Most likely to go under

[Tim Markley]

I have been reading the post about those sites with the most potential. I'd like to take an opposite tack. Which sites will NOT be with us at the end of the year? Who will join sites such as USPHOTO and others as a bombs?

[vonkara]

I would not say that it would disappear at the end of the year, but Lucky Oliver seem to not growing as fast I as was expecting it. First I was thinking about joining them, but now I'm happy to not doing it.

[epixx]

Lucky Oliver seems to be going nowhere, Canstock is going in the wrong direction, at least for me. Albumo, ImageCatalogue and Geckostock have all been non-starters in my view.

I'm a bit doubtful with regards to Crestock as well. I don't think they will go under anytime soon, but their business concept, with high quality requirements and low (subscription based) payouts to the photographers, can't last forever.

[sharpshot]

There are a few sites that have hardly any sales and will struggle to keep going but I think Lucky Oliver and Crestock are doing OK.  I had 3 sales with LO yesterday.  There are signs that sales are starting to pick up again after a very disappointing end to 2007.  I think LO will survive because they sell images at higher prices through the sideshow and they have attracted a lot of the big miscrostock contributors.

Crestock can't be that fussy, as they have accepted most of the images I have sent there.  The sales are better than I expected and the site looks good.  They seem to be growing, so I think they have a good future.

Albumo have spent lots of money but have very few sales.  They will have to attract buyers this year to survive.  I don't know what keeps some of the sites like Geckostock going.  They must be losing money, as there doesn't seem to be many sales there.  I haven't felt confident enough to upload to them.

[madelaide]

If we speak of sites that used to sell and went dead, then I would pick CanStockPhoto.  ImageVortex also seems forgotten - same old photos at the main page - but I don't know if it's just me, as my portfolio there is small.

If we speak of sites that never took off, Gimmestock and Microstockphoto would be my picks.

Regards,
Adelaide

[travelstock]

Good thread - maybe we should expand it further and say... which sites do we want to kill off this year.

I'd nominate CanStockPhoto. I recall that I stopped uploading there due to apparent "copyright" issues with many of my photos. Apparently 1000 year old monuments are subject of copyright??

I've had another chance to look at my CanStockPhoto portfolio. Its moved up another $0.25 since I looked at it last (3 mths ago). I'm probably going to convert my earnings to credits, then download someones photos. That way I give some money back to another photographer rather than to a hopeless site, seeing as the $8.75 earned in 2 years is still well short of their $50 minimum payout.

[eppic]

I'd second CanStockPhoto.  I tried them for awhile and got 2 dl's.  Looking at their upload stats, even the most popular photos don't have much in the way of dl's compared to other sites. 
I also wonder about shutterfarm and their business model.  They don't seem to be going anywhere either.

[anonymous]

CanStockPhoto still kicks in with 5 - 7 dl's per week for me and I upload there 1st to use their keyword generator.

Crestock - quit uploading a year ago, 3 sales in the last year (all .25 - ugh). Don't see a payout until 2015.

LO - canceled my account there about 6 mos ago BUT I think they'll hang in for a few more years.

While Featurepics is a slow seller, I've uploaded everything I have there as my 1 - 2 dl's a month there equal 3 or 4 years of dl's at Crestock, AND I so love being able to set my price and receive the lion's share of it. So I'll fight for these guys.

The 2 that I HOPE will make it are MostPhotos and Zymmetrical. However, if Zymmetrical does not get out of beta soon and begin "approving" photos, they're going to simply die on the vine with no inventory. MostPhotos desperately needs to focus on marketing images instead of running a "vanity" site if they want wings in the next 2 years.

The rest of the "Low Earners" just simply have no traffic  (currently) to support any revenue surge.

[photojay]

First let me say that anybody looking to close their account at CanStockPhoto and purchase images from a photographer to give back some money to contributors, I stick out my web-hand and a link to my portfolio is:  http://www.canstockphoto.com/profile.php?id=22785 

That being said, I agree, the admins there need to learn to balance the needs of the contributor with the needs of the purchaser.  They work for both.  Lack of marketing is going to kill them this year if BennyM's forum comments don't scare contributors away!

LO just hired a web guy to help out with all of their programming issues, so they may make it a few more years, but they aren't going to have any money to pay the guy if sales don't improve, too. 

[mwp1969]

I stopped uploading to Crestock after only 4 approvals there ...
I am giving up on Albumo as there is next to ZERO view traffice there ...
I have not submitted to LO due to all the negative things I've seen and heard on the various forums.

I will the 2nd the voice about supporting FP until it gets off the ground as it is a true site for the contributors

LONG LIVE FEATUREPICS !

Mark

[Tim Markley]

Since I started this thread and I am $3.00 from a canstock payout feel free to download a few of mine if you're closing out your account.

What this thread has done is highlight the need for stock sites to understand their markets. Is the site a photograhper site or a designer site. So far I think Istock is the only site that plays both sides of the street well.

[gbcimages]

I don't know about LO ,I'm trying to get approved there. I've been waiting to get the last photo viewed in the three sample section  for almost a week now. They tell you to get in touch with them if it's been over five days. I shouldn't half to that 's their job to keep up with that section. To me thats poor service.

[Kngkyle]

CanStockPhoto/LO/Alumo/ maybe even SnapVillage all seem like a fish out of water at the moment. (for me at least). Crestock on the other hand is out performing Bigstockphoto for me this month. I don't see them dying anytime soon.

[gbcimages]

mark.... do you upload to fotomind,just curious?

[mwp1969]

mark.... do you upload to fotomind,just curious?

I've never heard of them in general discussions ... so no. What's it like there? Any luck there?

Mark

[gbcimages]

I've got 260 images with one sale .90. It's easy to upload to and they accept almost everything you submit. But that's about all I know. I'm not  uploading anymore until I start seeing more sales

[mwp1969]

That's alot of images for only 1 sale ... I'll keep my eye on the forums to see if I hear them taking off though. Right now I'm still focused on trying to get approved at both SS and IS.

Mark

[rene]

1 - Luckyoliver
2 - Albumo
3 - Canstockphoto

[vphoto]

1. LO
2. DT
3. FP

[leaf]

1. LO
2. DT
3. FP

WHAT?? dreamstime?? no way.  They are one of the movers and shakers if you ask me.  If things got tough and all but 4 sites were left, I would say they would be one of the four.

I also think LuckyOliver is going to be around for a while.  They don't show any signs of slowing down, despite their slow sales.

[MicrostockExp]

I think also that LO will be there for a while my bet is on
1.CanStockPhoto
2.FP
3.CT

[michealo]

I see SV buying some of the weaker sites to build up their portfolio.

And you may see Bill G playing a more active role in Corbis / SV as he scales back at MSFT

[Bateleur]

How about a poll on it? Can you attach one to this message, or should a new thread be started?

[marcopolo]

Probably CanStockPhoto and Albumo if they don't start selling. I thought since Albumo was paying people to upload they would also have serious money for marketing, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I would also say SV if it wasn't backed by Bill Gates/Corbis. I hope I am wrong, but I am concerned that Featurepics may not make it either.
I have actually had several payouts with CanStockPhoto, but I have only managed to get less than half my portfolio up there because of their buggy site, whenever I try to upload more it crashes and has various problems so I decide it is not worth the effort to upload the rest as long as sales remain low. I have had a couple payouts with LO as well and they are as slow as Canstock, but I think that they need to be around a couple years longer to really see how they will perform, they are still relatively new compared to Canstock.

[rinderart]

Im betting LO is gone very soon. what a waste of server space. and I cant even believe people still upload to canstock.