GCU Forum - They're after me

Tom_133317 Gold Member artist Posts: 2207	They're after me Feb 25^th, 2008, 4:20pm Well, I've been here a week or so and already a large mainstream card company has hunted me down and wants me to send them some of my work. Is this common? I believe I can just give them a license for some specific cards (not ones here) for a few million dollars (more or less, OK - less), but we'll see where it goes.
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Dustin_133010 Junior Member artist Posts: 99	Re: They're after me Reply #1 - Feb 25^th, 2008, 4:34pm That's great, Tom! I don't know if it's common, but it sure hasn't happened to me. (I'll be optimistic and say hasn't happened to me YET.) Dustin
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Lisa_131617 Full Member artist Posts: 189	Re: They're after me Reply #2 - Feb 25^th, 2008, 5:05pm Congratulations, Smiles and pat, pat, Tom, What great news and compliments for you. Why not keep your GCU card listings too - unless of course this company sends you laughing all the way to the bank by offering you the big bucks for exclusive use of your clever cards! Cheers, Lisa Charlton, Cards from the heART
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Kathy_131728 Gold Member artist Posts: 610	Re: They're after me Reply #3 - Feb 25^th, 2008, 5:55pm Congratulations Tom--Just being contacted is a great accomplishment! I do not think this is common at all. You are the first one who has said something like this since I have been here--7 months! You have a unique line and I am sure that is what brought the interest. Kathy
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Donna_133099 GCU Newbies artist Posts: 1	Re: They're after me Reply #4 - Feb 25^th, 2008, 6:09pm How exciting for you and congratulations!
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Gina_133039 Senior Member artist Posts: 415	Re: They're after me Reply #5 - Feb 25^th, 2008, 6:41pm Congratulations, Tom! What a great compliment to you... Good luck, whatever you decide. Gina
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Tom_133317

Gold Member
artist

Posts: 2207

Re: They're after me
Reply #6 - Feb 25^th, 2008, 7:07pm

Well, thanks all. I do have a friend who is a photographer and who has sold to card companies, and all that is involved is a 5-year contract for particular images and verses (whole card idea) that they want to use exclusively for greeting cards. I'm fine with that. I have 1000s of photos in my collection, and most verses go with the photo anyway in my mind.

The nice part for me is the on-going work if the cards sell well. They will ask for a dozen or so card ideas for each major holiday or occassion, and then repeat this each year hopefully. They have asked me to submit Christmas ones now, so they work farther ahead than I thought, but I guess they need to get these into wholesale catalogs this summer so that big buyers can order what they want.

I'd like to see GCU do well for all of us, and I plan to keep posting new cards no matter what happens elsewhere. In some future post I'd like all of us to discuss how we can help drive traffic to GCU. I have a general idea of how many cards are ordered each day, and well, let's just say we all need to do more or it may not improve much. There just isn't enough current business, as far as I can tell, for GCU to spent a lot of money on advertising. We have the cards. We have the artists. And the pricing is OK. What's needed is more traffic and larger orders. More on this later.

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Sue_132963

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Posts: 1224

Re: They're after me
Reply #7 - Feb 25^th, 2008, 9:04pm

My, my, my! Three cheers for you. See what good tastes we all have! We all recognized right away that you had an unique niche there. Great going Tom! Keep us updated, please. And I wish you the very best with this.
SueB

Quote from Tom_133317 on Feb 25^th, 2008, 4:20pm:

Well, I've been here a week or so and already a large mainstream card company has hunted me down and wants me to send them some of my work.

Is this common? I believe I can just give them a license for some specific cards (not ones here) for a few million dollars (more or less, OK - less), but we'll see where it goes. Cool

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Diana_131887

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artist

Posts: 606

Re: They're after me
Reply #8 - Feb 26^th, 2008, 10:16am

WOW!!! Big Congratz Tom! And read the fine print on your liscensing contract - carefully. Glad to hear your good news.

I had a few illustrator friends who were implying that my being on a site like GCU would devalue my illustrations for traditional markets. Glad to hear that your experience proves otherwise. Now to go and tell my snooty friends off.

BTW - I freelanced for Recycled Paper and a few other GC co ages ago and they def work way in advance. The co's I freelanced for worked anywhere from 6mos to 18 months in advance.

-Di

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Mindy

GCU Administrator
Community Manager

Posts: 6537
Gender: female

Re: They're after me
Reply #9 - Feb 26^th, 2008, 11:35am

Hey Tom,
Absolutely congrats and three cheers!

We by no means are threatened by such an arrangement nor want to discourage it. Any success for a GCU artist is a win for us too!

