[trebleshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickvree

I assume those aren't in order, because the quality of the work should be #1; if your custom sucks, it probably won't sell for much, lol

Definitely not in order of importance, though quality is already a factor in most of my points. The "overall quality" part was in reference to the custom as a finished piece (both visually and functionally).

And agreed on the point about character selection. While some may deride toymakers for releasing too many toys of a given character, they know the popular characters are what sells.

Quote:

Originally Posted by superquad7

Just to add to the mix here, a trend I've observed is that most customs don't end up having the resell value that they initially sell for. I've seen people who have bought a custom off of eBay try to resell it quite a time later without being able to get the original asking price.

I really think trebleshot is right on the money and what nickvree said above my post here has a lot to do with the value as well, as more popular characters will always be easier to resell.

Another thing to keep in mind is that customs are a niche within a niche. What I mean by that is that toy collecting is a niche hobby and custom figures are only a fraction that fraction.

If you are creating a custom to sell, consider your resources that are your cost up front: materials and time. Your paint and the figures used cost upfront (unless you're able to get those for free, which generally isn't the case with most artists). Most people don't work for $1 or $2 per hour, and creating artwork is skilled labor. Most skilled labor has a bottom of $10 per hour. That is also relative to quality of output as well. Also, while this may be the case, an artist is always going to come out ahead with the least amount of resources put into a piece, as anything more than cost is profit for the artist.

Also really good points.

It also reminds me of another point: pay attention to the market, especially any trends that might come up. Supply and demand have a hand in any kind of commerce. So before you decide to make a custom, it might be wise to check around and see who else might have done it or is doing it first and what those have sold for already (if at all).

Unless, of course, you're just doing it for yourself and have no intention of selling it.