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…

Mr. Donahoe - What's Ebay Going to Be When it Grows Up?

Watercolor: "Cupcake Party"

Ebay's success came from the little people...buying, selling and becoming a community. Buyers had their favorite sellers, sellers of worth had a following of buyers....and so the cycle of buying and selling goes.

Actually, back in 2004 Ebay began to pare down the strength of auctions. First with the deletion of "Going, Going, Gone" and then the take over of the option feature plus that single handedly dominated many categories, computers, electronics, art, etc. Ebay at that point began to move away from auctions - undoubtedly Meg's idea. The idea of Ebay Express was a stab at fixed price listings but was so poorly thought out and executed -it was bound to fail.

2008, enter John Donahoe - Meg's handgroomed replacement who began to put into place a half-baked plan that was probably cooked up by the two of them. Let's shape Ebay into an Amazonish businessmodel! Well, it took a year for Mr. Donahoe to discover you can't simply change a business model and have it succeed.

Since the "Amazon" plan went into effect, Ebay set buyers against sellers with its feedback and DSR innovations. Ebay upset the balance of buyer/seller and, with countless new and outrageous policies made Ebay a hostile place for small sellers and for many powersellers as well. Thousands of small sellers left...leaving their following unable to find what they were accustomed to buying on Ebay. Sellers who left never came back to Ebay to buy either....then the disastrous 4th quarter holiday season report last year where Ebay declined 16 percent. Right then....John Donahoe and his team should have been let go and a team experienced in online sales AND customer satisfaction should have been brought in to replace them.

At this point Donahoe is outright fishing...first he says they're going to be the world's biggest retailer then at his bright and shiny Analysts Day he claims he is not a retailer but will be more like Overstock, selling end lots and discontinued wares. He pushed Paypal (I suppose so he didn't have to do a whole bunch of explaining about Ebay's core) on everyone and now claims it will be the biggest invention since fire! Anyone who ate that pap wasn't worthy of their job title. Unfortunately the wrong man is in the wrong job, combined with a board of directors who seem to be oblivious, and a multi-billion dollar company and its customers (the SELLERS who pay the bills) are suffering!

As Ebay's attitude says...."let them eat cake" so I thought I'd give you all something to munch on. My painting today is entitled "Cupcake Party"

Ebay's Analyst Day - Nothing New

Watercolor: "Red Woodroses & Lilacs"

Wow! What can I say about Ebay's Analyst Day? Some blogger already put it into one sentence: "Nothing new here - move on". That's about it in a nutshell. Lots of posturing by the speakers and lots of promise for the future and lots of selling so many millions of items a day, per minute - I call them fish stories. You know that fisherman who actually caught an 8 inch fish retelling the story as a three foot fish. In this case though - they are making fish stories around the slow and steady decline of a once mighty company. They are trying to put the blinders on analysts...will they be stupid enough to fall for it? Ebay's management team has succeeded in several things - none good:

1. They succeeded in arriving at the first decline in a quarterly report...and it happened in last years 4th quarter!!! If you can't succeed during the holiday season then you can't succeed...its as simple as that.

2. They've succeeded in driving off thousands of small sellers. The very sellers who attracted buyers through selling their rare, vintage and unique items. The things that could NOT be found in any store.

3. In driving off small sellers they also succeeded in driving off a buying force - since sellers also buy on the site. Secondary - they drove off buyers who frequented these sellers - both can be found on smaller sites.

4. They made it almost impossible for buyers to find what they're looking for. With Ebay's new Best Match - even the inventor of it said it was never intended to be the only search!

5. With Best Match Ebay has succeeded in manipulating search so that the buyer sees what Ebay wants him to see....small sellers are often so buried in the listings that they are forced to go elsewhere.

This is only 5 of the points Ebay's new management team has succeeded in doing in the past year alone. I would say they were let off pretty easy at only getting their pay frozen to last year's standards. I would have offered them $8.75 an hour - take it or leave it!!!

