Big question on ACEO Pricing...

[corvette1984]

Hi! I have came a long way since starting selling ACEOs on eBay...I remember selling my 1st one for .99 cents! Then I moved my starting price to $3.99 and then $4.99 and finally to $5.99. I am trying to figure out if I should leave my auctions at that for a starting price or what to start my work out on...As it is I ship for free and my winning totals minus ebay and paypal fees plus shipping fees leave me a little...I was wondering if that would be a good or bad thing and could someone please explaing their views on ebay stores..I am considering one... Thanks!

[imeldasart]

Your story is the same as mine! I started selling at 99c. I am now starting listings at $5.99. Hoping for a huge bidding war that will raise the final price to over $20! Ha. But it is true: if it sells for $5.99, then you deduct the .75c to list, the final fee, the paypal fee, the postage and packing costs....you aren't netting much. The first comment was accurate: you don't want to feel badly, or resentful, if it sells for a low amount. BUT I haven't had the nerve to start listing higher. YET. Mel

[corvette1984]

Well, I heard the price of postage soon will go up to 41 cents!! I listed my newest ACEO on here a dollar higher. But I loved it so much, I almost kept it for myself! Is she cute or what?

[corvette1984]

If I made smaller COA's I could do 2 from one sheet of Matte Photo Paper instead of one. I really like that format you created. I think I will consider making one like that. Are the customers happy with 6X9 COAs? I bet they are easier to keep up with...

[indooryardsales]

I'm now starting all my cards (even the HAUNTED ONE...) at $9.99. If you don't want it, fine. If I have to pay $4.50 in the gift shop for a measly printed birthday card, surely my handpainted, original ACEO is worth a lot more than that.

[hauntedswampdesigns]

WELL SAID!!!!! Lynda

[heylucy1]

Corvette: Are you a Red Hatter???? I am. Love the cat. I just had to bid on her. Joann Joanna: That's a good way to look at it. I hadn't thought of it that way! Joann

[sue-jim]

I had thought about the price of greeting cards vs. a piece of original art, too - plus thought about the money people blow on pure junk impulse purchases (my daughter-in-law can walk into a convenience store to pay for gas - & spend $50 on junk without even thinking ... most of which has been thrown away within a few days). Sue

[corvette1984]

heylucy1 - No. I am not, though I have a friend in the Shrine who is a Red Hatter and asked me if I'd like to consider becoming a sister. Although, I would be a Pink Hatter, LOL! I have a Silver Persian at home and she is up there in years, but such a cutie! When I saw her playing with my daughter's dress up stuff the idea hit me. The more ACEOs I do, the more inspiration hits me. It's that until last year, all of my best work I would give away and now figuring out pricing is hard, as all I do is original works of art - no prints. Although my last few, I wish I made prints. I just think orignal is special to each person. My ACEOs are like children...How do I ask someone to pay a certain price for children?

[photosbyrose4u]

i am just starting out w/aceo and begin my auctions at $2.49. since they are photo cards, it may take a while for the 'acceptance' to kick in. my highest sold was $8.99 for a squirrel in flower pots...

[itsybitsypieces]

Pricing: If you are selling 90% of what you list and getting several bids on each ACEO, then raise your starting price. And I agree, never sell for a price that makes you feel undervalued. Diane

[poozybear]

Rose, I agree with your comment about "acceptance." I definitely feel that being around a while, and being "known," plays a factor in the prices we get. When I started out I was listing at .99, and selling a lot at that price. It took several months, but I started getting multiple bids, and things started moving. I've starting raising my prices gradually, and now feel comfortable at around $6.95 for a starting bid. I did recently do a Mission Fish listing at $9.95, and I got a quick bid . . . was REALLY pleased about that. I can definitely see an improvement in my art over the last several months, so I believe (at least I hope) that I'm getting higher sales because the work quality is better. But I also have repeat buyers now, which I think makes a huge difference. I just started listing on a second ebay ID (artbykathy), that I set up exclusively for my art sales, but I'm a bit apprehensive about starting over, so to speak. But at the same time, I have a lot of garage sale junk that I want to move, and don't want to mix my art with flea market junk. I'm really wrestling with this one right now. Kathy

[poozybear]

Oh, wanted to add with regard to COAs . . . I do what some of you already posted, which is write as much info as possible on the back (title, date, signature and printed name, and medium used). Something I've just started doing is adding my location (Tucson, AZ, USA). I decided to do this because I'm also a collector, and have several cards from foreign countries. I like to keep track of where they came from, which can't be done with a signature alone. I've taken to cutting the return addresses off of the envelopes, gluing them to a second archival card, and placing it in the toploader with the ACEO. I think it would be great if more people wrote the locations under their names (so far I have only two who have done that). Just an idea. 🙂

[gweddus]

I am finding ebay very slow at the moment....In the UK we have had problems with listings not showing up in the US...where most of the buyers are...so I have now started listing on ebay.com I have thought long and hard about pricing and was listing at a mere £1.99 $4 (ish) Other artists kept telling me to put my prices up...but they didn't sell...so now, I have combined the postage within the asking price....am hoping this will work for me. I have just listed my latest mermaid....a teenage mermaid who stayed out all night and has been grounded...here is the link (am I allowed to do that?)..sorry if I am not, but I haven't been on the group for a while...been celebrating my 60th birthday ouch... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270094932600&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:UK:11 Brenda in Wales UK

[jeanze*art]

Brenda, Links to your auctions are just fine! And congratulations on your milestone birthday... I hope it was a wonderful celebration! Jeanne

[artistnannie]

I started out at $2.99 and slowly raised the price over a year, now at $4.99. I tried pricing them higher but get no bids or maybe one. If I keep the price lower, I get several bids and they usually sell from $8 to as much as $25. I print out a label with the COA and apply to back of the originals and print the COA on the back side of the prints. Both are hand-signed and numbered. I also have a small image of the painting on the original COA, similar to queen bee diva, above. I was doing a separate COA, but quit, as I felt that was not necessary with the same info provided on the back of the ACEO. Fran