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tEDDIE bears
I have 2 user ID's on eBay. I am a Powerseller on the one for my teds but the other one is relatively new. I wasn't aware until tonight
that Live Help is only available to Powersellers, the peons have to use the email system that never gets answers. What a rip! ! ! I think
I am going to add eBay to my "Don't Do Business" list, right after Wal-Mart. Bah-Hum-Bug
DoodlebearsGood sign Ed! What a pain ebay can be, I didn't realise that 'Live Help' is only available to Powersellers. They must have changed it because I used it one time when one of my bear auctions was not showing up after six hour from listing it. Ebay pulled one of my auctions last week because I used the word technique, they said I had listed the item in the wrong place and some rubbish about it should have been somewhere where they sell informative goods.
Hugs, Jane. 
Ed,
I'm not a power seller and I've used livehelp heaps of times and I've quite a few friends that also sell on ebay and they haven't had any problems getting onto them. The link is easier to find in Oz ebay but
here is the link to US ebay livehelp, the livehelp button is on the upper right hand side.
http://pages.ebay.com/sell/tools.html
Just one more thing, I've had lots of problems over the years with ebay and I'm not defending them, but it still is the best & most successful outlet for my bears & mohair and I don't think this "ban ebay" talk helps those that still need to sell that way, nor does it encourage new bearmakers to have a go at selling and could scare potential buyers/collectors from purchasing...
LuxembearsHi Ed. Ebay sure has changed over the years hasn't it? It's too big for even them to handle it seems. I really think it because of those out there who has abused ebay with scams and dishonesty that are ruining it for everyone else. It seems like ebay is trying to correct problems but the scammers get find new ways to get ahead. Ebay is just too big. 
New YorkEbay has gotten so difficult trying to make themselves into another Amazon. It's such a shame since it began as such a wonderful venue for everyone to sell. Especially artists with one-of-a-kind items. I haven't used live help in a while so this was a surprise to me. sheesh!
Bubble Up Bears!Amen Denise! 
Jazzy RagsList your bears in the paper and magazines, see how much it cost you, and how much you sell
Then try ebay ,you wont whinge, about them then , I sell on ebay and I am not a powerseller and I use live help often
fran
Little Bear GuyLets remember as well Fran that we also need to advertise in the Magazines , yes it cost you money to advertise but that's the cost of doing business. It's strange how people will flock to the magazine when they put a call out for for certain themes because you'll get free advertising if they put your bear in the magazine but heaven for bit you should actually pay for an advert from time to time.
As for new bear makers and scaring them away from ebay well maybe that's what we should be doing. Remember there are other outlets. I get really tired of people just thinking about ebay ebay ebay , I'm so sorry to go on a rant here but "We" as teddy bear artist do not even support our own people. Nancy tried and tried to get people to use her site and she had to close it because it was not viable for her (I know some of you did ). Remember it cost money to run these sites and Nancy was charging a lot less than ebay for fees.
There is also the Teddy Patch www.theteddypatch.com that you can use for selling your bears and your mohair. Granted both of these sites are not getting the traffic that ebay does but it's up to you as an artist to get the collectors there. So the more you use them the more people will go to them. Start advertising on your blogs and websites for the other outlets, I think we should be discussing ebay and how awlful it has become. They don't listen to anyone and could care less about their sellers. I think the last thing we want is new bear makers go to ebay and having to go through all the crap that other people have gone through.
I'm sorry to be blunt and I don't want to offend anyone and I'm not attacking anyone personally, but something just got under my skin with this post. It's great that some of you still use ebay and it works for you, but it doesn't work for everyone. If we don't use the other resources they will be gone, and people will then be sitting around wondering what the heck happened.
Lets not forget bearpile which cost you around $10.00 a month to sell your bears on and no commission. You can also sell mohair on there as well. Granted it's not an auction so be sure to price your bear accordingly so you get what you want for it.
hugs
Shane
desertmountainbearI do think that we have to remember that ebay is a business. The economy is bad, people are not spending what they were. Ebay is affected greatly by that. They have had to make tough choices, just like all other businesses. Can you imagine the amount of man power and money it must take to operate that giant? I think like every other business they have to downsize or do what ever it takes to stay afloat right now. I really do think that that is what a lot of these changes have been about. I personally would not scare a new bear-maker away from ebay. There is no other place that your work can be seen by so many people worldwide. I also agree with you Shane that money should be spent advertising in other places as well. But for me money will always be the bottom line. I have to eat, so I will continue to go where the money is.
