Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

The thing that makes me the maddest in all of this, is that ebay has given us no choice but to have a private auction, whether we want it or not. I think as many collectors or artists that do not like this new system should write to ebay and voice their dislike for it, if they hear from enough people they will change it. Ebay really does a good job trying to make their site better. I think their heart was in the right place I just think they dropped the ball on this one.

OK say an hypothetical artist  lists something and it just sits there with no bids for awhile then they go private and bam they get bids, what does everyone think about that?  does it look wrong???????? or is that just me

Chrissi, I agree it should be looked at equally, no if's ands or buts

I have seen some deserving "breakout bears"  that go off the charts by some established top selling artists and I can see where it can and has happen,  and I, like I said before am standing up cheering when they do,  and the artist then goes on to sell bears at a more normal price, which I think is to be expected. But I agree it's wrong if that bear then comes back and sells for a tiny amount .  It's  funny, one time I had a bear that I had put a reserve on ($200 dollars), the bids hit $75 and just sat there until the end. Well I relist it several months later with no reserve , starting bid $1.00 and it goes for $770 . I fell off of my chair when I went to look at it.  Now that the new private bidder thing it makes me more wary of it, and it steams me I have no choice as a seller to have it, I have thought of seeing if legally they can make you have it.

Bidding patterns help to determine if it is done and that is one part ebay looks at.  I agree we shouldn't step on anyones toes, but we also shouldn't turn a blind eye to it going on, by doing that we are hurting collectors. But I too have seen some bears go way over what I could afford , which sadly to say for me is a lot of them   but wonderful for the artist    , I get giddy when I see a great artist doing well. Sometimes I think I get more excited about that then when my own does well.  Also I have seen some bears that may not float my boat do well but I can see where they can get high bids, say for example, and I'll use what I make as an example, I make a mouse and some people, Hate mice, which is a lot of people, I understand that my mice would be something, these people would never buy. But some people LOVE mice, thank my lucky stars :pray: they do.  I think it is a combo of things that makes it obvious it is going on.

I have researched and found that there are laws protecting people from shill bidding that are outside of ebay which states:
A Frequently Asked Question:

Have eBay members really been criminally prosecuted for Shill Bidding?

Answer:Individuals who engaged in Shill Bidding have been prosecuted and convicted of misdemeanor and felony offenses. They have also received large penalties, including fines and restitution of damages totaling over $100,000. eBay cooperates fully with Law Enforcement investigations.

I found this info at http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa? … 1000046213

I think it is wonderful that the law, and not only ebay, have taken action on this practice.

No I don't think that is shill bidding at all, thats what we want, is to build up a fan base.

Kim your saying cracked me up!!!!! and I completely agree with what you said

Brenda,  I see nothing wrong if you do it a couple times and you truly are buying the item, most people don't know what shill bidding is and if your business is run through ebay and I don't see that as an issue, it's the ones that do it over and over again and you just know something is not right.  lets say I have sister in laws that live out of state ,  they see something you have made bid on it and buy it, they do not know they just shill bid, this in my eyes is not wrong, now if they do it over and over and over and over then that starts looking really wrong.

Jennifer this is so funny, I went to your website just last night and loved it! what a cool site!
Bear hugs
Jodi

according to ebay here is what shill bidding is:

"Shill Bidding is bidding that artificially increases an item’s price or apparent desirability, or bidding by individuals with a level of access to the seller’s item information not available to the general Community. Shill Bidding is prohibited on eBay.

Because family members, roommates and employees of sellers have a level of access to item information which is not available to the general Community, they are not permitted to bid on items offered by the seller – even if their sole intent is to purchase the item. Family members, roommates or employees may purchase items from a seller without violating this policy simply by using purchase options – such as Buy It Now – which do not involve bidding."

You know every artist I know, myself included, have had that bear on ebay that you spend 60 dollars making it, 20 dollars to list it in the featured listing area and many hours making it, it sits at  a price far less then what it cost to make, and you didn't make it a reserve auction,  I know I have felt like calling a friend and say Help!!!!!! bid on my bear!!!!!!!!! But I don't, because that is the chance I take on a no reserve auction. And I will not condemn someone for doing that once or twice, it is the person that does it over and over again that I think is wrong.

