Help the Economy.....Make & Buy Art!

In our present society, where people stand in line overnight for the latest electronic gadget, its pretty easy to ignore the artists and their work in this country. That's kind of sad. Art is a talent - it can be honed and perfected thru hard work but the spark has to be there...within the artist. It's what makes a true artist - not a scribbler or a paint dripper who are touted as genius in the artworld but the true artist who enjoys creating for the sheer joy of it. We have literally thousands upon thousands of them in the world and their talent is mostly ignored. A sad fact.

Artists can be so ignored in our society that a good one can be found most anywhere and most do not even know they have this talent. People always come up with the same stale old line "I can't even draw a straight line" - well...neither can I but I have the patience to pick up pencil, brush, chalk or whatever and to let my mind wander to what I want to put on paper.

After awhile, the hand learns to draw what the mind sees and creating art becomes a joy, and the soothing of the act of creating art becomes a calmness and a euphoria!

Some artists stick to a single theme or medium. I seem to enjoy all themes - all mediums. #1. The Lesson, pastel. #2. The Biker, watercolor. #3. A Walk in the Rain, Acrylic.

So, grab a pencil or brush and some paper and give it a try AND have a bit of encouragement for that artist in your neighborhood or your family or among your friends. Art needs to come into the sunshine once again and it needs to gain the respect and be recognized by our society once again.

Last but far from least....go out and BUY some REAL art. I don't mean prints from Walmart. I mean something an artist has taken his time to do and to put down for posterity. Places like Ebay, Overstock, Etsy, etc. are full to the rafters with original art - most selling below the price of prints you will find in stores AND you don't even have to move from your computer. SUPPORT artists by encouraging them and by buying real art.

Now, for listening to old granny's rant.....have a cupcake :-)

Thoughts on Ebay, the Economy, Online Sales & Cupcakes & Wine

Cupcakes & Wine

Lately, I've been reflecting on the economy and on my sales and the sales of other artists. Since I'm retired, its pretty easy for me to think about the future. Financially, I'm not wealthy but I do have a modest income - enough to cover my needs. These days I think more about the people who are out of work and desperate then I do about myself. I keep hoping for a turnaround, but that doesn't seem to be happening yet. I keep wishing that the leader we put into office, with such great hope for change, would begin doing something for the citizens of this nation. It saddens me but there is nothing I can do except be grateful for what I have and hope the rest will prosper soon.

Online sales for small sellers of collectibles and artwork has fallen off to the point where it is almost useless to list items and hand over fees. The smaller sites need AUCTIONS there is no excitement in searching by keywords and blundering onto what you want and the same stuff sits month after month. Their present format is confusing and not successful...yes, I'm talking Etsy, Bonanzle, eCrater, etc. etc. They're gaining more sellers but those precious buyers are still mostly out of their reach. None of them advertise...that I can see. Overstock does advertise but for the life of me I cannot understand why they seem to hide the fact that they have auctions running too - if you don't believe me go to the site and LOOK. Sellers deserve more than this type of service. Sellers are willing to pay for service but most of the small sites operating today aren't prepared to give us that.

As for Ebay, the old CEO, campaigning for California governor, is still bragging about the thousands of little people she helped start a business on Ebay while her hand-groomed successor, the new CEO, tears it apart and puts most of those sellers out of business. No use mentioning any more about them. Its water under the bridge now and not worth the space in this post.

I, along with thousands of other sellers are waiting...we're waiting for the next "Ebay" - the next large community of sellers and buyers. I don't see one on the horizon and if one doesn't show up soon then the whole business of online sales will go to the big, rich, retail companies who only wish to expand their presence to the internet. It will be same brand new chinese junk you now find in any mall or large store and the excitement that was once Ebay and online sales of the eclectic, the rare, the vintage...will perish!

Not the best mood for a Sunday morning but I felt I had to tell it as it appears to me and then we, perhaps, can collectively hope for a turnaround...in the economy and the online sales.

Something different today, an abstract, called "Cupcakes & Wine"

Ebay....Boooo! Happy Halloween!