It is clear to me that Ebay is headed pell-mell towards that cliff. Its almost inevitable now that they will fall and fall big. Perhaps that is what is needed in order to bring them down to the size they've earned. Perhaps that's what the board has to see in order for it to come to its senses! Right now they are a failure to most sellers and certainly to small sellers. Their reputation is so tarnished by their treatment of sellers in the past year that that alone could cause their continued downfall no matter what they do at this point. Even if they turned around completely - word of mouth will continue - lack of faith in the company will continue for many many years! Can Ebay outlive its reputation?....I think not.

A good start would have been firing the present management team...but that just isn't going to happen. All we can do is wait and watch....like that guy standing out on a ledge 20 stories up...will he jump?....we all hope not yet he moves ever closer to the edge... :-(

My painting for today is a watercolor: "Red Wood Roses and Lilacs"

Buying Art on Ebay

I'm posting a very informative article from a fellow Ebay artist. Ebay has one of the largest art communities in the world...if not, THE largest. People need to take advantage of it. There is no need to have cheap dime store prints on your walls - art on Ebay ranges from $1.00 on up into the thousands of dollars. There is definitely something for everyone AND at reasonable prices.




A piece of Marie's artwork presently on auction on Ebay


Friday, February 27, 2009
Buying Art on Ebay

I may have jumped the gun here...with today's economy many people are probably wondering if they should even be buying art in the first place!

Is art a luxury or a necessity? Lets' talk about that briefly and then I'll follow up with some good advice about buying art on Ebay....or you can just skip to that advice by scrolling down.

Naturally, as an artist and as someone who majored in the Social Sciences, I feel that art is a necessity. Art is so much more than something to hang over the sofa. Art is the mirror of the society in which it was created...a true reflection of the concerns, joys, struggles, accomplishments, and priorities of the time.
Art is history.

Psychologically speaking, art holds it's ground here too! Our environment has a direct impact on the way we feel. Each color even has influence over our moods and the ability to concentrate or relax. If we find ourselves in a space that we perceive as open, warm and inviting we are serene, calm, and comfortable. If we find ourselves in a space that we perceive as cold, too cluttered, to stark, or sterile we can feel uneasy, agitated, or even depressed! Comfortable surroundings filled with objects that we find attractive & meaningful simply makes us feel at home and lifts our mood.
Art makes us happy!

So the next time you see a painting or a sculpture or any piece of art and that art speaks to you....GRAB IT! And do so, guilt free..."nesting" is healthy!

BUYING ART ON EBAY

In my opinion, Ebay is a GREAT place to buy original art! From traditional landscapes to modern abstract paintings...Ebay has some of the most talented artists available! Not only that...you can get some really good deals on original art. You no longer have to settle for prints and posters if you prefer original art, but are on a budget. Paintings sell on Ebay from $1 to $1000 depending on auction style, painting size, and artist recognition.

Now granted, Ebay isn't as easy to browse for unique items items as it used to be, but it's still pretty darned easy. Here are some tips for a good experience:

Pay attention to the selections!

From the home page, select: ART: from within the DIRECT FROM ARTIST menu select PAINTINGS.

This area will get you the better deals versus buying from a reseller or gallery...unless you're looking for something "vintage." If that's the case you may prefer the DEALER - RESELLER area.

Once you're in the DIRECT FROM ARTIST:PAINTINGS area you'll want to perform a strategic search. Ebay's "Best Match" search is not all that it's cracked up to be, often leaving out fabulous paintings from artists who are considered "small vendors" because they do not list 2-3 paintings everyday! Best Match might be great if you're shopping for gadgets, but it's the worst way to shop for unique, hand made items.

Having said that, Ebay also has a new tendency to force their ideas upon shoppers...be sure to look to the left of the screen...you may actually have to select DIRECT FROM ARTIST again to refine your search!

Still looking on the left side, scroll down and make any other selections you like in order to refine your search.

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST.....look for the drop down menu near the top right of the screen, directly over where the listings begin...you can find it...really you can! It is there, but by design it's less than obvious. Once you locate it, click to see all the selections and choose either ENDING SOONEST or NEWLY LISTED depending on your preference. NOW, you can really browse through all that is available. Here is where you'll find those wonderful pieces of original art: Landscapes, Original Abstract Paintings, Original Modern Abstracts, Urban Paintings and so much more...all original handmade art. Not some watered down search that features mass produced schlock preferred by Best Match.

