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Online Auctions

A Easy Way to Test The Internet Market

As a crafter and a small businessperson, you can do your own craft marketing or pay someone to do it for you. It’s a balancing act. If you do it yourself, you must go to shows or run your own store or website. The more time you spend doing that the less time you can spend crafting.

Giving up some of the retail price of your craft items, gives you more time to devote to your art and generally a broader market reach for your wares. Gallery and shop owners advertise, promote your work and provide a place with regular hours where your work can be viewed by many more people than you can reach on your own.

However don’t think of these approaches as the only options of craft marketing. They are merely the two ends of the spectrum: from doing all your own craft marketing and as much crafting as time allows; to using all your time crafting and paying your marketers.

Along the spectrum are a myriad of other approaches, some very simple, some quite high tech. If you’re looking for a better way to sell your craft items, try thinking outside the box. Go beyond the traditional methods of craft fairs, galleries and retail shops.

How to Profit from Online Auctions

In this age of online auctions and virtual stores, any crafter, or for that matter, any “brick and mortar” store can tap into new and more vibrant markets than exist in even the biggest cities.

eBay alone has over 40 million registered users and about 10 million of them check out the site at least once a week.

There are thousands of virtual stores in all categories.

In the “Crafts” category alone there are hundreds of craft stores, not only selling crafting supplies of all types, but also selling finished crafts.

When I wrote this, there were over 500 crafters selling their products in the virtual stores and online auctions. As I said before, there is an awful lot of competition out there. But there is an awful big market as well.

On eBay you or your virtual store will be exposed to 10 million, receptive customers a week. When was the last time that many people considered buying your product?

Nothing worth doing is easy and I definitely believe that selling crafts on the Internet is worth the effort. The problem is how to do it in such a way that your craft is noticed.

Start an Online Auction

First of all, if you have not already done so, go to eBay and register. It’s free.

While you’re at it, also register for a free personal PayPal account. This will allow you to send and receive money instantaneously.

If you’re an off-line merchant who wants to accept credit cards on-line, if you have a website, but can’t process credit card orders or even if you’re a crafter with multiple items to sell, consider opening a PayPal merchant account.

You will be able to accept all credit cards, which means your market will automatically expand. There’s no setup fee and the service fees are reasonable.

Now, you're ready to plunge into the world on online auctions.

Online Market Research

Check out the other crafts on sale to judge their quality and see what other crafters are charging for them. eBay allows you to sell individual items either at auction or at a fixed price. Get your feet wet by trying to sell one of your crafts either way and see what the response is. The cost is minimal and the results could be very encouraging. It’s even fun

Check to see if any actually sell and at what price.

This will give you some idea as to whether online auctions will be a good selling venue for your type of craft.

Make Your Net Auction Sell

Many books have been written on the subject of profiting on eBay and other online auction sites. One of the best is Make Your Net Auction Sell.

This book, while not specifically written for crafters, contains a wealth of knowledge that anyone who is serious about either buying or selling using the online auction process needs to know. Chapter 15 should be of particular interest to crafters.

More importantly, it contains advice about getting your craft noticed, gives tips on how to market any product and directs you to other lesser known online auction sites.

What’s better is the fact that this book, which used to cost $30, is now free.

Anyone serious about selling in online auctions should download this e-book today.

Two other excellent books to consider are

Sell Your Crafts on Ebay

and

The Basic Guide to Selling Crafts on the Internet

Both of these books are part of the Craftmarketer series.

Finally, please read Four Mistakes Online Auction Sellers Make Every Day.

Read part two of this article, for more information on Virtual Stores.

Your Guide to Selling on the Internet

• Are Free Websites Worth It?
  I do not believe so. I think the little extra time, cost and effort will pay for itself over the long run.
• Build Your Own Website?
  While not for everyone, your own website, if done right, can set you on the road to success.
• Do I Need a Website?
  Should a crafter market her crafts on a co-op website?
• eBay Selling Tips
  How to maximize your profits when selling crafts on eBay.
• Four Mistakes Online Sellers Make Every Day
  Maximize your profits by avoiding these common errors.
• Marketing Your Website
  Some tips on getting visitors to your website or virtual store.
• Simple Steps to Promote Your Crafts Website
  Simple steps you can take to promote your craft website, to draw more visitors and to increase your sales.
• Site Build It
  Why you should choose Site Build It as your website development program.
• Virtual Stores
  More ways to get your crafts in front of millions of potential buyers.

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Mad About Crafts
Browse this Craft Directory of Featured Artists for unique original crafts, or join up to promote your crafts for free…and bring more traffic and sales to your site! Mad About Craft

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