I LOVE this picture, it looks like a picture out of a book or it should be on a greeting card

Shill bidding on ebay is a hot button issue, now that ebay has put in place the new hidden bidder feature on all of their auctions, and I think as an artist I find shill bidding to be damaging to our whole business, when collectors see it happening, it makes them leary of other well deserved high priced bears, even if the artists work is clearly wonderful.  I am not talking about someone who has done it once or twice, maybe they just don't know it's wrong, I am talking about the people who do it over and over. 

What's your feeling on this topic?

Oh my gosh that is so cool to have those birds out your window, right now the only bird we get are starlings and grackles and sometimes sparrows.

I swear its like living in an Edgar Allen Poe book

I almost peed my pants I laughed so hard when I read this, I had never seen it before, but when I sent it to people, half of them had already saw it, with the internet, info gets sent around so fast, it amazes me.

Debbie you are so right, my dad still has his famous popcorn pan and he has said when he leaves this earth I get it,  nothing was a better sound then hearing the grease get hot and that very first POP! After it was all popped he would get a big brown paper gorcery bag and pour in melted butter and some popcorn salt, then one of us kids would fight to get to shake the bag.  Everyone, but me, also like to sprinkle that Kraft powdered cheese over the hot popped corn.  Yum!!!!!!
Man I feel old, but strangely happy and a tad hungry

>Excerpts from a Dog's Daily Diary:

> > 8:00am Dog food! My favorite thing!
> > 9:30am A car ride! My favorite thing!
> > 9:40am walk in the park! My favorite thing!
> > 10:30am Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
> > 12:00pm Lunch! My favorite thing!
> > 1:00pm Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
> > 3:00pm Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
> > 5:00pm Milk bones! My favorite thing!
> > 7:00pm Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
> > 8:00pm Wow! Watched TV with my master! My favorite thing!
> > 11:00pm Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
> >
> >
> > Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary:
> >
> > Day 683 of my captivity: My captors continue to taunt me with
> > bizarre dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat,
> > while the other inmates and myself are fed hash or some sort of dry
> > nuggets.
> > Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I
> > nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The
> > only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape.. In an attempt
> > to disgust them, I once again vomit on the floor.
> >
> > Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their
> > feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it
> > clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made
> > condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. The
> > audacity! There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices
> > tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of
> > the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I
> > overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I
> > must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
> >
> > Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my
> > tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try
> > this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.
> >
> > I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and
> > snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly
> > released --and seems to be more than willing to return. He is
> > obviously crazy! The bird has got to be an informant. I observe
> > him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he
> > reports my every move. The captors have arranged protective custody
> > for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe....... for now

:crackup:  :crackup:    :crackup:  :crackup:    :crackup:  :crackup:    :crackup:  :crackup:

Finnigan McTavish

I love this bear!

you can go to
https://www.rings-things.com/cgi-bin/ha … +beads+2mm
but I have bought from Intercal and like those better

Snowballs by hostess, I get weak in the knees for them

What wonderful stories this great old bear could tell.

Penny you are amazing

Congratulations to everyone who got nominated ,  I must say it is so fun to hear about all the nominations when you haven't entered, the pressure was off of me this year, I have been on the receiving end of a wonderful call and a few long horrible weeks of no call coming. But I tell you what I am so happy for all of you, I almost feel like I was nominated because I know so many on the list and I am beyond happy for them.  I did want to take this chance to say to those that didn't get the call, have faith, if you keep at your craft, your time will come. And if you never get a nod, do not get down on yourself because bearmaking isn't only about the awards, yes they are nice, but it's about the joy it brings to you and the joy it brings to others, you are a part of the amazing world of Teddy Bears, your name is forever linked to Winnie the pooh, Paddington and the very first Teddy Bears.  Your love for creating makes the world a better place. 