The weather is turning cooler. In the northern part of the country temps are falling and there has already been snow on the northeast section. It is all signaling the holidays are at hand. This is the part of the year when stores get out of the red and earn their profits....well, usually. This year there is a decided misery over the country. I am retired and with my social security and small pension I am somewhat isolated from what is going on in the U.S. today. Here, in California we have almost 12 percent unemployment and there are worse states such as Michigan.

Now would be a perfect time for families looking to earn a few extra bucks to put some of their gently used items on Ebay and an equally perfect time for buyers who are strapped for money to purchase the things they need. Normally, this would be a great outlet and would help families pay a few bills each month. Sadly, such is no longer the case. More and More small sellers are reporting a lack of traffic and a lack of views to their items. More and more they are reporting they can't even find their items in search! To add to that misery Ebay came out with the TRS program (top rated sellers). They are rightfully considering a seller's performance record - BUT - they've still set the bar high enough that a lot of more casual small sellers, also with excellent reputations, slip thru the cracks! Ebay, has and always will be a place that coddles sellers who sell the most and ignores sellers who are just as good but sell less.

With all that in mind most small sellers need to simply take a deep breath and move on! Now is the time to list on a lot of other sites - most of which take a small fee or no listing fee at all. Many offer free shops! Etsy.com - 20 cents to list any item for 4 months. Bonanzle.com - free shop, free listing. eCrater.com - free shop, free to list. 1000markets.com - free shop, free to list. SpecialAuctions.com - free shop, free to list! I can go on and on. There is also Auctionbyte's EveryplaceISell.com - a directory of sellers and the sites they can be found on. Its a free service so take advantage of it!

The one thing sellers neglect to do when they move to other sites is they neglect to let their past buyers know where they are! This amounts to moving and not leaving a forwarding address. They'll move to a new site, list, sit back and when they don't get sales they will crawl back to Ebay. Always remember small sellers built Ebay in the first place. Ebay is losing buyers because of lack of these same small sellers. Ebay buyers do not want the brand new items they can find in Walmart - they want the rare, the vintage, the unique items they can only find on Ebay! Let these buyers know where you are! Comb thru your records of past purchases and contact these people. Let them know where you can be found and offer them incentives like free shipping or a percent off their purchases. Remember YOU built ebay and you can rebuild! Now is the time. The holiday season is breathing down our necks. It is my personal opinion that Ebay has set itself up for failure in the fourth quarter - don't go down with the ship!

Okay, ole Grannygoodpaint is getting down from her soapbox. I've posted some Halloween "treats" up above for those of you listening to the things that go "bump" in the night...

GOOGLE - Give a Girl a Break!

Seems like years I've been writing about Ebay, Etsy, Online Auctions, Bonanzle, Overstock, etc. etc. I have yet to see one of my blog posts picked up by Google and sent to me in a Google alert. Yes, I have the alerts up and running and get tons of articles on the subjects....some dumber than dirt but never see mine. Google whatcha got against ole Grannygoodpaint? If I outright Google Grannygoodpaint I get plenty - yet I never make those alerts. Google are you ashamed of ole Granny?

Etsy, Etsy, Etsy, Etsy!!!!! Jump Onboard!

"The Gazebo in the Park"
5 X 7" Watercolor

Today I want to toot my horn for Etsy.com (pronounced like Betsy without the B). Any seller of handmade or vintage goods can open a free shop on Etsy. Then they can list as much as they want for only 20 cents a listing and each listing is good for 4 months! Not free but almost free! Etsians are helpful and their community forums are a must read - as is their blog The Storque. The economy doesn't seem to be bothering Etsy any since they report an almost doubling of sales year over year for this June and July!

I am trying my darndest to do without Ebay. Haven't listed there in weeks now and I'm concentrated on Etsy and next will concentrate on building up my Bonanzle booth.

Sellers...take the plunge! If you sell mostly handmade goods then try Etsy for everything else there is Bonanzle or eCrater. I recommend them all. Also...very important if you do decide to spread your wares around DON'T FORGET to tell your customers where they can find you ;-)

My painting for today is a watercolor just listed. Hopefully it will brighten your day.

Support American Artists!

