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Teddybears Sweden...or my prices to high... or my photos too bad or.... my design too lousy or...
Because I just can't manage to sell my bears! :(
I know that we all suffer with a lack of confidence sometimes and doub or talents, but if month go by and nobody wants your bear, how do you get out of it?!
I am seriosly starting to doubt myself here, if you have ANY ideas or suggestions they are more then welcome! I will be honest to say that I have only sold one bear in maaaaaany month! 
I have tried Ebay many times and allthougt I have a lot of watchers sometimes, I get no bids. I have also tried Bearpile (sold one bear many month ago)... having a website (have never sold through it) and having a newsletter that people can sign up for (nobody wants to sign up!).
I'm running out of ideas guys!!!
Posts: 2,203Jennie, I for one love your bears but its crunch time moneywise and every last cent goes into a savings accout for a house or to bills. don't worry though. It isnt your bears!
dusty attic bearsOh Jennie, Please don,t feel this way !! your bears are beautiful.I would love to have one join my hug any day.
I think that some times it just works out this way.If you are worried that your prices are to high maybe you could take a look on e bay and bear pile and compare prices to the same size bears as yours.
But PLEASE PLEASE don't feel that your bears are crap.They are beautiful. 
Big hugs to you and don't give up it could just be a bad time of year. :hug: :hug: :hug:
Posts: 17Jennie: I really don't reply very often on here. But, I know how you feel and have put my bear's on the back burner. Because of self doubt. Please, don't do the same because your BEARS ARE Wonderful and you should keep up the good work. You got to have FAITH. Believe they will sell and they will.
Have a great day! 
Dawn
BrisbaneJenny It's probably not going to make you feel any better but I know how you feel!!!! One thing you have to remember is that your bears are wonderful...I love them and their character.... I think when we live overseas (ie not the US or the UK ) then it is harder to sell our bears. People are more reluctant to send their money to an overseas destination and then wait a long time to get their bear... 
I would keep trying to get your bears out there....maybe in magazines (editorials etc) or advertising I know you've probably done some of this but keep going!!! There are places on the web where you can send pictures..I know Chrissy (I love teddies) has this available...get the pictures out wherever you can. You just have to keep plugging away and eventually it will happen (I have to believe that!!!)
Please don't take it personally (I know it's hard) but there are a lot of bears out there and less money to spend at the moment ...Your bears are great... 
puca bearsAahem - crap??? From someone who has a Ted Worldwide Award nomination???
Jennie - your bears are lovely.....don't feel down - we all go thru' times like this.
You mentioned a Swedish bear show....perhaps you should sign up for the next one - it will give you something to aim for, and an opportunity to get together with other bear artisits - and have FUN!
And yes - send pics to magazines....
don't worry - you'll get there
huggies
Maria!!!
Canna Bear PaintJennie, your bears are definitely *not* crap! Please don't use eBay to judge your success or failure, it is such an odd venue. Right now all of the ways you're trying are online... is there a way you can try to sell your bears NOT online? Examples would be through magazine submissions, shows and stores. Personally, we do our best sales at shows, but we only found that out by trying every venue that we possibly could. If we had only tried eBay at the time, we would have quit two years ago!
My only suggestion would be that when you list on the U.S.-centric "ebay.com", to include a conversion to inches for your bears' heights. I admit that I had to go get a ruler to figure out how big your bears were in inches, as only the metric height was listed.
Or how about taking the opportunity to play with some new ideas or styles? In experimenting, you might find something that is more successful in sales for you than others. For example, I noticed you do a lot of boy bears, what about trying more little girl bears? (For some reason in looking at our sales records for 2006, we found out that our girl bears sell faster than our boy bears. No idea why, though perhaps little girls just appeal more to an overwhelmingly female customer base???? Something to think about, anyway.)
Best wishes,
Kelly
Flying Fur Studiosawww, they are soo NOT crap. But it's easy to feel this way I know.
You know what it is? THere is SOOOO much competition out there. It can be hard to get noticed, and unfortunatly, not everyone can make a living from bear making either. I know I can't.
You're bears are great, and please keep making them. Even if you never make a career out of it, it's important you keep making them. It's good for your soul.
Good luck, I'm sure it'll pick up for you.
