Paranoia - on topic for the most part

"Mj" wrote

:) Thanks - I hope not. But I'm not as freaked out about it now as I was earlier. I wasn't actually freaked out - I was just mildly.....hmmm....puzzled.

Oh, I know. Threads like that are a dime a dozen, especially at WC, but this one struck me for some weird reason.

eBay has ALWAYS been fickle and

I totally agree!!

If you want to sell lots of lampwork on

Yes, very true!

LOL - thanks Deborah. :)

Oh, I know - ebay is not something that can be completely understood - it changes hourly.

:) Perception - definitely.

I covered the rest in other posts. Thanks so much for the feedback - I really appreciate it!

Yeah, I know what you mean. I still skim through because there is a lot of good, usable information, but I sometimes get trapped by threads like that, and it's soooo my own fault. LOL. Thanks, Jerri!

If everyone liked the same thing then there'd be no reason for eBay or online sales, we'd just all go to the Big Bead Room and get our allotment of Bead of the Century. Same bead each time, unfortunately but then we wouldn't have to worry about anyone actually selling something unique or interesting.

For someone to not only criticize beads as mediocre and then complain that they've been selling for a higher price than warranted simply smacks of insecurity and envy on the part of the original person. It's not like each bead has to be or is perfect, after all they're not machine produced and the person creating them is doing just that, creating from a rod of glass something unusual, unique and desireable.

So, ignore people who are negative like that. They really aren't talking about someone else's beads, they're more worried about what they fear is a lack in their own work.

-Su

Name recognition is one thing, marketing another, but what sells your beads is that they catch the eye and the heart. Thats why they sell. They say something, and well. I dont buy a lot of beads so I cant say why other folks buy the way they do, but loosing your heart to a bead or set is one of those things you cannot control. Thats why selling ...anywhere... is a crap shoot at the best of times. The artists who show beads here make beads that are heart catchers... they love what they do and it shows. As to that somewhat catty thread... pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Diana

Kandice -- it isn't you they're talking about. At least I don't think so. And as for the rest of it....who the hell can figure out the Bay? Certainly not me! It is too huge. All analysis of eBay is fun, perhaps, but IMO fruitless. ~~ Sooz To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. ~~Joseph Chilton Pearce

*chuckle* I think a LOT of folks are worried that they are the artist in question. I don't sell my beads on eBay anymore, just my books, thank goodness. Otherwise I'd be freaking out too.

Truthfully, it only takes two people to make an auction go over the top. And, in my opinion, if often (if not always) becomes more about winning than about any beads involved.

In my opinion, there is no correlation between auction prices and the quality, beauty or true value of any item.

Tink Check here for available work:

Yeah, MAN. ~~ Sooz To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. ~~Joseph Chilton Pearce

Lest anyone think I was calling the woman catty, it was the actual word that the OP used herself. I should have said "she's talking about [her feelings of] being catty and jealous. Sorry about that. :)

What, you mean, Dick Cheney?? Juuuust kidding, no flames please. :)

Seriously, This is why I love this group so much. You guys always know how to talk some sense into me. Thank you, Diana. :)

ebay analysis is like contemplating astrophysics or rocket science. There may be a point to it for some genius, but certainly not ME. LOL (((((((hugs)))))))) Thanks Sooz.

I think so too. Some even posted to that thread.

Oh, I agree to some point.

In some instances, yes, I agree.

Thanks Tink!

Ooooh! Yep, yep. :)

I haven't read the thread yet, but I will say that I like to play with different aspects of beadmaking at different times... sometimes it's technique, sometimes it's color, sometimes it's reaction. I may get obsessed with a certain style of bead and make it over and over again in different colors, because that's what satisfies me. Some artists have built their entire careers on making the same beautiful style in different colors; look at Sea Mist! There's nothing wrong with that, nothing at all. As for eBay being fickle, it's really fairly predictable, and the reason some people sell isn't because they have a "name"... they have a "name" because they sell, and they sell because they have a following, and they have a following for the simplest reason of all... because they list consistently and their buyers know, generally speaking, WHAT they're going to list. If you list the same general style of beads over and over again in different color combinations, if they're good quality, attractive beads, you will develop a following. If you list inconsistently and change styles a lot, it will be hard for people to follow you because they won't be able to rely on you to offer a certain type of bead.

One of the big reasons an especially nice, labor-intensive set will flop is because it is often a bit of a departure for the artist... people don't know to look for that from them. The third or fourth time you list a similar set, though, the prices should catch up. If you always list

14-bead sets, listing a 13 or 15 bead set won't result in disappointment... but listing a 7 or 21 bead set will probably get you lower per-bead prices than you want, because people just aren't expecting that from you; the people who usually buy 7 or 21 bead sets haven't added you to their favorites. When I list encased florals I rarely get anywhere near the price I would like, but if I listed encased florals every week I probably would because the encased floral buying people would gardually add me to their favorites.

Anyway, I'm probably not saying anything new, but I wanted to throw my .02 in anyway. :)

Listing similarly-designed bead sets on eBay isn't a flaw, it's sound business. For people like me who can't stick to the same thing to save my life, it's never going to happen... but good for those who do it!

-Kalera

Kandice Seeber wrote:

That makes a lot of sense actually - and I haven't thought about that. Thanks!