Our market is very different from that of traditional card stores. First and most obvious, we're online. Second and probably the most important is that we've got "unlimited shelf space". That allows us to carry a vast variety of art w/o limiting what we think customers will like. Also we can cater to the very unique - that's where we're really seeing repeat & growing sales - Age Specific, Relation Specific, Not so Everyday cards (Divorce, Leap Year, Lunar New Year, Be my Bridesmaid?, Persian New Year, etc.).

So, we see the cards a traditional card store will be interested in will differ from the ones that do well on GCU.

Completely agree driving more traffic to GCU is needed. For the most part, all of our traffic is search engine, word of mouth and widget driven. We are focusing our resources into making the site the best it can be for artists and shoppers. We have yet to make a big marketing splash to the consumer marketplace.

Let me assure you things are picking up. Our month to month sales has shown consistent growth. We are also seeing more large orders, one for 500 cards just yesterday. General interest is growing too, just last week we were contacted by 3 different publications who will be featuring our (your) cards highlighting 1) sports specific Thanks Coach, 2) Leap Year and 3) Mother's Day.

One item on our to do list for later in the year is to give artists the ability to manage their margins or price their own cards which will give them more flexibility to attractively price larger orders.

In any case, congrats to you and best of luck with your new venture!
Mindy

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David_133145 Full Member artist Posts: 148	Re: They're after me Reply #10 - Feb 26^th, 2008, 1:11pm Hey Tom, Congradulations! i can see why they picked up on your stuff. The format is very original and cool. One of those ideas I widh I'd thought of myself! Ant tips or tricks you can pass on to the rest of us aspiring card designers? Once again, enjoy and congradulations. ~David
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Tom_133317

Gold Member
artist

Posts: 2207

Re: They're after me
Reply #11 - Feb 26^th, 2008, 1:25pm

Thanks Mindy. It's good to know GCU isn't threatened. I also believe it's a win-win.

As for the marketing, would it be possible to replace the "PR" forum subject with one called "Marketing" and perhaps roll the PR posts under that? I have a business development background and there are numerous tactics that us Artists can explore under that focus area that could bring more sales to all of us.

A completely new Forum subject would work too, but I'm sure most here like the single-page forum, and adding a new subject might trip it to a second page. Whatever you recommend if fine.

Anyway, thanks for keeping us informed about progress on the sales growth front. We artists would love to understand what the growth plans are, in general terms, and how we can participate.
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David -

My idea is far from original. It's been done a dozen times, but my little niche is using normal photos, rather than obviously funny ones, and then adding a "story caption" rather than a "conversational one" which is usually what people do (similar to the talking pet cards).

I'll keep eveyone here up to date on that venture, but, frankly, I'd like all of us to find success here - not "there."

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Oma_132016 Full Member artist Posts: 240	Re: They're after me Reply #12 - Feb 26^th, 2008, 5:30pm CONGRATULATIONS TOM!!! It's so great that GCU has opened another door for you. Your work really speaks for itself. I wish you future success in all your endeavours! Oma.
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Donna_131383 Junior Member artist Posts: 100	Re: They're after me Reply #13 - Feb 27^th, 2008, 7:24am WOWZERS!! Congratulations to you, Tom! Your "niche" store is awesome and I can certainly understand why you were contacted. Wishing you the very best of success, both here and "there!" Donna
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Mindy

GCU Administrator
Community Manager

Posts: 6537
Gender: female

Re: They're after me
Reply #14 - Feb 28^th, 2008, 4:27pm

Quote from Tom_133317 on Feb 26^th, 2008, 1:25pm:

Thanks Mindy. It's good to know GCU isn't threatened. I also believe it's a win-win.

As for the marketing, would it be possible to replace the "PR" forum subject with one called "Marketing" and perhaps roll the PR posts under that? I have a business development background and there are numerous tactics that us Artists can explore under that focus area that could bring more sales to all of us.

A completely new Forum subject would work too, but I'm sure most here like the single-page forum, and adding a new subject might trip it to a second page. Whatever you recommend if fine.

Anyway, thanks for keeping us informed about progress on the sales growth front. We artists would love to understand what the growth plans are, in general terms, and how we can participate.
==============================
David -

My idea is far from original. It's been done a dozen times, but my little niche is using normal photos, rather than obviously funny ones, and then adding a "story caption" rather than a "conversational one" which is usually what people do (similar to the talking pet cards).

I'll keep eveyone here up to date on that venture, but, frankly, I'd like all of us to find success here - not "there."

Will do. I'll update here when new board is ready.

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Nancy_132539 Junior Member artist Posts: 51	Re: They're after me Reply #15 - Feb 29^th, 2008, 1:54pm Firecrackin Great, Tom!!!!!!! I love to see winners and you sure have done that! I wish you years of success and those Boomin Million $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Three Booms for Tom!! Boom! Boom! Boom!
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