Patsy Lake BearsJennie I know how you feel .... I have never sold on ebay either (only tried twice) my website I have had for well over a year and never sold from it. I do shows and I do sell at them now, but at one time I never did or I would sell one if I was lucky. Come home thinking like you it must be my bears or designs or me...Yes I think we have all had doubts about our work... But you just have to keep at it, as your bears are lovely.
JeannieB BearsJennie,
I love your bears!!!! Personally I can't afford one ,right now, . But, I would if I could!
JeannieB 
Teddybears SwedenGirls, you are soo nice! I'm getting happier just to read your posts! Thanks everyone for you ideas! I will take them all with me and try new ways with my bears
Tuppies TeddiesDitto to the above posts.... your bears are terrific Jenny. Maybe try selling a bit cheaper to make them available to more collecters. Try one for a start and if that works just edge the prices up gradually,
Also do try other selling methods. I do craft markets as well as e-bay, when we are holidaying I take a selection of bears with me and that has been successful too.
for sure, don't give up.....
Keep perservering Jennie!
I think all artists, even those that seem to be at the pinnacle of their career, go through times of self doubt.
I think sometimes we (and I sincerely include myself in this) forget that we are essentially selling a luxury item. Bears are "extras" that for me have to come after the every day things like bills, transport etc. Our buyers are also putting a lot of faith in us - especially somewhere like ebay. I do think some people have some hesitance over buying a bear from overseas - heck lots of people don't even know where my country is! but most of my sales are to overseas customers, so it doesn't stop everyone. I have lowered my prices on ebay - it is a bit hard to accept but I don't have a huge following there, and I know that I need to build up some recognition and trust - and in terms of advertising I guess it's fairly cheap.
However, keep trying other avenues aside from ebay....and have very realistic expectations about that venue! I think it's Chrissi who calls it a giant garage sale and she's exactly right. Try some local shops - they don't have to be bear shops - what about a gift shop? or tourist shop? Have you tried a non-bear specific or non-auction group like etsy? You might not get instant results but you will get some increased coverage.
Consider joining up with bid4bears and taking up Nancy's new challenge - I'm hoping it'll have a good outcome.
Submit photos to the magazines....not every oneyou send will get published but at least you're giving it a go - and if you do it digitally, it's pretty much free! Most of the mags have submission guidelines on their websites.
I think my biggest advice and I can't reven remember who it came from but some wise soul here on TT. Take time out to truly think about your bears - what you like best about them, what you're not sure about, how your design is working, wht makes you happiest to create etc etc. I'm not for a minute suggesting that there IS anything wrong - I love your character filled bears, but I think some evaluation time is healthy for all of us and it helps you refocus. Is there something you want to try but have been unsure about? Try it - if it works good, if not, at least you're refocusing. Bear making should have some element of joy in it - and I find that taking some time out allows me to start playing again rather than sewing for sewing's sake.
Anyway, this isn't meant to be a lecutre - but don't give up! You will always be a bit cheesed off with yourself if you do!
Kiprie BearsJennie your bears are definitely NOT CRAP !!
You are very creative and I love your bears. :hug:
My favorite is Ebbe and wish I could adapt him
if I had cash in my pocket.....:love:
No way are your bears crap Jennie! :hug: :hug: I love your designs! Hang in there sweetie.......sales will pick up. Just don't you dare give up on it, you talented lady! :hug: :hug: :hug: I wish I had some advice for you, but I am still feeling my way along myself......haven't been selling long enough to know much of anything about trends, down sales times, etc, etc. The advice already given here sounds golden to me though! 
Bears by Jodi
Posts: 1,836Jennie,
I agree with so much of what is being said..your bears are really superb and original. Hilmer and Lucas are totally adorable! Going off of eBay and online sales alone isn't fair to yourself. Yes, Melissa that was me :rolleyes:. I compared eBay to a flea market. And just so we're all clear...that was before my little issue with them not after. I'm not an ebay basher. I've met very very lovely collectors via. I just hate people kicking themselves over results from a very unpredictable auction site. I've got friends who listed a "USED" pair of nose clippers just to see if someone would buy..they sold first time out. <gross>
Where else can you sell used nose clippers and $3000 art?? I've been to flea markets where you can People either drive buy and look..or they don't. You can't control the bids and the buyers wants, but you can assist the traffic you see out there by all the ways given above; magazines, self promotion, advertising, mailing lists, shows, etc.
