Ebay - No! Where Else Can I Sell Online?

"Cats in the Iris"

Once people find out I have been selling online for years they always ask me about Ebay. Upon hearing about the "new Ebay" they are generally turned off from trying to list and sell there. Then I tell them about other online sites - and to my amazement, they are completely oblivious to the fact that there ARE other online sites except Ebay, Amazon and Craigslist. Maybe its time to set the record straight here...and I'll attempt to do just that. I'll be honest and tell you what I know and perhaps you will begin to see the large world of online sites where you can list and sell your items.

Bonanzle.com: - you can set up a free store there. I like the fact they have a little chat box right in your store so that if you are there you can chat with others. Its free and easy to list your items and you pay a small commission for anything that sells. You need to do some socializing and networking to get traffic to your site. This is generally done by visiting other sites and leaving messages for the owners.

Online Auctions.com: - you pay by the month for a store. It was $8.95 the last time I tried it. For the monthly fee you can list and sell whatever you like and as many listings as you like. This was a great site for interacting with the community but I could not make many sales there. I'm sure it was the items I was offering but it seemed to me there simply was no traffic other than other sellers.

Etsy.com: - this is THE place for handmade items, vintage items and art and craft supplies. For 25 cents you can list an item for 4 months - your store is free and you pay a small commission on your sales. This is another site that depends on how well you can interact with the community and network.

Overstock.com: - this was the site I felt could have put a dent into Ebay in a big way. There are two parts to this site - one is retail and the other is auctions....yes!, auctions - they seem to want to keep that part a big secret. I have done pretty well with auctions on this site in the past. I sure wish they would advertise auctions and let people know they are there. They're missing out on a LOT of revenue. Prices for listing are a bit lower than Ebay and, of course, you can accept cash, checks and moneyorders or any variety of money movers such as Paypal.

eCrater.com: - far as I can see its free to list and free to sell! They give you a store and you can list as many items as you like. I have yet to make a sale on the site. Perhaps I'm just offering the wrong items.

eBid.net: - I hit a sale and paid them $49.95 to be able to list there free for life. I can have up to 5 different stores going. I have two right now - one for art and one for other things....neither has made a sale. They don't seem to have as much traffic as is needed to make good sales.

Boocoo.com: - chances are you haven't heard of them. They are brand new, still in beta I think and listing is free right now. This site is owned by a variety of newspapers across the country. Its easy to list there and they give you a free store. I believe there is a small fee if you sell an item.

These are just some of the online sales sites presently out there. There are many others (Atomic Mall, ePier, SpecialistAuctions, PlunderHere, Blujay, Ioffer to name a few) that I did not include here. Those above are sites I've actually listed on and still list on many of them. So, when you feel you're trapped by Ebay's high fees and draconian policies why not give one or more of these a try? On most of them you can't lose anything but your time.

A little watercolor painting today. 5 X 7" Cats in the Iris

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"

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.

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.