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The SleepingElfits Forums like this that can help too
a Guy just listed 1000s of $ worth of very rare Volks dolls and Blythe dolls,including a One-Of-a-kind Sara doll ...who he listed 6 times!
they were dolls he couldnt possibly have
, with pictures lifted off genuine auctions in Taiwan ,he had very good excuses for lifting the pictures ..ie broken camera ..out of the country , item in the wearhouse ...I dont think so
he had hidden feedback and would only accept Western Union Transferes
, these are also banned by Ebay ,I have learnt ,and you should not use them ,
...when the Den Of Angels board ,the doll Foirum ,saw what he was doing , we bombarded ebay with compalints . Today Ebay acted he was struck off. :D
Its a shame because it makes you very carefull , and there are some wonderful sellers on there too
Good Morning,
Well I'm back from the show in Louisville, KY. The show was slow. I did sell a lot of felting supplies, that's a great thing!
Pricing that is a hard question as everyone has said. When it takes me 12 + hours to felt a critter... how do you price it. Judi's comment about the critter, "YOUR talent, YOUR uniqueness, YOUR creation" should all be considered. I think pricing is to each persons thinking. How do you price time, supplies etc. If you are happy with the price you put on your creation that's what it should sell for.
Todays economy doesn't allow for many BIG dollar items. Collectors are becoming extinct. Shows are on that track too unless we as artists and the collectors support them. What happened to the days of seeing it in person, hugging it or just touching it. Ebay has hurt the business as far as shows and to some extent prices. The economy is the main problem, our economy in the USA affects everyone around the world.
A shop owner in England said to a friend of mine "why should I buy bears from the artist when I can go on Ebay and get them cheaper".
Needle Felting is a fiber art, introducing it at teddy bear/doll shows, club meetings, classes, seminars etc... can only help people understand the time it takes to create and the talent to create these incredible critters we are making. The more knowledgable the collector the more they will spend. Anyone agree or disagree???
I do know an artist who's creations are beyond belief, but she sells very little. Do what you love and worry later about selling it. Artists have to create or go crazy.
Neysa
Flying Fur StudiosNeysa, I totally agree with you. I also agree with Susan.
Underpricing your work only hurts the situation more. If a collector can get a great artist bear for cheap, than that's what they expect to pay always.
There's a reason louie vuitton would never make a collection of cheap bags.
Neysa, you say that
"Needle Felting is a fiber art, introducing it at teddy bear/doll shows, club meetings, classes, seminars etc... can only help people understand the time it takes to create and the talent to create these incredible critters we are making. The more knowledgable the collector the more they will spend. Anyone agree or disagree???"
I agree to a point. But what I don't understand is when someone is buying a painting, do they even for a second think about how long it took the artist to paint it? Not really.
This business I think is alot about your art, but also alot about your marketing, public apeal etc. Just like any business.
My 2 cents for the day!!!
Heather
Heather, Good points. Art is art no matter what it's made of... but if you talk to a painter about pottery or weaving they will say it's a craft not art. It's a long ongoing discussion or theory for lack of better words. I think "craft" is non original work such as something from someone elses patterns, and "art" is original creations by the artist.
Marketing is a big part now we have shows the internet, magazines etc... to publicize our work. What do Van Gogh have, he died before his work sold for big money. Needle felting is so new to the bear world we need to demonstrate to show it's worth.
A German artist told one of my tour people when she bought a felting from her that was priced very inexpensively "it's just felting" that's why it's so inexpensive.
It's the same as 23 years ago when I started making bears I used very nice plush not mohair. I had collectors that loved my bears but put them down when I said it's plush not mohair. (even though the collector really couldn't tell the difference). The line those days was "only mohair makes a bear" through education we now know plush sells for as much as mohair depending on the design, quality etc.
