Comment on DK 172 RB version by Cloxboy-DerKlox
Thanks, man.
Threadless is a disease.
Threadless is a disease.
Oh? Do tell.
Threadless uses a system designed to keep artwork cheap as possible, all while securing only the most popular designs through member voting, insuring their sell-ability (and minimizing risk across the board). Companies like Threadless are taking advantage of designers and the competition has made it very difficult for anyone to sell their own work or products. More artists join these sites every year and every year we all get paid a little less (including in-house designers). This isn't very good for the consumer, either. There is far less variety for people to choose from when only the highest voted designs get printed. Just because a design is popular (a lot of votes) doesn't mean that everyone or anyone would want to buy it, it just means enough people will buy it to make it a profitable design for the company. What's more, these companies are all too aware of what they're doing and it makes me sick to my stomach to even think about. The commercial art world is currently ruled by schemers and corporate douchebags, and if it doesn't change soon, you'll see a lot more homeless artists walking about.
Hmm, definitely agree with you there. I just foolishly assumed that Threadless isn't one of 'bad guys'.
They're "bad guys" in the eyes of those who they negatively affect, which should include anyone making t-shirt designs, in-house or freelance. From a business perspective, Threadless is the reigning champion of their business model. They continue selling the idea of an "artist community" and artists continue to eat it up. The reality is, all the artists joining the "community" become the Threadless' consumer base. Artists join these sites to make money but instead, they lose money and their time. It's similar to the lottery (which is accurately called the "dummy tax"), artists pay for their "ticket" by promoting their design, which is free promotion for the website. Those who promote their design the most and bring in the most new members, will likely win. What they win is a small percentage of the profits and nothing more. The winning artists get no payment for all the promotion they did or all the customers they brought in.... And they should because that's a lot of work, work that other industries have to pay a shit-load of money for. What's really sad is some designers are so desperate for money, they join Threadless -knowing- it's a ripoff. How are things supposed to change if artists keep feeding this disease? Until we stop supporting these sites, they'll keep using us. As you likely know, Threadless is just one of many and it's not apparel now, it's all sorts of products.
Unfortunately, to stop these juggernauts, I think would entail stopping the beast that is rampant consumerism, which I cannot not fathom happening.
All you have to do is not participate and tell others not to participate. It's not going to stop it but at the very least, you're not helping them.
Well, I've never bought a thing from them, and I won't do so in the future.
But I have to ask, is Redbubble any better? I've sold a few shirts on there myself, for a $25~ shirt, I would earn about... $2 or less, from my memory, so unless I was moving goods at a massive scale or mark the price way up, I would only be earning pocket money.
But I have to ask, is Redbubble any better? I've sold a few shirts on there myself, for a $25~ shirt, I would earn about... $2 or less, from my memory, so unless I was moving goods at a massive scale or mark the price way up, I would only be earning pocket money.
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