"Sunburst Daisies"
5 X 11" Watercolor

I know the economy is bad but yesterday I was shopping in Walmart and saw a bin of large prints with several people picking thru them. One fellow pulled one out and smiled at it...as though he found the prize in a box of Cracker Jack! I looked over and noted the price....not much less than some small original works one can find on artists' internet websites or on sites such as Ebay, Bonanzle and Etsy. I wonder what makes a person bypass real art in favor of a sheet of paper some machine stamped out? I look at original paintings and am sometimes in awe at the skill and imagination of the artist. I respect the person behind an original piece of art and the work he/she put into it. There is NOTHING like original art. No mass produced print - no matter the name compares to a piece of art where you can look deeply and see the brush strokes that artist placed on the canvas.

So, I'm asking any who might stop by to read this to check out the sites I've mentioned here and look at some original art. If you buy a piece I'm pretty sure you won't be sorry. Look beyond just the topic or color of the piece - look deeply to see the part of the artist's life and heart that he or she put into it.....just for you!

My painting today is a sunny watercolor.

Grannygoodpaint Changes Her Palette

The author of this blog is an artist and has been one all her life. Let's talk art today and some of what it takes to sell your work. I used to make a darned good business simply putting my artwork up on Ebay but those days seem to have passed. Now I'm spread out all over the place and learning to market my work wherever and whenever I can. Younger artists will want to do art shows and hang their work in coffee shops and restaurants, etc. That's great! Some will open websites - even better! BUT be prepared for the work involved in getting traffic to your site. You don't just build a website and sit and wait for the crowds to come. It just doesn't happen that way.

Also, there are sites where you can get exposure and some are free. Bonanzle is one that will give you a free shop and free listing fees and you only pay when you sell. Etsy is another popular site...charging only 20 cents to expose your work for 4 months! Then there are others you probably never considered....Artist Rising where you can place your work and if a customer wishes a print you will be given a small percentage of the sale. I recently sold a large painting off Artist Rising because it caught a customer's eye and she wanted the original. Made the sale, with NO fees involved, directly to the buyer. Imagekind is much the same as Artist Rising. Don't forget your own neighborhood - everyone here knows I paint and many come around for that special gift they can't find in stores. There are a number of these sites where you can place your work for possible sale of prints. Its something to consider.

If you have a tip or a site or an outlet where you are making some sales...by all means please share it with us.

Some work that is up on Ebay right now:

I can also be found on Bonanzle, Etsy, Overstock and my own website

Ebay's Future....What I Believe

"Daffodil Bunny"
5 X 7" Watercolor

Everyone seems to have an opinion about Ebay and the direction it will take. Here's mine for what its worth:

I believe Ebay is looking toward a business model that will eventually exclude small sellers and even power sellers. They no longer want the responsibility for customer service and the fraud problems that are beginning to come back and bite them thru the court system. I believe they're desperate to populate the site with huge sellers who can take care of their own customer service and fraud and these will no longer be Ebay's responsibility. Ebay just wants to sit back and scoop in the revenue so they're willing to put in their famous Ebay name to entice these big sellers....the name us small sellers built for them. First they tried the retail route...that didn't work. Now they are looking toward liquidation sellers of end lots and discontinued items in bulk. Once they hit on a solid business model they will open the back door and put us all out by the dumpster without one look back! This is why they are secretive, their plans are not solid and so they keep secretive until that time.

To all sellers: imperative to use Ebay to suit yourself while you build on other venues (I am presently active on Etsy, Bonanzle and Overstock) and perhaps even on your own site. The worst thing a seller can do now is sit on Ebay and complain about sales and wait for things to pick up....its time to be very very proactive! We will probably never again see the wild selling venue that was once Ebay...but neither will Ebay. They will become just a huge, mediochre site and that will eventually fade away or be scooped up by another company, especially so if they keep the present inadequate management.

Not happy thoughts to be sure but I've always been a hard realist and this is what I'm seeing.

grannygoodpaint

With Easter on the way - I thought my painting for today should be Daffodil Bunny.

A Seller Asked About Ebay....

