Custom muggs not as popular anymore?

[Ninja Mugg]

So I have been noticing a trend lately with custom muggs on ebay. It seems that in the last few weeks there have been fewer then "normal" amount of custom muggs on ebay & it seems many of them are not selling. Generally most muggs dont get bids until the last minute, but out of 25 muggs now, only 1 has any bids. the Sarah Palin Mugg...go figure. Its a nice mugg but surprised its the only one with bids.

Here is my thoughts on this.

1. All the customizers are currently working on new stuff and dont have anything to post.
2. No one likes the current custom muggs
3. People are waiting to bid.
4. No one wants to bid because the prices are too high

The custom scene on this board seems to be booming, but not much is selling.

Just my thoughts, what are yours?

[atgscl]

i think that buyers want muggs but only want to pay next to nothing for them

[Mr. Woo]

I did always wonder why customizers charge so much for custom muggs. I mean there is a lot more art in customizing an action figure (like marvel legends) their smaller, and you need to get a lot of other parts from a lot of other expensive action figures. But muggs you just (with great skill) paint and spray seal. I can imagine paying 80 bucks for a custom marvel legends (like deadpool) but a mugg. 80 bucks. really?

[Ninja Mugg]

I agree that Some muggs are way over the top in pricing, however, I am surprised that some muggs dont sell at the $40 mark. I think thats a very reasonable price. I would probably pay up to $100, but thats an extreme. I would casually pay between $40-$50 for a nice custom mugg. I personally cant justify paying tons of moneu for a toy. especially when I have lots of other things I need to get/do.

Not that some arent worth the $$$, i just have more important things to spend my herd earned cash on. If ai was single with no kids...well, I may splurge on some expensive ones.

but as far as the types of custom muggs go...

I understand that its fun to think of new charactors that have never been made before. But are they really going to sell? The more niche charactor the harder it is to find buyers. For example...Zombie charactors. As cool as some look, there are way fewer fans of zombies then of say star wars fans.

just my meaningless opinions

[litepink]

i check ebay alot and i see that not alot of customs are selling. i mean, that one thats $200!!! come on! who's going to pay that? there are so many customs that i like, but i dont buy them, i dont wanna spend alot of money.
im just not a custom collector, i guess i wanna put my money into the regular hasbro muggs.
i would buy a custom for the right price. and i understand people wanna make a profit, but im personally spending too much money on muggs as it is.

[Mr. Woo]

i check ebay alot and i see that not alot of customs are selling. i mean, that one thats $200!!! come on! who's going to pay that? there are so many customs that i like, but i dont buy them, i dont wanna spend alot of money.
im just not a custom collector, i guess i wanna put my money into the regular hasbro muggs.
i would buy a custom for the right price. and i understand people wanna make a profit, but im personally spending too much money on muggs as it is.

They are really cool. I love the X-men ones that Are-Jay did. But he has them on eBay for $60 plus and I just can't afford it. Thats a big reason why I love to develope as a customizer. Not only do I not have to dwell on the fact that I cant have the muggs I really want (like that Cable one, Gambit and Sunfire) But my total cost for making my own mugg is like $20 tops. And I get to put myself into the character. Interpret him/her the way I want. Like I love old school cable (like from x-force 1991) and with my customizing (skills!) I can make my own just the way I like him. Its hard work but it pays off in the best way.

The best feeling in the world is when I get a message from an eBay user who has been bidding on my stuff (like Jack Skellington) and not able to win it and they ask me to make one just for them because they like my style. having your art and vision appreciated is a feeling un-comparable. I created something. From concept to execution and they want to display it in a place they are most proud of... their home.

[joeybones]

Its hard, If your customzing for yourself then go for it. If your customizing to sell on ebay, Im not sure what the secret is. Personally I just have fun painting them, however, they cost about $10-$12 dollars in the store.. If I cant make at least double that back on ebay, then theyre is no use listing them. Id like to be able to make at least enough money on a single custom to but the next figure to paint, ya know? I was selling muggs on ebay a few weeks back 25-40$. Now, I just sold on for like $12 and one didnt sell at all. Not sure what the deal is, I think im gonna just do it for the fun, and stay off feebay.

