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awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, ya'll are the sweetest!!!
and you know what????
my auction finished quite nicely, and apparently, because I connected with my very-long-standing paypal account, there was no hold on my funds!!!!! :dance: :dance:
for once I got a break!!!!
bearhugs from one happy camper!
Congratulations on a great final bid for your very first ebay auction!!! I know the winning collector, she is a wonderful lady! Lucky you 
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Kathy
Newcastle, OntarioHi Kelly,
Well done, buddy!!! I really miss the excitement of my auctions. Too bad ebay is turning into such a nightmare, but I'm delighted you will get your money right away. We all have bills!
hugs,
Brenda
the really disturbing part about all of this 'withholding funds' thing with ebay is that ebay really not supposed to be involved with the money end at all, except to collect their fees. you'll notice that they don't say 'Paypal is going to withhold your money'. I wonder how long it will be before somebody brings suit against them. I know they own paypal, but it's supposed to be a stand-alone entity. this is the most convoluted banking scheme I've ever seen. think of how much interest they're making on all the funds that they withhold. dirty, dirty, dirty pool.
Newcastle, OntarioHi Kelly,
No kidding! It's so much more of a money grabbing scheme than protection for anyone! I'm surprised they were able to buy Paypal - it really is a conflict of interst as well as a bit of a monopoly, as far as I'm concerned.
hugs,
Brenda
well, they still allow us to list the fact that we accept other forms of payment, but one of the new rules - because I'm a 'new' member, is that I absolutely have to list paypal as a payment option. in other words, from now on, you have to belong to paypal to sell on ebay.
clever, clever little minds. I bet they have an entire department just to think this stuff up.
Yes, that's because the new ebay policy has not started yet.
Here is what it says in my most recent eBay newsletter:
"Beginning in late October we will no longer allow checks or money orders as payment methods on eBay".
Then they list their accepted payment methods that we have to use: Internet Merchant Account, Payment on pickup, Pay Pal, and ProPay.
"By January, all the accepted payment methods will be integrated into eBay Checkout"
For Payment policy details, go to
ebay.com/payments
So we are going to have an "eBay Checkout" with just 4 options!
Like I said earlier, I'm going to give Bid4Bears a try....I would love to find a better auction site option. Of course, with the economy in such poor shape, I'm sure that we will lose some collectors and eBay is just capable of reaching a larger audience...so I may just have to "bite the bullet" and deal with all of eBay's changes in order to pay my bills. AAAUGH!
Kathy 
jeez loiuse, Kath, . . . I just read all that - or tried to. how Orwellian. . . do you feel more like you're in 'Animal Farm' of '1984'??? :pray: :pray: :pray:
I half expected them to say something like 'it's good for the tribe' and I'm sure there's probably some subliminal message flashing in the backgroud saying just that :crackup:
the really sad, scary thing is that I've always enjoyed using ebay and preferred using Paypal, but this just making everything icky
:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
Animal Farm .... and 1984....
:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
Oh my gosh!!!! It's all coming true! 
It is scary! 
~Kathy
Newcastle, OntarioKelly,
Don't know if you missed this on the other ebay post. I hope Sharie of Sreetzbears doesn't mind but I've copied it off of her blog and will post it here because I think it's worth reading and it reinforces exactly what I've been reading on our "Boycott Ebay" group. Soon, we won't recognize ebay! It's a long read but it's informative.
