AA and DH question

[Gryffinclaw Princess]

What is the difference between the Dealers Hall and the Artist Alley? Specifically I mean.
I have had some people ask me and I don't really know how to answer.

Both areas have handmade stuff. I know DH sells commercial goods, too but I have seen handmade stands so what sets the difference between AA and DH?
Is AA strictly art like keychains and drawings? I never spent enough time in there to find out for myself.

[EveofAbyss]

I'm no official voice, but it seems to me that Artists' Alley tends to be limited to the visual arts (whatever form they may take...keychains, prints, posters).

[fleur_fraise]

I'm pretty sure the main "real" difference is the price of the booth and how big it is.

Booths in the Dealer's Hall are bigger, but a lot more expensive. They're for big-name vendors that usually sell licensed merchandise or are run by legit companies, you know what I mean?

And then booths in the Artist Alley are for smaller sellers, like individual people. And then they have more artisan crafts and prints and pretty much zero licensed items. Most people there are students or sell on the side, it's not their main form of income.

Obviously there are exceptions to these, but this is what I've noticed from the cons I've been to. For instance Custom Cosplay started out selling in the AA and the past few Kcons I've been to they've upgraded to the DH, but idk if the girl who runs it has that as her main job.

[Washougal_Otaku]

Artist's Alley is art-related goods, usually done by amateurs.  The Dealer's Hall sells actual anime-related products, including DVD, posters, costumes, and stuff like that.  It's a matter of original artwork vs. authentic products.

[Gryffinclaw Princess]

So you wouldn't find handmade plushies in AA but you could find them in DH? (I know some are in DH)

[fleur_fraise]

Handmade ones would most likely be in the AA. Official ones would be in the DH. Also rip-offs lol.

[Gryffinclaw Princess]

Okay so I guess a better question would be...what exactly is all sold in AA?
Can it be anything handmade? Or is there requirements?

[superjaz]

I am not positve but I feel like the main thing about AA booths that most (%) of it needs to be hand made.  Other then that person who wants a booth submits their forms including info on what they are selling and then kcon decides makes the final cut as to who gets a booth, since space is limited and they don't want 5 booths selling the same thing.  They have some neat stuff there, last year I got some chop sticks for my hair that had D10s dangling from the ends.

[fleur_fraise]

Anything handmade is in the AA.

Prints, bookmarks, pins, plushies, jewelery, hair accessories, stickers, posters, keychains, etc etc etc.

If you made it, you can sell it.

[lychee-twist]

My friend is an artist and is shooting for the Dealer's hall next year, I believe. All his products are either made by him or his wife, and at Sakuracon they were in the Dealer's Hall.

I would say that Artist Alley is strictly art and craft by the artist, but Dealer's Hall is very grey and up to people who want to pay for the insurance cost and for the higher table price. You get more room and probably more attention.

[Evaldas]

The intention is that the Exhibitors Hall holds commercially produced goods for sale (official release, large press, local businesses) while the Artist Alley is for non-commercially produced goods ( "fan-art", small press with independently produced materials, or self-published goods).

You may see Artists in the Exhibitors depending on size and how the Artists Alley is handled from con to con. I know Sakuracon had established a small press space for artists who don't want to deal with the small tables of Artist Alley, but can't justify the costs of an Exhibitors booth. That is one thing I would love to implement in the future of Kumoricon, if possible.

[lychee-twist]

Welp, there you go. Straight from the fingertips of the person who knows.