No worries, your bears are lovely :hug:
:hug:
~Chrissi
Ebay is not necessarily a measure of anything..it can raise you up to giddy heights ..and let you down with a bump. If I were you I'd be honing the skills you clearly have and ..try to look for little ways to make your bears jump out at people to capture their imagination. Publicity is a good way... As Kelly said girlie bears do seem to sell well for some reason so that is worth a try. I love your website and you are a good bear maker...my favourite bear is 'Gordon' he has a very appealing and unique look..a girlie Gordon would fly off your website!!
Teddybears SwedenYou are so right, I have to stop measuring my skills against my selling on Ebay. But it's sooo easy to to fall into it and keep thinking "nobody bids on my bears so there must be something wrong with them!". 
I guess I have to really try to take your advice and think of Ebay as a marketing tool. I think I wil just have to start all ower by lowering my prices and see what prices are too high or too low. I'm sure it's gonna be a bumby ride but worth a try! 
The bad thing with living in country where teddybear making is unknown is that there are no teddybear shops and no shows. So getting out there is not easy! Well, there is ONE show but it's mostly a show for kids.
Wienno they are not!!
I think, that living in Europe is sort of a handycap, if you want to sell bears on ebay.
There are only a few artists from UK who do get what they deserve on ebay.
I think, that the expensive postage and the possiobility of having to pay taxes when imporing from Europe keeps many collectors from bidding on this side of the pond.
On the other hand: I thought about bidding on a bear I fell in love with, who still sits in US. Finally I did not, becauseI had a bad experience buying a small cermic horsehead, which originally was made by an Austrian artist and where I had to pay more for taxes then I payed for the item itself. Guess,this can easily happen fom the other sid as well.
Hang in there Jenny! You make wonderful bears and try to sell them at shows and in Europe...
Gaby
MerBear OriginalsPlease stay in the game. I covet your bears and love your distinctive waif style.
Marion
Little Bear GuyJenny your bears are wonderful, they are not crap. Just look at their sweet adorable faces. I have to agree with what a lot of people have said, don't judge it by ebay, ebay is a finicky place. I mean you see bears all the time on there that are selling for about a third of what they should, and then you see other bears that are selling for over a thousand dollars (and some of those I scratch my head at and wonder what I'm missing . It took us a long time to build up collectors. We have only used ebay once or twice in our career and I'm not a fan of it. If you can make it to a teddy bear show and show off your bears in the fur , well that's the best advertising you can do. Even if you don't sell a bear it's ok, people got to see your bears and touch them and feel and if you give out lots of business cards then it's all worth it. Sometimes people don't buy at the show but may contact you later via your website.
It's tough not to get down, but don't take it personally. There are high's and lows with Teddy bears, again they are a luxury item. I know I see lots of beautiful bears from Germany that I would love to have but the shipping cost is almost hhalf the cost of what the bear was. Don't give up, your bears are adorable and it shows in them how much fun you have making them and designing them.
Big hugs
Shane
Posts: 1,836Just one more opinion....
If you've fairly priced your bears on your time, materials, etc.. don't lower your prices only to make a sale. I've got a good friend who sells her artisan jewelry via home shows and arts festivals (amazingly cool stuff..I'll have to post her link someday) and she and others advise against this for long term success. Just one thought to pass along.
If you feel you've honestly overpriced well then every business has periods of re-evaluation and that's not a bad thing.
:hug:
~Chrissi
fribbles, ltd.We have only used ebay once or twice in our career and I'm not a fan of it.
*LOL* Shane, that's where I got your Lil' Grizz bear from! And it went for a bit less than I thought it would---I was happily surprised that I won!
And, Jennie, I thought your little Ebbe was wonderful! As a collector, I would've liked to see more photos of him on your listing---absolutely adorable ted! And I really liked Rasmus when I saw him too! Please keep at it, and don't let eBay be your yardstick of measuring success! Instead let your bears be the yardstick---because they are truly wonderful!
Amelia
LuxembearsJennie, I can't really add to what has been said already except that you must know that you are not defined by Ebay. Your bears are truly lovely and inspirational. There are always going to be highs and lows. Hang in there. :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
