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BrisbaneI know, I know, ebay is hit and miss and all that but I'm really starting to have some doubts about my bears and my confidence is taking a hammering 
Does anyone have any ideas on other avenues (that don't cost too much) where I could sell my bears. Ebay doesn't seem to like me at all, I have my fourth bear in a row on that doesn't have a bid, three others have gone through unsold and I can't keep running up ebay fees without getting sales. Most of the other avenues I've looked at are unaffordable for me at the moment. (magazine advertising. shows etc) I was hoping to be able to get to those after putting aside some money from some ebay sales.
I've been starting them at US 39.95, I really don't think this is too expensive and I am reluctant to lower the price any more, I though this would have been cheap enough to get at least one bid at the end but it doesn't seem to be working for me.
I know ebay is a bit hit and miss but I'm wondering whether to bother keeping on listing or whether I should just slow down production and make only the occasional bear just for myself, any input on this would be appreciated although I know that there are probably no answers...
The main questions I have are Do I keep going for a few more weeks, in the hope that I snag a bid or two eventually or do I give up now before I waste any more money??? and did any one else on here list week after week without any bids?? Do I lower my price??
Thanks for reading I feel a little better now that I've written all this down anyway at least it's all a bit clearer and maybe 4 weeks just isn't long enough.... 
Newcastle, OntarioSarah Jane,
Please don't feel too discouraged with Ebay. I've been selling there for 4 years and my first toy sold for $40.00 (I was selling them for $165.00 at the shows). I discovered Ebay customers are very different from the show customers, especially back then. I think more people are shopping online these days. It took me about 6 months to build up a small customer base on Ebay. I was selling, but at a lot lower than the shows. I gradually put reserves on my pieces and now I am happy with my prices, but it did take a while. I also have pieces that don't sell on occasion and am noticing lots of othere artists do too. Maybe you could raise you prices slightly and then add "buy it now". Some artists do well with that feature. I think you just have to find the best way for you to sell. So don't despair yet - give it a little more time and re-think your selling style.
hugs,
Brenda
Pandy Potter BearsI restarted ebay after a summer away and I had to start all over again. No one was bidding but one particular bear had lots of watchers. I then had two emails asking to buy it. One was can you do it for quite a bit less than my starting price and the other was a nice request just to tell them if I relist it. People were just testing the water and seeing what happened. I did realist it and it went to a good home. I was lucky to have a couple of lovely collectors take an interest and help me out to boost my confidence back up, and get my sales back on track. They have started to go so its a case of getting the ball rolling and cross fingers. Hang in there.
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsSarah Jane,
My husband is a sales person for a computer training services business. He likes to tell me not to take it personally when I don't make a sale. It's not a rejection of you, he says. However when you are an artist who puts her heart and soul into her work it really feels that way!
But don't give up! I think this bit of advice from Brenda is right on.
I think you just have to find the best way for you to sell. So don't despair yet - give it a little more time and re-think your selling style.
I am rethinking my selling style at the moment as well. 
Matilda Huggington-beareSorry , no advise but fully sympathise with you :hug: 
Real Deal BearsAwww Sarah, don't dispare.
I have found that EXPOSURE is what helps where ebay is concerned.
I was doing really well on Ebay untill I had a break from it to concentrate on shows.
The more bears I had on there regularly the higher the price I would get for my bears.
Just something to keep in mind.
I know it's a catch 22 situation for you because of the cost of fees.
But if you look at it as advertising, it does make a diference.
Your bears are wonderfull, maybe it's just a case of letting people know you are serious.
Big hugs to make you feel better, and NEVER EVER give up :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
Posts: 8,574I'm sorry, but you do have to hang onto the fact the e-bay is kind of hit or misss.....hang in there....
golly hugs
dilu
Bears by JodiDon't feel bad.....my last 3 did not sell and my last one was my angel bear that was in the Teddy Bear and Friends magazine this month .And I even gave the http for them to look at the article !! I had 8 watchers, I thought for sure it would sell ...... I can't figure it out either. But I guess it is cheep advertising. But I know what you mean about the fees. I need college money for my sons winter quarter so I really hate it when they don't sell. But it is feast or famine...... I am looking for other avenues also. I am on Bear Pile,for a monthly fee of $9.99. But maybe with Christmas coming things will pick up.But I must add the 3 before did sell.
bears by beesley TMThats right Hon! Our last bear did not sell either. Not to take it personally. I know that is so easy to say as I have to remind myself of that when it happens. But really we all get into the Ebay slump.
Hugs Louise
Delartful BearsAhh eBay. It took me some time to build a collector base on there, but I tried about three times before a bear sold! So, don't give up.
I really feel lucky - I haven't had a bear go unsold for over a year I think (and I list one bear a week, religously!) I have a good email list - where people actually read, and most are return customers. It did take a while for my bears to get get noticed, and liked, but I hung in there. YOu just gotta believe in yourself!!!!!
I see SO MANY bears not sell on eBay Australia. Many are listed cheaply (even at $10 AU ($7 US)) and often they go unsold. So, I don't think dropping your prices would do much good - apart from you feeling completly ripped off!!
Just hang in there and start to believe in yourself! There's no easy answers I'm sorry, apart from a lot of us have been there!
Danni
I think you have to have determination and thick skin to make anything that you want people to buy and of course you will take it personally when it doesn't sell.
There is no rhyme or reason to the machinations of Ebay and why some bears sell and others don't is a complete enigma.
