Pros and Cons of dealing with Customizers: things to understand before you buy!

[lee snake]

Hi,

Could someone point me where i can get a custom 1/6 figure commissioned from? Excuse my ignorance, i would like to know the proper way to reach interested artists/sculptors to commision Dr. Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory. Any suggestions will be much appreciated. Thanks,

 

[galactiboy]

Best thing to do is check threads that artists have started to get an idea of there work. However, I believe a sculpt was offered or at least teased for Sheldon Cooper... but I don't know if it ever went into production or not.

 

[Ajkhunter]

Best thing to do is check threads that artists have started to get an idea of there work. However, I believe a sculpt was offered or at least teased for Sheldon Cooper... but I don't know if it ever went into production or not.

Think it was a 3d printed sculpt.

 

[lee snake]

Best thing to do is check threads that artists have started to get an idea of there work. However, I believe a sculpt was offered or at least teased for Sheldon Cooper... but I don't know if it ever went into production or not.

Thanks for the info

 

[Alpha Scale]

To start... Some artists have you pay up front, so that they can afford to purchase the needed parts and build the figure. This has several downfalls, in that you must wait for said parts to arrive and that it makes the customer take a leap of faith. It's a necessary evil for those who don't have much money though, as a customer it is your decision whether or not you trust the artist enough to make that leap. Just know that it makes things take longer and most of the time eliminates any chance of a refund in the future.

Some build the figures entirely and sell them already done. This method is preferable, but is expensive and requires solid income to allow. The customer knows exactly what they are getting and has no waiting time whatsoever. It's the best way to do business as a custom artist, but is the hardest to do. One needs money to do so, so only attempt this method if you have cash and can afford to take a loss if they don't sell. The risk here is for the customizer not the customer. The artist risks a lot in this method, but allows for his reputation to never become tarnished and for customer satisfaction to remain high.

Thanks for that golden nugget of knowledge.


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[Alpha Scale]

I think a good thing to post here is that new members should realise buying from a custom artist isn't like buying from a company and rightly so.
Your buying from someone who probably collects the same type of thing but has the talent to make them too !. If a problem comes up on the customizers side refunds aren't always possible and it can sometimes take longer than originally thought.
If these problems do happen the buyer needs to know all this before the purchase so when it comes to it they can at least understand the situation.

I was waiting for heads from Les which I now have ( and there amazing ) and still am from over 5 custom artists on this board but I have no problem waiting at all.
I understood when ordering the custom piece it may take a long time and I know since the customizer himself has great feedback and a good reputation he is trying hard to finish it and he is only trying to make the figure/statue ( whatever ) as good as it can be.


If you understand this before ordering there would never be any arguments and problems. I think the customizers on this board do an incredible job of updating there customers , most of them update there threads daily and answer any questions to there customers asap.

The only problem is with new people joining the board because there so anxious and excited to order they probably wont even read threads like this and simply order.
I think maybe if customizers redirected people to this page ( or maybe a more organised shorter explanation ) before people ordered it may be a better way of doing it.

Its certainly a tricky situation.

I'm babbling on.. I'm tired Sorry !.

I'm glad I'm taking the time to read this. As a new collector it gives me an better understanding of the world of customs.


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[Alpha Scale]

Well said guys! And yes Tay, I think it would be great if customizers would send people here first before taking an order.. just so everyone is on the same page.

And Prog, I know exactly what you mean. Paint and brushes should be paid for out of pocket, which I do myself... mostly when I absolutely HAVE to or else I can't paint.

Payment plans are entirely understandable as well, I've done that myself too. I think it comes down to whatever business agreement that is worked out between customer and artist. I've done work without payment until after, half payment, usually whatever the customer wants. I find that we have to be flexible if we want to keep doing this. Each deal should be approached in such a way, like a negotiation. Money should only be exchanged when both sides are in agreement of what it about to go down.

As for holding onto heads, I hate that as well... I always imagine my customers collections with the headless bodies littering up the place. It really bothers me. Honestly, the best policy here is to just be up front with how behind you are. I've started to just tell people that if they want a repaint it is going to be a while, or else I just tell them to wait until later.

One can never know exactly when it will get done or even how long it will take, it's so hard to assign a time table as it is...and that is WITHOUT a backlog.

Shoot, I'll send people here if they ever consider getting customized figures. Great reads.


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[Waste Time Continuum]

As someone that is dabbling with modifying or making my own custom parts and figures, I know the process of creating something, especially if it's from scratch, can be very difficult. The difficulty comes almost entirely from the fact that I am very serious about quality, and accuracy.

I always try to put myself in the shoes of the artist. I know that if I take it seriously and go through a lot of trial and error to make something perfect, then I have to assume that they are as well.

Long story short (too late)...

I have a policy of only "bothering" an artist that is doing work for me once a week for status updates. I simply touch base and then leave it alone. I do not want to be one of those annoying customers that irritates the artist.

Try to understand that if you trusted them enough to hire them, then trust them enough to leave them alone to do the job.

I hope that makes sense. I'm incredibly tired and about to go to bed, so I'm probably making no sense lol