Im almost done with my Newest Mugg... Its the Almighty GLENN DANZIG of the MISFITS/SAMHAIN & DANZIG.

Google him if you dont know....................

[vinyl_playgirl]

A Buyer's Point of View

Check my ebay feedback. I have purchased a few customs (5) z71notasca is my ebay username

I think that customs are not selling for the following reasons.

1. pointless characters

stop making stupid characters... nobody wants them. For example... cobra commander custom on ebay right now. this mugg will be released in the near future by hasbro... why do you think someone will buy this one? stop wasting your money on fees and your time painting something that will be really made someday.

ninja turtles... stop selling one turtle. sell all four. i am still waiting to see all four turtles together in an auction. hasn't happened. every time a nice turtle goes up... i contact... asking for the others. I always get the same response. "buy this one and i will post up the others in about a week or so. My fear is that the others will not look as good... or that the price will be higher than the first one. my point is... make the set and set the price. someone will buy all four. nobody wants to display one turtle.

2. no exclusive ownership
here is an example of what happened to me. i bid on spiderman2099 and it went for 230. the mugg took 4 weeks to arrive. after I received my mugg... i found out through other forums that several people (at least 3 others) had the same spiderman2099 that i had so proudly won. after asking a few questions to these buyers... i found that they had paid half and in one case less than half of what i paid for mine. not cool. this has caused me to stop bidding on customs all together. i know that customizers need to make money with their talents. but my point is... sell your muggs at a set price. if i would have known that the custom would be available as a second chance offer at a lower price i would NEVER have bid that high. If you plan on making multiples... then state it in your auction. and do a buy it now with a set limit. even if that limit is 500. be honest and fair with your customers. if you are going to do an auction and want it to be very successful make sure that you state it will be an exclusive.

3. small market. smaller than you think.
the amount of people buying muggs right now is minuscule. just look at the amount of muggs in your store compared to action figures. now take that small number of mugg buyers and then pull out a small percentage of those that are willing to spend extra dollars on custom mighty muggs. i know of maybe 10 people that actually buy customs. and most custom buyers join forums like these... just look at the collection photos.

4. attitude/customer service
douchebaggery will only kill your sales. stop pretending to be badass when you list your auctions.(yabemc)

i had an experience with a mark 1 iron man with led eyes that arrived broken. (flickering lights) anyway... the seller really didnt give a crap that i was having trouble. and he also asked me to try and fix it myself. i dont think i will spend another 100 dollars with him.


thats why i think the ebay customs are not selling

[deadpool]

i like custom muggs but right now i am just starting with this line so as much as possible i would like to enjoy collecting what hasbro has to offer.. and these custom muggs arent that hard to make like those custom action figures.. i think everyone can make these custom muggs.. i am an action fig collector by i havent dared to make a custom action fig but with muggs i think i could make one coz for me it would be easy.. and i think hasbro had same intention.. look at those blank muggs.. those blank muggs are for all of us.. intended for anyone who would like to do a custom.. its not exclusive for those professionals who do custom..

[P05TMAN]

A Buyer's Point of View

ninja turtles... stop selling one turtle. sell all four. i am still waiting to see all four turtles together in an auction. hasn't happened. every time a nice turtle goes up... i contact... asking for the others. I always get the same response. "buy this one and i will post up the others in about a week or so. My fear is that the others will not look as good... or that the price will be higher than the first one. my point is... make the set and set the price. someone will buy all four. nobody wants to display one turtle.



Umm I coulda sworn I saw a Raphael/Leo/Shredder/Krang set up a while back. Also, Jeta made a Leo and a Raphael (which I am the proud owner of). I think its just to hard to pour hard work into four muggs, then put them on sale starting at $10 a piece. Think it out logically. If you havent made a custom yourself before, you'd realize how hard it is to even come to parts with it (especially if you are not satisfied with it being just alright) and then putting it at a low start/reserve.

If you have contacted a seller before, throw some numbers at them. I guarantee you will have a lot more response. As for doing that on Ebay, that doesnt really work because the first turtle is already up for auction and your already not in control of total cost. Just choose from one of the many talented members on the boards. I'd bet someone would be game.

and my closing note...