The only advice I can give ..as someone who has mulled over this mystery for some time is that there is usually a reason why bids don't happen, despite what people will say, and unless you find the reason you will always feel disappointed by ebay. It's a hard and difficult thing to accept and one I have cried about, got angry about and then finally decided that the only way to get to the bottom of it is to study it.
The people who make big money on ebay, regularly, have a reputation, a following, they do great photos, have worked hard to be well known by submitting pictures to magazines, entering competitions and most of all they have honed their techniques to stand up the the highly competitive market place that exists on ebay. That said, I have seen fantastic bears go for a song while others albeit by well known ebay sellers go for big bucks.
The only thing I will say is don't lose heart..don't give up...but do watch the big sellers auctions and learn from them.. be highly critical of the pieces you are selling on ebay ..do the best pictures you can manage as big as possible...take a leaf out of peoples books who do well on ebay and use them as a blueprint for what you want to achieve and it'll start to happen.
You see if it doesn't!!
Hang in there Sarah Jane!!
I think Jenny has great advice - don't know that there's much to add. I think Ebay is the most fickle of market places - I know I don't use it enough - partly because the fees when translated back into $NZ are horrendous and partly because my skin IS a little thin and I hate it when my bears don't sell.
I think almost all bear artists go through times when they lose confidence in their work - I think in addition to what Jenny says (taking stock of what successful ebayers are doing well) have a good think about your own work. I can't quite put into words what I mean, but sometimes it's good to sit down and think about your goals and re-evaluate your designs etc. Every commercial marketing business reviews their year and evaluates what they're doing well and what they could do better and there's no reason why we shouldn't do their same.
Also don't forget to submit your bears to the editorial submissions of magazines. I know Mindy puts them in the bears and buds section and Teddy Bear Scene also accepts photo submissions. Check out all the bear magazine websites and see what their policies are. Your photo might not get accepted the first time (and yes that hurts!!) but keep trying.
Join up with some of the bear search engines/top 50 sites etc. They don't always bring a lot of visitors in, but you never know who will see you when. They're free so it's worth a shot!
Don't take it personally - if you have a good look at ebay there are a lot of unrecognised artists. Yes there are buyers who buy what they think is "in" and will follow other ebayers from artists to artist. But, there are also other people who peruse ebay as much as we do, and buy what they like not what is in. Keep perservering!
Posts: 3,177Poor Old You!
Yeah we have all been there you know Sarah Jane ha ha ha (me this week 
)
Don't take it personally - don't lower your prices and don't give in so soon. Ebay is a funny old thing and as Jenny says the only thing to do is examine your auctions thoroughly and with a critical eye and see if you can improve them.
Personally i can't take a decent photograph to save me life and never could so i am suprised i sell anything on eBay although i think that the most important thing is that the pics are clear not fuzzy and should be bright - no shadows etc.
I think everyone has quite high expectations of eBay but you gotta remember kiddo.............it's just a worldwide garage sale!
:crackup:
Penny :hug:
Jellybelly Bears:hug: :hug: and more :hug: You'll get there! I think Aussies have a harder time selling on ebay? Is that true?? I'm not sure anymore, I've been out of the ebay loop for a long time now. But keep faith, exposure is terrific, and I can't speak too highly about email mailing lists...they work! And magazines, and enter shows, thats terrific too, and I know you already do that. The only other thing is time, and just trudging along. It will happen for you remember the pantene ad lol Geez, i remember the first few months for me on ebay, so dissapointed coz I expected to sell for heaps straight off, (lol) . Also, so many bears on ebay now! ranging from so cheap to very expensive...too much choice maybe...the internet is a curse and blessing for us in many ways. Many more bear artists and bears!! Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be here without it, but it is different to 10 yrs ago when apparently bears were sold very quickly!
So, don't give up hope...keep going and I'll keep sending you good vibes!! :rose:
PS, I heard from my sister who has a ad on tv that it takes people 3 times to see something and then recognise it next time it comes on...so persistance is the key too
BrisbaneAwwww thanks everyone for taking the time to reply to my very dismal post.....I think I must be tired and am letting things get to me a bit more than usual!!! Anyway it's reassuring that it's not just me, I will persevere for a little longer and also try to find other outlets...with 6 kids at home it's difficult to sell anywhere that involves leaving the house for any length of time but I'm sure there are ways and means if I put my thinking cap on...
I also understand that I am right at the start of my bearmaking 'career" and I will have to work harder on becoming more known!!! (slow and steady I guess ) Anyway I really do appreciate all the replies 
I was looking at ebay .COM & .CO.UK only this afternoon and noticed there were only a hand full of artist bears that had been bought for a really good price.
Most I saw had received low bids and gone for very little money and well over half didn’t receive any bids at all.
I think it is a slow market at this time of year.
I was thinking of putting some books up on ebay but most of the books were not selling and if they were it was only one pound fifty or so about 75cents? I didn’t think it was really worth it.
So I wouldn’t worry or take it personally.
Hugs Kerren
Hi SarahJane,
Don't feel discouraged about your bears not selling on Ebay.
I have only ever tried to sell there twice and both times they never sold so I know how it feels.
I never went back there and tried again.
I think as the others have said that you probably need to keep on trying and hopefully
a collector out there will fall in love with one of your bears and buy him.
Best of luck and I hope that ebay or another outlet can work out for you.
Hugs
Carolyn
