Auction Information

Profitable Paper Piecing on eBay--Part 1


Why sell paper piecings on eBay?

eBay is a great way to make a steady part-time or full-time income from a hobby that you love! Selling paper piecings has its ups and downs, but overall it is a rewarding and lucrative venture.

Getting and Understanding An eBay Account

To get started selling paper piecings on eBay, you will need to set up an account. If you already have an account, you many want to consider changing your user ID to reflect your status as a Paper Piecer. Find something that can be easily abbreviated for your titles so that you can create a name for yourself that is easy for potential customers to find. You can also use your entire ID in your titles. Some examples are:

User ID is a*scrapfanatic and abbreviation in titles is A*
User ID is CherryRedSpyder and abbreviation is CHeRRYReD
User ID is Luvspaper and uses luvspaper in titles

If you don't yet have an account and want some information on starting to sell, visithttp://pages.ebay.com/help/basics/n-selling.html

This will give you detailed step-by-step instructions to help you get started!

When you are ready to list, keep these things in mind:

Choose a Category
Paper Piecing = 11792 OR
Toys&Hobbies, Hobbies&Crafts, Arts&Crafts, Scrapbooking, PaperPiecing

Title
Make sure it contains the phrase "paper piecing" (without the quotation marks) since many people find these items by searching for "paper piecing" in the titles. Also try to include an abbreviation of your user ID to help create a recognizable name for your paper piecings. If there is room, try to list any extras you have in your auction such as shaker, beads, buttons, etc.

Description
Start your description by giving all of the basic information about the paper piecing that you made. List the dimensions and a brief description of each part of the set.

Also let people know if you used pens and chalks to add detail to your sets. If any part of your set is computer generated, it is a good idea to note this in the auction.

Let everyone know whether your background paper is included or not.

Make sure you let your potential customers know if you use all acid-free, lignin-free products when making your sets. A lot of people also list information such as "comes from a pet-free, smoke-free home."

At the end of the description list all payment and shipping information.

You want to make sure that customers know the following: what payment methods you accept/prefer, your shipping rate, how the items will be packed, whether or not you offer insurance and how much you charge, and your email address for any questions.

Minimum Bid
Set the price at the absolute minimum you are willing to accept for this paper piecing. Most auctions start in the $3-10 range. Adjust your minimum bid price according to time, materials used, and the detail of the piece.

Auction Duration
You have a choice of 3, 5, 7, and 10 day auctions. Most paper piecers use either 5 or 7 day auctions. It is a good idea to have your auction extend over Sunday evenings because it is a very busy time.

Learning About Optional Photo Hosting Services for High Quality PhotoseBay allows you to host one photo per auction free of charge. This is a great service, but unfortunately the photos are not very clear. To get the clearest photos possible, find a photo hosting service. Some free and easy to use options are http://www.photobucket.com and http://www.webphoto.com There are also low cost, reliable options like http://www.villagephoto.com It is a good idea to use a photo hosting service along with the free eBay photo in case one of the services "goes down." This way people can still see some type of photo for the auction.

Studying The Paper Piecing Auction Market
To see which paper piecings are selling the best, go to http://www.eBay.com and type "paper piecing" in the search box. When the search results page comes up, click on "Highest Priced First." This will allow you to browse through the best-selling auctions. Take notes. Note which themes and styles are selling well and try to come up with original designs that fit into those themes/styles. You can also click on "Completed Items" to see what the end price was for recently listed auctions.

Copyright Issues
Did you know that each time you create an original paper piecing it automatically has copyright protection? You do not need to register a creation to have it protected.

It is a good idea to put a notice with your auctions when it is an original design. If you are using a pattern from a Tole/Pattern book, you should not use a copyright notice. A basic copyright notice looks like this:

Copyright 2002 Your Name Here

This also means that all of those other original paper piecings that are listed on eBay are protected. It is okay to browse around and get ideas and inspiration, but you should never make copies of paper piecing that you see.

For more information on basic copyright protection, visithttp://www.nolo.com

Read Profitable Paper Piecing on eBay, Part 2

Copyright © 2002 Antuanette Wheeler

http://www.misstonigifts.com

Miss Toni Gifts started out as a small pin sales site and blossomed over the last few years into a pin/bookmark combo design business.

We are three women who have known each other forever. We have all been involved in scouting, scrapbooking and general arts and crafts for a LONG time. This is really a family affair because Glenda is the Mom, Toni is the daughter, and Missy is a friend for over 20 years!


MORE RESOURCES:

Banks Boost Yield Through FDIC Auctions
TheStreet.com
... to consumers and small businesses, they don't really have to yet - they're growing loan books through Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. auctions instead. ...

and more »


BigPond News

Euro Gained Support From Successful Bond Auctions
Benzinga
The central bank also announced extra liquidity auctions in line with previous signals and emphasised that these were not policy signals. ...
FOREX-US dollar slides broadly on easing growth fearsFOXBusiness
Daily Foreign Exchange Market SummaryInternational Business Times

all 589 news articles »


Hong Kong to Hold Land Auction for Kowloon Tong Private Residential Site
Bloomberg
The auction for the site on Ede Road in the Kowloon Tong district was triggered by developers' applications and the opening bid for the lot will be HK$1.05 ...

and more »


USA Today

A 1931 Detroit Electric car heads to the auction block
USA Today
RM Auctions, which is putting the 1931 model on the block this weekend through its Auctions America by RM subsidiary, says as few as 110 Detroit Electric ...

and more »


Stuy Town foreclosure auctions blocked for now
Reuters
NEW YORK, Sept 2 (Reuters) - A New York judge has blocked two sets of competing creditors from conducting foreclosure auctions related ...

and more »


Telegraph.co.uk

World's Most Famous Car Visits New York Prior to Hitting the Auction Block in ...
PR Newswire (press release)
Presented by RM, in association with Sotheby's, this DB5 is expected to bring more than $5 million during the auction, which would be the most ever paid for ...
Aston Martin: the only marque of desire for James BondNational

all 12 news articles »


Auctionbytes

Paris court upholds eBay counterfeiting conviction
BusinessWeek
The auction house had insisted that LVMH is trying to crack down on Internet auctions merely because it is uncomfortable with the business model, ...
eBay Products and Reviews Brings Shopping Closer to AmazonAuctionbytes

all 108 news articles »


Japanese Yields Jump, Hit Two-Month High
Wall Street Journal
A fresh round of auctions, particularly the Sept. 10 five-year sale, could keep upward pressure on yields should demand be weak. ...
JGBs drop; sale sours sentiment, jobs eyed for reliefReuters
JGBs drop; sale sours sentiment, jobs eyed for reliefFOXBusiness

all 38 news articles »


New Zealand Herald

Milk-Powder Prices Increase at Auction, Fonterra Says
BusinessWeek
2 (Bloomberg) -- Milk-powder prices surged 25 percent at auction after slumping for the previous four months, according to Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd., ...
Prices rebound at latest Fonterra auctionDairyReporter.com
NZ to enter dairy futures tradingSydney Morning Herald
Prices up 16.9pc in Fonterra's latest dairy auctionNew Zealand Herald
Agrimoney.com -Stuff.co.nz -Otago Daily Times
all 67 news articles »


Govt to replicate 3G e-auction mechanism for other sectors
Economic Times
The e-auctions for 3G and BWA spectrum were completed in May and June this year, which saw the government mopping up more than Rs 1.06 lakh crore in revenue ...
Centre may adopt 3G auction mode for allAsian Age
DoT Releases 3G Spectrum to Successful BiddersPress Information Bureau (press release)

all 7 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006