This may seem harsh but CUSTOMS ARE NOT FOR THE LIGHT IN POCKET. They are a HUGE spoil. Think about how little Mighty Muggs actually do in the first place. Then multiply that with time/labor/cost of resources. If you dont HAVE to have it, then dont bother. If you do, then go for it like you need it.

[P05TMAN]

A Buyer's Point of View

2. no exclusive ownership
here is an example of what happened to me. i bid on spiderman2099 and it went for 230. the mugg took 4 weeks to arrive. after I received my mugg... i found out through other forums that several people (at least 3 others) had the same spiderman2099 that i had so proudly won. after asking a few questions to these buyers... i found that they had paid half and in one case less than half of what i paid for mine. not cool. this has caused me to stop bidding on customs all together. i know that customizers need to make money with their talents. but my point is... sell your muggs at a set price. if i would have known that the custom would be available as a second chance offer at a lower price i would NEVER have bid that high. If you plan on making multiples... then state it in your auction. and do a buy it now with a set limit. even if that limit is 500. be honest and fair with your customers. if you are going to do an auction and want it to be very successful make sure that you state it will be an exclusive.



And let me guess, PermaGrin? There's no need to tip toe around names if your gonna call out Yabemc. It just sounds like your crying because other people have this custom. You probably werent thinking "Oh crap, Im spending $230" while waiting for the auction to end. You probably were excited and amped up to have a clean, sweet looking custom. Lets be honest too, a big freakin majority of Ebay sellers put things up for AUCTION to try and sell to the HIGHEST BIDDER. Who in their right mind would title an auction "FOUR-OF-A-KIND CUSTOM"? If you have any actual complaints with the figure, by all means you have more of an argument.
As for some people having the same figure, I can understand your frustration on that end. Really though, I'd be willing to compromise on the quality of work alone. What do you think the chances are of running into one of those 3 other people?

[Ninja Mugg]

Lets keep this thread going, so please keep the conversations to the topic and without insult.

I have to say that I agree with everyone and especially Vinyl_Playgirl. Yes custom can be expensive and most are worth every penny.

One other area to look at is demographic. Just look in the "how old are you thread". Most of the mugg collecting audience is 18-25. there are several teens and younger guys collecting muggs, along with several other things. Not to say they cant afford a custom, but seriously how many 19yo's are going to shell out $100+ on a custom. let alone finding enough people to want the same custom to bid it up.

Its neat to see some wierd, crazy customs...but seriously to be able to find multiple buyers to want a mugg (for example) like Gene Simmons is tough. It was a great mugg and I almost bid on it and I dont even like Kiss. BUt the amount of people who might bid on it is slim. Therefor you are going to get many bids....or you may only get two people, but they are hardcore fans, and then the price would go crazy high. I guess its hit or miss. Just seems like a lot more misses lately.


Just sayin....

[P05TMAN]

Lets keep this thread going, so please keep the conversations to the topic and without insult.


Haha sorry. Not my intention if that was meant for me. Just get lost sometimes in the heat of a debatable topic. I agree with you though that the target audience that MM go for in general are not those with deep pockets for customs. I stated that its not for those kind of people. I frequently buy ( id say one every 2-3 weeks depending) customs and I kick myself for it. I moan and complain until it actually arrives. Then it goes onto my shelf and I admire it. If you still complain after getting what you paid for, then you dont know how to deal with "Buyer's Remorse" yet then.

[vinyl_playgirl]

Umm I coulda sworn I saw a Raphael/Leo/Shredder/Krang set up a while back. Also, Jeta made a Leo and a Raphael (which I am the proud owner of).

Still not all four turtles.

I almost bought Leo from Jeta. I'm glad i didn't though... i thought raphael's weapons were weak.

My point is that as a buyer, I would like to see all four turtles done before I buy them.

[dubsm177]

I have a Leo from Jeta and I'm very happy with it. You have to realize when you're buying customs, you should only pay what they are worth to you. If you are worried about anything don't bid that high. I have about 50 or so customs and I always set a price in my head that I'm willing to go. If the price goes one cent higher I figure oh well. You also have to realize that customs are only worth what you are willing to pay. They have almost no resale value. Unless you are lucky enough to find someone who is willing to pay as much or more than you did.

[deadpool]

you may have the most expensive muggs from ebay but wheres the fun in that.. hasbro made those blank muggs so anybody can have their own custom muggs that is why for me i dont want to bid on a deadpool custom muggs even though i like deadpool so much.. i would rather make my own deadpool.. the outcome may not look like those awesome deadpool done by professionals but at least there is the fun factor in creating our own custom muggs..

[P05TMAN]

Still not all four turtles.

I almost bought Leo from Jeta. I'm glad i didn't though... i thought raphael's weapons were weak.

My point is that as a buyer, I would like to see all four turtles done before I buy them.

As a seller, you cant really pour your time/work into 4 figures and set them at a low price to guarantee a sale. The world doesn't work like that. If you were to contact a seller though, set a commission price down, approve some mock ups, and then see the finished product, that might be the way to go. Taking from how your talking here though, I doubt you've made that initiative.

And for the record, Jeta has given me Raphael and Predator. I have also gotten Spawn from Namara/Permagrin. Both have top notch work. If you don't think its up to snuff, then step up to the plate and do better.

[vinyl_playgirl]

^^
I'm not sure if you are reading the same thread... but i never mentioned anything about keeping the price low to guarantee a sale.

I just said to "set a price"... even if that price is >$200 a mugg.

That being said... in my experience in dealing with yabemc, i asked him for a set of four turtles a while back. He told me that i could have them for 200 each. I said good deal... go for it. the auction goes up and there are 2 turtles and shredder and krang. never asked for villains. and they were at 250 each.

And for the record, Jeta and Permagrin do amazing work. I only said that Raphael's WEAPONS were weak. They looked like play-doh.

CTFD and Re-Read the thread

[P05TMAN]

HAHA I guess thats where this is stemming from? More complaints about Yabemc. Jeez I didn't know everyone here has had a bad experience with him.
BTW, I told Jeta the exact same thing before I won the auction. He took an extra couple of days to make me replacement, plastic sai for Raphael. The world of MM has its fair share of good and bad dealers I suppose. If you still are looking for a set of 4, Jeta has closed and since you've had bad run in's with Perma, try Toyboy. He's taking commissions now I believe and his predator and spawn look great.
As for the topic at hand, Ill back off for now. Im putting a custom up for sale on Ebay soon and I guess I'll be a little more qualified to know things from a Seller's POV after it finishes.

[ingencorp]

I agree that Some muggs are way over the top in pricing, however, I am surprised that some muggs dont sell at the $40 mark. I think thats a very reasonable price. I would probably pay up to $100, but thats an extreme. I would casually pay between $40-$50 for a nice custom mugg. I personally cant justify paying tons of moneu for a toy. especially when I have lots of other things I need to get/do.

Not that some arent worth the $$$, i just have more important things to spend my herd earned cash on. If ai was single with no kids...well, I may splurge on some expensive ones.

but as far as the types of custom muggs go...

I understand that its fun to think of new charactors that have never been made before. But are they really going to sell? The more niche charactor the harder it is to find buyers. For example...Zombie charactors. As cool as some look, there are way fewer fans of zombies then of say star wars fans.

just my meaningless opinions


As a customizer, your points are exactly what I put into each custom before I make it. There are a few characters that I would love to make custom Mighty Muggs of, but I seriously doubt that I'd find other people that would want to bid, and bid high enough to make the auction a success.

One example of this is Jack Bauer from 24. I would love to make one, (and probably eventually will for myself), but if I were to try and sell it, I doubt the auction would end over $40. So, unfortunetly, other popular characters that are more popular at the moment (like the Joker a few months ago) get the greenlight over characters that wouldn't sell as well.

I do think that's a big reason why some customs on eBay aren't selling high at the moment....plus, lets not forget the state of the economy...I'm sure that has a big factor in why people aren't bidding as high on customs.

[Ralph]

Custom Mugg are dying down from my eBay searching experience. Right now, Mugg collecting is still in it's infancy. Those collectors who are willing to spend money for customs have probally bought a few and aren't looking for any more right now unless they're really special. That's my theory anyways, but I do expect customizing to grow.

