posted on November 21, 2000 03:57:24 PM
Are their any fellow artist out their on eBay having any luck selling their work on ebay? It seems like the top selling stuff is Outsider Art! In the past I have sold a number of Limited Edition Prints on eBay. I just wanted to know if eBay is the place to sell Fine Art! I have been exploring Galleries on the Internet, but most of my sales have come from auctions...
posted on November 21, 2000 04:47:33 PM
i have bought many limited edition prints, lithos, seris etc. on ebay. all the bad publicity regarding forgeries of art, autographs, antiques, jewelry etc., has taken its toll on the number of bidders willing to take a chance on these items. i have begun visiting galleries instead.
posted on November 21, 2000 04:56:16 PM
So who is this Thomas Kinkade guy? He opened a store at our local mall and launched a major radio advertising campaign at the same time - "art that is rare, or will become rare and valuable". It was so obnoxious, that I checked out his name on eBay, and sure enough, Thomas must be making big bucks.
Personally, I don't care for him but that's art. I don't see why you couldn't do well with art on eBay. It's all in the marketing. Take a hint from Thomas.
posted on November 21, 2000 05:05:12 PM
We have a local art dealer that gets all breathy and excited on his radio adds and practically guarantees you will make loads of money on the stuff. If it was half as good as he makes it sound he would never let go of it. I can't believe that people can't tell they are being conned. Do they split the marks with TV preachers?
posted on November 21, 2000 05:07:53 PM
LOL! Well Thomas Kinkade is a painter of very sticky sweet pictures of cozy cottages and other dribble. Whether he's an artist or not is a matter of some question. I do know that he is an entrepreneur of some skill. Those 'paintings' by him are prints with a few daubs here and there of actual paint. He sells those for over a thousand.
posted on November 21, 2000 06:02:25 PM
You may want to look at this group, http://www.ebsqart.com/, which consists of artists selling their work on eBay. I have bought some of their art and it caters to all tastes. Some of the artists even have works in museums and gallerys.
posted on November 21, 2000 06:58:08 PM
I am so HAPPY to hear others say they don't like Kinkade (art?) They all look the same to me and similiar to the guy who paints one in 15 minutes on tv. Of course ones opinion of art is all relative. I like painted Elvis on velvet, myself.
posted on November 21, 2000 09:43:43 PM
Gad, I'm so glad to see I'm not alone in my distaste for Kinkade (sp?) "art"! I check into QVC every once in a while and saw him selling his stuff one day. I tried and tried to "get" his art. The only thing I could come up with was that perhaps people meditate on his paintings--there's always a brightly lighted window--and I suppose you could put yourself into a trance by staring at it long enough.
posted on November 22, 2000 04:28:25 AM
netartifacts -- I paint but have not offered any of my paintings on ebay as recently my subject has been my Jack Russell Terrier and I can't bear to sell them. It would be like selling pictures of your kids! I have however just offered two pencil studies of paintings that would have otherwise been thrown away. A JRT lover bought one and after auction end bought the second as well. Animal subjects do very well on ebay. You may notice that a LOT of the outsider art is of animals. OK that is my opinion on amature art. As far as "fine art" goes, of course listed artists pictures do well but the fine art market has been soft for years and is just now on an upswing. T. Kincaid is doing well but if you ask any fine art dealer they will tell you it is a contrived market and that you will not sell any Kincaid print for what you bought it for (in your lifetime) It's too bad we can't list our paintings on Goodwills auction....have you seen what those awful paintings are selling for?
posted on November 22, 2000 04:47:44 AM
I thought Kinkade WAS a Hallmark illustrator. IMO, he's just 2-dimensional Dept. 56. Sure, his stuff is easier to pack up than all those china doodads, but it's not as much fun for the kids.
posted on November 22, 2000 04:58:17 AM
Kincade has oversaturated the market with his items. Frankly, they bore me. They all look the same.
It is much more refreshing to view artwork at Ebay that has some feeling behind it.
A struggling artist does his best work hungry.
There are several unknown artists who sell regularly on Ebay. Ask them to notify you when they list new items.