"Here's an interesting tidbit I took from a Wall Street Journal blog posting and comment; supposedly from a still-current ebay employee who wants to share the wealth of knowledge that eBay is purportedly NOT sharing with us... clerocks (1517 ) View Listings | Report Jun-24-08 14:02 PDT 22 of 40 FROM A FORMER EBAY EMPLOYEE: UNBELIEVEABLE!! I posted this at the feedback forum at eBay but it was killed by staff less than a minute later. I should have known. My ID will be toast soon anyway. This was the only other place I thought where my statement might have an impact. Do with it what you will. After Chicago, my only desire is to be heard. There will be those who will not believe me and I sympathize. I wish the facts were fiction but to deny what I know would be to live in a fairyland of make-believe. I understand that the bulk of this “manifesto†reveals a plot so against the spirit of eBay that it will be dismissed as lie. So be it. I cannot force the world to accept it. All I can do is state the truth as I know it and leave it to you and to your common sense and experience to judge. The deck is stacked against me. Aside from the natural resistance to believe I know that the boards are stocked with eBay’s tools. Their goal will be to discredit me. I will be accused of being a “disgruntled†, “paranoid†, and “emotional†seller. Their words will be specially chosen for effect. That is part of the function of the tools and I am not fazed by it. However, to protect my own identity within the corporation, I cannot be too specific lest the details single me out to the powers that be. What I intend to reveal is common knowledge to many in the management division behind the scenes. By the way, the tools are not only the mouthpieces that promote the policies. The psychological tactics employed by the powers that be are far deeper and grander than that. The subtlety of the method is remarkable. The tools come in a wide range of flavors with their own, individual “characteristic†rhetoric. From those who are “for†the policy - and spread various degrees of hostility toward the sellers - to those who are “against†the change - and spread panic and further the divide with the buyers. Both serve the same exact purpose: a manipulation designed to remove the more involved and savvy small to large sellers who will not fit into eBay’s future business plan. First, let me correct the record regarding the concept of sellers extorting positive feedback. While the violation was known to happen, the activity amounted to less than a tenth of a percent of the yearly transactions. Further, it involved sellers whose feedback percentages were below 80%. The absolute majority of sellers did not engage in such practices. Nevertheless, the powers that be could not resist the fact that promoting this notion of feedback extortion as a wide-spread phenomenon would be the perfect cover with which to hide the true intentions of the policy. The powers that be want to transform eBay into an overstock warehouse venue. A kind of outlet store for the internet much like a cheaper and streamlined version of Amazon. From a strictly business point of view, given the size of eBay and the growing costs of doing business, it makes a certain kind of sense to shift gears. Think about it: when eBay started, sellers were about rare and unique items but here and now the majority of items are common, used counterparts of what can be found new online at retail sites. Truly rare and unique items are sold at real auctions; the “stuff in your attic†isn’t glamorous enough and won’t keep eBay afloat any longer. The trend away from the rare and unique to the big box retailer is not new. Several years ago the powers that be noticed that the big “powersellers†were simply listing items that existed in their retail stores or inventories. Thus the concept of “buy it now†, “best offer†, and “eBay stores†were created. It was the nascent stage of the plan yet to be. Little by little, without the population noticing, the mechanisms required to replicate the average retail storefront were already in place - and with its rise came the slow, steady downfall of the auction format. Yet outright pursuit of a retail venue would have led to a major problem that at the time could not have been surmounted. The vast majority of people, on and off line, know eBay as precisely the place for auctions of rare and unique items. The sellers and buyers held onto that perception too but in truth their opinion even involvement in new and improved version of eBay is irrelevant by a certain Machiavellian calculation made by the powers that be. As part of the plan, eBay calculated thus: even if they lost the sellers as part of the change, the buyers will be coming back to buy regardless of who or what operated within the retail-outlet venue. No, it was the stock holders who the powers that be feared. Only the stockholders had the power to change the direction set forth by the CEO and the board. So it became imperative to change the equation. Part of the plan is to devalue the stock gradually so that investors merely dumped the stock as opposed to wanting managerial change ala Yahoo. Then to buy back the stock at lower cost and to such a volume that no rebellion against the powers that be were possible. By the end of July that phase of the plan will be successful and there est of the plan will be revealed without fear of backlash from those who otherwise would have had the power to pull eBay back from the brink. Indeed, if you believe the current changes are obvious signals that small sellers are not wanted - be prepared - you have seen nothing yet. So far what have they done? All they have managed to do is silence a seller’s ability to warn others about buyers (half of the purpose behind the original idea of feedback), burden you with higher and higher fees, dangle “treats†like discounts while setting the bar of eligibility so high that the rewards cannot be reached. and, by the way PayPal deals with “complaints†leave you vulnerable to fraud. What if worse was yet to come? They know if you do not feel safe that you will not use eBay. The changes that have been enacted only eliminates the small sellers. Meanwhile they want to eradicate the mid-sized seller too. And they want to ensure that both do not return. For the mid-sized seller the DSR became the tool of choice. The powers that be raised the level of what is a good seller artificially high. No manipulation is required; they know exactly the effect of the policy. This is why buyers are told that 4 is a good score and sellers are told that 4.9 yields discounts and higher listing placements. As long as that fractured point of view exists, eBay does not need to interfere with the DSR as has been suggested, the buyers will be killing the sellers naturally. By August there will be no pretense and the intentions of the new and improved eBay will be clear. The following is only a partial list of the rules that will be imposed. It comes from a memo that circulated within my corner of the managerial department the week before Chicago. I cannot be too specific about certain items and I cannot reveal details of the latest additions without endangering my anonymity. 