Why eBay and I aren't a good match.

[ellenmillion]

I went through my personal site a little bit yesterday. I haven't sold any prints or many originals through it, and if I were a normal kind of person, I might have a sale or mark things down, figuring they were too expensive. Me, being me, I looked at my prices and said 'I'd be sad if they sold to a stranger for that,' and went through and marked almost everything up. Some of it by a lot. Screw this whole 'art must be cheap or they will not buy it' mentality. I would rather sit on my originals until I DIE than sell them for the pathetic low eBay minimums that make artists cry, or pretend that I didn't spend hours and HOURS of valuable time on those pieces.

If I don't show that I value that time and those pieces, no one else will think to do so, either.

I buy the same way I sell, too. If an artist I know is having a 'desperation sale,' I will sometimes buy art - but I rarely, rarely buy it at the desperation prices. Almost never. I don't buy much, but I try to make sure I buy fairly.

(I appreciate that much of this may be colored by the fact that I have a good-paying, steady job, and I am not at all at the point where I am selling things that are precious to me at whatever I can get because I need to pay rent*.)

Plugging away at my licensing article, and I also found a half-written, not-awful article on doing bazaars that is further along that I thought. Selina totally saved the day by finishing an article on growing pains, and I've got time this weekend slotted to finish a brewing short story for the crystal theme of EMG.

(You've all got your unicorns in for EMG-Zine, right??)

Now then, an advertising banner, a shower, some dishes, some lunch, and to ze day job!


*I also TOTALLY appreciate giving friends deals, so if I've marked something you had an eye on up out of your range, holler and I will give you guys, and you guys only, the original price or better. I also do trades. Hint, hint.

Comments

[hillfairy.livejournal.com]

back last year I sold a piece at a fair that was very dear to me dirt cheap. The women that bought it had this attitude I didn't like. She acted like the piece was a joke for her sister. This piece had a story in why I created it and it didn't matter to her. I was so sorry that I ever sold that piece to her. I have given art away, lots of time and I could really tell it made the person feel special and really thanked me for it and would tell me they hung it in there favorite spot in there home. Seeing how it touch them, really makes me feel good. I still give art away every once in awhile, but I sell on eBay to help pay bills. I totally understand what your saying about your art. I do have some pieces I can't let go for cheap eBay prices and I sell them on my site. I have kinda built myself up some on eBay, so I do get good prices and sometimes more than what I want out of the piece on eBay. It can be frustrating but this is all I can do for now. I know I should get more products on my site, but I'm just to busy with getting ready for the baby and drawing to get around to it. I really admire you as a business woman and a artist, your one of my favorites.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Exactly! I would totally give away artwork if I knew it would be loved - and I do that a lot. But some complete stranger with Attitude? Nah. And ebay is definitely one of those things that you CAN do well at (Jasmine as an example, of course!) if you do it regularly and have a following willing to pay, but I'm so irregular with art production, that would never be me!

*beams* I can't say enough how much it means to me to win your respect! Thank you!

And, baby! Ee! You must be getting so excited!

[renatus.livejournal.com]

It's really not worth it to sell yourself short unless you've GOT TO pay the rent or buy food right now. Even then, it's a sacrifice of more than just money; undercut yourself and you're likely to continue getting undercut because people come to expect it... and you train yourself to expect it of yourself, too.

In other words, good on you for raising your prices to what you think you're worth.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

*pastes a gold star to my forehead* Thanks!

[uminomamori.livejournal.com]

I've heard plenty of stories of things not selling until the artist marks it up. Newbies always think it's the price that must be the problem and not their skill or marketing ability. The right person hasn't found it yet, it's not too expensive :)

[steppinrazor.livejournal.com]

I wholeheartedly support markups. I'm still kicking myself in the ass for being incredibly stupid and selling one of my favorite figure drawings for a pathetic five bucks during a garage sale. I honestly don't know what I was thinking.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

It hurts, doesn't it! I sold one at auction for $5. Between the fees I spent to get it there, and the shipping costs, I made -$45 on that piece...

[redsaid.livejournal.com]

Not that I'm, like, successful or anything but... try etsy, instead of ebay. I find ebay depressing in all aspects, but etsy is actually... nice to look at, easy to post, easy to browse, not populated by chinese mass-marketers.

Have a good night, good luck - I'm off to contemplate unicorn things. if I try now, maybe I'll make the deadline! Hee!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Hmm! I actually have an account there. I should dust it off and USE it.

YES! Unicorns!

[pixiewildflower.livejournal.com]

*hugs you*

[celticwren.livejournal.com]

I still need to go through and mark my PA prices up, they've been low sonce may and I sold a grand total of one for the cheap prices, and it was one I really liked. :p

[celticwren.livejournal.com]

"since" I mean....and I haven't drawn a unicorn in ages. Unicorns and faeries I try to avoid since they seem to be drawn a lot.