In the last week, I have bought an Oriental Rug, a DVD and a Carbide
Forstner Bit on EBay - pretty cool way to shop!

I took about an hour and scrolled through the listings for "turning" under
crafts and was thoroughly dismayed. It seems that the turning section is
only for pen blanks, small chunks of exotics and the occaisional turned
item.

I took another hour and went through the listings for "sculpture and
carvings" - saw some wooden art pieces, but did not take note of anything
turned except for a cracked and repaired Ray Key bowl that was listed for
$49. (I am sure Ray Key would not like to see that) How sad!

Then I thumbed through the listings for "pottery and glass" and saw many
many (less than spectacular) thrown and blown objects that were commanding
some prety good prices with bid counts up to 20 bid at the $200 - $500
range. There were over 300,000 pieces listed in this category! The cool
thing is that people were actually bidding on these items! Wow!

I know that none of you want to buy the work of other turners, that is not
my reason for posting this message. I certainly do not want to buy other
turners work, I have enough of my own! However, I know that there is a
market for the stuff we make - there has to be - there are galleries that
are devoted to wood, museums that have collections and plenty of Interrior
Designers out there who seek unique pieces for their client installations.

Is a market on EBay calling out that there is an opportunity for wood art or
am I experiencing wishful thinking?!
What has the general experience of the group been with respect to EBay?

Ray Sandusky
Brentwood, TN

Ray Sandusky wrote:
Then I thumbed through the listings for "pottery and glass" and saw many
many (less than spectacular) thrown and blown objects that were commanding
some prety good prices with bid counts up to 20 bid at the $200 - $500
range. There were over 300,000 pieces listed in this category! The cool
thing is that people were actually bidding on these items! Wow!
......
Is a market on EBay calling out that there is an opportunity for wood art or
am I experiencing wishful thinking?!
What has the general experience of the group been with respect to EBay?

I tried it for a year or so way back when. I made a few sales of low
priced items, usually below my normal retail price. It didn't achieve my
goals of getting more visits to my website, or upselling from the
website. Never sold anything there of any substance, so I gave up. It
can be a lot of work setting up auctions.

Is the stuff that is selling in the pottery and glass section new
handcrafted product, or brand name collectibles?

--
Derek Andrews, woodturner

http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com
http://chipshop.blogspot.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/toolrest/
http://www.cuttings.me.uk/AW/ - online marketing for artisans

Ray Sandusky wrote:
In the last week, I have bought an Oriental Rug, a DVD and a Carbide
Forstner Bit on EBay - pretty cool way to shop!

I took about an hour and scrolled through the listings for "turning" under
crafts and was thoroughly dismayed. It seems that the turning section is
only for pen blanks, small chunks of exotics and the occaisional turned
item.
... I certainly do not want to buy other
turners work, I have enough of my own! However, I know that there is a
market for the stuff we make - there has to be - there are galleries that
are devoted to wood, museums that have collections and plenty of Interrior
Designers out there who seek unique pieces for their client installations.

Is a market on EBay calling out that there is an opportunity for wood art or
am I experiencing wishful thinking?!
What has the general experience of the group been with respect to EBay?


Ray,
I've sold two pieces on eBay in the past three years, so I don't bother
to list them. Why? Nobody bids on them. I also try to sell on my web site,
but again, not much in the way of watchers. Heck very few pieces seemed to
sell on Woodcraftauction.com. I guess that's why it isn't accepting auctions
any more.

Why? hmmmm, I think that most of the general public doesn't know much
about it, and that it can be considered ART. But I also don't think that the
Internet is really the place to sell/buy most turned items. But then I'm not
sure why pottery sells. One of the first thing I do when I see a piece on
display is to pick it up and feel the finish, grain, weight, etc. Then I turn
it over and look at the bottom - for the signature, kind of wood, (and yes to
see how well the piece was finished.) The Internet doesn't give me that
opportunity - there is very tactile feedback on eBay.

The two pieces I have sold (a Paduk bowl, and a spalted maple bowl) both
went to the same buyer. He said he was collecting Paduk, and then later he saw
the spaled Maple and recognized my name. It's nice to have a repeat buyer.
This buyer had worked in a gallery in the past and had met David Ellsworth and
Ray Key - and appreciated turned wood, an educated public is what creates buyers.

When demonstrating at local shows I try to engage those that look curious
and explain how we create pieces of art, and functional items from 'old trees'
and that this isn't simple woodworking like knocking together a birdhouse from
lumber scraps.



mike
OhMyWoodness.com

This guy sells his on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...r4_PcN__Stores


Wil

Wil wrote:
This guy sells his on ebay.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...r4_PcN__Stores


Wil

Notice though, these are not up for auction. They are part of his
E-bay store front.

In article .com,
"Wil" wrote:

This guy sells his on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...geName= MERC_
VI_RSCC_Pr4_PcN__Stores


Wil

There were only 8 bids on 33 items which doesn't say much for the
selling power of ebay. The bids were all for $30 items which again would
not mean much of a profit for the seller. Maybe he likes to make less
than minimum wage? The buy now prices were a lot higher but not selling.

--
meet me at: http://www.peterhyde.bravehost.com/

A better way to guage his success...and selling prices...is to go to his
feedback page and then look at some of the items that have sold and the
prices they've sold at. I'd say he's been doing pretty good.



Peter Hyde wrote:
In article .com,
"Wil" wrote:


This guy sells his on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...geName= MERC_
VI_RSCC_Pr4_PcN__Stores


Wil


There were only 8 bids on 33 items which doesn't say much for the
selling power of ebay. The bids were all for $30 items which again would
not mean much of a profit for the seller. Maybe he likes to make less
than minimum wage? The buy now prices were a lot higher but not selling.

Me myself and I wrote:
: A better way to guage his success...and selling prices...is to go to his
: feedback page and then look at some of the items that have sold and the
: prices they've sold at. I'd say he's been doing pretty good.

I didn't go all the way through his feedbacks, but the first dozen or so
suggested the prices were in the $20 - $100 range. Quite far from the
$600 - $1100 prices of his non-auction items.

-- Andy Barss

On 3 Feb 2005 11:03:10 -0800, "Wil" wrote:

This guy sells his on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...r4_PcN__Stores


Wil

So does another guy. DO a seller search for "davidwalshbowlturner".

He's been selling exclusivily on eBay for awile now. Personally, I've
sold many bowls on eBay over a period of two years. I only gave it up
recently because I went back to "work".



Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com