Author Topic: iStock Vetta Collection (Read 10529 times)

designalldone · « **Reply #25 on:** June 25, 2009, 05:56 »

Just doing a search for 'car' means going through 20 pages of images before getting to a regularly priced file - quite unbelievable to say the least. Plus the fact that I can't see any of the 'Gold Camera Icons' (Safari 4.0 on a Mac) so I have no way of telling that the file is part of a premium collection (well, other than the huge price increase).

Were buyers told about this at all? I don't remember seeing anything mentioned in their newsletter, so I bet it's come as quite a shock to a lot of buyers.

bittersweet · « **Reply #26 on:** June 25, 2009, 06:42 »

Quote from: designalldone on June 25, 2009, 05:56

Just doing a search for 'car' means going through 20 pages of images before getting to a regularly priced file - quite unbelievable to say the least. Plus the fact that I can't see any of the 'Gold Camera Icons' (Safari 4.0 on a Mac) so I have no way of telling that the file is part of a premium collection (well, other than the huge price increase).

Were buyers told about this at all? I don't remember seeing anything mentioned in their newsletter, so I bet it's come as quite a shock to a lot of buyers.

Do you really not narrow down your searches any more than that? You would start going through search results numbering over 59,000? If so, searching must always be very frustrating for you. I did some normal searches (because I was actually looking for something, not just "testing") and they were not vetta all at the beginning. Some were, but there were others scattered below some of the non-vetta results I looked at. On a more narrow search it might not seem so overwhelming.

If there really are a significant number of designers who do not know how to narrow down their searches, then there will most definitely be repercussions to this strategy. I'd imagine there are significantly less buyers who will show up expecting to pay $10 and decide to pay $50+ instead. It remains to be seen if istock's percentage of these purchases will offset the potential losses of sales for the vast majority of contributors due to confused buyers.

Were you seeing the camera/vector icons before they added the gold versions? I'm on Safari 4.0 on a Mac, and they are showing up fine, right where they were when they were black and white, same with the gold pen tool icon for vectors. I wonder if there might not be some other reason.

lisafx · « **Reply #27 on:** June 25, 2009, 13:09 »

Quote from: werkmann on June 24, 2009, 22:36

Ups...and not to forget: just as an idea of an humbleness rookie who never ever would like to lift his head over anyone like lisa or puravida, who are the rulers here.

LOL! I am flattered Werkmann!

I don't have a crown or scepter though, just a lot of opinions. Is that enough to make a ruler?

borg · « **Reply #28 on:** June 25, 2009, 13:14 »

I am tired of reading...

Is it only for exclusive contributors or for everyone!?

bittersweet · « **Reply #29 on:** June 25, 2009, 13:22 »

Quote from: borg on June 25, 2009, 13:14

I am tired of reading...

Is it only for exclusive contributors or for everyone!?

It is for istock exclusive contributors, as was stated in the original announcement weeks ago.

PixelBytes · « **Reply #30 on:** June 25, 2009, 13:45 »

So then Vetta images are dominating the front 20 or more pages of ALL Best Match searches, not just within that collection?

Wow, that is going to hit non-exclusives hard. At least the sales will be made up on other sites when the buyers go looking for micro priced images.

thesentinel · « **Reply #31 on:** June 25, 2009, 13:48 »

Quote from: PixelBytes on June 25, 2009, 13:45

So then Vetta images are dominating the front 20 or more pages of ALL Best Match searches, not just within that collection?

Wow, that is going to hit non-exclusives hard. At least the sales will be made up on other sites when the buyers go looking for micro priced images.

it was a typical ~~snafu~~ glitch and should be ok now.

borg · « **Reply #32 on:** June 25, 2009, 14:35 »

Thanks Whatalife!

I see this like advantage for all other pics out of Vetta collection because same motive can be founded for 10x less price.

PixelBytes · « **Reply #33 on:** June 25, 2009, 14:47 »

Quote from: thesentinel on June 25, 2009, 13:48

it was a typical ~~snafu~~ glitch and should be ok now.