1. Neutrals will be converted to negatives complete with red icons and reduced feedback scores. Afterward neutrals will not be offered as a choice of feedback. 2. The entire process of feedback will be automated. Buyers and sellers will chose standard feedback from a list. For sellers this operation will be performed automatically upon the buyer winning. For buyers there will be an extra free line with which to add a few comments about the seller without restriction to content. Replies will not be allowed. 3. The implementation of a stricter rules regarding shipping. From the boxes, packing, labels and tapes to where you can buy postage. Orders have been placed for prototypes of “eBay†boxes. UPS and FedEx will be instructed not to accept “eBay†merchandise if it’s not inside “eBay†boxing. They will know, of course, because when sellers buy the “eBay†postage from the “eBay†source, a detailed list of contents with item numbers will be available to the shippers upon scanning a bar code. As for those who continue to use USPS, another level of quality control will be implemented - buyers will be asked, upon confirmation of delivery, if the seller used “eBay†standard shipping items. Naturally, no verification of the buyer’s truthfulness will be attempted, and continued ‘infractions’ will result in suspension. eBay will have other ways to check if a seller is not using the “eBay†equipment - as they will be required to buy at cost the supplies immediately after items are listed. (This is such a large scale operation behind the scenes that I feel comfortable sharing as much of it as I know.) 4. Sales taxes will be included automatically; shipping cost and sales taxes will be used to determined FVF. 5. Item descriptions will be “standardized†with templates which include the posting of a new, universal return policy. Only yearly subscribers to the retail-outlet venue can opt out of these universal return policies but even they cannot alter the template structures being devised. 6. Strikes against buyers will be eliminated as the whole concept of a buyer and bidding will be altered. FVF will be calculated when payment is submitted. 7. Time to Close will be eliminated entirely. Best Match will be the non-alterable default. Best Match is a system that caters to the needs of shoppers not bidders. 8. Placement within Best Match will be determined by several factors, the most important of which will be the extra display features added onto the listing. 9. DSRs can be removed by retailers and powersellers who pay a certain yearly fee. 10. The end play itself which consists of four phases: a) the main focus shifts to retail sellers whose fees are on a per listing basis b) stores will be replaced by a classified section, fees will be based on yearly subscriptions and FVFs c) occasional auctions will be conducted for unique items (celebrity auctions, items that have been featured on the news, etc.) d) total elimination of auctions for regular sellers. From the point of view of eBay’s agenda to change gears these alteration make sense. The powers that be want to turn eBay into a retail venue format. Therefore the “buyer†must be changed - bidding and commitments to buy are part of the past. In a retail venue, the item is either in your cart or not and you only commit to buy when you pay at checkout. The seller is also redefined in the way they will be required to do business. They will be forced to copy the methods of retail stores. The goal is to become Amazon Lite. Unlike Amazon the merchandise will be stocked by the retailers in their warehouses, eBay will be just an electronic centralized venue for outlet sale - a “trusted†name with a wide customer base and popular name recognition. That is the future and as I write this I know that it cannot be stopped. There are no investors with enough clout and will to challenge the CEO. Stock holders will simply walk away. eBay will not sink, however, it will be exactly in the position its rulers intend it to be at. Sellers, my advice is simple. You are not wanted. Leave. If you stay, you will be crushed. Leave. Go away. You cannot win. I am sorry because for too long I have been a complicit tool behind the scenes. I was part of those teams and think tanks that spearheaded many of the “innovations†you know very well and which will be used to destroy you. I know I will not be believed. I will be mocked and ridiculed by the tools and even those who are real, actual people will be hesitant to accept what I have to say. What has been done to this community, the plots and schemes hatched in meetings and across memos, is far, far worse to endure within my soul than any treatment I will receive at the hands of the tools by posting this. You do not know how much they hate you. It is my conscience that I want to clear going forward. Again I apologize. There should have been a better way for the powers that be to effect the change they wanted for eBay - instead they succumbed to cloak and dagger deception".
hugs,
Brenda
OK, to continue the Orwellian point 
I was at a library sale this weekend. About 250,000 books for sale, cheap. I saw several people scanning the book codes on the back covers with a handheld machine. I asked what they were doing? Turns out that Ebay sells these for about $600. The scanner immediately tells the person what this book would be worth on Ebay! I asked one retired lady how could she hope to recoup the expense of this scanner! She told me she recouped it in her first library sale! 
