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Six Keys to Success on Auction Websites by Amy Rothstein a continuation from The Annealer Magazine Summer 2007 Issue (page 29) |
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As an artist, I understand that it’s difficult to make money on artwork of any kind. This is especially true with lampworking, because many lampwork artists tend to keep their selling techniques a secret. However, I’m about to do what few lampworkers have done before, I’m going to give away all of my best-kept selling secrets. Try them out, and after a few weeks, don’t be surprised when your prices start to go up! 1. Grab Buyers' Attention
I use Adobe Photoshop to add bold borders to all of my gallery photos. The border on my panda bead is slightly more complicated since I used two colors, but it is still bold and simple. Notice that the colors in the border correspond with the bead in the picture. If I had used random colors, the photo wouldn’t have looked as appealing. Any drawing program that comes with your computer should be capable of creating borders on pictures. If you’re unclear about how to create a border with your program, most programs have a “help” button that will walk you through it. 2: Don’t Compete with Yourself One time I tried to sell two of my mermaid beads in the same week; the only difference between the beads was that one had brown hair, and the other was blonde. I noticed that my best two mermaid-collecting customers, who usually bid against each other, were bidding separately this time. One was bidding on the brunette, and the other was bidding on the blonde. I realized that if I had only listed one mermaid for that week, they would have bid against each other. That way, I could have saved my other mermaid to sell it for a higher price later on. From then on, I never compete with myself. I still list multiple items every week, but they are always completely different bead styles. If you list more than one bead set every week, try to sell different “genres” of beads at a time. Every person’s style of bead making is different; separate your beads by colors, geometric designs, or themes. This way, you won’t end up selling two similar sets at the same time. 3: Use Photo Variety
Another useful photo is a “dime-size” photo. I always take a picture of my beads next to a dime for a familiar size comparison. Although it’s also important to include the exact size of the bead in your description, dime-size photos give a more concrete idea of the actual size of the bead. 4: Keep Your Customers When new customers buy my beads, I always give them free shipping. This makes them understand that I value their business, and it only costs me two dollars. I also include a business card with my name, e-mail, and phone number. On the back of the business card, I write a personalized note to the customer about the bead that they bought. This makes the buyer know that what he/she bought is not mass-produced, but is rather a personalized piece of art. While I’m lampworking, I make many different tester beads that I don’t end up selling. Instead of throwing these beads away, I save them. When one of my bead sets sells for a high price, I send these “tester” beads with the set, so that the buyer receives extra beads. This makes customers feel that their purchase was well worth it. Another way to keep your customers is to send out weekly e-mails. Whenever new customers buy my beads, I ask them if they’d like to be added to my weekly e-mail list. In these e-mails, I include links to all of my new beads that are up for auction. I even add little notes about which beads are my favorites, hoping that more people will take a look at them. 5: Be Easy to Find Even if customers absolutely loved the beads they bought from you, they may have a hard time actually finding your beads on the auction site again. Over eight thousand lampworkers sell beads on auction websites, and many of these artists often get overlooked, even when their work is good. To make sure that my customers are able to find my auctions again, I type a “locator” name into all of my listing titles. Your locator name could be a nonsense name, such as “Crazee Beads,” or a set of initials, such as “ABC Beads.” Your customers will be able to type the name into the search box and find your work immediately. Before choosing a locator name, make sure another lampworker isn’t already using it. Write the locator name on business cards and explain that if the buyer simply types these words in the search box, your beads will appear on the screen. The locator name also comes in handy for situations when you don’t have business cards on hand, or if the person does not want to give out their email address. If I meet people who seem interested to see my work, I just give them the name of the auction site I use and tell them what to type in the search box. But, when you are able to obtain an email address, you can jot it down and email them links to your auctions later on asking them to save your id to their favorite list. 6: Include All Necessary Information
I always write my descriptions in a certain order using a conversational tone. However, you can make yours different as long as you still include all of the information. I labeled the different sections with bold font so that you can easily tell what the necessary components are. (Title): ~*Dogs at the Park*~ (Personalized Description of Beads): I made this set right after a day of walking my dogs Fluffy and Muffin at the park! The purple, sky blue, and lime green spacer beads help bring out the springtime feeling in this set. I made Labradors, Dalmatians, and fire hydrants. Then, I realized what was missing—bluebirds for the dogs to chase! Thank you so much for taking the time to look at my beads. I hope you love them as much as I loved making them! (Artist Information): All of my beads are handmade by ME (Amy)! I have been lampworking for five years, and lampwork both in Tucson, Arizona and Toledo, Ohio. (Bead Specifics): You will be receiving 17 adorable beads in this set. They are all made with Moretti, Gaffer, and Lauscha glass. Sizes range from 16mm-32mm (Please see dime-size photo for size comparison), and the bead hole size is 3/32. I clean and digitally anneal all of my beads to guarantee their strength and durability. (Shipping): Shipping costs are $3.00 per set, and all sets are shipped within 24 hours of payment. I do combine shipping costs for multiple items. (Payment): I accept payment through paypal, money orders, or personal checks. I prefer to be paid within a week upon the auction’s close unless you e-mail me beforehand. (Return Policy): If for any reason you are unhappy with the beads you receive, I will gladly provide a full refund. Although this article can’t cover every aspect of selling on auction websites, these six steps are certainly helpful ways for you to get started. Try out my techniques, and you’ll have more customers looking at your auctions, make higher profits, and keep your customers coming back again and again! Please visit Amy's website at: www.sheamy.zoomshare.com
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The
most important step to selling well on auction websites is to get people
to look at your auction. The best way to attract people is
through the “gallery” picture. This is the first thing that buyers
will see as they scroll through tons of bead sets, deciding which
auctions to click on. If the buyer doesn’t notice the gallery
photo, they’re certainly not going to click on the auction. 
The
most important way to make sure your beads sell is to have a detailed
description that doesn’t leave out any important information. The
more details you have, the better your listing will be. I’ve used
my “Dogs at the Park” set to show a sample of the description I would
include if I were selling this set. I usually put my descriptions
underneath all of my pictures so that the customer sees the photos first
and the details last.