I must say that today I am an extremely disappointed artist. Not only a person - but an artist. Sometime in December I have completed a commission - a huge one. Two full-sized maiko kanzashi. I was very happy to make them as I knew they would be put to good use, as the commissioner wanted to get them signed by a kabuki actor. I postponed two other works to get it done, losing sleep to fulfil the commission.

After initial problems with payment (like expressing doubts over a comma instead of a dot on the PayPal invoice) the person bought one, saying they would buy it later. 
But later they said they are having financial issues, so I offered a deal: I will try to sell the other kanzashi for some time, but if I fail they need to get matters with me straight as their reason for skipping payment wasn't - in my opinion - very sound. 
Yesterday I got a message saying they are not buying it at all and that in the worst case I got myself a "pretty display piece". 

Now, I wasted my time, money and materials. The person just skipped without even trying to make matters straight. I've been in business for 10 years and I've never felt so let down and so disappointed. The reason that person gave me is "my rent went up, my friend for whom I wanted the other one backed out and the kabuki actor refused to sign the first one" isn't something I accept. I understand their reasoning, but I still refuse to accept it. An artists' commissioned work is not a shirt the clerk can fold up and stack on a shelf for another customer. Commissions can't usually be sold to anyone else. 

My end-rand conclusion: if you order something made especially for you, make sure you buy it. Make sure that whatever you do, you save up for it unlesss some real life event comes up. I get it - sometimes events come up. I was the same in February - suddenly I was 500$ short. But I still kept my end of all deals that I had that month. It wasn't easy, but it was a right things to do. 

End of rant