Hi All
I understood what you all are saying about putting the money earned requirement, that was a tough one for me, that's why we made the list the way it was and stated that you don't need all requirements, I was the one that put a dollar amount to it, because how do you judge someone's passion.
      I feel the beginning bear makers have so much passion but their level of work is not where it will one day be, when I first began, I ate, slept, thought about nothing else but making bears, but OH my gosh, I look at my first bears and say "Hey look, Mohair turds"  They sold for 24.00, most likely by someone who wanted to take the bear apart for the mohair,  as I developed my craft and worked very hard to get better, the collectors rewarded me by bidding more, now my work sells for a whole lot more. The dollar amount was put in, to let those that  are beginners or those that are just not serious about it, look at the dollar amount and go "Hey I am not there yet" or "boy this isn't the group for me".
     When I first started I had the same passion, as let's say Shelli, but if you set my first pieces next to Shellis current work you would again go "What is that mohair turd doing next to Shellis beautiful bear"  It took me 8 years to get where I am today and I in the beginning would not have qualified to be in this group, we want to have a group where those that have worked long and hard, have reached the top of their game be recongnized by their peers for their hard work and talent.  Some people catch on quicker then others, that is why there is no "years in bearmaking" requirement.
     I do agree and we have talked about how it would be nice to open this group up to artists outside of ebay,  I am in complete agreement there are tons of extremely talented artists that have never done ebay, I went to the Washington DC show, where the Golden Teddies were awarded, and the artists there did such wonderful outstanding work, you better believe those artist should be included, but how? It wasn't until ebay offered a group opportunity that we were able to get this thing off the ground. Since it is on ebay, you have to be an ebay member.  After going and seeing the show in Washington, I loved the fact the artists were able to be face to face, you get to meet the collectors, it was wonderful, I decided to do my very first show, on October 14th the Kohler Doll and Bear show. My hat is off to those artists that do only shows, I have found it to be really hard to get enough stock ready. 
     EBay is a wonderful way for an artist to market their own work, I owned a toy store and sold my bears there but I had to pay rent to someone and I never sold to anyone outside of my area, on ebay I have sold to collectors all over the world, I know you can go thru a shop but I am a tightwad, I don't want to pay someone to sell my work, I am not saying there is one method of marketing your work any better then the other, ebay just works really well for me, Hey where else can I make and sell my work in my Jammies :0)
     As this group grows I do think we will figure a way to go outside of ebay to acknowledge talented artists, but I also do feel, ebay will continue grow as a venue for bear artists and more artists will become ebay only artists.  As I stated in my first post, this group is in it's baby stage,as a child grows it will have bumps and bruises when it learnes to walk, so will this group, I am really proud and excited about this group and I really see it as something that will be truely wonderful. 
Bear Hugs
Jodi Moisan

" kinda snobby for my taste"
"Sounds a bit elitist"
"Sounds a bit elitist and too subjective for me"
"Snooty, Snooty, Snooty! No way on earth would I be a member of such a snobby 'Society' - just the word alone shouts "Our bowel movements don't stink... yours do!" Just WHO do they think they are and who made them so 'special'?" "society snobs!" "don't need to be a member of some snobby club to get my bears sold"
"I personally cannot help but feel a little upset that a bunch of people think that their bears are soo much better than other peoples.  How did that happen? Why are they better?
"If the purpose really was to set a standard in the industry, I'm not too sure i would want these people to set any standard for me."

Boy the waters are rough but I will wade in.....

