The eBay Paradox

Image via CrunchBase

Edited to add: Two more listings to Ebay, links located at bottom of article

So, last night, I made an account on eBay.  I know, I know… I’m behind the times, but I’d never had a reason to have an account.  One should have money before one creates an account on a website that sells things, right?  Well, last night, I decided it was time;  not to buy things, but to sell.

I’ve (obviously) never sold anything on eBay before, but I decided to give it a shot because I had some really interesting and/or pretty prints to sell.  So far, I’ve only made one listing (which can be found here).  It took forever for me to write a description of the piece that I was happy with (several hours, in fact), because I wanted to be as open and honest as possible, while still sounding professional, which brings me to my first eBay paradox.

Sounding professional, while still sounding like someone you can expect to be honest.  Let’s face it, we all have a certain amount of distrust for people who are trying to sell us something, so how do you word things so you’re not coming off as the stereotypical ‘used car salesman’ while simultaneously conveying the value in an item?  That was my first dilemma.

The second dilemma, eBay paradox #2, is that as a new seller, you have a nice, even seller rating.  Of zero.  Let’s face it, we get immeasurable comfort from seeing a high seller rating next to someone’s ID, because we know that others have bought from this person before, and been happy with the item(s) they have received, and been happy with the way they were treated by the seller, if they happened to have an issue.  So what is a new seller to do?

Even if someone really likes an item, they are likely to pass on it if it is being offered from an ‘unproven’ seller.  At least, I assume they would, because I would hesitate to buy from an ‘unknown’ source, too.  So, I couldn’t sleep last night, worrying about these things.  Should I have someone I know, like a family member, ‘buy’ an item, and then reimburse them, to get some positive feedback, should I just wait, posting listing after listing, until someone finally likes what I’m offering enough to take the risk on an untried source?

I don’t know.  I’m nervous about the listing anyway, because it’s my artwork (photography), and as such, it means much more to me what people think of it than it would if I were re-selling, say, a collector’s item, or a book.  I have no investment in these things.  If someone dislikes them, it is not a reflection of me, or my creative process, like it is when it is something I’ve created myself.

In addition, not only is this my first eBay listing, it’s also the first time I’ve offered any of my work for sale.  I’ve given my work as gifts, but I’ve never exposed it to the masses for scrutiny with a monetary value attached.

I know the ‘buy it now’ price for my work, especially considering that I am an unrated seller, is a little high, but when a work comes signed, with a certificate of authenticity, as well as an option that is only offered to those who purchase a Limited Signed Print, I feel it adds a little value to the work, and the “buy it now” price is also a matter of convenience, to skip having to bid and wait, and it’s only a $5.oo difference.

I see lots of artwork on sale on eBay for $0.99, but I don’t feel that offers much value for the artist OR the art itself.

If you’re interested in checking out my listing, either to see the piece itself, or just to critique it (the art OR the listing), feel free to have a look:

‘”Afternoon Delight” Pastel Edition’ 5×7 Limited Signed Print, 1/10

‘”Pioneer” Neon Edition’, 8×10 Limited Signed Print, 2/10

‘”Reach For the Sun” Pastel Edition’, 8×10 Limited Signed Print, 1/10

Any suggestions about improving my listing description or comments on the piece itself are welcome (commenting guide is located on the ‘About’ page, lol).

Related articles

• Jobless man on eBay fails to earn 99p bid (telegraph.co.uk)
• Collison’s Says Good Riddance to eBay (collisons.wordpress.com)