Get on the Horse! - Handling Trade Requests with Grace
by
on 10-14-2013 at 07:19 PM (9736 Views)I think it's no secret that I love this site. I practically have it tattooed on my upper arm in a great big scented heart. Every day, I ogle the goodies in the gallery, and occasionally, when I think I have time to make an ATC, I even ask people for trades.
Now, I have zero illusions about being the most desirable artist on this site. On a scale of Angelina Jolie to someone whose head has been gnawed off by wolves, let's just say I can't really see you with all these teeth in my eye. That said, I am also fun and engaging and smart and above all else, a human being. When I write a PM and ask for a trade, I have a basic expectation: That I will receive a PM in return.
Sometimes, that means that people have to say no to me. I'm fine with that, by the way. If everyone in the world liked my stuff, I'd be filthy rich and far too busy to trade art anyway.
I do recognize, however, that it's unpleasant to reject someone, which is why I want to urge all of us to BUCK THE HECK UP!
Silence makes people feel bad. Silence can also make you seem like a stuck-up jerk. We are a lovely community of wonderful people who are kind and thoughtful and down to earth, so please don't hide in the guilty refuge of silence!
Here are some ways to handle a trade request from someone whose work you don't necessarily care for.
1) Say that you have already traded the card and forgot to mark it traded in your gallery.
2) Say that someone else just asked for the card.
3) Say that you've asked someone else for a trade and are holding onto that card, thinking they might want it.
4) SAY YES. Seriously, I love you, but you're not Picasso, and your card is not a $1.7m dollar artwork on the auction block. Sometimes, you might want to ask yourself if it's really THAT BIG OF A DEAL to trade a card of yours for a card you don't 100% adore. Look at the example of Amerasu, who pretty much takes all trade requests on a first-come, first-served basis.
5) Ask if the person is willing to make you a custom card on a theme you collect.
In short, say something. There's a person on the other end of that trade request who likes your work and would love to have that little piece of it. You don't have to say yes, but don't say nothing.