Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Peta thats brilliant, I have not considered these yet but will havew a look now  :dance:

Ok I agree with the posts before me, I hate eye whites doesn't matter how much I try they never seem even or in the right place

So little oil paint shading, pulled in eye sockets. Are they shiney................I would have done boot button, lends itself to shading better when going for a new but old look, you could grubby them a little, they seem like little grandads to me with their scarves

This is a great idea, I have loads I love but don't even get looked at on a table and the ones that do, are always the ones that I am unsure of. So   

Me too  :dance:  :dance: think Webs has been on the Sherry a little early  :crackup:

Jaina, thank you so much for highlighting this problem from another perspective  :hug:

You see, to me, if you feel that a purchase was below par for any reason, you should be able to give an appropriate rating, ie to mark as you see fit and thats right   
Ebay in a way is influencing the marks you give (the whole reason for getting rid of seller feedback was to enable buyers to give honest feedback) Now you know that anything below a 5 could endanger that sellers ability to list again. So possibly affecting the star rating that you would give, I know it will me in future, when buying........................does that make sense

To me a 3 should incur a warning to the seller and say that they have the next 10 listings to increase that average

So      :hug:

Hi Peggy and all

I have just had an email about the Bid4Bears promo Holly Jolly...........wait for it..................................................................................................

BIGGER THUMB NAILS COMING

Lets here it for Nancy  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:

I am in need of advice

I am just about to list in my new Teddy Patch store (see the post on "My two cents worth")and have come up with a poser

When listing it gives me the option of which currency to list my item in, so I was wondering what do I choose. My collectors are slit between US and UK collectors and I wouldn't want to frustrate either, so not sure what to do 

Advice greatly recieved 

Bobbie, forgot that one 

Peggy what an excellent idea but may I make a tiny suggestion, why not make it for the

whole of January

We could call it "Chase away those January Blues" promo or something like that 

The Teddy Patch Lady-what do you think, could we come up with a buyer incentive??? Please don't think I am putting you on the spot or trying to get you to compete with Bid4Bears, I happen to think we artists could use both sites, was only thinking of a raffle or something............each bidder gets a free entry ticket, ticket to be drawn on 31st January??? Please don't shoot me just thinking out loud, maybe a few artist bears as the prize!! The way I'm going I will probably have a whole cuddle of bears to choose from to donate  :crackup:

Last night I set myself up on The Teddy Patch, THE STORE IS FREE as well!!!! amazing and it was so easy, haven't got anything in the store yet but give me a few days  :dance: having trouble uploading piccies at the mo, my computer not their site   The fee structure is very simple, they only charge on the final value fee $0.01 to $25 is 2.75% and $25.01 to $199 is 2.5% and $200 to $499 is 2.25% so very easy and no hidden rubbish like ebay, don't know about you guys but I am always shocked as to how much my ebay listing amounts to, well with this its very simple  :hug:

So what do you all think

I am in, did it awhile ago  :dance:  :dance:  :dance: crossing my fingers

Krista, yes you are one of the big guns  :hug:  :hug: so are a few others 

I just want to repeat, for any that are dubious

It is a personal choice where to list, this thread is about encouraging and finding alternatives to ebay, to cut the monopoly

Sorry I know I am repeating myself but didn't want anyone to feel bad/guilty/angry if they did list on or wanted to continue to list on ebay 

Brenda....................I think they would pull your auction immediately    good idea though

Pauline, made quite a few excellent points and having checked Nancy's site, if you want to take part in the promo you need to register for the Holly Jolly Holidays to recieve your promo list price, it has just taken me only a minute to do  :dance:

So come on who else has a spare bear or furry friend that is scared of ebay and would like to try a friendlier site

Has anyone else tried The Teddy Patch, I did read their stats on another post and was impressed 

Andrea- you did post in "Just my two cents worth" about lack of sales meaning lack of new purchases, cos I sympathised, chuck  :hug:

Did you post again!!, if so why not repeat what you needed help with

I have lost posts before, if you click on your own name above your very nice avatar bear.........it will take you to a profiles screen and at the bottom is "show all posts" just click that and it will list every topic you have posted on

So you can check, if you have lost any  :dance:

Yes come on the revolution  :dance:  :dance:  :dance: Denise 

Edie, fantastic thanks for letting us know Nancy has a promo
So...

Bid4Bears promotion 20th November to 20th December 50% off listing and random gifts for bidders

do ya think thats big enough, I was going to list on ebay then until all this happened but now I will be going for this promo on Bid4Bears

Andrea-you are not alone, I have nearly depleted my mohair stock and no means to buy more, I too find it very upseting not selling, you are not alone, I think there are many more of us, some are just too shy to openly admit it. :hug:  :hug:

Lyn-am totally with you on this one, I do think they are turned out like a production line and collectors do deserve better, and why oh why are Charlie bears still in Artists (in the UK) section!!!!