Neysa
Kim-Bee BearsBut I see it this way... I am just starting out so my materials cost plus a little for my effort is fine with me and in the future, I will ask more... I need to sell them so I can buy more supplies so I can make more bears so I can get better... it is a big circle...
vermontwell, i slept on it a couple of days and i'm over it now. it doesn't matter whether there's a slow economy or interest in the bears is dwindling (i hope that is not the case). i'll just keep making these little creatures because i get so much happiness from doing this. and maybe sometime i'll be good enough to do a show...gosh that's got to be terrifying the first time!!!! i'm nervous just thinking about it!
ginnie 
Posts: 8,574Kim,
I think you have come a long way- I am very impressed with the bears on your site, and this little blue guy.
I believe, in any artistic endeavor, there are three things that absolutely must happen:
1. Talent it helps ( and usually unless you have Talent you don't try in your chosen field)
2. perseverance-practice-always trying to better yourself
3. patience
My dad used to say that he was never in competition with other artists, and that was why he could promote and support new artists coming up.
I was always impressed by this; he never felt 'threatened'. Unfortunately too many 'artists' do feel threatened, and try to sabotage the 'competition'. They do not realize that there is room in this world for all of us.
Dad was always in competition with himself. He had to do better than he had before, and he wouldn't be happy until he did.
I kind of wish I had discovered this life style earlier. Quality of life is much more precious and valuable.
LuxembearsI think collectors care very little about how much time went into a bear or project. If they love it, they will buy it....if they have the money.....
I also think the word ART and ARTIST is used very widely. An artist is born not made. If you are a lawyer or a doctor you have to go to school and EARN a degree to become that and many many other professions. But it is not like that for artists. Art school can only enhance an artist. It does not MAKE you an artist. I went to school for fine art and airbrushing right out of highschool but I can tell you that there were many people in this school who just weren't artists. You can tell by looking at someone's work.
Art is also in the eye of the beholder. I can dip my dog's tail in paint, tickle her chin, and let her tag wag against a peice of paper , then call it art.
I don't think artists get enough credit for thier talent. All we can do is like what the rest of you are saying...keep doing what you love...or go crazy.
My thoughts for the pot for the day. 
Flying Fur StudiosJudi, very well put. You've summed up how I feel in so few words. I would take me a whole book to say that.
So thank you
Heather
NSW AustraliaHi,
I sold on ebay for just over 2 years. (2000/03) Teddies seemed to be a very popular collectable during this period. I used to try and auction 1 bear per week. I think I only ever had a couple that didn't sell firstup, but then sold when relisted.
Admittedly they weren't in a high price bracket ( range between $45 to $80 USD) but I was really pleased. I stopped making & selling towards the end of 2003 when my husband became ill.
2 years down the track, I can't believe how quiet things had gotten. All my old bear groups had all but stopped posting, and things don't appear to be that great on ebay.
Haven't decided whether I'll bother trying to sell again, as my collectors have probably disappeared too.
At the moment I'm enjoying trying new things. I think the main thing is to enjoy what one's doing. I certainly would never have made a living out of it as I got too attached to them ( I've kept well over 50 of them) my own biggest collector haahaa
Fortunately I'd gathered enough mini bear supplies to last me for the next 50 years, even though I do keep adding to it when I find new fabrics ( like sassy's longpile), means I don't have to sell to support my addiction ( haa haa)
If I was planning to sell on Ebay,
first up I'd create a bit of a website to show off my creations ( past & current)
then create an ABOUT ME page on ebay
next create a mailing list for collectors to inform them of the auctions
then advertise on the for sale section of this site.
A friend of mine is a really big bear collector, house is full of them. She even goes on world teddy tours to find bears. Collects, vintage bears, modern bears , even the odd toy bear.. I don't think price comes into it, if she likes it, she'll buy it.
My larger bears are mostly toys ( ie Russ bears etc) the budget doesn't allow for good quality mohair bears. Actually one of my favourites is a mechanical bear called a Luv Cub. They just make me chuckle. My bear collecting friend had one, and I simply had to get one ( 2 actually).