Good news. Thanks. I have been trying to wade through the thread on istock, but got bogged down around page 18 or so

melastmohican · « **Reply #34 on:** June 25, 2009, 14:49 »

It seems like an experiment. They use exclusives as Guinea pigs cause they cannot go somewhere else. If they succeed it might be down of micros assault to macros space :-) In meanwhile macros try to get into cheap images space too. At the end of the day everything will look the same.

bittersweet · « **Reply #35 on:** June 25, 2009, 14:57 »

There have been more reports of sales than I honestly expected to see this early in the game. That's a good sign that they weren't completely off base.

I only have one image in there and it was swept in with all the 25 credit vectors...and now is bumped up to 30 credits as a vetta vector. It's nowhere near my best work, but the arbitrary price assignment got it in there. Maybe it will miraculously sell before I lose my crown and they kick me out of the collection.

pieman · « **Reply #36 on:** June 25, 2009, 15:13 »

@whatalife: It's weird. I review the list we have of people dumping exclusivity pretty much every day and the list has been empty for sometime now. You might want to make sure you got your Exclusivity Cancellation request in. Currently I'm not seeing anything in our queue.

bittersweet · « **Reply #37 on:** June 25, 2009, 15:21 »

Quote from: pieman on June 25, 2009, 15:13

@whatalife: It's weird. I review the list we have of people dumping exclusivity pretty much every day and the list has been empty for sometime now. You might want to make sure you got your Exclusivity Cancellation request in. Currently I'm not seeing anything in our queue.

Well the cancel link on the site didn't work the day I tried it and only lead to a blank page (on 2 different browsers). I submitted a support ticket, and received a reply from a support rep the next day, confirming my request and stating the date of my support ticket would be the effective date of my request, and that I would be released 30 days later.

Maybe since it didn't go through the usual queue, it missed showing up on your list.

(Edited to correct an overstatement: I went back to my copy of the ticket and response and saw that it had only been attempted on 2 different browsers, not 3.)

pieman · « **Reply #38 on:** June 25, 2009, 15:36 »

@whatalife: That would explain it

thesentinel · « **Reply #39 on:** June 26, 2009, 05:26 »

Quote from: pieman on June 25, 2009, 15:13

@whatalife: It's weird. I review the list we have of people dumping exclusivity pretty much every day and the list has been empty for sometime now. You might want to make sure you got your Exclusivity Cancellation request in. Currently I'm not seeing anything in our queue.

I seems to be acceptable policy for istock admins to unsolicedly discuss members account information, in the past 24 hours I also saw Rob bringing up a buyers purchasing details in open forum too. Coming from the UK where we have strong data protection laws I'm surprised.

gostwyck · « **Reply #40 on:** June 26, 2009, 05:56 »

Quote from: thesentinel on June 26, 2009, 05:26

I seems to be acceptable policy for istock admins to unsolicedly discuss members account information, in the past 24 hours I also saw Rob bringing up a buyers purchasing details in open forum too. Coming from the UK where we have strong data protection laws I'm surprised.

I'd agree and I was thinking the same. Both forums have the facility to PM the individual too so the communication could have been more discreet. In both instances the Admin's were using private information (some of which was inaccurate) to openly question the validity of a statement. I was amazed when it was used against a good customer complaining about the price increase!

alias · « **Reply #41 on:** June 26, 2009, 05:57 »

Quote from: thesentinel on June 26, 2009, 05:26

Coming from the UK where we have strong data protection laws I'm surprised.

Then you are misunderstanding the letter and the spirit of the data protection legislation.

Data Protection Act 1998

thesentinel · « **Reply #42 on:** June 26, 2009, 06:15 »

Quote from: alias on June 26, 2009, 05:57

Quote from: thesentinel on June 26, 2009, 05:26
Coming from the UK where we have strong data protection laws I'm surprised.

Then you are misunderstanding the letter and the spirit of the data protection legislation.

Data Protection Act 1998

No, I was just trying to make a cheap point, but in my case not using privileged information.