Joanne
Little Bear GuyI agree Joanne but lets remember that ebay has been sticking it to the sellers WAY before this recession hit. They started their big changes almost a yr ago, they have done nothing but up their prices every chance they get. Lets not forget that ebay continues to net almost one billion dollars in a quarter that's NET PROFIT after all expenses are paid a billion dollars in 4 months. Then they turn around and jack up the prices again saying they have to stay competetive :crackup: :crackup: .
You are right Joanne about being seen on ebay by so many people world wide, that is why I was saying we need to move these people over to the other sites. As I said before I don't expect everyone or anyone to stop using ebay, I'm just agreeing that ebay has been a pain in the small sellers side for the past couple of yrs. They don't care about you at all, they just want your money, oh but remember they'll keep your money for 21 days and then give it to you .
Ok getting off my soap box :crackup:
big hugs
Shane
Jazzy RagsHi there , I have tried magazines I have done shows I have tied other sites but nothing compares to ebay for me that is ,
With out ebay i would not get the good prices , I really think if you have a good product you will sell it ,and its not a business for me its only a hobby so I don't have any pressures ,its just fun for me , 
New York
Sorry if what I posted detered anyone from listing on ebay. It was certainly not my intention. If I were to sell something today it's where I would go. It has gotten more difficult, but as many have pointed out, there is nothing like ebay if you want to sell something. Try as many have to knock it off it's perch, the name is a household word.
I'm sincerely sorry the bear site closed. 
I am far from a power seller and have used Live Help. I guess it's changed though. I haven't used ebay in over a year. That's too bad, I really liked it.
Bubble Up Bears!Bottom line is if you don't like eBay don't use it.
Selling on eBay has provided many artist with a great avenue to sell their bears and making many some great money! There's always going to be complaints but you don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
As a collector I won't buy from any sites other than eBay and the artists' personal website. I like the ease of eBay, the security it provides me and quite frankly the draw of the auction and the competition to be the winning bidder is fun. And for me there is no other site that provides that. But I'm just a collector who has spent over $250,000.00 in the last 5 years. What do I know!!!
desertmountainbearTHANK YOU CYNDEE!! I do think you are not the only collector who feels this way
Joanne
Shane, lets get to the nitty gritty, it all comes down to money, that's why ebay exists, so do the magazines, none of these business "care" about us, all they basicly want is our money...sad but true! so even though ebay has a multitude of faults, for me and millions of others, it is still the best sales option.
I am very sorry some of these other sites have failed, but there is just no way that they could ever attract the same volume of people that ebay has...I have tried bearpile, I have tried etsy, and quite a few others, with absolutely no luck, and as for the livehelp if you look at my last post, I have given you the link to it, so it is still available.
People have to make their own choices as to which way they will go and I completely disagree with trying to scare new bearmakers and buyers/collectors from using ebay......that isn't what we should be doing, let them make up their own mind..... many of us that have been making bears for years are having trouble selling on these other sites, what hope would new makers have, I would say zilch!! and it's very unfair to make anyone feeling guilty because they are using ebay or considering it.
Cyndee, good to hear a collector's view on this subject!
and what a collector wow!
Cyndee... it's great to hear your opinion! :hug: It's collectors like you that we need to listen to! 
I keep using ebay... there may be some things I'd like to change about it, but on the whole, it's been the best exposure I could hope to have! Until I found out that there was an market on ebay for artist bears, my bears just sat on my shelf. I live in such a remote area that traveling to bear shows wouldn't pay for me at the time and locally there was no market at all. And I love the excitement of having an auction do well on ebay... I feel a little lost when I don't have one on... 
Bubble Up Bears!Thank you Melisa.
