Author Topic: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)  (Read 112690 times)

Offline Gregorbian

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #90 on: July 22, 2005, 12:00 PM »
I have gotten several offers for figures, usually I just offer to give them help as they make their own.  I think that everybody has made some good points about selling custom figures, but for me I would feel very weird selling a custom figure to somebody.  I can't exactly pinpoint it, but it's kind of a combination of the "my baby" theory ;) as well as the custom being sufficiently good for me, but not for somebody else.  I like my customs and put a lot of work into them, however by just looking at the end result, I'm not sure that I could live up to the high standards of manufactured figures (in terms of construction/paint chipping/etc).
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Offline tykrazen

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #91 on: July 22, 2005, 12:07 PM »
Do you guys get unsolicied offers to buy your figures? I've gotten a few recently. The problem is trying to collect the money. They offer huge amount of money for customs but never seem to have the money 'right away'. Why do people offer and then flake? I mean, if you don't have the money or have to wait until 'pay day' to send a check maybe you shouldn't be buying them.

Paul,

I have never had someone follow through on an unsolicited offer.  Therefore I never count on a purchase from those.

Offline Glassman6

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #92 on: July 22, 2005, 12:12 PM »
I cant part with mine. The one i sold for commision, i made a duplicate instead of selling mine. Same for my e-bay fox. That was a dup that turned out better than my original, but i parted with it.
The one i'm selling now, i will make a dup for myself.

Its nice that people want your customs, but I want them more.

I get offers all the time, but I still want them...even my terrible ones.

Offline tykrazen

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #93 on: July 22, 2005, 01:12 PM »
I'm curious -- do you view your custom figures as art?  How about the others who find it hard to sell your customs.   I'm just curious if that plays into this as well.

Offline CHEWIE

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #94 on: July 22, 2005, 01:17 PM »
Well, I don't really consider myself much of an artist.  I just consider my stuff to be horrible attempts at background and fan fic stuff.

 :P

Offline Gregorbian

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #95 on: July 22, 2005, 01:25 PM »
I'm curious -- do you view your custom figures as art?  How about the others who find it hard to sell your customs.   I'm just curious if that plays into this as well.

I wouldn't say my customs are "art", in a way that means that I take them too seriously.  For me, customs are a piece of "art" in as much as somebody that builds birdhouses as a hobby or somebody that knits sweaters would view their work as a piece of "art."  It's really just a hobby to me.
The scariest thing that I've ever seen,
Is the terrible AT-AT walking machine.
It's as big as a house on walking legs,
and whatever it steps on it crushes like eggs.

Offline Phrubruh

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #96 on: July 22, 2005, 01:45 PM »
For me its a hobby and not art. I think of myself as a model maker and not an artist. Kind of like those guys that worked on the original star wars along time ago but no were as good. To me, it's a way to have a cool figure without waiting for the commerical version. 

It does however make me feel a little uneasy about people that treat this hobby as a business <cough>mrtanner<cough>. That kind of stuff reminds me of the cheap knockoff pictures you see on street corners being sold out of a van. I think it lowers peoples perception of this hobby.
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Offline Glassman6

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #97 on: July 22, 2005, 02:36 PM »
I think of mine as art. But more so i think of them as part of my collection.
My collection is unique becasue of my customs, not cause i spend rediculous amounts of time and money hunting down little pieces of plastic. (alot of us do) But MY customs are hard to come by...were up until last month.
So that is why i dont want to part with them.
If i do, then i wont have that figure, that I wanted to make, in my collection.

But i see my art as, not the van on the side of the road, but, priceless pieces after i die peniless or chop off my ear!

Offline Kit Fisto

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #98 on: July 22, 2005, 02:38 PM »
I've sold about 10 customs on commission, I don't know if that counts as an unsolicited offer. I never asked a lot of money for them. Mostly just the money I payed for the parts + shipping.

About that bussiness thing, I think you're right. There  are people who make customs, JUST to be able to sell them. They come on custom boards, post their (awesome) work, and every body wants a piece of the action. Then you don't see those guys online for like months. And suddenly they are back, with more "goods" to sell...
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Offline CHEWIE

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #99 on: July 22, 2005, 03:14 PM »
Yep, there's a certain member over at 'scum that does that.  Then, to top it off he made some very rude comments to some people that do customize for all the right reasons.   >:(

 :P

Offline Phrubruh

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #100 on: July 22, 2005, 03:22 PM »
I wonder who that could be?  ;)

The person you speak of is definately the Thomas Kinkade of the customizing world.
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Offline tykrazen

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #101 on: July 22, 2005, 04:18 PM »
that do customize for all the right reasons.   :P

hmmm.... there's morality to customizing?  Sorry.  I couldn't resist. ;D

Offline Dressel Rebel

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #102 on: July 22, 2005, 04:30 PM »
that do customize for all the right reasons.   :P

hmmm.... there's morality to customizing?  Sorry.  I couldn't resist. ;D

Nah, just etiquette, manners, and decency.
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Offline aeseven7

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #103 on: July 22, 2005, 04:42 PM »
It's definately art for me.  While i sell most of my customs, i do hold onto a few of them that i wouldnt sell for any amount of money.  For me, i get a much bigger kick from knowing that someone around the world has something I MADE in their collection and enjoys it more than i ever would (having it sit on a shelf, unseen, and probably dusty.)

I suppose in a way its also a hobby though, i don't support myself off customs so itd definately only be a "hobby" to me.  But anyone who makes a custom figure and im not talking a parts swap or a repaint, the second you start sculpting or doing extensive work on a figure, it becomes art, for better or worse, lol.

Offline CHEWIE

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Re: Customs on Ebay that you like (NOT YOUR OWN)
« Reply #104 on: July 22, 2005, 04:58 PM »
Dressel Rebel, thanks for summing that up for me.  You did in one sentence what might have taken me a paragraph or two.   ;)

I hope nobody took what I said the wrong way - I see nothing wrong with selling customs on ebay at all.  In fact, I think it's very cool.

There is one person (who I haven't seen post here) that rubbed me the wrong way not too long ago with his comments at the other site.  He doesn't post there very often, but when he does it's only to promote his customs before putting them on ebay - still I am ok with that.  It was some recent comments that he and another made being extremely rude to myself and a couple other customizers.

I'm not really *mad* about it, it just shows how immature some people can be.

BTW, everyone here is awesome.  Not just at customizing either, but your personality and respect for each other.

 :P