Kathy Myers-  :clap:  :clap:  :clap: Yes you are one of the big guys  :crackup:

ConnieB, I hope you won't be flayed, it sounds painful  :hug:

Your point is an excellent one, I too, as a buyer, flick very fast and having just check out both alternative sites and  have found they are both a tad smaller than ebay...................................just enough to make flicking difficult

Sandra, great ideas, I only take a 1/16 of a page, as funds are limited, so it would have to take careful ad planning, flyers on stand is great. I do have, on my website a Bear's in shops page, a bid4bears page and an ebay page (will remove that last one)

For me I would love to list on ebay for 1p and explain where we are going and why........................don't think I would last long 

Sandra, thank you     

I have just purchased my first copy of your magazine and I will certianly be buying from now on, it was packed with goodies   

It looks like we are heading for January.....................please correct me if I am wrong :dance:

Well girls time to put "MY money where my mouth is"  :crackup:

I'm in....................................at the end of the day, never say never, so if you feel you don't want to "cut the umbilical cord" then ITS OK

All we ask is, if enough try it, then in time ebay will not be our ONLY auction venue, therefore reducing thier monopoly and giving other sites a good chance, there is no reason we can't use ALL venues

I have had great fun surfing :dance:  :dance:  :dance:

Karen

I think Ebay not you, your cats or your buyers are at fault, ebay have sneakerly raised the bar that is impossible for low listers to achieve. If ebay had set the standard at say 3 and then issued a warning when you got to 3.5 then that would have been playing fair. I am sure no-one here thought for one minute you were complaining about the scores you recieved or your collector, like you say to get a 4 is very good.

The problem is volume to sell 100 items a month, you can get a lot of 4's in that to lower your average to 4.1 and even get alot of 2's and 3's in that which is bad (the people who ebay are trying to weed out) but you only need a few 4's when you are selling 12-24 a year to get a low enough.

The thing that gets to me is that ebay are making my choices, as a buyer, for me. I want to make my own decisions as a buyer, not have them made for me

Karen

I don't think anyone thought you were "bitching" your shock really came across in your post and we were all shocked as well on your behalf

I am glad you have warned everyone, it shows what a kind person you are that you were thinking of others

It is just a total shame that you have had to suffer in this way, with nothing to fix it
So  :hug:  :hug:

Edie-I didn't mean Nancy on the advertising, I meant all us artitst  and January sounds a great idea

Sandi-that's what I wanted to say, well said

Sarah and Vicki-Yes if we all do just start, eventually more and more collectors will realise that we are still listing and follow  

Denise-love the line "cutting the umbilical cord"

Sorry if I sound like a campaigner, I read all the time "ebay this, ebay that" and think there are alternatives so lets all get together and go for it, I can only see ebay getting worse, not just the rules but the buying habits

By buying habits, I mean that since I started 18 months ago, I have seen loads of "artists" come and go on ebay, there are alot who see the big prices and think "yay I'll have some of that" and have a go to make money. They list at less than the cost of the mohair and are gone very quickly. For me I would like to sell a bear in 20 years time to someone who has bought one from me now. A few like all of you guys and me are in it for much more, the shear pleasure it brings in many ways. For me if I sold on ebay for the minimum then ok, but the thing that gets to me is not selling, I find it soul destroying.  

I do think that maybe there is enough of us to list on both bid4bears and the teddy patch, should we be putting our eggs in one basket again??!!

So I will try both from January.................The Teddy Patch and Bid4Bears  

Peggy, chuck, I'm with you   

Your post above highlights the exact problem that exists, I too am a minow in the big pond, I don't have an army of collectors and like you ebay costs me more than any profit I make, so much so that I have not listed for the last 2 months. My last bear didn't sell, had 1 watcher but the collector who purchased her at Newark show was delighted and didn't put her down, that was worth alot to me.

I don't have a hate relationship with ebay, in fact I adore it as a buyer, for all manor of things...................I know that if the artist bear section reduced dramatically I would be, as a buyer, wondering where it had gone.

I have said in previous posts "the big guys" need to decide on a site and go for it, we will follow. I have not named names, as everyone's business is their own and wouldn't want to put those guys on the spot.

I feel (PUTING MY NECK OUT AGAIN) that the established artists who sell on ebay continue to do so for a number of reasons
1 They have always done so
2 Althougth they may have seen a downturn in the amount their bears sell for, they still sell and it is the likes of you and I who actually have No bid after No bid
3 Fear of.......................????

At the end of the day, I think ebay will make it harder and harder, more obsticles

I understand your frustration, I feel it too but each person has to make their own choices

Before anyone jumps on my reasons for continueing to list on ebay, they were just that, a list, no finger pointing is intended or malice intended, just trying to move this subject up a notch

This subject has been discussed in several postings but to no result, maybe those that do list would like to say why they are reluctant to try another site, it may be of help

A co-ordinated listing date for another site, being organised to send a mailshot announcing such, may help

Just my thoughts Peggy, in agreement with you  

Oh Mary, I often wondered about that ticket and hoped it was yours, I hope it gets found and you have celebrations before Christmas :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

:pray:  :pray:  :pray:  :pray:  :pray: here's a few more

Ta we REALLY needed to know that ....................... :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup: only joking

Huge congrats Penny and Berta  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Andrea  I am sure your bear was lovely, if your avatar is anything to go by  :hug:

:crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup: priceless

Thats amazing