Image Designer Archive

I would love to charge tips, but it's just too hard to have someone give me 10k (despite what I ask), and then have the next person give me a 100 because they really like the work. I'm sorry, but my time is worth more to me than 100 credits.

I also use the "pay what you think is fair" method, and I normally get a lot more than I would have asked had I charged a set price. It gives the customer a sense of participation in the event and they seem to enjoy the session more, rather than grumbling over prices and being a grouchy customer.

I looked at a few pricing ideas during the time I was working on reaching master ID. Some of them seemed pretty fair and I seriously considered using them.

However, while I was still 'learning' my trade, I used the 'I charge tips' method of dealing with the money end of ID.

I've got to say that most customers have tipped me at least 2 to 3 times what those price scales suggest and I've only been stiffed a handful of times. My best tip was 15k for some wookiee work and the worst was 100 for hairstyle change. But... ALL my customers have given me very positive feedback and I've gotten a ton of referals from those satisfied customers.

Kyree Shvar - Sunrunner galaxy - Master Entertainer, Master Dancer, Master Image Designer

My line is: "No charge, but tips are appreciated". If they ask how much, I say "Just tip whatever you think it's worth". I make pretty good money. Sure, I get stiffed sometimes, but I only do ID when I feel like dealing with customers. If I don't feel like dealing with customers, I turn on my Master Dancer title. If I'm dealing with customers, I'm in a good mood, therefore, I am less likely to ge annoyed. Hehe.

This is not meant to be a flame, but for those people that dont actually "charge" per se, and ask for only tips, or charge for very little like 1 or 2k, its makes it incredibly difficult on us who do make a living at it solely.

1. You have to remember this is a Master Profession. If you are master, you should be charging master prices because you have worked long and hard training your skill, just like any master weaponsmith, master tailor, or master chef. You may not care about making money, but it affects then entire economy for other IDers.

2. What you do is vitally important. Dancers may buff your mind. Healers heal your health and action. Tailors give you clothes to wear until you change them. But your appearance is permanent. The ONLY way to change is only by an IDer.

3. IDing takes up time. For a new player to save up for a nice sliced carbine, he or she would have to save up for awhile. IDing is no different, it is also a demanded service. And its not cheap for a reason... it is in demand.

Yes my prices are high. But I have self confidence. I know what I do is important, and no one else can do what I do. If you want to change your looks, you have to go to an IDer like me. And I dont use many supplies other than muon gold, so I make up the difference in service. I do everything to 100% perfection until my customers are satisfied. And thats why people understand my prices and are more than willing to pay them. People wait on a list to be imaged, and I have work to do nonstop. Because they realize the above things mentioned.

A skim over my price list:

Color Contacts [2k]

Hairstyles [5k]

Master Hairstyles [6k]

Height / Weight [7k]

Complete body packages [10k]

Complete facial makeover [10k]

Complete makeover (everything) [12k]

Yes they are expensive comparativly, but if you keep in mind everythign i've mentioned above, the prices should make sense to you and your customers.For all you IDers, I urge you,why not make money while you do it, because you know you deserve it, as well as players that come to you!

I have to agree with nene. ID is currently my only real means of income.So when I hear someone say, I can just go to _________ and get the same thing for some ridiculously low price, it hurts.

You can see the same problem if you read any of the tailor forums. A lot of people work very hard to get to be master tailors, then can't sell their items because someone is letting everything go for a fifth of what they would charge.

It's the same with us. I spent the time to become a master, and I still end up losing business because there are others who don't put the same value on master work as I do.

In defense of those of us accepting tips instead ofhaving a price structure:

While I am not one of the first image designers on Kettemoor, I am definitely one of the earlier ones, and it has been my sole income since I quit running newbie missions a long time ago. I would not call myself filthy, stinking rich, but I amextremelycomfortable.

I do not think anyone comes to me because of my 'tips and referalls' policy, but if they do, it is minimal. I think they come for one of three reasons. #1. Because I am there. #2. Repeat customers (they always pay well). #3. Referrals because of the quality of my service (they pay best of all, I have found).

When I image design someone in newbie clothes, I am not doing them a huge favor by waiving my price for them, they aretipping me a percentage of what they own, and I appreciate that. Those people I have done that for frequently come back to me a few weeks down the road, with quite a bit more cash in their pockets, and with the memory of my good humor, and my quality work.

If I have a day where I ID ten people, and one person gives me 100 credits,3 people give me 1000, and the rest give me from 3k to 20k, which is an extremely typical day for me - I am pleased. I have come out of a day like that, more than once, 120k richer, which I don't think anyonecan complain about. I say, why mess with success? - and if I have a day where I only make 15k total, well, to me that is the luck of the draw, and I'll probably make alot more the next day, but at least I got to image design, which I LOVE TO DO. Anything that would cut down on the number of customers I serve in the day is to me, not a good thing.

I'm pretty sure Kettemoor isfairly laid back as far as the ID population, as I have never had any other ID's come down on me, or even question my system. Also I have no problem at all with people charging whatever they see fit. I can totally understand being disgusted by a tiny tip, it just doesn't happen to bug me that much, as I find it all works out in the end. By the way, I think it is worth noting that I have only been stiffed once, ever.

-Gretchen Kotchka, Master image designer, Kettemoor

I only charge tips because I am not always available. If I were an Image Designer all of the time, then I would probably have a set price.

Bloodfin is a little different than most servers. We have a good number of IDers on our server and I don't think any of them charge a set price for anything. Therefore, I feel more comfortable taking tips. However, if one of my fellow IDers sent me a message mentioning that they thought I was ruining their business, then I would reconsider my policy. As of now, though, I see no need to charge a set price.

I feel more comfortable working off of tips then charging upfront or trusting a customer to pay me exactly what they owe.

To put it simply...

This is not about you. We ALL do IDing because its about the people. When you say, i dont care how much i make, what you dont realize is that you take away from others, others who may actually CARE about how much they make, since they are starting out new or other aspects of it.

The problem is, when clients leave me for the plain reason of saying "_________ WILL DO IT FOR FREE", that suddenly becomes my problem, because of someone else's lack of charging. Sure you may not to do it for free per se, but in a sense it is, when a customer doesnt pay my price, and is a lost sale.

Sure, this is absolutely no strain to you. No resources, nothing. But this is a MASTER profession. This is not what new players should be getting, because it is a master service! Just as no new player will get a master armorsmith to make them something (for lack of funds), neither should it be for ID. If you decide to do it for new players, I understand, cut them some slack. But theres no reason you shouldnt be charging 90% a set amount, and theres no reason they should be willing to pay.

When they refuse to pay, you'll know why. Its because someone else is underselling you, and is wiling to "Do it for free".

The bottom line: Doing it based on tips is not about you, its about how it affects others. You dont care what you make, but care about what I make, because I care!It serverely screws it up for us that DO depend on the income, and lose it because "someone else will do it for free".

I meant shouldnt in the 3rd paragraph, and 90% of the people. Sorry just a few errors

I am curious how much money people who charge big moneymake per day? Because I consider that I make good money.

I don't see the problem of paying 15k for the whole shabang and sitting there and getting a good job done...

Like... It's only 15k people... I get that in fifteen minutes...

Once again, you miss the point. You brag about making big money, and at the same time, talk about how well off you are and dont really care how much you make. If you really dont care how much you make, you could at least set prices so you dont hurt others. Because thinking out of body, think about how others feel, and maybe to them, it does matter how much they make.