Keep an eye on all of your selections, they do tend to revert to Ebay's defaults in between visits...or even if you jump out of a category and then come back.

If it sounds like a hassle, it can be at first, but after a couple of times it really is very easy.

Support the arts..... DON'T USE BEST MATCH!

Warmest Regards,
Marie Bretz
(formerly Marie Bahr)
Paint All Night Studios

Ebay Wants to Be Amazon???

"Blue Hydrangea & Sunflowers"
5 X 7" Watercolor

I have a Google Alert on Ebay and throughout the day I get articles and blogs about Ebay - most I delete. I'm only interested in other opinions on the present Ebay and how it is being run. Some of the articles amaze me in how wrong they are about the problems at the world's largest online auction site. Here's my take on it:

Ebay has and is making a big mistake. Donahoe is determined to go toe to toe with amazon and he’s in for a very rude awakening….that awakening has already started only he is too stubborn or uninformed to see it. Amazon built its business model over years of non-profit before it began to make its niche the hard way - thru hard work, determination and a good business plan. Donahoe believes he can bully his sellers into offering some of the same things (customer service, free shipping) that Amazon offers and then Ebay can sit back and rake in the money. He forgets a couple of things. The outraged small sellers are doing a great job of getting the word out about the bully Ebay has become…about its absolutely hostile environment to all but its large diamond sellers and buyers are not only listening they are finding their favorite small sellers elsewhere! Also in Ebay becoming a cheap imitation of Amazon…it is just that….a cheap imitation and nobody likes an imitator! If you want to buy Amazon style why would you go anyplace else but Amazon? Ebay’s niche was in the rare, vintage and unusual items that people could find nowhere else. How foolish they are to kill the very thing that gets people to its site….the very thing that interests people enough to buy on Ebay. Hey…I can get an iPod anyplace (in fact I bought my direct from Apple)….but the 5 milkglass lamps I needed for my vintage chandelier could only be found on Ebay.

The board of directors needs to wise up and fast. They need proper management…management schooled in the hard knocks of online selling. Otherwise, after this next drastic decline in quarter sales they will finally see that Ebay is on the path to destruction! Its rapidly becoming too late for Ebay to survive

My painting for today is something bright and cheerful to hopefully warm up the rest of the country. Take heart...Spring is next month.

And The Next Governor of California Will Be....Meg Whiteman?????

I'm not that much into politics except when it concerns me directly. Governor of California is an important post and directly concerns my quality of life here....so I'm giving you my 2 cents on the matter.

California under the reins of Arnold Swartzenegger has seen government double...expenses rise outrageously and now, in a time of recession and unemployement equal or better then most of the country, unheard of tax raises!!! Our dear governor who rode in on the promise of cutting the fat and bringing the free spending democratic legislator under control has been one big fat flop! He now stands to levy tax raises on gasoline, sales, cars and a myriad of other taxes to the tune of an extra $12,000,000,000!!!....and that will only partly take care of the deficit! California is hurting badly. They need someone strong and someone who means what they say!

Now along comes Meg. She's probably got time on her hands now that she's groomed John Donahoe and he is in office at Ebay blithely taking apart a business model that was extremely successful and busy putting thousands of small sellers out of business. In all conscience, I fail to see how Meg could brag about her time at Ebay. From its inception until a couple of years ago Ebay was wildly successful. It was a phenomenon like no other. Unique by design and by its users. With all due respect....Daffy Duck could have run it just as well. Ebay made money in spite of the trip ups made by Meg....like dumping millions in sellers fees into China and giving China free listing while raking the money out of all other users. The big bumble called Skype - she paid dearly for that company and took a big loss on it as well! I won't even go into the arrogant treatment of Ebay users - the utter lack of customer service that still exists today. Sellers in particular have been badly treated and that treatment has been magnified 10 fold by her hand groomed predecessor. I could go on and on...but the one thing that stands out above all others is the fact that this lady has shown in deed and action that she could care less about the little people. Well...Meg...California is FULL of little hard working people - not everyone is a multi-millionaire living in Beverly Hills. California didn't deserve Hollywood actors that obviously "acted" their way into office and they don't deserve ex-CEO's that only know what us sellers call "Ebay-speak"! We're in dire straits here - this is no time to take up the California governorship as a hobby!

