Author Topic: Same image selling at same time on different sites (Read 2726 times)

jefftakespics2 · « **on:** March 27, 2014, 16:56 »

I have noticed over that last year I will sell an image on one of the big 4 sites and the image, or a similar, will sell within an hour or so on other sites, usually at different prices. I always thought it was coincidence (and maybe it is) but it seems to happen on a regular basis. I just sold one on SS that sold an hour ago on DT (for much more). It's not a popular photo, or frankly a very good image. I wonder if it has something to do with Google searches?

Mantis · « **Reply #1 on:** March 27, 2014, 17:00 »

Just to add a similarity, that happens to me a lot. My shark series is selling a lot and when it sells on SS I seem to get a sales on DT elsewhere. Shark week is right around the corner!!

stockphotoeurope · « **Reply #2 on:** March 27, 2014, 17:58 »

I notice this quite often. But I have no idea if the events are really linked or it's just a case of synchronicity.

ComfortEagle2095 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 27, 2014, 18:21 »

I see this all the time too. Often it's an obscure image that doesn't sell very often making it even more strange. I've wondered for years if there was some reason for it but I don't have any ideas.

dirkr · « **Reply #4 on:** March 27, 2014, 18:32 »

Has happened to me as well.
The only idea that comes to my mind is big corporate buyers (for who the prices on micro agencies are completely irrelevant) doing a project on a specific topic, probably with multiple employees looking for images in parallel on different sites.
They're using the same search parameters, so may find the same images.
If they are buying a lot of images, then sorting out what is already there might be more expensive then just downloading a few duplicates...

wordplanet · « **Reply #5 on:** March 27, 2014, 22:55 »

It could also be yearly themed stuff - I'm getting lots of spring and earth day sales across the board lately - it's more likely to happen like that with the kinds of things that get licensed less frequently - maybe over a 1-4 week period. Just a guess but seasonality could be the reason - I think many larger companies pick one traditional and one microstock site for their people to use. Why would they buy from more than one subscription site? I met a designer recently who said her firm used Getty for higher priced projects and shutterstock for the rest. Thought it was interesting that it wasn't getty and istock. Anyway, I often have multiple sales of the same image at SS alone, so my guess is that it's a popular search for many people, I'd guess that if a firm downloaded an image already it would show in their account so they wouldn't download it twice in one day. But maybe not.

lisafx · « **Reply #6 on:** March 27, 2014, 23:16 »

Yep, happens here too. I always wondered if there was a connection. Most likely coincidence, but with 7k files it does make you wonder how the same one can be downloaded the same day on multiple sites - especially when it isn't one of the best sellers.

ACS · « **Reply #7 on:** March 28, 2014, 05:18 »

This happens to me quite often.

Two days ago I sold the same image on SS and IS on the same day. It was a photo of a very specific touristic location. I sell this photo only couple of times a year.

Maybe the licences are different and the buyer want to be on the safe side by making multiple purchases?