It's getting spooky out there.....
Karen
I want one, I want one :dance: :dance: :dance: :crackup: :hug: :dance: :dance:
Thanks, Brenda, for sharing that long but very insightful statement from the eBay insider. I read it and then took another look at my latest eBay newsletter and it really does seem to be the truth. Ebay is doing it's best to push individual sellers and artists away.
I emailed Nancy to thank her for giving us B4B as another auction source. In this sad economy it is going to be hard enough to pay my bills by just working as an artist....now eBay is just making it more difficult. AAAUGH!
Kathy
Newcastle, OntarioHi Kathy,
I know what you mean - we all have to find ways to sell our art, or find other means of making money. I really miss ebay, but I have been lucky enough to find a retailer that will take my bears and give me a good price for them. I don't make more than 3 a month and so far the store has been able to sell them all, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will be a permanent arrangement and I can also sell a few from my blog. Do you have a blog? If you can take your customers with you, a blog is an alternative. I've done okay with it so far and it's free
I also have an etsy shop, but haven't stocked it very well. I'm going to try and concentrate on ornaments and jewelry for it with Xmas coming up - I'm working on some pieces now. Anyway, as you said, it's certainly a good time to start looking for alternatives to Ebay.
hugs,
Brenda
it is an odd twist, and a scary letter, although I have been tell people (non-ebayers) for the last few years that ebay has been changing and becoming more of a clearing house for online retailers. I just never expected they would want to exclude us. fer crying out loud, look how much money they get from us. I wonder why they don't just spin off a smaller site for smaller auctioneers.
I don't like the idea of posting on ebay, I've fought myself on the topic for the last 6 years. I've got more moral and philosophical arguments against it than Carter has pills, but the truth is, right now it's the easiest way for me to find a few new collectors and I need them. I don't have a problem wholesaling my work either, but I produce a about one piece a week, if that, and wholesaling takes a big chunk of much-needed income. as a single, self-employed full-time artist, I need to produce about $1000 a week just to stay afloat - and that's without keeping a car. as kathy said, in this economy, it's really tough.
every time someone tells me I'm a true artist these days, I tell 'em I feel like van gogh with an extra ear ;-)
Kelly,
I'm in exactly the same place as you. Art is my sole income and I need $1000/wk. to stay afloat. That's why I've stuck with ebay. But I think you're right; I don't see ebay giving up the small specialty sellers. If they did they would just be going head to head with Amazon.com. Besides, the large retailers are hurting, they can't even sell their stuff at outlets. Ebay would be tying it's future to losing industries. I do think they will pressure the small hobby sellers and sellers that don't give them steady fees. That's just my guess. Hopefully, we'll have other internet avenues coming along. I do like Etsy but it's not up to the more expensive art pieces yet.
Karen
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsThey are really destroying what ebay was all about when first started...such a shame they cannot see this, a lot of their rules are ridiculous......
Lisa. :rose:
Too true!
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)I've forgotten, my mind boggles with all of the facts here (I leave for a few weeks and TT explodes!! LOL) was it Joanne who said to leave the flowery prose for the subtitles?
NEVER post your personal description or your evaluation of the work in the Subject line—that's what subtitles are for; in fact, if you're a bear artist, most of your auctions will eventually come under about 4 or 5 Titles of the same 55 characters (or have they changed that number since I last listed in June?)
I'll be listing again next week, and I SWEAT out the titles, poring over every single one of those prized positions in the row of 55, substituting one word for another because it contains one fewer letter than another word, while implying the same meaning - it's tough!! That is why one needs to be aware of using artist/mohair/OOAK/needle felting (I HATE how long that phrase is!!!)/etc and one's name or company name as that's what collectors type in to search by. In fact - OOAK isn't even needed, as that's the category it's listed in.
