Advice for agents/dealers who take on commissions:

[comicarthouse]

I'll admit that i do ask for money up front on almost all commissions. The reason behind this is that many commissioners have flaked when it comes time to pay for what they ordered.

If it is of any solace, the artists that i represent for the most part have not fallen down when it comes to commissions ordered through this forum.

Do artists fall behind, YOU BETCHA. There is no denying that fact and if I did try, Kibby would call BS on me. I try to keep the customer as informed as I can about what is happening in the artists schedule.

Each commission is a paid job and has a deadline placed on it. That deadline can be put to hell very quickly by a professional job or an unexpected personal crisis.

I stand behind the artists that i post here and i believe for the most part people here are satisfied with the service. I hope

Bob

[predaking007]

Theres a difference between giving the money to a dealer than an artist. Most dealers are nothing more than escrow services for commissions. If you pay upfront, the dealer keeps the cash and the artist is not supposed to see a dime until the transaction is completed. In the event that the artist is unable fulfill their end, the dealer is prepared to provide a refund to the customer.

[predaking007]

Originally Posted by risingstar

I implore to you all to seriously consider telling dealers and artists that you will only pay (something) once the project is set to begin. It will likely save you lots of headache and will probably guarantee you a quicker turnaround.

You know what also saves a lot of headaches? Just not getting commissions. Plenty of finished art out there. The commission game isnt for everyone.

[JadeGiant]

You have a good track record around here Bob. That goes a long way. From my experience, a certain percentage of artists tend to be the ones lacking in organizational skills and follow through. Having a rep sitting between you and the artist is actually a good thing. You also give a time when the project should be complete when taking money. That is a far cry from a “give me your money but I can’t give you when I will start”. If a rep asked for money but could not provide some expectations on timing, I would likely decline and ask for a heads up when the artist had some free time coming up. I feel fortunate to not have as many bad experiences as some collectors have had around here. I have learned some valuable lessons without feeling the sting of a truly awful commission experience.

[khazano]

Originally Posted by comicarthouse

Each commission is a paid job and has a deadline placed on it. That deadline can be put to hell very quickly by a professional job or an unexpected personal crisis.

Here's what bothers me about this mentality... Private commissions are not "professional jobs"? Since money is being taken up front, I certainly wouldn't call it doing anyone a favor.

Nothing against you at all Bob. IM currently waiting on one from you. But this is a mentality both artist and reps have towards the people they've already taken money from (on their own terms!) and then put on the back burner because better money came along absolutely doesnt sit right with me at all...

Just my two cents.

[Wookiee]

I don't think its about "Better money."

I think its about a previously entered into contract. Artists under contract (exclusive or otherwise) likely entered into that contract before their contract with you (and yes taking someone's money for work/commission is also a contract). The terms of their contract likely specifiy a number of projects to be completed over a specific timeframe, however the specific project and their individual deadlines not directly specified. I would also expect that their contract with publishers is also far more detailed then our contract with them for a commission.

I agree with the thought here about dealers - if they are holding your money until the work is done, then all you really have to do, if you are worried, is work out the details of money return if deadlines expire. Bob made a good point, there are a lot of people who sign up for a commission, even with a pay up front clause, who don't pay. Additionally, some of the requests are so unique or have a specific and maybe less than popular character, that if the art was done without guarantee of payment, the artist may not be able to sell the piece to anyone else. For example a commission of Batman may sell just fine, but Batman vs. the Crazy Quilt may be a tough one to sell if the commissioner decides not to pay after the work is done.

[comicarthouse]

Originally Posted by khazano

Here's what bothers me about this mentality... Private commissions are not "professional jobs"? Since money is being taken up front, I certainly wouldn't call it doing anyone a favor.

Yes, a private commission is a job that is a contract, 100% agreed. By professional work, I meant work coming in from corporations/publishers. This was no intent to slight the collector and their hard earned money.

Corporations/publishers provide a higher spotlighted work for the artist and those will take precedence. Is it right? No. Necessary for the artist's survival? In many cases, yes.

The importance of the private commissioner cannot be overlooked when judging the success of each artist that accepts that type of work. If an artist loses the following he/she has, he/she is potentially less commercially viable.

Companies DO notice when an artist is being slammed on forums and in groups. The bottom line is the the companies want their work to take priority. They also want good press surrounding their creative teams. It is a balancing act that some artists handle very well by knowing how many private commissions to take. Some artists kick the pooch completely, forget their obligations to their customers, and don't return e-mails to at least let their clients know what is going on.

Bob

[BaronV]

I've usually had good luck with commissions, but after a bad experience recently I'm going to bow out on pre-paid commissions for a while. I don't mind paying in advance to lock in services, but 100% up-front with the delivery date being somewhat tentative doesn't make me feel too good anymore.

Just like California's contract laws when you're dealing with contractors working for you on your house, I'd place a deposit no more than 15% up front.

[DiscoCougar]

I'm 50/50 when it comes to payments. When it's a high tier artist, say like J Scott Campbell, I had no problem laying a down payment on him for a piece that was gonna be completed in an undetermined amount of time. But even in that instance, JSC only wanted a down payment of 10% to show him that I was serious and committed to him. If he would have asked for the full amount up front with the same undetermined outline I might have been a little hesitant (but not only a little since it was JSC).

But with a popular artist, say like Mike DeBalfo, he took my name on his commission list and only asked for the money when he was ready to draw the piece, and he knocked it out in three days time from being payed. That's the right way to do business imo.

If an artist is so important to you to want to commission, then you gotta brave the terms. I personally like offering 10% down so I can lock an artist in to drawing me a commission that they couldn't easily change their mind about later (Ebas wouldn't take money from me, agreed to do a commission for me last year, but has ignored my emails that he told me to send him and thus has no obligation to draw me anything if he so chooses).

[Tom_Forbes]

I think for the most part everyone's experience will determine how they stand on this subject. I may not get as many at home commissions as most people on here but I've never once had a problem with an artist not following trough, I have always paid the full amount upfront and it doesn't bother me what so ever.