      on this issue, since it is about the group I formed,  About 4 years ago I was talking to a really great ebay artist and asked her if she had ever entered for a Toby or Golden Teddy, she said no, but felt like she was going to, because it would be a feather in her cap to win, but as an artist she hated pitting one artists work against another because she felt everyone's work, if it was their best, should not be considered unworthy if not chosen. She still has not entered, then another artist I Love had entered for a Toby, got nominated but did not win, she was so crushed she almost stopped making bears, and that would have been such a shame for the bear world.  I think the Toby and Golden Teddy are a wonderful way for the public to choose their favorites, I think they have a valued place in the world of Teddy bears. But I also thought there should be something to acknowledge those excellent artists that don't enter contests, a kind of pat on the back from fellow artists.
     I had talked to JoAnne Hardin 3 1/2 years ago about how we should form a group to acknowledge those artists that work very hard at their craft, something that did not involve  winner and losers.  Like a Good Housekeeping seal of approval, after several conversations we were unable to figure out how to form a group or where we would do it, I even looked into buying a website, but we let it die. 
     Over the years I have seen so many talented , hard working, wonderful artists keep working every day to bring to ebay high quality, wonderful works of art, yes they get money for that effort, but to be honest, that was not what I valued most, I loved when another artist I admired would write and say "Way to go girl, great job!"  because what I do is, put my heart and soul into my work and when my effort is recognized by a fellow artist, I am walking on cloud 9 all day. I always try to do that  too, I write to fellow artists all the time complimenting their work because I know they are putting their heart and soul in their work too. I am so proud that a mostly women involved industry is so successful, I get giddy when I see an artist I love do well on an auction, because when that artist does well, it helps all of us, it raises the prices for the works of art we create each and every week.
     About 4 or 5 weeks ago I made one of my storytime mice with a mouse house and listed it in "doll house miniatures" a very nice lady emailed me and asked if I wanted to join a miniature doll house group, I went to the group and they have about a thousand members which is really great for them and I was honored to be asked. But what got me really excited was, I did not realize eBay had offered the ability to form groups until then, well I jumped on it and went to google to find a bear group name that was not taken and when I put in Teddy Bear Artist Society I was thrilled nothing came up. I formed the group and emailed a few people and asking for names of artists that stood out as people who don't copy others and who puts up quality pieces on a regular basis(never about who made the most money). Myself and other artist  talked  about what we would like to see happen as a group. I set the list number at 21. I invited 21 to join, 18 did, and then I asked for people to volunteer to be moderators, those are the ones that do the dirty work, like pounding out the requirements for membership,  we then will have the membership vote on accepting or turning down requirements, if they are not passed then we go back to the drawing board, no one person decides anything, we are in the baby stage of this group. We had voted on a logo and some artist displayed the logo with pride, to our amazement we had people interested in joining the minute the logo was displayed, we were thrilled that this just may take off and be a really positive thing for bear artists.
     The first person to ask to join was someone who sold boyds bears mostly but had made a total of 3 bears in her life, this woman was a really sweet person, she was looking to join a bear group, but I didn't feel this was the group that would be the best fit, she had told me she wanted to learn how to make top selling bears, I told her how great Teddy Talk was, what a wonderful place to learn tips and get support from fellow artists. And to those of you that had defended our right to form a group and give it a chance to see what it turns out to be, before judging it, thank you , you are the people who will help this woman become a better bear maker by sharing your knowledge.  You are what makes Teddy Talk a good place to learn this craft.
     I wrote to the other moderators and asked for help in getting membership guidelines in place,  I came up with the list that bobbie posted before the moderators had finished their input, I didn't want Bobbie to have to wait , thinking I was ignoring her,  and stated that they were some requirements but you did not have to have all of them, these are a rough draft but I wanted those asking to join, to know that this is a group for serious bear artists, I was going to put that if you had not coughed up a fur ball the size of a golf ball, while trimming the muzzles of your bears, you need not apply:0) (I don't mean to be silly but I really have coughed up fur balls, OK maybe not golf ball size)
     We did not make membership private, ebay does that, because it is a by invitation group.  And no one member decides on who gets in or not , each member has one vote.  In this group you do not have to chat on the boards or post pictures of your work, all you have to do is bring to ebay your best effort , go that extra mile and we as a group will pat you on the back and say "You so girl!" and hopefully one day "You go boy!" 
      I know this is really long and for that I am sorry.  I love making bears I don't feel I am more important than anyone else, I am such a fan of so many artists, I think we are the luckiest people on earth to be part of such a wonderful historical character as the Teddy Bear.
     
Bear Hugs
Jodi Moisan