by dianapotts » Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:40 am
Hi! Welcome menolly! I began selling on ebay in the early 2000's. I would suggest putting up a few pieces that aren't very expensive. I have used their basic format for their auctions and I make sales. If you do this consistently over time, people will see that and you can build a customer base that way and even some fans. I have never used a certificate of authenticity. I think maybe it is a document that has your embossed stamp on it. I am not sure how to get that done, but I have a hunch that it is a process that would start with a notarized document. Perhaps in your town you can find where there is a notary public and they may be able to tell you the process. A notarized document can be made to prove that it is you about to do something like produce your own legal document. Then you would apply for the stamper and then you make the documents. When you have that whole process done you can say on your eBay auction that you are certified and then send it off worth the work when a sale is made. I am not a lawyer, but you may want to talk with your attorney about this. It may include registering with your state as a business which I recommend anyway for tax purposes.
Regarding pricing on ebay, don't sell yourself short. If your work is good, it will sell. Ebay is full of a lot of themes and such. Don't get into the trap of that if you see a subject on ebay then you do it. Instead be as original as you are. I am like that and my work sells. You may have to list it more than once. Just be yourself.
On eBay there are groups. One group is called ACEO or art cards and originals. I belong to that. They are cards the size of baseball collector cards. Artist make art that size. People collect them and they are quite a hit on ebay. I used to do well making them. They don't take long to make and you can have collectors. They are good for collecting because people can buy notebooks that fit them in. If you make one just put ACEO in the title of the auction and people who search for them won't have to go through the 20,000+ artist auctions to find yours. I highly recommend this as a starting point. It's also a good way to build a reputation without making large works that you have to start with lower prices.
Art on eBay, at least for those starting out, is priced and sells much lower than gallery. I would suggest pricing by thinking of what you would want to get from a gallery for a piece and taking that price and dividing it in half. At an offline art group meeting once, when a question came up as to how to price for auctions in general, this is what was suggested. For galleries and professional buyers online that are looking, that know this formula, especially if you state in your auction that you have sold in galleries, it would be a good indicator to them as far as value. It seems to be an industry formula.
Don't be intimidated at first by the lower prices on ebay.
Another thing I have noticed on ebay is that artists who sell more expensive works and have higher prices, usually start out low and the bids go up. However it takes time to build this kind of reputation. Start with smaller works. The ones who sell large paintings for triple digits consistently have been doing it for awhile.
I have only sold one painting on eBay. I have only posted one painting on eBay. It was a small acrylic abstract piece for twenty five dollars. I suggest making small gems of paintings and build up. I do more pencil works.
The most important thing is to make art from your heart that has high quality. Start small and low. You can build a business on eBay. It's the one area on eBay that if done right, will not be a flea market type place. But the key is imagination, quality and consistency. And also don't get in a rut of style. Change or you will get copiers and you will stop getting buyers. In art innovation of your own style is what counts.
Good luck,
Diana