Then put a healthy bid on them!
posted on November 22, 2000 06:47:43 AM
when I was going to art college they beat up on Kinkade all the time. Perversely, I ended up kind of liking him (altho I know what you mean about the Hallmark/Dept. 56 thang). He does have one painting that's sentimental to me and I wish I could afford to buy it, it's called (i think?) California Street at Christmastime, and I love it because it shows the intersection of California Street and Grant Avenue in San Francisco, which is where I used to catch the cable car every morning when I was young and madly in love, right in front of Old Saint Mary's Church.
I think people like his paintings because they remind the of an idealized nature that they don't really know, but wish they did. He's definitely the 2000 pound elephant of art marketing, but that doesn't mean anything really. And he is reviled in the schools. Typically art schools are very at odds with whatever sells. Whatevah....I just buy what I like.....
posted on November 22, 2000 09:48:45 AM
Horsefeathers. This would imply that one's creative ability is in direct inverse proportion to one's income - a romantic notion whose intent, I suggest, is to comfort those "artists" whose egos are also in direct inverse proportion - to their ability.
Yes, yes, some artists went unrecognized in their time and starved. But was Leonardo less of an artist because he actually had patrons, including the Medici and the Pope? He may not have gotten paid on time, I'll agree, but does that mean that great artists naturally attract deadbeats? Does Van Gogh's work "mean" less because he was financed by his brother? H. de Toulouse-Lautrec, who had an independent income? Holbein and Raphael, who operated studios employing lackeys to do the background work? Picasso? (I'd also suggest Dali but I don't care either for his work or his self-promotion.)
An artist's work stands alone, irrespective of his income or sales volume. If Kincaid (sorry about the earlier typo) was hideously UNsuccessful, his work would STILL be insipid and saccharine.
posted on November 22, 2000 10:00:03 AM
Kincaid's work is also well know for his use of light in his subject matter. (I don't care for his work either).
I've been trying to sell my work on Ebay, it seems that my higher end pieces don't do well. I also have a line of inexpensive functional art accessories that are doing ok. My main problem is finding the right category (I've tried many!).
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/labelleepoque1/
http://www.labellestudios.com
posted on November 22, 2000 10:22:28 AMlabellepoque - your work's lovely! I know the time, labor and knowledge involved in producing one of these pieces. Unfortunately, a $250 starting bid is going to scare off a lot of folks.
Speaking as a "fabricpig": You might consider doing MacIntosh knockoffs in upholstery weight - say a pair of 36" squares of 6oz. canvas for upholstering a Stickley chair or for making bolsters or pillows for any Mission furniture. Linen drapery panels would go well too, I'd bet - or what are those little fabric cornices calledl that they use in Japan? Wow, what a nice look...In any case, I'd list your stuff in Antiques & Art:Textiles:General and suggest your stuff would work well with Mission decor - which it would!
Not sure whether you want to switch media a bit, but hand-painting or block-printing fabric would give you an instant quilter's market. RJR Fabrics has an art nouveau line out right now that sells - when you can find it - on ebay for about $15/yard.
posted on November 22, 2000 11:28:35 AM
HCQ has a dynamite idea there for you, labellepoque!
And while we're at it, I dearly wish someone would do fabric in Bauer ringware pottery colors! And then advertise it on the Bauer pottery site. I love the ringware colors and have had no luck finding prints, stripes, etc. that really capture the colorways. Collectors would love it.
I'm using plates to decorate a cabin we have in So. Calif. and have searched and searched for curtain and upholstery fabric, plus tablecloths. My thought was that prints would be better than solid colors in some areas of our place. Anyone know of such a choice?
posted on November 22, 2000 11:48:19 AM
I've had mixed results selling artwork on ebay. Carved walking sticks (folk/outsider art) have done ok. Original oil paintings usually do not sell (and I consider them nice ones too).
I've bought a few things...a print here or there. What really sells well are Paint by Number Paintings!
If you cna find an old one on canvas, then it's worth a lot. I had a 3 set go for $200.00!