Right now, I think customizers aren't targeting the right audience.

If you sell any type of custom,which is the bigger audience:

A) People who collect Muggs OR
b) People who collect the franchise/series/etc that the Mugg is based on

The majority of the time people are going to be more interested if they collect that line, as opposed to Mugg collectors being interested in a different line.

If you want to make the most money off your Muggs, do the following.

Find a series/franchise with a RABID fanbase. Make sure that as a general rule, they're older collectors who have more disposable income. If it is some sort of toy line that's generally usually expensive, even better. If it's a franchise that does not, or does not frequently have new toys created, than even better once again.

One you've done this, post on related forums. You're not going to get hundreds of bucks for a Mugg unless the right people see it, and most likely they won't find it on eBay in their usual browing. Find as many sites and forums related to the topic and let people know it's avialble. If possible, do this ahead of time showing off the custom, then post it a few weeks later for more exposure. This is the most important part. It dosen't matter if you have the best Mugg ever created in the universe. If no one see it, it's not going to sell.

[vinyl_playgirl]

word......

[litepink]

ive got a suggestion as well. where are the star wars customs? marvel muggs are more popular (and my personal fav), but there are almost no star wars customs. keyword almost. ive seen the jabba the hut and the few on here, but there is a huge universe out there to custom, and hopefully some people who will want to buy it!


another take, maybe customs will become more popular around the holidays! what a great gift a custom made mugg would make! :D

[Ninja Mugg]

I personally LOVE customs!!! But I feel like I cant buy customs until I have all the Hasbro muggs. I do have one custom though. But I still have a few more regular ones to get first.

I also wgree with you Litepink, if you want to sell customs, look at whats hot from Hasbro.

[B.A.L.D]

I agree the market is down for customs lately, I haven't been making what I'd like to, thinking of calling it quits for a while until the new waves arrive and it peaks interest or new buyers. I agree some customizes are making the market lame as far as making customs that just don't appeal to anyone (Capt. Picard) come on who wants that?? Not to be cruel and in no way am I the greatest artist but some of these lately are too amateurish.

I do give yabemc credit he does raise the bar artistically but $200 is scaring some away from the market, I would like to have a custom go for that but by the fans driving it and placing that value on it not me arrogantly thinking this toy is worth this right off the bat.

I personally don't do multiples, I want the buyer to have the "one and only" i will redo a figure on commission but that is a different animal altogether, and yes customer service is key if anyone on this board has bought one or more of our customs you know us, we care its a pleasure to see people digg what you do so thank you for that.

As far as the slow market, the economy can be blamed as well, people don't have the $$$ for customs, their trying to pay the bills, but hopefully it will pick back up. I do think more competition is good, as long as its good competition, making better Muggs, better ideas etc.

Peace!

www.myspace.com/breakinganotherlevel
http://myworld.ebay.com/breakinganotherleveldesign

[DavyJonesLocker]

Sadly, BALD may be right about the economy. Spend a bunch a money on toys when the financial situation is in choas doesn't seem mature. But, I say there is hope, because I feel the geeks and nerds won't give up what they love no matter what!!! Mighty Muggs Customs FTW!!!!!! LOL!

[lord magneto]

I dont think I'd actually ever buy any customs but I'd love to see more artsy looking muggs... like a Tagged mugg or just plane funky looking muugs...

not sure if any of that made since

[litepink]

I dont think I'd actually ever buy any customs but I'd love to see more artsy looking muggs... like a Tagged mugg or just plane funky looking muugs...

not sure if any of that made since

ive seen a few of these, but they dont seem to sell well sadly, so we may not see as many.

anyone search customs on ebay lately? like 17 search results and most are ones that havent sold in the past or blanks. hopefully the custom sales can be rejuvenated again soon.

[CombustedGremlin]

Hey I was reading this and was wondering why vinyl_playgirl is no longer part of the community. Anybody know?

-Your friendly neighborhood Gremlin

[muggies]

Allow me to comment.