...what our sales were and our views. He was about to leave because he could not get views or sales. Here was my reply:

I found a newsletter in MyEbay that said I was doing great…and listed the piddling amount of money I made on Ebay I guess in the past 12 months. It was a pitiful amount when put next to the large amounts I made in years gone by. They wanted me to write a bit about my “success” - I was sorely tempted….my cursor hovered over that link for quite awhile while I plotted and planned just how I would “tell them about my success”….then I deleted the newsletter. It meant little to me anymore - Ebay means little to me anymore. I list a few items here…ever hopeful that management might come to its senses but the bulk of my items are on my own website and other free to list or small listing fee websites (Etsy, Bonanzle, Overstock) and they are all selling. Nothing spectacular but constant sales and good views as opposed to no sales and few views here. Its sad to think of how far Ebay has fallen and how much they still think of themselves! If they can’t get over their useless attitude of superiority they can only fail. Most of us are moving on…

Are You Still Selling Online?....At Ebay?...Etsy?

PB&J

If so, I have one big word for you DIVERSIFY! Not only in what you sell but where you sell. The old days of small sellers depending on ebay are over. Mr. Donahoe has made that so clear it rings like a bell - and he never even had to say it. Right now my most active listings are on Bonanzle, Etsy and my own website. To help me along I've gone thru all my past receipts (something you ALL should be doing) and came up with a nice email list of past customers. Then I made them a nice form email with links to my website and other places they can find me. Make it as easy for them as possible. Don't spam...one email only to let them know where they can find you. Offer incentives...free shipping or discounts, etc. These are YOUR customers and you have a right to contact them. Just don't make a pest of yourself. since I did this early in November things are percolating along. Maybe I will contact them again in the Spring and announce Easter, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day deals. What I'm trying to say is get out of the rut. Don't be afraid to market yourself to your past customers. They are looking for bargains too and they are finding less and less of them on Ebay since so many of us small sellers left there. DIVERSIFY!

I'm inviting you all to virtual lunch with today's painting: PB&J

Online Sales Are Down For Most

ACEO: Halloween Feast

This is a difficult period for many people. Lots of folks are watching their401K's decline, stocks are in the basement. Some say its a good time to pick up some bargains in stocks...maybe so but for those of us retired or nearing retirement that would be a big no-no. All we can do is try to keep what we have and keep it safe. I was lucky to roll my 401K over a year ago into an IRA. At least its safe even if it isn't making primo money for me.

In the same vein, internet sales are down. The few items I have on Ebay are stagnant with few hits and rolling off without bids. In Ebay's ongoing insanity, they saw fit to lower my standing in their search from "raised" to "standard" thereby kicking a seller when he's down even a seller who has never had a negative and has all 5.0 DSR's. They said I didn't have enough feedback in the past 30 days and failed to take into consideration the 30 items that I paid them to list that rolled off without bids. Its time folks...its more than time to put your Ebay money elsewhere. Even if you use it to advertise a website of your own. Nothing will change in Ebay's corner until their management changes and its like the old saying "it has to get much worse before it gets better."

This is a time when buyers will be looking for bargains. They'll search the web this holiday season because they simply won't have the money they had last year. Its a great time to get traffic to your other venues! I've written about Etsy, Bonanzle, Wigix and others. The problem with these sites lies with US...we go there, we list and we sit and wait for people to find us. We are spoiled by Ebay's past performance and expect the traffic to simply be there. No..WE are the ones who have to reach out to our buyers (past and present) and get them to these sites. I know if they bother to try they will probably stay. Since most of these sites are free to list or near free (Etsy is 20 cents per item for 4 months) we can afford to offer incentives for buyers to come and buy from us. Offer free shipping - offer a bonus gift, etc. Get them to come and see the site and see your offerings. In that way we can build these small sites into viable outlets for our items. Take the plunge and most of all TAKE INTEREST in building traffic.

Another Halloween offering today is an ACEO called Halloween Feast.

