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I haven't posted in this section of the board in ages; it's been years since I worked with customers. But since my pony rag doll business is paying some bills now, I have actual customer stories again.
I've actually been really lucky; almost all of my buyers are friends or have become friends after purchasing one of my dolls, and I've rarely gotten a commission I disliked. But there are a few...
Guilt-tripping Parents
My dolls are targeted toward the brony community; i.e., adult collectors. These are not toys to be played with. They'll handle some wear and tear, but any 5 year old could split a seam of one in 20 minutes. It's happened.
The worst thing is when a kid sees one of my dolls, and their eyes light up, and their parents ask how much the dolls are. My cheapest dolls are $50, and they can run up to $100. The parents give me this look as if to say, "It's just a doll that you made with scrap fabric, why can't you sell it for $10?" Nobody's ever SAID that, but you can see them thinking it. Sigh. The worst part is, I really wish I could sell them at cost; I'm told I under-value my work, but pricing it any higher seems crazy to me!
Creepers
99.9% of the fans I've interacted with have been fantastic people. Sure, you get some awkward ones, but most of them are really sweet. But there are always a few...
Creeper 1: This guy was creeping on me long before I started sewing. I actually met him at an event once; I don't think he's intentionally being pervy, but he has NO sense of boundaries. When I'd mention on Twitter that my cat was sick, he'd check my location, and send me phone numbers of vets in the area. He'd respond to EVERY TWEET, regardless of the topic. He started following anyone I mentioned I was with. I finally blocked him, because I was tired of it. But before he was blocked, he wanted to order one of my dolls. I was able to get around it for awhile by saying that I didn't ship overseas. But then he ordered through a friend in the States. I'm not entirely comfortable with him having one of my dolls, since I know he's not a fan of the show. It's just...weird.
Creeper 2: This guy means to be nice, but he will not leave me alone! He's commissioned several dolls, which is great, but he's sent stuff to my house, asked for my phone number, had his WIFE ask for my phone number, ask to trade info on Skype so we could chat.... He's backed off every time I told him I wasn't comfortable with something, but he never stops trying. I just finished a commission for him, and I think I may have to tell him that I'm not comfortable having him as a customer anymore.
Ugly Commissions
This latest commission, for the above-mentioned creeper is just hideous. First of all, when I got the commission for his original character, he sent me a bad pencil sketch which was taken in such poor lighting that I literally could not make out the color scheme. I asked for better reference, and he sent a digital art piece. The pony has a dark teal body, purple eyes, and (I am not kidding) a pukey orange-brown mane. I made the doll: it was paid for, and I can be professional about it, but holy hell, did I hate making it! I think some people are just color-blind. (That said, my doll is a HELL of a lot cuter than either drawing! Ha!)
I've actually been really lucky; almost all of my buyers are friends or have become friends after purchasing one of my dolls, and I've rarely gotten a commission I disliked. But there are a few...
Guilt-tripping Parents
My dolls are targeted toward the brony community; i.e., adult collectors. These are not toys to be played with. They'll handle some wear and tear, but any 5 year old could split a seam of one in 20 minutes. It's happened.
The worst thing is when a kid sees one of my dolls, and their eyes light up, and their parents ask how much the dolls are. My cheapest dolls are $50, and they can run up to $100. The parents give me this look as if to say, "It's just a doll that you made with scrap fabric, why can't you sell it for $10?" Nobody's ever SAID that, but you can see them thinking it. Sigh. The worst part is, I really wish I could sell them at cost; I'm told I under-value my work, but pricing it any higher seems crazy to me!
Creepers
99.9% of the fans I've interacted with have been fantastic people. Sure, you get some awkward ones, but most of them are really sweet. But there are always a few...
Creeper 1: This guy was creeping on me long before I started sewing. I actually met him at an event once; I don't think he's intentionally being pervy, but he has NO sense of boundaries. When I'd mention on Twitter that my cat was sick, he'd check my location, and send me phone numbers of vets in the area. He'd respond to EVERY TWEET, regardless of the topic. He started following anyone I mentioned I was with. I finally blocked him, because I was tired of it. But before he was blocked, he wanted to order one of my dolls. I was able to get around it for awhile by saying that I didn't ship overseas. But then he ordered through a friend in the States. I'm not entirely comfortable with him having one of my dolls, since I know he's not a fan of the show. It's just...weird.
Creeper 2: This guy means to be nice, but he will not leave me alone! He's commissioned several dolls, which is great, but he's sent stuff to my house, asked for my phone number, had his WIFE ask for my phone number, ask to trade info on Skype so we could chat.... He's backed off every time I told him I wasn't comfortable with something, but he never stops trying. I just finished a commission for him, and I think I may have to tell him that I'm not comfortable having him as a customer anymore.
Ugly Commissions
This latest commission, for the above-mentioned creeper is just hideous. First of all, when I got the commission for his original character, he sent me a bad pencil sketch which was taken in such poor lighting that I literally could not make out the color scheme. I asked for better reference, and he sent a digital art piece. The pony has a dark teal body, purple eyes, and (I am not kidding) a pukey orange-brown mane. I made the doll: it was paid for, and I can be professional about it, but holy hell, did I hate making it! I think some people are just color-blind. (That said, my doll is a HELL of a lot cuter than either drawing! Ha!)
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