1- Price play a very very big part. No doubt custom muggs are rare, pricing is always a factor when it's going at $80 - $200. I will gladly pay $50 for a custom I like but surely not over that amount. Anything over the amount is ridiculous dispite how much I like, how much effort was put into the mugg etc.

2- Nothing fantastic at all. To be very honest, none of the ebay customs caught my eye at all (except a few with "asking for the sky pricing") Most of the customs listed have lousy paint work, easily seen when you look close up. The extraordinary ones are out of normal consumers reach because of their price.

I do applaud all the customs maker for their efforts and love towards customising muggs. I have to admit I'm a huge admirer but unless the above 2 points are changed, I doubt I'll ever order any customs (it's just me)

*last but not least, I have to say I admire bro Kire customs the most. Nice matt paintwork and details really tempt me. Salute you

[demonash]

yup i agree, customizers should maybe consider making some mid level muggs easily avaliable at around $40-50 which requires not so much effort on their part at sculpting etc so that more people are ready to start buying and bidding. At the moment, a lot of auctions start at like $95 and even if i like the mugg, the price just scares me off.

[elizabethlestat]

Allow me to comment.

1- Price play a very very big part. No doubt custom muggs are rare, pricing is always a factor when it's going at $80 - $200. I will gladly pay $50 for a custom I like but surely not over that amount. Anything over the amount is ridiculous dispite how much I like, how much effort was put into the mugg etc.

2- Nothing fantastic at all. To be very honest, none of the ebay customs caught my eye at all (except a few with "asking for the sky pricing") Most of the customs listed have lousy paint work, easily seen when you look close up. The extraordinary ones are out of normal consumers reach because of their price.

I do applaud all the customs maker for their efforts and love towards customising muggs. I have to admit I'm a huge admirer but unless the above 2 points are changed, I doubt I'll ever order any customs (it's just me)

*last but not least, I have to say I admire bro Kire customs the most. Nice matt paintwork and details really tempt me. Salute you

All you need to do is figure out the math to realize why nice customs can't be bought for only $50.
Start with the $50 then subtract the price of the mugg (including tax and rounded off) $12. Now you're at $38 minus about $5 for supplies, and you have $33. Now if it takes the customizer only 6 hours to complete the mugg they would be making $5.50 an hour. Increase that by an hour, and it goes down to $4.71. People at McDonald's make more than that, and if you want to drop the price of the custom to $40 it's even worse.
You also have to take into account supply and demand, really amazing customs are hard to come by, because creating them takes a skill not everyone possesses, and as long as there are people willing to by more expensive, customs the prices will stay as they are. And if that stops then you'll see a big drop in awesome customs, while you still see sub par customs that aren't as expensive.
If a customizer can't make profit off of his/her work, then what is the point of spending so many hours making it? It's just like any other piece of art that is produced. I hope this helps everyone understand the prices from the customizer's pov:)

[Green Eggs and Death]

That is a very good way to break it down. The "minimum wage" part is the most telling and probably the part people just don't think about. An excellent post.:D

Heh, even when (and if) I do my first custom, I won't be making dollar ONE on it (if I sell it at the "normal" custom prices ... heh, that's assumimg someone buys it), because of the supplies and time already spent ahead of time. Call it Research and Development.

As much fun as art is (no matter the medium or "canvas"), a real artist can ill afford to do it for "free." As much as we like to see people smile and appreciate it, well, unless you've got a rich sugar daddy or momma, you ain't gonna be able to do it long if you don't make any money at it.

This isn't complaining on the part of Customizers or ANY artists or anyone that makes a living off of what is usually considered, right or wrong, by people to be a "hobby." No one is forcing ANYone to do Custom Muggs. It's just a small dose of reality to help people understand.;)

[nooksak]

I understand the costs, but i just can't afford them myself, and i think alot of people feel the same way. I agree some of them are worth every penny if not more......

[jayp7]

[COLOR="Magenta"][SIZE="2"]ive got a suggestion as well. where are the star wars customs? marvel muggs are more popular (and my personal fav), but there are almost no star wars customs. keyword almost. ive seen the jabba the hut and the few on here, but there is a huge universe out there to custom, and hopefully some people who will want to buy it!