All California based sellers need to come forward and spread the word!

After that I kind of thing the column needs some serenity. This is a simple watercolor called "California Living".


"California Living"
5 X 7" Watercolor

Ebay? Bonanzle? Why Not Both???

"The Unicorn and the Butterfly"
2 1/2 X 3 1/2 inch miniature

Its funny because when John Donahoe announced Ebay's decline in the 4th quarter last year, he blamed it on our faltering economy. Well, yes...perhaps some of it was to blame but certainly not ALL of it. Yesterday both Amazon and even Overstock reported gains in online sales in the 4th quarter of last year. Amazon going so far as to say "our best holiday season ever". What does all that mean and what has it to do with Bonanzle? Well...you might say the writing is on the wall. Small sellers can't make use of Amazon...Ebay is less than worthless to us these days and I never was able to sell much on Overstock. Small sellers definitely need a place to go and I kind of like the homey feeling of Bonanzle. Yes, it needs traffic and yes it needs more buyers. SO! I suggest all you small sellers get off your duff and get proactive...which means go thru your list of buyers in the past years and invite them to your shop at Bonanzle. Give them an incentive...free shipping...free gifts...something to get them there. Its up to us to build our place in online sales and I think Bonanzle is one of those places that shows a great deal of promise AND management is people-oriented too (isn't that a novel idea?).

BONANZLE
Free Shop, Free Listings, Small Fee Only When You Sell!

We can do it, we can do it, we can do it, we can do it!!!!! In this year of change we MUST do it!!

My painting for today is a miniature that's in my own collection. I loved it so much I simply kept it. "The Unicorn and The Butterfly"

Ebay - Going Doooooowwwwnnnnn!

Sunny Garden Path

I digress from Bonanzle to give my 2 cents on Ebay's 4th Quarter 2008 report.

Well, Ebay's 4th quarter 2008 report is out. It is dismal indeed in spite of John Donahoe's spin. This is exactly what veteran sellers have been expecting since Mr. Donahoe began his "disruptive innovation" a year ago. I predict by the end of the first quarter this year there will be NO denying Ebay has taken the wrong path - Mr. Donahoe will NOT be able to spin the decline of Ebay's business or blame 100 percent of it on the economy.

Over 11 years ago the Ebay phenomenon was born and took flight. During these years the company grew to massive proportions. It seemed everything they touched turned to gold and the sellers who flocked to them brought them even more riches then Pierre and Meg could fathom. On the other hand, Ebay became a haven for the elderly, the disabled, the stay at home moms and the out of work dads who needed income. Both sides were very very happy. Then Ebay's success became "expected" and Ebay became more and more arrogant. "If you want to sell here you'll do this and that and pay this and that...ad nauseum". Then they became SO big they felt they were invincible and they had John Donahoe step in to take the company apart and rebuild it into a cheap and cheesey Amazon clone so they could get even bigger and more wealthy. No...don't invest the sweat equity - Ebay is so big they don't have to do that...they can simply have "diamond sellers" do all the work and then Ebay can sit back on its throne and scoop in all the money! give the diamond sellers free or low listing fees and raise fees on the small sellers...heck they have to either take it or leave it! Unfortunately, it reached a point where a LOT of those small sellers had to leave it...they simply couldn't make profits. Well, John, Pierre, Meg...what do you think of your big invincible company now? You never believed in the sellers who built Ebay - you called them "noise" and beat them into complying with your outrageous draconian policies - pay your outrageous fees! Gave buyers the power to scam and cheat your sellers. What do you think of your company NOW! This is just the start of Ebay's long and painful death!

Even I think this post is depressing even though I believe it to be true. Let's have something happy for today's painting. How about a watercolor - "Sunny Garden Path"

Let's Bonanzle! More on Bonanzle - Its a New Star in the Sky!!