ETA ( as well as making up a word that probably doesn't exist ! )

bittersweet · « **Reply #43 on:** June 26, 2009, 06:44 »

Quote from: gostwyck on June 26, 2009, 05:56

In both instances the Admin's were using private information (some of which was inaccurate) to openly question the validity of a statement.

That's exactly why it's being done. I have also been amazed to see things like this happen on more than one occasion. In all honestly, I used to secretly cheer when it happen to someone who was getting on my nerves and just being all kinds of obnoxious, but when it transformed from a one time slip-up at the peak of an admin's understandable frustration, into a tool for the bullying toolbox, it wasn't so amusing anymore.

Now that it has been used on me, it only confirms that I've made the right decision. That's all I really want to say on the matter at this time.

iclick · « **Reply #44 on:** June 27, 2009, 14:35 »

Sorry to hear this approach is being used. As regards the vetta I have just enjoyed browsing through, however like the standard collection have found that though mostly stunning Imagery is available within the collection I was surprised to also find some very ordinary Files in there.

Think there is a little work to be done

would hardley call a very avarage blossom Image with a defocussed background cutting edge . Still an intersting devopment still in the makeing

microstockinsider · « **Reply #45 on:** July 05, 2009, 06:35 »

Back to the vetta / standard collection mix - i've not been looking since I last wrote on this thread, but it now looks like the experiment is over with the search results... a search of apple now gives me one vetta image and all those lovely apples, and sliced apples and weird apple-orange things that were there before. I'm glad they tried it on - I might of worked, I wish we knew the overall istock sales figures while the vetta skewed results were running.

loop · « **Reply #46 on:** July 05, 2009, 08:35 »

Well, the fact is that the collection is working well, I have less than 100 files there and I'm selling vetta files on almost a daily basis... sometimes more than one in a day. Let's hope it lasts!

jsnover · « **Reply #47 on:** July 05, 2009, 18:48 »

Quote from: loop on July 05, 2009, 08:35

Well, the fact is that the collection is working well, I have less than 100 files there and I'm selling vetta files on almost a daily basis... sometimes more than one in a day. Let's hope it lasts!

Vetta images are getting an extraordinary boost in best match placement. Getting good sales doesn't surprise me, higher prices not withstanding. We've seen over and over again what good search placement can do.

lurkertwo · « **Reply #48 on:** July 05, 2009, 21:24 »

Quote from: jsnover on July 05, 2009, 18:48

Quote from: loop on July 05, 2009, 08:35
Well, the fact is that the collection is working well, I have less than 100 files there and I'm selling vetta files on almost a daily basis... sometimes more than one in a day. Let's hope it lasts!
Vetta images are getting an extraordinary boost in best match placement. Getting good sales doesn't surprise me, higher prices not withstanding. We've seen over and over again what good search placement can do.

This might explain why others here, like me, observed a sudden drop in sales after June 16. One contributor here even mentioned a week without any DLs at all. My personal dry spell went from June 17-21 after a very good June 16. Over all, the first half of June was my BME, then suddenly all came to a halt and I had a meager 7 sales from June 17 till now. (Caveat: small port of 310, acceptance ratio 12/15 on latest batch)

Obviously, this must be result of tweaks in the search engine, and the Vendetta collection emphasis might be an explanation. I'm not sure if this is wise to do, but it's iStockphoto's site, and they do as they please. We are just the styrofoam pieces that float on the giant waves that iStock makes with its constant best match changes, whether good or bad. The positive side is that the Vendetta sales show that there is a market for higher-priced pictures and that the rush to the lowest possible price is wrong. The other positive side is that it makes you feel happy to be independent. If it rains at iStock, it's sunny at other sites. And vice versa.

PixelBytes · « **Reply #49 on:** July 06, 2009, 10:20 »

Quote from: cevapcici on July 05, 2009, 21:24

The positive side is that the Vendetta sales show that there is a market for higher-priced pictures and that the rush to the lowest possible price is wrong. The other positive side is that it makes you feel happy to be independent. If it rains at iStock, it's sunny at other sites. And vice versa.

Well said Cevapcici! I completely agree on both counts