Re: An Ebay experiment

Jonathan,

It's a good idea in principle but in practice the fees will most probably
eat all your profits. I don't recall his name or his website though I could
check it out but from what I recall this guy (a relatively known
photographer) experience was a waste of time and money. But all this may
very well depend on the kind of work you do, I live in Montreal and we have
a place where in the summer artists sell there work on the street, this
summer I saw some b&w and colored b&w photographs (silver prints) on display
and I took the time to speak to these guys how things where going and the
reply I got was that most of what they sold there where photos of old
building with nice looking doors. All of them had the same experience, if
you have right kind of "doors" for the ebay market maybe it will be a very
different story.

Best of luck (maybe I shouldn't have said that...)
Yves

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathan Bailey" <jon@jonathan-bailey.com>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Saturday, December 03, 2005 11:55 AM
Subject: An Ebay experiment

> Greetings,
>
> I assume we're all trying to figure out ways to more successfully market
> ourselves. Sitting around with friends at Thanksgiving, it was suggested
I
> try listing some of my images on eBay, just to see what might happen.
>
> I thought it over and decided to list some of my smaller, older images on
> which I also have an abundance of inventory. I decided to start the
bidding
> at a considerable discount - $75 (retail in a gallery on this size work is
> currently at $400). I won't list my newer (or larger) work. I'll
> concentrate listing work which is not likely to be exhibited anytime soon,
> since interest is in my newer work - especially the Summer Ice series of
> Newfoundland icebergs. And, I decided to not list in the "Photography"
> category, using the "Collectables" listing instead (so much of the stuff
in
> the "photography" listing is gawd-awful....).
>
> I sent out a e-mailing to my mailing list, assuming this group would be my
> most likely audience. I really liked the idea of offering my mailing list
a
> holiday discount - and, everyone loves a deal!
>
> My friend, a museum curator, offered to write the description for me. We
> thought having it in the third person might read better than in the first
> person. And, for the moment, the first four images are listed through her
> eBay ID, although we've since decided I would list them on my account in
the
> future (noone knows our names anyway - just our eBay ID's, so what
> difference does it make?).
>
> My first group of four images are listed at the URL's below. I'm going to
> list another group beginning tomorrow so as to end the auctions on a
Sunday
> evening (an advantage, I believe). I now have bids on all four auctions
> (!) - and two of the bidders are unfamiliar to me! So, I also seem to be
> expanding my audience and mailing list! I am very encouraged and will run
> weekly groups at least through the 25th - perhaps beyond.
>
> I believe we artists must take more control over our sales and promotion.
I
> think the gallery system is to a very large extent bankrupt (both
> financially and morally) - both for the owners and (but for a very few)
> artists. It doesn't look to me that many artists are gaining much cash
flow
> from them - either because they sell only occasionally, and/or have
trouble
> getting paid when they do.
>
> What are your experiences??
>
> If you're interested in my eBay experiment, have a look: (And, if you'd
like
> to be on my mailing list send me a note - off list!)
>
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6231533790&rd=1&sspagenam
> e=STRK%3AMEWA%3APIC&rd=1
>
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6231536037&rd=1&sspagenam
> e=STRK%3AMEWA%3APIC&rd=1
>
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6231537665&rd=1&sspagenam
> e=STRK%3AMEWA%3APIC&rd=1
>
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6231539900&rd=1&sspagenam
> e=STRK%3AMEWA%3APIC&rd=1
>
>
> Cheers!
>
> Jon
> www.jonathan-bailey.com
> Tenants Harbor, Maine
>
Received on Sat Dec 3 11:29:28 2005