2 1/4 X 1 1/2"
Cardinal in the Garden

Okay - still nosing around Bonanzle to see what there is to see. I'm racking up other seller's by tagging and favoring their booths. This gets a little back and forth action going. I'm a firm believer that it is the sellers buying from each other who sustain a new site until new traffic starts coming in. That is what is happening on Bonanzle right now. They are growing with amazing speed...oh yes...still very small potatoes when measured against Ebay BUT they are becoming the new haven for small sellers. Those very sellers who MADE Ebay what it is.

Back to tagging. In my previous article I forgot to mention that the TAG line is right after the description in each listing. Also, I discovered that if you forgot to log in you won't see the TAG line or the Favorite on anything. So sign up and login before you do anything else. Since booths are free there is absolutely no excuse...except laziness...to get you off your duff and opening a booth. They even go so far as to give you a booth logo if you can't make one for yourself. They also now automatically upload all of your listings to Google Base on a regular schedule. You only need to follow the simple instructions to start it rolling.

Now, another really neat feature on Bonanzle is that each booth owner has direct contact with whoever goes into his booth. Its called Real Time Chat and there is a rather large slot near the top of the booth where buyer and seller can converse in real time....or leave a message. Its all so handy and so unique! These are some of the things that make Bonanzle stand out.

Another is their customer service. Kind of reminds me of Ebay in the old days when you could actually write them and get an answer back from a bonafide human being! I recently had a hard time finding out how I could contact another seller thru his ID. Looked all over and couldn't find it. So, I wrote customer service. Had an answer back in a couple of hours AND they thanked me for bringing it to their attention and will soon make finding ID's easier! Nothing like the interest a small company has and you just can't beat their drive and ambition. I hope they keep at least some of it as they grow because they really are growing.

So....get there...take a look and join in!!

My booth again - ahem - the ad here:

Misspatricia's Booth

My painting for today is a tiny miniature. 2 1/4 X 1 1/2"

Feeling My Way Around Bonanzle And Feeling Good!

"Cherry Cake"
2 1/2 X 3 1/2" original acrylic painting

I have a very good feeling about Bonanzle. Its taken me awhile to tear myself away from Ebay and really move on to new things. Sitting there in Ebay was kind of like lingering over the body long after the person died and hoping they're really not dead. Morbid, but I don't feel I'm alone in this. Many small sellers are sitting and hoping that their Ebay will return from the dead.

Actually, I set up my free Bonanzle shop months ago, stocked it and it mostly just sat there.

Misspatricia's Booth

Finally I'm getting around to getting serious about this site and so I learned to tag and favor other booths and I've invited several of my past customers to check out my new Bonanzle shop.

Now, tagging means going to various shops and if you see something you really like you can "tag" it as to its beauty, coolness, price, etc. I discovered that many people don't know what tagging is or how to do it. You'll find "Tag" and a line of subjects you can choose such as "bizarre" "beautiful" "cool" etc. Just click on one or more of those and you've tagged that item. I understand that tagging an item brings it up higher in search.

Also you can Favorite a booth. To "fav" a booth just look on the right side of the person's booth and you'll see "Favorite" just click on it. You'll get updated on the booths you favorited. Every time they list or have a "Bonanza" you will see it listed.

I'll be adding more as I learn. All you small sellers, who haven't opened a shop on Bonanzle, get there and open your shop. The shop is free, listing is free and you pay only a small fee on what you sell. I think Bonanzle will be a serious contender for small seller's business. Please go and take a look and I think you'll agree.

My painting for today is an ACEO called "Cherry Cake".

Ebay's 4 Percent Drop in Site Visits - What Does it Indicate?

2 1/2 X 3 1/2" painting of Hamburger and Fries
Perhaps we can call it "Where's the Beef?"

I'm very surprised that only a 4 percent drop in site visits has been reported for Ebay! This does not, however, tell the story of their sell-thru rate during the same period and I've seen nothing on that. For the past year sellers have been complaining that they cannot sell in the present environment on Ebay. Many of them packed up and left because they were hidden by the faulty best match search and they were up to their necks in outrageous policies and fees. So, it continues as Ebay management plods along on the maniacle path to remaking Ebay over into a cheap and cheesy Amazon clone! Ebay feels that's where the money is and where their future lies. Ebay management does not see the years and years of hard and honest labor Amazon put into its business...they sees only Amazon's profit and they want it! How dreadful for a once loved company like Ebay to come to this point. How tragic to put thousands of small business owners - the elderly, the disabled, the stay at home moms the out of work dads who all depended on Ebay - out of business! A year ago Ebay only needed tweaking to bring some of the original excitement back - now it is faced with doom and still their CEO and his "team" plod on towards the edge of that cliff!

