The only way around this situation is limited artisans made with resin direct from the maker at high "original artwork" prices, then mass produced, like 100s to 1000s, at much lower "prints" prices. I'm still baffled that no one has adopted this yet, it has been the norm in the art world for decades.
There are no "prints" for any of my keycaps because they're ALL hand-made and hand-finished. I don't think anyone, myself included, really wants me to contract a factory to make copies of my keys so I can sell "prints."
But I'm all for opening a discussion to hear constructive feedback about what is wrong with artisan sales and how to fix any problems. My goal is to provide the best experience possible to someone who buys (or wants to buy) a Suited Up keycap. There are a lot of ways for me to reach that goal, so the challenge is determining what will get me the closest to the goal and with the fewest downsides.
Some steps I could take:
(1) Change to FCFS sales. Good: If done correctly, reduces the chance of someone successfully "gaming" a sale. Sale can be resolved more quickly since orders and invoices can theoretically be taken and sent immediately. Some fans get their all of their top choice keycaps.
Bad: Unfair to many international buyers, people with conflicting schedules, slow internet connection, etc. The most sought-after keys end up in a few peoples' collections rather than being more evenly distributed.
Comment: There are ways to mitigate the bad effects here, but they can over-complicate the process. Generally the bad outweighs the good here when it comes to giving people the best experience possible, but sometimes it's just more convenient than other formats.
(2) Limit who can enter a sale aka "50 posts on Geekhack" minimum.Good: Reduces cheating. Tends to get keys to those who actually want them. Supports loyal fans.
Bad: SO MANY fans are new/first-timers in each sale. New fans shouldn't be presumed to be cheaters. Gives off the appearance of an elitist or exclusive community.
Comment: I somehow want to do this (albeit in a relatively minimally restrictive way). I like how CtrlAlt has you sign up for an account in order to enter one of their sales. That seems like a reasonable hurdle to cross to enter a sale, along with other benefits like ensuring that each entrant is using a real address/email address. There are also some behind the scenes things you can do to improve sale speed and quality. I unfortunately haven't had any time to try to set up a website that can allow me to do this, but it's on my wishlist.
(3) Raise prices or use auction-like sales.Good: Reduces flipping/aftermarket markup. Some fans would rather see the money go to the artist. Incentivizes the artist to pour more time and energy into each key, to push the "wow factor."
Bad: Increases barrier to entry for new fans. Can lead to an image issue like making the seller look greedy or out of touch. May reduce overall key quantity available.
Comment: I've been very happy to be able to sell keys at the prices I've used, but if there were some changes I could make to either the prices I use or how a sale works that emphasizes these good things and minimizes the bad, I'd love to hear your ideas.
(4) Change to "group buy" style sales aka HKP style.Good: Everyone gets something from the sale. Increases availability of keycaps.
Bad: Reduces the uniqueness of each keycap. Fulfillment can take much longer. Diversity of what is offered in the sale usually goes down (unless it is blind box, which many people don't prefer). There are fewer sales in a given amount of time. Community-building trading can go down.
Comment: I'll probably try this style at some point if the subject matter of what is offered in the sale suggests it. I'm still mulling over whether this is a good way to go.
(5) Increase production. Good: More fans get something. Increases availability of at least some keycaps.
Bad: Time between sales increases. Sale fulfillment time increases. Diversity of designs can go down, so each key may feel less special.
Comment: I have some plans in the works to address this idea.
Are there any other ideas from the rest of you about how to improve fans' experience? I'd love to hear what you have to say. Send me a PM if you prefer.
Thanks for all your feedback so far; it is much appreciated.
