[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Tuesday, 12 October 1999 Volume 09 : Number 739 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Roger A. Ball" Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 08:31:06 -0600 Subject: [Baren 6205] ebay and stuff Graham and all: Well, as was mentioned, don't go to eBay unless you have super will power. Much of my income goes to the auctions these days. I like Yahoo auctions as the listings are free, but the traffic is much lower there so it takes a long time to sell your stuff. I have sold a tremendous amount (not art, though...) on both sites. Amazon also is highly recommended and the listing fees are lower than eBay's, but I haven't gotten out there yet. I got what the price I was after, Graham. I've sold three so far, but then I'm only trying to get somewhere between $40 and $50 per print. As far as fees, somewhere between 25 cents and $2.00 per listing (ad) depending upon how you list. They also get a cut of the final price, generally between 2 1/2 and 5% depending on the value. It is really not that unreasonable if you do like everyone else and just add the charges into the "shipping and handling fee" you ask for in the ad itself. I typically charge $7.50 shipping even though it only costs $3.20 to ship the prints out priority. My ad costs $1.25 and their cut runs between $1.50 and $1.75 depending on the ending price. In the past, I've had to relist a couple times before the print sells, which of course, raises your costs. http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=176897172 I doubt it's the outlet for eveyone, but I've sold to a guy at the New Yorker Magazine and to a children's boutique and those are markets that I just couldn't have gotten into without eBay's shotgun coverage. The ad needs to be attractive and be sure to use the "gallery" option which allows browsers to shop by picture. Hope this helps. Cheers, - -Roger ------------------------------ From: Barbara Mason Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 08:16:15 -0700 Subject: [Baren 6207] ebay, etc. Graham, John and all, When I talked about ebay I forgot to mention the most important thing, if you never sell anything but put a link back to your own website you will greatly increase the activity there. That is what my husband and son have done and it has worked quite well, sort of like bait and switch, but the value is there so no customer would feel like he didn't get what he paid for....The thing about auctions that we have discovered is you can put, say a saxophone on ebay for $995 and get one or two bids, but if you put it on for $595 with a $995 reserve (which the buyer doesn't see) you get more activity and sometimes sell it for more than the real price of $995. It's just that human nature thing, wanting what someone else wants and maybe thinking you got the best deal. We are a stange species! Barbara ------------------------------ From: Wanda Robertson Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 08:41:39 -0700 Subject: [Baren 6209] Re: ebay, etc. So, give us a URL for one of Lee's musical instruments. We want to see what everyone does. So far, all I've done is spend $ on e-bay. But my computer is all fixed up, and I've fixed up computers for everyone else and my house is full of stuff. So I think e-bay is the way to go. I've gotten some good deals, and most of them were really good experiences. A couple of people were not so easy to work with - but we hashed it out without having to resort to nasty e-mails! Your "Henbane & Bee" print looks great on there Roger. I think it is a good idea to scan the exact print you are selling, that way if one little detail is different than another - they know exactly what they are getting. I liked the link back to the other prints too. I hadn't seen the Celtic Knot print before. It's wonderful! Wanda ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 09:20:07 -0700 Subject: [Baren 6212] Rives / Hosho Matt wrote.... >Actually I have printed on a great deal of Yamaguchi-san's paper, and >realities of the marketplace caused me to give it up in favor of the >Rives. But >Dave mentionned that what Graham has is a bit heavier in weight, and >lighter in >color, so I am considering giving it another try. The Yamaguchi paper is certainly not a white as Rives however in the 8 years I have never had a person comment on the colour of the paper. For all intent and purpose it look white when matted and framed. I have a couple of little things done on Rives and side by side on the wall has not caused comment. >Bill Paden is emphatic that I get off the Rives. Now there are three people ....... Bill Paden, Graham Scholes, Dave Bull. <: The facts remain that people who buy my prints opt for ones printed on the Rives if place side by side with ones on real washi. Hummm did you pull the same image on both papers and test the market? Interesting. Graham ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 09:36:30 -0700 Subject: [Baren 6214] Re: ebay, etc. Wanda wrote.... >Your "Henbane & Bee" print looks great on there Roger. OK so I go on eBay and find there are about 297 pages of stuff. How the H does one find Roger's print. Roger, Thanks for the feed back about cost etc. My first observation is...... Beats the hell out of the 50% the gallery wants to sell work. I think I should go there and flog .... opps .... sell some stuff.... opps.....fine works of art. Graham ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 09:51:23 -0700 Subject: [Baren 6217] In the beginning..... Julio, Nice recap. How do you remember those dates???? Even my short pencil doesn't work that well. Got an e-mail from Ray Esposito yesterday. Nice chat thing and how he is progressing with his gallery venture. You have been making little comments related to me and I just have not had time to respond. However the todays begs a responce...... >Of course Gary was there too....arguing his point for computer images with >Graham.....ahhhh...some things never change. Actually Gary is right I just to old fashion to recognize the newbie stuff. Mind, this philosophy has ... oh heck not here Graham..... (<: Graham ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V9 #739 ***************************