The very heart of Ebay has been destroyed. The small sellers of the vintage, unique and rare items that drove buyers to the site are leaving in droves. It has now reached a point where buyers complain they cannot find their favorite sellers...yet Ebay management plods on...far better to make Ebay into yet another black and white catalog store like so many others online who do the job far far better! If the present management team isn't changed soon there will be no turning back for Ebay there will be a very small future for the company as opposed to their very big and hearty past! I believe we're watching the destruction of a once healthy and wealthy company!

My painting for today is an ACEO of Hamburger & Fries. Perhaps we should call it "Where's the Beef?"

Happy New Year - Especially to Small Online Sellers!

"Lavender Sea"

Its a brand new year with a brand new president coming in exactly 19 more days. Frankly, I'm excited. Oh...I don't think things will change overnight, but I see a light at the end of a long tunnel. We'll have to fight to get there but at least there is hope in getting this country on the right path once again.

Wish I could see that for online sales, but it will be a rocky year until this economy recovers. I can add it will be even rockier if Ebay continues on its mindless course of destroying the site we all once loved. Amazon is hoping for that but small sellers are hoping Ebay comes to its senses.

Its within our power to help our battered economy....continue to buy...continue to buy and keep the economy moving! If you're in a position to continue purchases as usual...do it! Nothing will help our damaged economy more then to keep pumping new blood into it.

For small sellers - why not make a new year resolution to finally get your own website up and running. Continue selling on those sites with free listings, BUT also use them as advertising for your website. Work on gathering link exchanges with other websites of the same interest as yours. Learn to upload your items to Google Base (I see Bonanzle already does that). Get PROACTIVE - which means "move the tush". You are the focus point in your own online selling success....so get moving!

HAPPY NEW YEAR ONE AND ALL MAY 2009 BE A HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS YEAR FOR US ALL!

My painting for today is called "Lavender Sea".

Ebay Loses Traffic This Holiday Season!

"The Snowman's Tree"

Sadly, this is almost an "I told you so" but knowing the thousands of good small sellers that Ebay's new attitude has put out of business is way too sad for sneering and saying I told you so.

I think John Donahoe is learning a hard lesson: all the "noise" he heard when he took office was the sound of good business that he infuriated thanks to his outrageous new policies. Donahoe's idea is to destroy a working business model and turn Ebay into an online catalog store - hence the "diamond sellers" he has ushered in and given free or reduced listing fees to peddle their dropshipped junk. He's strangled small sellers to the point where they simply found the site unmanagable and unprofitable and they left...(a LOT of them are flocking to bonanzle.com). I'm sure the fact that most, if not all, of the sellers who left also BOUGHT on Ebay...is giving Donahoe nightmares because he seemed completely oblivious to losing sales when you lose sellers - any CEO with strong Ebay sales experience probably could have warned him.

Donahoe can't seem to understand people don't want....nor do they NEED yet another catalog store online. Amazon fills that bill nicely and every major retailer now has online presence and does it far better then Ebay ever could! What's left? The "noise" Donahoe kicked to the curb! I believe he's slowly learning the site is definitely going to tank without the small sellers who brought their unique, rare and vintage items to the site...THIS is what people want and NEED! Its deceptively simply, John!

An example....I have a white milkglass chandelier that was here when I bought my home. Two of the milkglass shades were broken but I loved the light and so tried to hide the broken shades. The chandelier is probably 40+ years old so you won't find these shades in any store. I've been searching on Ebay and finally found a set of 5 of these exact milkglass shades for the incredible price of only $6.00. I bought them and they are perfect!!! I wanted a large corning teapot that isn't even made anymore...got it on Ebay and love it!! THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE WANT FROM EBAY JOHN!!!! When I bought a new vacuum - I bought it online from Walmart! When I bought a new external hard drive I bought it from Amazon because I knew they would stand behind it. I buy none of these catalog things on Ebay! GET A CLUE JOHN!! WAKE UP BECAUSE THE SHIP IS SINKING AND ITS YOUR FAULT!