I personally love the SW universe....not sure if you've seen my custom luke w-wing pilot mugg....it went on ebay for about 24 bucks:P I also did a scout trooper in the summer of last year that I gave to dubsm as well. I got some other ideas as well for some great SW muggs customs coming up if i ever get around to it

[jayp7]

That is a very good way to break it down. The "minimum wage" part is the most telling and probably the part people just don't think about. An excellent post.:D

Heh, even when (and if) I do my first custom, I won't be making dollar ONE on it (if I sell it at the "normal" custom prices ... heh, that's assumimg someone buys it), because of the supplies and time already spent ahead of time. Call it Research and Development.

As much fun as art is (no matter the medium or "canvas"), a real artist can ill afford to do it for "free." As much as we like to see people smile and appreciate it, well, unless you've got a rich sugar daddy or momma, you ain't gonna be able to do it long if you don't make any money at it.

This isn't complaining on the part of Customizers or ANY artists or anyone that makes a living off of what is usually considered, right or wrong, by people to be a "hobby." No one is forcing ANYone to do Custom Muggs. It's just a small dose of reality to help people understand.;)

Well put...As a customizer, I personally find this fun and relaxing to customize muggs... This is only a hobby for me....Money that I make off of customizing jus goes back into my ring of buying more muggs or paints as well. When i put my first customs on ebay i noticed ones that were sitting there that had no bids because even as big as a collector as i am, i wouldn't pay 900 for a mugg so i placed my customs on ebay at more reasonable muggs and started my customs at 19.99...i was even excited jus to see it go for 24 and my other custom carnage went for 54.....i was extremely satisfied with what they went for. But the good thing was that a buyer was impressed with my work and paid double for a comission (Carnage2.0)...

What I try to do is make one of a kind ones, but everytime i get one done at the pace that i go because of work and family, 10 different ones pop out before me:P But if I do make ones that have already been made i try to put in my own style in it because there are many customs i have done on paper in my sketch book that i'm itchin to make right now which include both Marvel and Star Wars customs...

[ingencorp]

All you need to do is figure out the math to realize why nice customs can't be bought for only $50.
Start with the $50 then subtract the price of the mugg (including tax and rounded off) $12. Now you're at $38 minus about $5 for supplies, and you have $33. Now if it takes the customizer only 6 hours to complete the mugg they would be making $5.50 an hour. Increase that by an hour, and it goes down to $4.71. People at McDonald's make more than that, and if you want to drop the price of the custom to $40 it's even worse.
You also have to take into account supply and demand, really amazing customs are hard to come by, because creating them takes a skill not everyone possesses, and as long as there are people willing to by more expensive, customs the prices will stay as they are. And if that stops then you'll see a big drop in awesome customs, while you still see sub par customs that aren't as expensive.
If a customizer can't make profit off of his/her work, then what is the point of spending so many hours making it? It's just like any other piece of art that is produced. I hope this helps everyone understand the prices from the customizer's pov:)

Excellent post. That's almost exactly the same "laying it out there" details that I tell someone when they complain about costs being too high. Most people don't realize what time and effort really goes into a quality custom.

[jayp7]

i'm not sure if people consider my customs nice/great or not but i'm perfectly happy if someone buys my custom for 50 bucks rather than someone not buying it at all...i was even content when my luke skywalker went for 25 bucks:P i'm perfectly happy with satisfied customers coming back for more knowing that they like your work.

[muggies]

All you need to do is figure out the math to realize why nice customs can't be bought for only $50.
Start with the $50 then subtract the price of the mugg (including tax and rounded off) $12. Now you're at $38 minus about $5 for supplies, and you have $33. Now if it takes the customizer only 6 hours to complete the mugg they would be making $5.50 an hour. Increase that by an hour, and it goes down to $4.71. People at McDonald's make more than that, and if you want to drop the price of the custom to $40 it's even worse.
You also have to take into account supply and demand, really amazing customs are hard to come by, because creating them takes a skill not everyone possesses, and as long as there are people willing to by more expensive, customs the prices will stay as they are. And if that stops then you'll see a big drop in awesome customs, while you still see sub par customs that aren't as expensive.
If a customizer can't make profit off of his/her work, then what is the point of spending so many hours making it? It's just like any other piece of art that is produced. I hope this helps everyone understand the prices from the customizer's pov:)

if you're calculating by this method, i guess all customizers are millionaire by now?

