Appreciation post: Spotting fake art at a con changed how I shop

Last month, a dealer had cheap prints of a popular comic cover. I realized they were unlicensed and wouldn't help the artist. I went online and bought a real one from the creator's site. Now I always ask for proof it's official before I buy anything.

4 comments

4 Comments

milalewis9d ago

Honestly that point from @dakota_miller93 about small choices is the whole thing. It feels like one cheap print, but it feeds a system that hurts artists trying to make a living. You end up supporting a con that doesn't really support its own artists.

jade_murray1mo ago

It gets worse when you realize those cheap tables undercut real artists on booth costs. A dealer selling bootleg prints for ten bucks can price out the actual creator trying to pay for the table next door. The knock-off stuff quietly makes the whole event harder for the people you're there to see.

dakota_miller931mo ago

Totally! It's funny how stuff like that makes you realize small choices add up. Turns out that's basically how you live your whole life.

karen_hill31mo ago

But sometimes you gotta see it from the other side. Not everyone can afford that high artist price @jade_murray mentioned, and a cheap option lets them join in. Getting to be part of the event at all can matter more than where a thing comes from.