After New Year Ebay will be up against far more formidable opponents then Amazon. All the major retailers will layoff workers - streamline and then put on the most stunning sales ever seen in an effort to do enough business to stay afloat and weather our faltering economy! Ebay will be NO match. An example I heard only today is a local furniture store offering $600.00 in gas and $500 in free groceries if you buy a big screen TV from them! Ebay...whatcha gonna do? You're going to tank even faster in the face of competition like this.

So, I humbly suggest....get rid of best match!!! Nobody - not even the buyers - want it. Loosen up the stranglehold on small sellers and let them do what they pay Ebay to do....SELL!! Stop allowing every nutcase buyer that wanders in to destroy seller reputations while giving the sellers NO recourse! Get rid of most of the draconian policies you put in place this year and do it before the economy sinks even farther - which I feel will be mid-January, 2009. If you don't - your company is doomed! This is something sellers have been warning about ALL YEAR and now finally EVERYONE else can SEE it! Wake up!

My painting today is a little ACEO called "The Snowman's Tree"

Happy Holidays to One and All!

Keeping it light today. I want to once again tell you about a favorite website of mine. Its called Rate My Drawings (www.ratemydrawings.com). I've been addicted to this website for months now - so much so that I've accumulated almost 140 digital paintings there. This is a great site for everyone. Come and doodle - bring the kids and let them play too. I highly recommend it.

Here's a link to an example on Rate My Drawings. Its a Christmas card for everyone and you can actually watch me draw and paint it by watching the pencil movements. If art interests you then this is the site for you!

Christmas Card

One more thing of grave importance. Our country is in a recession - this means that after the holidays stores, businesses, factories will be laying off people big-time! People will be losing their homes along with their income. We can ALL help cure the economy...simply go out and BUY something. Your purchases help drive the economy and keep others working! If you have a stable income and you feel safe this coming year then I urge you to help others by simply shopping and buying as usual and not putting off that special something you've been meaning to buy. It means the world to ALL of us!

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Those Bonanzle Bells!!!

"The Snowball Fight"

Sellers, both large and small have been complaining loudly over all the changes at Ebay...changes I feel will be softened considerably as Ebay nosedives in the next quarter. The Christmas rush will then be over and people across the country will all begin to feel the effects of our serious recession. Ebay will stand out for the greedy business it has become. BUT now there is a new bright star appearing on the horizon. A place where the seasoned sellers of Ebay can come and pick up a free shop and list freely to their heart's content. With no listing or shop fees they can afford to give bargain prices and even are free to negotiate prices with their potential buyers. Its about the closest thing to having your very own website. Sellers...come...take advantage of this bright new star. The site is vibrant and alive with sellers. Write your past customers and tell them where you'll be and they'll eventually come. This is a hot place to be.

Me? I have a shop there - and no other affiliation. I just feel this is going to be the up and coming site next year. The place where we can buy and sell with no stress....the FUN place Ebay used to be! Come see...

check out my shop and then sign up and open one of your own!

http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/misspatricia

A fun miniature painting for today - "The Snowball Fight" Painting is just 1 X 1 inch.

SELL on Bonanzle...BUY on Bonanzle - Let's Build it!

"Cookies for My Santa"

Those oldtime Ebay small sellers know exactly what that title means. We did it before and we can do it again!

Bonanzle offers a free shop, free listings unlimited...and only a small final value fee when you sell something. You can't be fairer than that! Drop the Ebay habit! Ebay has done nothing but kick sellers in the gut since January of this year. Its time to leave a hapless site and enter a new and vibrant site that has NO draconian policies. Where you and your customer are free to negotiate on price without interference from the site. Scope it out...you'll be pleased.

The main message I want to give today is SELL on Bonanzle...BUY on Bonanzle and invite ALL your past customers to join you.

The gate is wide open and you only need to stroll thru. Give your buyers incentives...check out Bonanzle's Bonanza days when you can run your own sales. Let's get moving and get this ball rolling good...like in the old days of Ebay!