(ACEO is Art Cards Editions and Originals, an idea born and nurtured on Ebay. These cards are generally original paintings about the size of a baseball card. Exactly 2 1/2 X 3 1/2")

Its Been Awhile

I've had some construction done on my little condo - actually had the adjoining wall soundproofed. I like quiet to the point of being fanatical about it. This will allow the neighbors to make noise and I can make some too and no hard feelings :-)

Ebay is running a 25 cent insertion fee for fixed price items (I believe it ends on 7/29) so I put up a couple of my larger paintings just to see how they would do. Oh my...the results so far are dismal to say the least. I would say the listings aren't worth 25 cents at this point and I feel certain neither painting will sell unless some miracle happens. The whole first 24 hours I only got one hit on one painting and nothing on the other. In the meantime I got plenty of views on my Etsy items and sold two small paintings off my website. This doesn't speak well for Ebay. They're blaming the slowdown in sales on the economy - yet Amazon is laughing all the way to the bank. No slowdown there. I know Ebay is headed in the wrong direction and like a derailed train it seems none of us can stop it. I'm sad to see it go like this, yet in getting rid of the big monopoly we may end up with many different sites instead of just the one. In that respect I feel kind of relieved that I no longer have to jump thru Ebay's hoops just to keep selling there. In effect, they forced some of us to leave the nest and venture out to new venues. I believe that will be very good, especially for small sellers. We'll build other sites the way we built Ebay...only several of them instead of just the one :-) The biggest task will be getting buyers to try other sites....but I think more and more of them are doing just that.

Some sunny sunflowers for everyone.

In Spite of Ebay, Things Are Looking Up :-)

The Pretty Pig
Available at
http://www.MissPat.etsy.com


Well, since the initial shock of January 29 and the announcement by John Donahoe that he was about to turn my world upside down...first, there is disbelief, then there is anger, then acceptance and finally you dig in, grit your teeth and prepare to pull yourself out of the mud and move forward. I'm very happy to say I have two shops on Etsy.com, one under the ID of tinypainter and the other under MissPat(come visit) I'm getting sales once again...AND my own website is making sales as well. I'm finally beginning to feel like a human being again instead of like some scourge that all buyers have to watch and have the right to rate me right out of business.

For any of you sellers out there who can't make it on ebay anymore, Etsy may not be your cup of tea but there are plenty of other venues that might do you. I suggest you go list and support them. Many are free to list - iOffer, eCrater to name just a couple and the radical new wigix.com. For you artists, Etsy.com (only 20 cents for 4 months) and Artbyus.com (free to list)are great! What do you have to lose? Don't become down-hearted because in the end of all of this I feel Ebay is going to be the ultimate loser.

Happy Independence Day - Life After Ebay!

What a wonderful day! Our country is 232 years old - we're in the midst of a presidential election year - the promise of new change for the better. Except for gas and food prices, the war and healthcare... things could be much worse.

I guess this is a year of change in most of our lives. Many of us are feeling the loss of Ebay. I know I am and several of my fellow artists are in that same boat. I am putting more and more effort into sites like my own website and Etsy. I think for an artist, Etsy seems to hold more promise than the other sites. In the past, I'd put a few things up, hope for the best and not visit Etsy again until the listings ended. Lately, I've been really checking out the site and found the chatrooms and they are WONDERFUL! You can chat with other "Etsians" and see their work pop up on the side of the screen and you can even flood the room with chocolate chip cookies (I don't know why but its fun). Its such a lighthearted site after the heavily restricting Ebay that I expect Etsy to be THE site for art and handmade items. For those who haven't scooped it out, please go and have a look - there IS life after Ebay and its looking pretty good!

Above - The Iris Bed - at a special price on Etsy

http://www.etsy.com/tinypainter
http://www.watercolorsbypatricia.com
http://www.ACEOart.net
http://www.tattingjustforyou.com

Ebay - There's Life Beyond Ebay - ETSY.COM!

Pronounced "etsy" as in Betsy. Etsy has been around for awhile now and is a haven for anyone who creates what they sell. There is a multitude of handmade items on Etsy and most reasonably priced. Listing, incredibly, is only 20 cents for 4 full months and the FVF is very low. I love Etsy. It has a way to go as far as traffic is concerned but with all the turmoil going on at Ebay Etsy is the recipient of refugee sellers AND disgusted buyers. Stop in at Etsy.com - visit my little shop there (yes, that's free). You might want to stay and list there for yourself.

http://www.tinypainter.etsy.com

Above is a special flower squirrel print I just put in my shop. It from my own original watercolor and would look great in a child's room or nursery. These prints are 8 X 10" or smaller on Epson Heavyweight matte Paper.