Amazing.
My own art doesn't sell because my wife says, "It's too wierd".
Make money for your school with www.School-Auction.Com
posted on November 22, 2000 11:50:24 AM
Actually, there is a line of redware quilt fabric out right now, so roadsmith's Bauer idea has been tested, if on another form of collectible pottery.
roadsmith, you might want to take a look at Textiles:Linens and look for '40s tablecloths. Those could easily be made into curtains/valances/cushion covers, if you like (ahem) the shabby chic mix-and-match look, which I think works really well with Bauer ringware/Fiestaware. I honestly don't know of any modern source off the top of my head.
posted on November 22, 2000 01:18:45 PM
HartCottageQuilts
RE: "Horsefeathers. This would imply that one's creative ability is in direct inverse proportion to one's income - a romantic notion whose intent, I suggest, is to comfort those "artists" whose egos are also in direct inverse proportion - to their ability."
Gee, I was only joking. Guess I should use a little smiley face.
Maybe we should loosen up a bit? Some artists
are more creative when they are drunk. What do you think about that.
About the 250.00 starting price. I disagree that it's too high.
Amateurs in my watercolor class sell their paintings for 300.00.
posted on November 22, 2000 01:21:36 PM
HCQ, some great ideas to think about! I know the starting price is high, but because I do this for a living (trying at least), I can't take the risk of a low opening bid with no reserve, and it's my understanding bidders don't like reserves. I figured the total price needed in labor and materials plus a modest profit and hope for the best. I did sell one of my floorcloths for $600 once on Ebay--that was pretty nice!
I have thought about doing my paintings on fabrics, do you happen to know if artist grade acrylic paints be used in this application without a sealer? Thanks again for the wonderful ideas
BTW, who is RJR Fabrics?
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/labelleepoque1/
http://www.labellestudios.com
I am the founder of the ebsq group which sells art on ebay. We are doing well, with
over 50 artists participating and around 250 auctions going at any one time.
You can learn more by visiting our site at:
http://www.ebsqart.com
and also, by reading our zine which includes our sales stats (about $12K for
November) at:
http://www.artsiteguide.com/zinedex.html
We welcome all artists and hope some of
you will join our group... there is no cost.
posted on November 22, 2000 05:36:47 PMSome artists are more creative when they are drunk. What do you think about that.
I "think" you didn't state that quite accurately. It's supposed to read "When they are drunk, some artists think they are more creative [than they really are]."
Amateurs in your watercolor class may indeed sell their work for $300. My son sells his life-drawing sketches - throwaway stuff, he admits - for $60 apiece. However, expecting to get retail not only (a) on an auction site with tons of competition and (b) as an opening bid is, I think, a tad overoptimistic. Moreover, labellepoque has already said she's not getting the bites she wants at that price.
labellepoque, I suspect you're in the same boat as glassmelter was sometime back - not much of an ebay following yet, but making high-quality, high-end items (in her case, glass beads and jewelry). You might try to track her down and pick her brain. And don't hesitate to put a reserve on something just to test the waters for awhile. You can let bidders know (as I did when I started) what the reserve is, and that it's e.g. to cover your costs. Once I got a good idea of what folks would be willing to pay and built a following, I stopped using reserves and jacked up my opening bid - without so much as a ripple in the # of bids I was getting or how high the bidding went. Workekd fine for me.
There are a number of textile paints available. Although you could indeed use acrylics with a textile medium, they're going to stiffen the fiber considerably. You might think about getting a catalog from dharmatrading.com, the best (and cheapest, and most comprehensive) textile-decorating salesfolks we seem to know of:
The hard-copy catalog is a superb resource, but online's interesting too. (They also sell natural and bleached fabric, including silk and prepared-for-dyeing garments.) A couple paints you might consider trying out are Setacolor (with which you can also do helioprints!) http://www.dharmatrading.com/setacolor.html - you'll have to use the thickener to paint with it, although you can also use colored gutta for serti - and Deka http://www.dharmatrading.com/dp.html
RJR Fabrics is a textile printer. Here's the link:
