Market Your Work on Ebay With An Edge

CHClements · #1 12-06-2002, 11:20 PM

Check out the newest article by our very own Laura Brito!!

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles2/9304/219/index.php

Laura, this article is worth its weight in gold for the artist who wants to get started with selling on Ebay and for us "oldies" who already are giving it a try for selling art. You deserve an "award" for all the time and effort this took! Thanks so very much!
carly

scottb · #2 12-07-2002, 02:14 AM

Two thumbs up for a very informative and useful article, Laura! Now we have a great place to direct people who need some info on getting started ....

Cheers.
Scott

AriadneArts · #3 12-07-2002, 04:36 AM

Laura you are a gem! I just read your entire article on my monitor as it was printing out on my printer. You've provided a wealth of info in just the right timing for me. My web site is in the process of being built as I write. I've been set up to sell on ebay for a year now but haven't found myself ready to take the leap. I've also been a member of ebsq for longer than I've been at WC, but still wasn't ready for the selling bit yet. But I'm getting there now, and your wonderful, comprehensive article is just what I need at this juncture.

You are a regular dynamo and a marvelous asset to Wet Canvas. Your vibrant energy has been apparent since day one of your appearance here. Just wanted to let you know that you are much appreciated.

BTW, my husband is a Tucson man, graduated from UA. We go back often. I'd love to look you up one of these times. I like to go around this time of year to buy fresh ristras. Mmmmmm I can smell them now. Yum.

Cheers!

sunny · #4 12-07-2002, 12:07 PM

Dear Laura,
I echo everyones sentiments. Thank you for the comprhensive article.
Along with the info...you shared your valuable time, which indeed is valued.

walden · #5 12-07-2002, 12:27 PM

This article is a SUPERB piece of work! Thanks!!

ArtMarkie · #6 12-07-2002, 12:41 PM

Hi Laura,

Loved your article! I wrote down all the main points.
I just sold a painting on ebay, and another one was
listed. Then guess what? My local ISP decided to
change the telephone number, and mistakenly made
it a long-distance one! Now I have to wait to the
middle of next week before I get another toll-free one.
Horrible! If it wasn't for bad luck, I would have no
luck atall.

KathleenMarie · #7 12-07-2002, 09:51 PM

Hello Laura and Everyone in WetCanvas - I am a newbie to WetCanvas and have immensely enjoyed all the wonderful articles, especially your Ebay article, which is thorough, informative and extremely helpful. Thank you.

rockyroadart · #8 12-07-2002, 10:08 PM

Great Article. Thanks.

arsinoé · #9 12-09-2002, 10:48 AM

Thanks a lot for the article, Laura.
That's a reference I'm printing and keeping for reading and rereading.

Cheers,
Arsinoé

blondheim12 · #10 12-09-2002, 12:06 PM

Laura,
Wonderful article. Very helpful.
Love,
Linda

DanaT · #11 12-09-2002, 12:53 PM

I found Laurie's article informative too, but from a buyer's perspective.

Now I know why I've bought 7 items, paid for them immediately with PayPal, and gotten NO feedback. They apparently want to use feedback as a trump card to prevent me leaving negative feedback in case I don't get an item even though the number one complaint I've heard from sellers is lack of timely payment.

IMO, if the buyer pays you promptly, you should leave feedback. Holding it as a trump makes the whole feedback system USELESS for a buyer. What in the h*ll good are 2000 positive feedbacks if they were from new users who were scared to leave honest feedback for fear of being 'trumped' and having their own feedback profile ruined.

Sorry for the rant guys, but this is really p*ssing me off.

kjsspot · #12 12-09-2002, 01:36 PM

While what you say is true, it's not always true. There's two other issues here as well.

Feedback can take quite a bit of time. If you do a lot of business, it can really be a burden. Stopping to leave feedback one at a time would take forever. Therefore, some people leave feedback in batches, like every other week or so.

Another aspect is that feedback is to be left after the transaction is complete. The transaction is not complete until the buyer received the item and is satisfied. If the customer is not satisfied, then they seller has to make and exchange or a refund or whatever. But ebay's rules do state that feedback is to be left after the transaction is complete. Simply recieving payment is not the end of the transaction.

So, while what you say does happen, it's not always the case for slow feedback.

kjsspot · #13 12-09-2002, 01:46 PM

Oh, a couple more issues to mull over regarding feedback.

Some sellers use a feedback software that automatically generates feedback upon receiving positive feedback. It's a time saving device. While I have no use for this, if you were selling CD's (just an example) and were selling hundreds a week for a very small profit each, (IOW, large volumn + small profit per piece = larger profit) then it would not be cost effective to sit down and do feedbacks by hand. If those sellers had to do that, they wouldn't be able to sell the product so cheaply.

And another aspect, if the person is a powerseller (not so much in the art biz, but in other areas) they seem to become targets for malicious feedbacks and malice. I don't mean deserved feedbacks, but people just being malious. For example, I know of a seller who had a new user come in and wipe out hundreds of their auctions via BIN. Then they turned around and immediately left negative feedback on each.

I know powersellers that have had people blow through ebay with a stolen CC's. This kind of stuff happens and you may find that some sellers are more protective. Waiting for a positive to leave a positive is just their form of protecting themselves. Honestly, who does feedback hurt or help the most? The seller, not the buyer.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, even though it's not my practice, I can understand from where they are coming.

laurali · #14 12-09-2002, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kjsspot
Another aspect is that feedback is to be left after the transaction is complete. The transaction is not complete until the buyer received the item and is satisfied.

That's my system. I leave feedback for the buyer after they acknowledge that they received the artwork and are happy with it.

When I send the email with the shipment/tracking info, I ask that they please email me when they receive the artwork. I include a hand-written thank you card shipped with the painting that also requests a follow up email.

When I get the email from the buyer (or they leave positive feedback), I then leave them feedback. 7 out of 10 ebay buyers left positive feedback (one even left a nice note on my website guestbook as well).

Laura

hairballsdotcom · #15 12-09-2002, 02:39 PM

Laura's article was great. I printed it out to send to my sister who has NEVER sold on eBay -- it will help her a LOT!

kjsspot

I like your point about feedback....
Feedback is to be posted when the transaction is complete.
And I TOTALLY agree....
The transaction is NOT complete until the item is in the hands of the buyer.
Therefore, in my opinion, it is the responsibility of the buyer to post first.

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