E-bay advice

[Artistammy]

I've tried listing 3 paintings at once to help - but still no bids. Do you think I should lower my asking price to maybe help build a following? I've read alot of opposing opinions about reserve auctions. Will my paintings sell on E-bay at any price?(Are they good enough?) I'm getting paranoid. I have sold 5 paintings at various places on the net in the last 2 years. It's just been awhile since the last one. Any ideas will be appreciated. Thanks.

[Paintbrush74]

Well, I would resist the temptation to put up all those "Sale" signs (where the paintings are marked down). It sort of reminds me of somebody who's going out of business.

Do you already have a feedback rating at Ebay? If not, you could buy a few things and get some feedback, easing the anxieties of some possible buyers of your art.

Here's what I do. I keep studying, observing, and practicing (I should probably practice more, though.) My first Ebay painting to sell was an 8x10 that sold for $9.99. Yuck! The last 3 have sold for $89 & 99. I'd like to break the $100 barrier. I just have so much on my plate right now.

I like your message. I don't know what your titles say in your auctions, but some words get a whole lot more searches than others. I use "oil painting", but of course wouldn't be able to do that. I've been told that "original" is an often searched word. "Art" is searched a lot.

Perhaps you could offer very small works at a low price (quicker to paint) and, as you said, build a following. Don't get discouraged. You serve a God that's in control. Good things are going to happen!

[laurali]

I only average 1 sale per week (or 20% of my listings) so I might not be the best one to offer advice but this is what I've been doing.

I use "Buy It Now" to provide a closer approximation to what the piece is worth so, even if you start at a low bid, it makes it clear that you don't value the piece at that. I've been trying a mixture of reserve and no reserve. I tried reserves with really low opening bids ($1-$9.99) but I didn't get anywhere with them. I tend to do better with no reserve and an opening bid of $19.99 to $39.99.

The thing I try to remember is that your competing against thousands of pieces in a short time window. Some weeks, nothing sells, then I'll get 3 sales in one week. I had one recently that I had relisted twice. The first two rounds, not a single bid. On the third, it not only sold but bid up to over $100.

Laura