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By Kate Drew-Wilkinson
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I'm selling my jewelry and beads on Ebay™! Depending on the extent of your online experience, you reacted to that statement with, a) “Oh, you too?”; b) “Isn't that hard to do?”; or c) “On what-bay?” Ebay is one of the largest online auctions, all of which have such advantages as low overhead, quick turnover of merchandise, and access to a worldwide market. This method of presenting and selling is still quite new, but growing all the time. The biggest obstacle to selling goods online is the intimidation factor - if you've never done it before, or if you're new to the Net, you may think that cyber-auctions are beyond you. Well, think again. All it takes is a bit of groundwork and a bit of confidence. Up until now, selling jewelry has meant designers (or their representatives) making appointments to show their collections to jewelry buyers for department stores, boutiques, and galleries. For the seller, it meant driving long distances, carrying heavy bags, and waiting in line. When I did this for my collections, I was frequently stood up by buyers, or given very little time because he or she needed to deal with some unforeseen crisis. It was difficult, expensive, and demoralizing.
Selling over the Internet still involves some level of stress. It involves a time-consuming and often frustrating learning process. You have to offer your work for the lowest price that you feel comfortable with. I actually often feel uncomfortable about some of the prices I put on my work. Keep in mind, however, that this is an auction. Although your piece may sell for the starting price you assigned it, and no higher, there are often little bidding frenzies, which mean higher selling prices. There are also the gratifying intangibles: you are at home, not out there breathing exhaust fumes, and you can work at any time of the day or night, and you can wear your fuzzy slippers while you do so. There are a variety of online auctions out there - Gemstone Auction, Fainco Online Auction, Sotheby's, among others - but since I work with Ebay, let's examine exactly how to use it. You will need the following:
When preparing your photographs, pay careful attention to lighting, color, and cropping. Many sellers like to produce a large image, making a small bead into a full-screen picture. This can often make a mediocre bead look tempting, all shiny and beautiful, but can be a mistake. First of all, the larger the image, the longer it takes to download, and for busy people, this is an annoying waste of time. The more realistic the picture, the better, because all too often, the bead is a disappointment when it arrives. I prefer to present an image only slightly larger than the bead itself, giving the buyers an accurate idea of what they are bidding for. Pictures are easily displayed in Ebay auctions. Ebay doesn't actually hold the picture files, but instead allows you to “point” to images stored in your personal Web space. You will need to know the path to your picture directory on the Internet in order to add these pictures to your Ebay auction. Have your pictures ready to use before you begin your auction - Ebay auctions begin the moment you okay the entry form! You transfer your files to the Internet using what's called FTP (file transfer protocol). There are many FTP programs available; they all provide you with a method of moving your picture files from your computer's hard drive to your personal Web space. Anyone who has built a Web page will be familiar with this, so if it's new to you, find a knowledgeable friend you can ask for help. If you don't know anyone who's done it, you can ask advice through online communities, or even stop by your local Kinko's or office services store; no doubt there will be someone there who can give you advice.
Once you have an Ebay account, you can begin your first auction. Ebay asks you to fill out an auction form, then shows you exactly what your work looks like to the buyer, and gives you a chance to make changes before actually beginning the auction. At the Ebay main menu, simply choose “Sell your item,” which will bring up the auction form. You will be asked for a catchy title for your item, which must fit in one line. Make your title punchy, but don't make it too obscure - buyers should be able to tell what it is that you're selling at first reading. You will be asked to provide the location and zip code from which you are shipping, as well as what payment options you want to give buyers. Farther down on the form, you will be asked to pick a single location within Ebay for your auction to appear. There are hundreds of categories, but for me the choice was easy: jewelry.
Type in the measurements of the piece, and whether or not the buyer will be paying shipping costs. ADD YOUR IMAGE. Next, type in the exact address on your image directory into the space provided for your picture's URL. It should look something like this: www.system.com/~myaccount/directorypicturename.jpg Your picture should be visible in the confirmation page. If not, simply use your browser's “Back” arrow to return to the original form and double-check your typing. I still have trouble with this one - when you go back, you will have to remember also to retype your secret code name. You will be asked to choose the minimum bid price of your item, and how long you want your auction to run: three, five, or seven days. You can also set a reserve price, which prevents an item from being sold at a price below what you're willing to accept. For example, if you want to sell a piece of jewelry for no less than $100, set that as your reserve price, but allow bidding under that amount to generate interest. If bidding stops at $90, your item will not be sold; if it stops at $110, it will be. You are now ready to review your work. Upon submitting the form, you will see exactly what your auction will look like. When you have double-checked your work, submit this page again. Your auction has now officially begun! Now it's up to the bidders - your work, for the moment, is done, unless bidders contact you with questions regarding your item. Answer questions clearly, completely . . . and quickly! Auctions move fast, and there are lots of other items out there for a buyer to bid on if they have any uncertainty about what it is you're offering. After you've sold an item, you can click the “Back” arrow twice to come up with your seller's space, which includes all the information from your completed sale.
Well, the more the merrier, I say. Let's go, let's buy and sell, let's prosper! Kate Drew-Wilkinson is a jewelry designer, glass bead maker, teacher, and author of How to be Successful in the Bead Jewelry Business. She can be found on Ebay by searching the seller, kate*the*great.
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Let The Business Side advise you on issues important to your jewelry, bead, gem, or related business. Please send questions or comments to The Business Side, Lapidary Journal, 300 Chesterfield Parkway, Suite 100, Malvern, PA 19355; fax (610) 232-5756; e-mail our editors.
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