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Plum Cottage BearsI don't have a website yet, but I want to put some bears online for adoption. There are so many possible venues for selling creative work. There's Etsy, Bearpile, National Doll and Teddy Bear Collector, and of course Ebay. I tend to steer clear of Ebay for listing creative work, although it's a great place to rent textbooks. I would be interested in discussing the pros and cons of listing and selling on the various online venues. Looking forward to your comments.
Carlyle Bear Co.I used to sell on BearPile but since Dave changed the membership fee and there are soooo many bear artists on there it just doesn't make sense for me anymore. I may go back one day but for the time being I sell on Ebay. I have a store on Etsy but tend not to list my bears there because like BearPile I feel lost in the shuffle. I have a website but have never made a sale on there because I don't get much traffic unless I list my bears somewhere else so it is a vicious cycle. 
desertmountainbearI have always been an ebay seller. It works well for me because that is the only place I sell online. If someone can purchase a bear from your website or bear pile there is no incentive to go there and bid.
I also think that wherever you post a bear for sale you need to post pictures of it in other places. As much as I sometimes feel overwhelmed by Facebook, collectors are there. It is important to be there. I keep my account pretty much just for the bears. I accept all friend invitations (although I always look at their page before doing so to make sure it is not full of [INVALID], I have run across that) If I don't know them, I often choose not to have their posts show in my newsfeed, but they are welcome to mine. I keep my page public so that anyone can see the bears I post, and I accept subscriptions so anyone can subscribe without being my friend.
I know that all this has been discussed before, but the collectors really are there, and with a little effort on our part, they find us.
Boechout, AntwerpI have always been an ebay seller. It works well for me because that is the only place I sell online. If someone can purchase a bear from your website or bear pile there is no incentive to go there and bid.
I also think that wherever you post a bear for sale you need to post pictures of it in other places. As much as I sometimes feel overwhelmed by Facebook, collectors are there. It is important to be there. I keep my account pretty much just for the bears. I accept all friend invitations (although I always look at their page before doing so to make sure it is not full of [INVALID], I have run across that) If I don't know them, I often choose not to have their posts show in my newsfeed, but they are welcome to mine. I keep my page public so that anyone can see the bears I post, and I accept subscriptions so anyone can subscribe without being my friend.
I know that all this has been discussed before, but the collectors really are there, and with a little effort on our part, they find us.
Gail, I often search e-bay for artists bears (straight from the artist or orphaned artist bears), but although there is a special category for OOAK Artist bears, you find so much rubbish between the real artist bears, that it's really very time-consuming and I rarely find a bear I really like.
So if you are planning to put them on e-bay, do like Joanne (and many other artists) and make sure your clients or potential clients know you have put a bear on e-bay; otherwise you risk not finding any buyers or selling your bears at a very low price. :(
Personally I think e-bay is great if you are a well-known artist, but for someone who is just starting to sell his/hers bears, I wouldn't recommend it.
I still regularly check Bearpile and Etsy, just to see what's new on the "market". 
FenBeary FolkI am a bit of geek and love statistics 
So I do note where I sell and here is the results of this year from april
Website 14%
Facebook 35%
Shows 51%
Ebay, Bearpile and Etsy are not included because I have tried them all. Ebay is too soul destroying but as Peter says if you are an established artist with a good mailing list it can be good. Etsy, could never tell if anyone ever saw my bears amongst all the crafts. Bearpile was great the first month as I was new but then just tailed off very quickly
As for a website, I have always seen mine as a showcase of what I currently have for sale, I do tend to find that even if a bear is seen on my website a collector will often PM me through facebook to adopt. That said I do think a website (or blog equivalent) is essential, it shows internet presence and conveys that you are a professional.............even if it is a free one and only one page 