One of the 'NEW' features I love that they will 'GIVE' you is the 50¢ FREE subtitle if you will ship for FREE.
Let's see, (and mine are small & light...) 50¢ vs $4.60, 50¢ vs $4.60, hmmm... which is the better deal....????
All in all, as I cannot travel the show circuit at present as I did for a dozen years, eBay - with all of its problems - is still cheaper and more trouble-free than travel. Tally their fees against the $1000+ for booths (booths alone can be $500 - $1500) and gas & hotels and meals and airfares and show clothes vs PJs.... everyone has to find what works for them at every different stage in their life. There is no one all good or all bad spot to be in.
Best of all for me, every one, I too know boston*bears, and she's bringing the 3 Ducklings to visit me next month!!
I get to hold these 3 darlings in my own hands and drool (no, I'll control that..) over the 'tin' cans.
I've already told Kelly that the Trash Can Teds just blow me away!!!!
I can hardly wait!!!!!!!!!!
Plum Cottage BearsInteresting thread of discussion. I'm getting ready to start posting bears for sale, what I consider traditional bears, and I'm weighing between going on Ebay and opening an Etsy shop. I have been an Ebay member over a year, have a Paypal account, and positive feedback of 158, the latter from mostly selling and buying things other than bears. Still, the thought that Ebay could hold back payment for a period of time is a concern. What should I do?
Yeah, you are right, Bobbie, and because eBay is sooo large we do get amazing exposure. I have a long collector mailing list that I continue to add to each time I post an auction.
I also agree with you, Brenda, and I do make most of my sales directly from my website.
To be honest, I would not have such a long mailing list without my exposure on eBay. It is just so incredibly frustrating that their changes are not artist-friendly. Like so many of you Working Artists, I also see eBay as a necessary evil that we will probably need to deal with in order to pay our bills.
I'm just glad that Kelly wanted to rant about it...it's good to let off steam 
By the way, I can't post my next Panda Auction on eBay anyway because my Panda also is ranting about the evils of eBay: Take a look at "Pandora's Box":
http://web.mac.com/designedbykm/iWeb/Si … 20Box.html
:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: I felt better after expressing myself in fur
Kathy
Posts: 3,540:crackup: :crackup: Go Kathy Go!!! I ADORE your Pandora!!! Oooh, I'm so tempted to just swoop over and bid on her... 
What a statement!! And what a gorgeous, gorgeous bear :clap: :clap: :clap:
ok, so call me crazy, but has anyone else noticed that on the 'new ebay' - if you've opted in or landed there by accident - on the 'new' ebay the little red & blue 'about me' icon is totally gone??? you have to click on the seller id, which takes you to an ebay 'my world' page, which is totally different from your 'about me' page.
from your 'my world' page, you can access your own 'about me' page.
kathy, that bear is gorgeous :clap: :clap: :clap:
they really are sneaky and the evil empire
Kenosha WisconsinHi Kelly,yes I definitily noticed it and mentioned this on a recent post.I believe it is because ebay does not want any outside links to websites or other sites where we might be able to offer our items for sale.They might lose out on their fees...like they need more lol!I also agree that we should continue to offer our bears on ebay as long as we are still able to be seen.I say milk them like they do their sellers,get our mailing lists larger through our auctions and if they change and don't want the smaller sellers good....so be it,we will do just fine on our own!On a lighter note,your sweet bunny is just adorable.I love the realism you put into your designs...awesome!Brenda,no problem posting the letter...I don't mind at all,and Kathy what a sweet panda...I love them all!~~~~~Sharie
I've been reading this thread with interest, but not posting much. I haven't listed on eBay for a while just because I haven't had anything to list lately!
I use eBay as an advertising medium. I also built my mailing list from eBay bidders. Now I sell most of my bears thru my website. I try to remember to list on eBay occasionally to show my work to new collectors and add them to my mailing list if they request it.
Don't forget... although you are not allowed to post a link to your website on your auction listing, you CAN post a link to your About Me page! So be sure to make it more visible!!
laura, I have a link to my 'about me' page at the bottom of my listing, and it works fine for me, but friends have told me it doesn't work. I wonder how they machined that. . .