My Bonanzle shop:

http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/misspatricia

Check it out and then sign up and give Bonanzle a spin!

My painting for today is in the holiday spirit. "Cookies for My Santa"

Ebay - I Can't Believe My Eyes!

A group of major discounters, including eBay Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp., is expected Thursday to call for new laws blocking manufacturers from setting minimum prices on their wares.

Ebay is working with the American Antitrust Institute trying to stop manufacturers who use map (minimum advertised price) from protecting their brands. That may seem a noble thing to do and I have no immediate opinion on that - BUT Ebay is doing it by trotting out the plight of small sellers and how THEY would be hurt by BIG RETAILERS if this ruling were upheld!!! My mouth dropped as I watched this VIDEO

Watch the video then give me your thoughts on this. I know my thoughts are those of outrage!

Forget Ebay...Let's All Bonanzle!!!

"Polar Bear Christmas Tree

That's right. Instead of the constant complaints its nice to visit a website where sellers are free to deal and negotiate with you. Break the old habits and get with a new one...BONANZLE! I thought it would be just another amateurish start up site when I visited there a couple of months ago. Since then I've opened a free shop and I'm making sales...oh, not Ebay type sales of years gone by...but then making sales depends on you, the buyer and whether or not you can suffer a slight learning curve and come on over to a wonderful website. Bonanzle is much like Ebay was in its early days. No auctions - you just up and buy whatever you want...and watch for specials and BONANZA days when certain sellers will have bargains galore for the day. Its interesting, its exciting. The site itself is colorful and neat and just about glitch-free. You won't see ads cluttering up the works or any of the other nonsense you're saddled with lately. You can purchase, pay and you can leave a feedback if you want too - nobody will twist your arm or make you grade a seller with "kindergarten stars". Give BONANZLE a whirl - go in and register and then shop or browse and don't forget to negotiate with your seller. Hey, start with my Bonanzle booth:

http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/misspatricia

My painting for this post is a little ACEO called Polar Bear Christmas Tree.

Is There Trouble....Ebay?

"Where's Santa?"

I picked this post up on one of the many articles about Ebay. It tells almost the complete tale of why Ebay is severely showing a decline and will continue to do so until it either changes course....or dies completely. For those uninitiated or casual buyers on Ebay this is an eye opener of how the company is actually going. Neilson ratings came out just the other day clearly showing the decline in unique visitors:

Anyone who blames the economy doesn't know Ebay! Anyone who blames Amazon doesn't know Ebay! The fault of this decline lies squarely on John Donahoe's shoulders with perhaps some input from Whitman. Ebay needed tweaking....YES! It did NOT need "disruptive innovation" Donahoes own words. Well, he's disrupted and innovated until the small seller who made Ebay unique has mostly been driven from the site or so buried under his stupid Best Match that they cannot be found by buyers! He's ushered in big box stores he calls "diamond sellers" who list for free and swamp the categories they list in with thousands upon thousands of listings. All stuff you can find in Walmart - all dropshipped junk mostly from China! Donahoe, in his infinite wisdom, seems to think this is what made Amazon a success (wrong) and he seems to think this is what Ebay needs to do to be a success again (doubly wrong). Why they are keeping this management is beyond ALL belief! Throw them out NOW and get some management in there with good business sense and SALES experience who can turn this ship around....its sinking!!!!

"Ebay needed tweaking two years ago. They needed fees to be LOWERED so that sellers had the room to give their buyers bargain prices. It needed to oust the worst sellers and bolster its reputation so that buyers felt safe buying there. Instead, greedy Ebay wanted their profit from the top and allowed sellers to struggle more and more to make a decent profit. They instituted stupid restrictive policies that sees every seller as being bad! This was where they went wrong. As one blogger so aptly puts it "empower your sellers and then get out of the way". No...Ebay instead saddled the sellers with outrageous restrictions - gave power to buyers to make or break any seller with absolutely NO recourse on the seller's part! Small sellers - the ones Donahoe called "noise" are the ones who left and are leaving and taking their unique items with them! Its Donahoe that did all of this and not the economy!!!"

To kick off the holiday season - and try to lighten the mood of this post, my painting today is called "Where's Santa"

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