going by business sense, yes - it's always good to try and sell as much as possible. ask urself this, if a customizer has the mean to customize, he/she will have the mean to source for cheaper sources. supplies can be buy in bulk and use over and over for several muggs, that will bring the cost down. muggs can also be bought from sale and cut price offer online which in turn bring cost down also. anyway, how a customizer wants to spend on his customs is up to them. I did mentioned, it's a willing buyer, willing seller world so if anyone is willing to spend more than what I deemed as budget, good for them.

from a hobbist point of view, i'm just stating my opinion of how much I would pay for a custom. in this recession period, I'm glad to see ppl still spending but how much can we go further?
A US$100 mugg will cost $155 over at my place - add the shipping and it will go up to US$120.

Now - US$120 minus (you so call supplies and source) $17 = $103/6 hours = $17.1666 (per hour)

Do your maths, how good a piece of customs maybe look or worth is still up to buyer to decide. No buyer = no money, no matter how nice your work looked, it's still $0 until the item is sold.

If you're the owner of a airplane company and your plane is flying off in 10 mins. A guy came along, pull out $100 and offer you for a $200 seat on that plane, will you sell it to him?

If i can make a fortune out of customizing and earn $17 - $20 an hour by your way of calculating, I'll quit my job and be full time customizer already.

[muggies]

Excellent post. That's almost exactly the same "laying it out there" details that I tell someone when they complain about costs being too high. Most people don't realize what time and effort really goes into a quality custom.

You're half right and half wrong.

I'm very sure there are ppl who understand how much effort are being put into a customs. The "so call" people who complain of expensive cost are the ones who wants to get good stuff at a cheap price - now who doesn't, right?

A true hobbist will know how much time and effort is put into a custom - that is, from a hobbist shoes.

Now, look at it from a consumer angle. When you step into a supermart, do you not try to find better deals or cheaper deals but from a more reputable brand or product? Reason is simple, we're all looking at customs price from different angle.

I for one, really respect how customizers are enticing me with their brilliant art each week. Admire is one thing but buying is another.

From a hobbist view - I'll gladly spend $200 on any good custom mugg
From a consumer view - I'm sorry, the most I'll spend is $50

Now, I'm not sure how the recession and economic crisis is hitting you guys but in such times, i'm better off admiring rather than buying..

[Kire von Banhammer]

Well, if people want to pay just 50 dollars for a high quality mugg, how is that fair to the customizer that put so much time and effort into it? Your talking about custom muggs as if they we're a regular retail item you find in stores, but they are not. They are a 1 of a kind piece of art, a specialty item. If you cant afford the price of the mugg, too bad, the customizer shouldn't have to lower the price and sacrifice his time and skill just because the so-called consumer is a cheap ass.

You should make an absolutely amazing custom and let it go for 50 or less. I guarantee you'll be hesitant at selling it for such a low price. Customizers are not the type with a "take what I can get attitude". I know for a fact that my work, along with other customizers on this board are worth way more than 50 dollars, if you cant afford it, go with more mediocre work.

You get what you pay for is the moral of the story.

[Pumpkin King]

Good point. If they are done VERY well, the price should be accordingly.

[Green Eggs and Death]

Done VERY well is all in the eyes of the consumer, critic or, well, EVERYone. ;) Art is, and always will be, subjective. It is one of the best things about it ... and one of the most frustrating (from an artist's point of view). That will never change.

[SCAVE]

Great info here!
Not selling because of the characters that are being developed by customizers.
Great customs will sell, period.

[Kire von Banhammer]

Most of my work has sold... I have 2 customs I made that have not sold and that's my fault for making obscure characters that no one remembers... hell, I've sold customs that were 25% finished. It all depends on the craftsmanship and the final product.

I think it is way harder to get a commission because the customer doesn't exactly know what he/she is getting, if they see the final product up front, they can easily decide if its worth the asking price. :)