Jan 31, 2009

What about ebay?

I have found several artists today that sell their original pieces through ebay and prints through etsy. Anyone have any ideas or opinions about this route? Feel free to say whatever.

5 comments:

aliceinparis said...

Hi ya, I've been selling on eBay for ten years! it is quite different now. When I started there would just be 3-400 pieces in folk art now there are a thousand or two. I am thinking of doing a post on eBay selling tips. Keywords are key, put your name in somehow so you can always be found and your listings become recognizeable, once you start, try to always have something up for auction so people who have you as a favourite can see something when they log in, they won't forget to visit, it builds a presence, link to you other auctions in your listing, link to the "add me to your favourite sellers page", have your shipping already figured out and in the listing, good pics, lots of info, if you have a few listings up, invest in the "featured" listing for one of your better pieces, it will draw more people to your listings.

Anyway that's it for now....:)
Cheers, Shelagh

Leslie said...

I've been an eBayer for ten years--as a buyer, never as a seller. I have a rating of over 600 transactions. My viewpoint is strictly as a "patron of the arts." Buying on eBay is like going to a flea market to buy art. While I'm getting the impression that buying on Etsy is like buying from a gallery. Etsy is a friendlier world than eBay. And so far, for me, the quality of the art I've seen on Etsy is better than the original art I expect to find on eBay. BUT I must qualify my opinion again by saying that the world of eBay is ENORMOUS and I haven't looked everywhere. I hope I haven't offended anybody out there! That wasn't my intention. I only want to convey my impressions.

Leslie said...

eBay, again:
I have over 600 positive transactions on eBay from buying vintage postcards, hard-to-find DVDs, antique Chinese baskets, Oaxacan wood carvings and clay art, etc. I don't have experience buying Fine Art (capital F and capital A) on eBay because I never think of looking there. I hope my criticism of eBay vs. Etsy is clear enough and not seen as a criticism of any artist, and only as a criticism for the forum for selling art.

Leslie said...

eBay, yet again:
I'm feeling really bad about dissing eBay as a place to buy "real art." It makes me sound so snobby. So FORGET everything I wrote about the two venues. The important things are that you artists have the courage to put your art out there for the world to see and appreciate AND that it is available for purchase to all, no matter where it happens to be.

Cindy said...

I've tried...but I could never quite get a following, course I did get frustrated and quit probably too soon. But I do love my Etsy and trying Glitter and Grunge too.

Sorry, I know that is no help! :D

c