What am I doing wrong?

[cricketdiane]

I give up. I don't know what is wrong with my work - I don't know why so little of it sells and I don't know what to do. It is really hard to paint another thing when most of it isn't selling and very few people even look at it. I've tried to be cavalier about it but I really am frustrated. Since October 06, I've probably listed over 500 pieces on the auctions and on my store. Whenever anyone has bought something - I do get it in the mail quickly and send it packaged well. Is there something so wrong with my art that people don't want it? I was doing different subjects but they weren't doing as well as the seascapes and I thought I would try some stylized mermaids - but I've only sold two. What do I need to do? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[aliceraygallery]

Sorry Diane, your seascapes are also gorgeous, just thought you could attract a different kind of buyer with landscapes 🙂

[inanire]

Thomas Edison failed, literally, thousands of times before succeeding in creating the lightbulb. Onlookers told him to give up and said he was crazy; Yet he refused to give up, and look what happened. - This true story has given me hope in the darkest of times. (And there have been many.) Please don't give up on creating art! If art is your passion, then you must do it or you cannot be truly fully alive and happy. (I know this from my own experience.) To quote Joseph Campbell, "Follow your bliss." I couldn't have said it better myself. Ebay is not easy to predict. - Life isn't either. Don't give up, ok? Wishing you great joy and success on your journey, -Jendria

[poozybear]

I agree with those who have suggested international shipping. If I had to throw out a guess, I'd say that 50% of my ACEOs have gone to the UK, Canada, and Australia. A lot of people don't ship internationally because they mistakenly believe that's it's a hassle, but it's not. ACEOs are small enough to travel letter post, and do not require a customs form or a trip to the post office. You can buy a postal scale for around $20 at any office supply store, or directly from the USPS web site, then calculate the postage over at USPS dot com. I'd really give it some thought. As a collector, I find it exciting to get a piece of art in the mail from Bulgaria, or Switzerland, or some other country that I'll probably never get to see. I think you'd see a lot more sales if you were to offer shipping to at least Canada and the UK. I actually find it exciting to know that some of my art is on the opposite side of the globe. Hey, does that make me "internationally collected?" ;) Kathy

[artistjillian]

Yup! ;)

[cricketdiane]

Thanks for all the great comments - it is giving me a lot of hope that I sure can use right now. Someone asked me to ship to the UK a couple months ago and I have felt really bad that I sent an email saying how much it would cost to ship it - about $9 plus I think I said a couple dollars extra would have to be included to walk up to the post office and deal with the customs. I considered just sending it to her as a gift but my friends here said no, don't do that. I really don't mind walking to the post office - with most of the cards I do that anyway. It's about two miles there and two miles back - but mostly pleasant, city - cars - sidewalk. But what absolutely overwhelmed me besides the shipping costs (which I must have done wrong somehow) - and the customs forms (don't ever use the ones on the internet) - or the jaunt to the post office, was the regulations. I went to the customs site to see what would be involved and they wanted a manufacturers id number and have special restrictions on shipping anything into UK and particularly art. I've shipped a coffee press to Canada last fall that I sold and went through several customs forms - then the UPS store had their own and listed it as a gift. OK, that wasn't exactly right but at least their form didn't require a manufacturers id and it wasn't something I created. I've been through pages and pages of this info on the customs site - and I don't see how anything gets shipped out of this country anywhere ever. I've been using the calculated shipping thingy on each listing, if that isn't working - I'll go to a flat rate. But I think I'm paying to ship the weight of cardboard most of the time - these cards are ending up weighing 4-5 ounces after they are packaged. Or, my old scale is off for these small measurements. I noticed some artists are shipping worldwide for $3.50 - I don't see how they are able to do it. That makes it a very reasonable cost - $9 just to get it there isn't. Anyway- thanks again for all your help, ideas and letting me ramble this morning. Great day to everyone.

