshot · « **Reply #61 on:** June 09, 2011, 08:05 »

I like the iphone covers but do we have to do a separate one for the iphone 3 and 4? And I suppose it all has to be done again when the iphone 5 comes out? Quite time consuming if you want to do lots of designs. I like the look of this one that I did. Shame I don't have an iphone.
http://www.zazzle.co.uk/groovy_blue_colors_graduated_stripes_pattern_speckcase-176486320233381192

helix7 · « **Reply #62 on:** June 09, 2011, 09:16 »

I'm keeping pretty much everything at the base 10% rate until I get a few sales.

luissantos84 · « **Reply #63 on:** June 09, 2011, 11:15 »

Quote from: helix7 on June 09, 2011, 09:16

I'm keeping pretty much everything at the base 10% rate until I get a few sales.

not a zazzle fan but 10% is just insane.. IS pays 15%

Snufkin · « **Reply #64 on:** June 09, 2011, 11:20 »

Quote from: luissantos84 on June 09, 2011, 11:15

not a zazzle fan but 10% is just insane.. IS pays 15%

You shouldn't compare 15-19% of a digital licence with 10-15% of the price of a product which needs to be physically manufactured.

sharpshot · « **Reply #65 on:** June 09, 2011, 11:20 »

Quote from: luissantos84 on June 09, 2011, 11:15

Quote from: helix7 on June 09, 2011, 09:16

I'm keeping pretty much everything at the base 10% rate until I get a few sales.

not a zazzle fan but 10% is just insane.. IS pays 15%

It's a completely different thing. It's the amount we make after zazzle take their share for the cost of producing the products and their profit. We can make it 99% if we want but the prices will be too high.

Snufkin · « **Reply #66 on:** June 09, 2011, 11:25 »

When I feel that Zazzles's base price of a product is too high for the market I leave my commission at the default level.
Otherwise I set 20-35%.

etienjones · « **Reply #67 on:** June 09, 2011, 12:09 »

I set my prices at 20% but make an exception for really low priced products like Post Cards which I kick up to 30% (the difference for these products are only pennies more and not prohibited)

helix7 · « **Reply #68 on:** June 09, 2011, 12:44 »

Quote from: Tom on June 09, 2011, 11:20

Quote from: luissantos84 on June 09, 2011, 11:15

not a zazzle fan but 10% is just insane.. IS pays 15%

You shouldn't compare 15-19% of a digital licence with 10-15% of the price of a product which needs to be physically manufactured.

That's what I figured. This is a product royalty, not a commercial image use license.

TheSmilingAssassin · « **Reply #69 on:** June 12, 2011, 02:17 »

Quote from: lisafx on June 07, 2011, 09:34

Amazing post Pseudonymous! Your suggestions are great! Very creative!

You seem to have a natural talent for design, that I don't think I share. But I will give some thought to the idea. It sounds like FUN. Something to break up the monotony of shoot/upload/repeat

Thanks Lisa. It really is fun and once you start selling it's even more fun! It doesn't take long to get good at designing. Honestly, my designs were crappy when I first started... just slapping my illustrations straight onto products without much thought. Surprisingly they still sold and still do. I put a lot more thought into it now though. For instance I created an isolated Irish hat for St. Patty's day and it evolved into many different illustrations. This one is one of my favourites that sells well and was fun creating ... "THE ASSHAT"

http://www.zazzle.com/sunnymars/gifts?cg=196070385172875513

It stirred up a few of the older shopkeepers after I posted it on my facebook page LOL. That was fun too!

TheSmilingAssassin · « **Reply #70 on:** June 12, 2011, 02:25 »

Quote from: helix7 on June 09, 2011, 12:44

Quote from: Tom on June 09, 2011, 11:20
Quote from: luissantos84 on June 09, 2011, 11:15

not a zazzle fan but 10% is just insane.. IS pays 15%

You shouldn't compare 15-19% of a digital licence with 10-15% of the price of a product which needs to be physically manufactured.

That's what I figured. This is a product royalty, not a commercial image use license.

Nah, 10% is nuts. Bump it up mate. I've got all of mine at 25% and I'm thinking of upping the lower priced items. Don't forget that Zazzle also offers big discounts so you'll end up getting 10% of nothing during these big sales. You're a great illustrator... your stuff is worth more than that.

lisafx · « **Reply #71 on:** June 12, 2011, 16:49 »

Quote from: pseudonymous on June 12, 2011, 02:17

This one is one of my favourites that sells well and was fun creating ... "THE ASSHAT"

http://www.zazzle.com/sunnymars/gifts?cg=196070385172875513

It stirred up a few of the older shopkeepers after I posted it on my facebook page LOL. That was fun too!

ROFL!!! Absolutely hilarious! Can't wait to show that one to my hubby

Is Pog mo thoin Irish for kiss my ass?

oboy · « **Reply #72 on:** June 12, 2011, 18:54 »

I mark all of them with 24%

helix7 · « **Reply #73 on:** June 12, 2011, 20:08 »

Quote from: pseudonymous on June 12, 2011, 02:25

Nah, 10% is nuts. Bump it up mate. I've got all of mine at 25% and I'm thinking of upping the lower priced items. Don't forget that Zazzle also offers big discounts so you'll end up getting 10% of nothing during these big sales. You're a great illustrator... your stuff is worth more than that.

I'll bump the price when I get a few sales. So far I've had zero activity, and I don't want to deter any sales just yet based on price.

I'm also seeing a lot of great artists in the Artsprojekt keeping their stuff at the base rate. It's hard for me to justify a bump in my prices when I see guys like Chris Parks keeping his stuff at 10%.