[artistjillian]

I post to UK for $1.80 US. I use a 6x6" CD mailer (bought in bulk - 200 - from ebay) - these cost 17 cents each (even with postage included). I put in my ACEO in a sleeve. A printed 4x6" index thank you card printed with my details. A printed 4x6" index card printed with my COA. All this goes inside a 4x6" clear, open ended 'envelope'. Within USA this posts for .52 up to .87 cents. I think Canada is about the same as UK. No customs forms as this is considered an 'envelope'. Why don't you do up an envelope, take it to your post office, and check how much to e.g. UK. Ask if it needs a customs form. You might be surprised. ~Jillian

[sunshinesketches]

If you send it as a lettermail, it's not a hassle at all. You mentioned sending a coffee mill. Packages are different, and they do have to have all the customs stuff. That's a pain. One time I was asked how much to ship a pair of shoes I was selling to Ireland. I dutifully took the shoebox to the post office, had it weighed, found out what forms I needed to fill in etc. The person purchased them. I wrapped up the shoes* and took them to the post office and the cost was DOUBLE what I'd been quoted. HUH??? Turns out that the extra weight of the wrapping paper and tissue paper inside put it over some limit, DOUBLING the cost to ship. I sent it anyway at my own expense (even though the person offered to send more money). The stoopid post office person should have SAID it was close to the limit; and I should have asked. Lesson learned. *No I'm not selling off my shoe collection, lol. It was an extra pair of bridal shoes I bought when I couldn't decide which pair I wanted to wear to my wedding. I sold the unused ones. In hindsight, they were lovely white satin that I should have painted and kept on display. Live and learn!

[cricketdiane]

Are y'all saying I don't have to declare myself a manufacturer with these countries to ship this stuff - just send it like its a letter without customs forms or anything? Like sending mail across town? I am going to try the repackaging in the cd sender. It would have to be easier than what I have been doing with the .79 cent air bubble envelopes, foam wrap, two pieces of cardboard, etc. That sure isn't working well.

[poozybear]

Exactly, Diane. If you check the USPS web site, somewhere buried in the international shipping section, there's a chart that explains what items do and do not need a customs form. An envelope that weighs less than 16 oz. does not need a form . . . it's just a letter. I ship my ACEOs in a hard plastic toploader between lightweight cardboard in an envelope. I don't think I've ever paid more than $2.00 postage to any country. I just put regular stamps on them and set them out with the rest of my mail. In fact, I've had a few overseas buyers ask for stamps rather than a postage meter or Paypal label because they like to collect the American stamps. Kathy 🙂

[sunshinesketches]

Heck no you don't have to call yourself a manufacturer. People shipp things all the time. If anyone ever asks me what's inside, I tell them it's an art card. They usually give a blank stare and say "oh." If anyone were to ask me to elaborate, I'd say it's a card that I drew myself. At worst they think it's a birthday card.

[cricketdiane]

Okay - I'm stunned. I will definitely look this up and start adding the international option. That is amazing - truly amazing! I have been lost in complications that either didn't exist or I managed to create for myself. No wonder I've been so frustrated. Good grief,lol. - Don't ever go to those customs pages - they are just way wrong for human consumption!

[sunshinesketches]

See, now aren't you glad you asked? 🙂

[poozybear]

Here's where you can find the official chart (I tried sending someone else a direct link, and it always redirects back to the main P.O. page). 1. Go to USPS dot com 2. On the main page, click the button for "All Products and Services" 3. Click on "International Mail Manual" 4. Click on Category 120 - "Preparation for mailing" Scroll down the page and you'll find the chart. I was stunned to find out about this too. I had previously been selling miscellaneous junk on ebay that shipped in boxes and required customs forms. It was my mailman who actually told me that I could mail my ACEOs as letter with regular stamps. I was really nervous the first time I tried it, but I've since sent about 20 cards overseas without a hitch. Kathy

[mreas]

And the best part is you can charge $15.00 for international shipping and pocket $14.17 profit. (What do foreigners know about exchange rates anyway?)

[mreas]

That's the way I do it on my bootleg Chinese site anyway.