Like you said until eBay your bears sat on a shelve. And your bears, I should know because I have bid and won from you sell really well on eBay.
purplesisters7
First, Hello to all! My name is Ginnette -pronounced Jeanette- I was born right here in the USA, but Mom had to name me with a name that began with "G", because my Father's name was George, anyway before I share my concerns about ebay, I want to send a big THANK YOU to Joanne Livingston, of Desertmountainbears- she told me about this website, and I am so glad she did! I think this website is terrific, Great, COOL MAN! Anyway, I am an artist who does a variety of art forms, one being stuffed bears and other animals, and ebay has been virtually my only place to sell, since I began selling in 2002. But ebay seems to be cheating me more and more...you see, I paid the extra $24.00 to have my newest bear, shown in this photo with this post, listed on the first page of search results, but honestly, most of the time it is not there! Look for yourself! The ad still has 5 days left, and it's not like "artist made bears" is a large catagory-there are less than 2,000 of them...and yet my lovely bear is not there...I sincerly think they are cheating me at this point. My ebay id is the same as my name here: purplesisters7
purplesisters7Hi all, just a bit more about eBay, I have seen with my own eyes, a bid come in on one of my artworks, then it just disappeared! Really, this has happened to me, when I was in "my ebay", just last month! And, as well, I have placed bids, only for them to disappear as well, when I go to "my ebay" the item I bid on was not there-this has happened to me more than once...I am at the point now where I will write down the seller when I place a bid! If any of you sell, I would highly recommend you write down the bidder ID's so that if a bid "gets lost" you will be able to contact that person...boy I wish I had wrote down the bidder ID.....bye all, Ginnette
desertmountainbearHi Ginnette, glad you have made it here. First let me say that you bear is very nice, maybe you could post a full size picture in the bear section when you get to know your way around. I did see your bear the first day you had it listed at the top of the page. I have not seen it at the top since. I should if you have it listed in the featured first section. I look on there enough to have seen it again. If you have the featured first, (not featured plus) I think you should contact ebay and check to see if they have you listed properly, maybe an error on their part. I just went and looked at your auction and I see you have enough feedback that you should be there. I think there may be a mistake.
Joanne
tEDDIE bearsEd,
I'm not a power seller and I've used livehelp heaps of times and I've quite a few friends that also sell on ebay and they haven't had any problems getting onto them. The link is easier to find in Oz ebay but
here is the link to US ebay livehelp, the livehelp button is on the upper right hand side.
http://pages.ebay.com/sell/tools.htmlJust one more thing, I've had lots of problems over the years with ebay and I'm not defending them, but it still is the best & most successful outlet for my bears & mohair and I don't think this "ban ebay" talk helps those that still need to sell that way, nor does it encourage new bearmakers to have a go at selling and could scare potential buyers/collectors from purchasing...
The rules and services from eBay are very different for each country. I am no longer a Power Seller because I stopped selling on eBay and I just tried to go into "Contact Us" and use "Live Help". It is no longer available to me. I started this thread only to bring up the point about eBay discriminating against sellers who do not qualify for the Power Seller program. I didn't intend for the comment to go astray and become a discussion about eBay - Good or Bad. I've done very well on eBay, no complaints but for those who have not had my good fortune, eBay doesn't afford those sellers the same priviledges. I just felt it's another eBay fiasco among many. For those collectors (non sellers) living in the U.S. who have commented on this thread, I would ask how many have tried to use "Live Help"? If you have, try it again now and see if that service is still available. If not, then please post your results so all can evaulate the original intent of the thread.
tEDDIE bearsFor all those "eBayers" that are really happy with eBay, you will have a ball watching this one.
Bubble Up Bears!As with any business there are perks. I have been a AAA member for 30 years and because of it I'm afforded perks and privileges others may not. A teddy bear artist is having a contest right now for those who belong to her mailing list. If you don't you can't play. I spend more money at the local market than my neighbor earning me more points than her and coupons in the mail. Heck I even get extra sprinkles on my yogurt because I have a punch card. The point is the more money you make a company the more you are rewarded. Right or wrong is any one's opinion but I'm not going to be made to feel like a peon because I don't get live help anymore. I haven't bought on eBay in over 30 days the longest for me since being a member. This is because the deals are not there right now and the economy is suffering. Not because eBay has changed their policies.
Like many I have 2 ID's. I am a seller as well as a buyer. I will use the emailing system until eBay changes back and if they don't then I will deal with it. I emailed yesterday with a question and received an answer in less than 24 hours.
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)I too have always found eBay resolutions easy to work out with them: I've never been in the position of being a Power Seller so this may not be germane. But there IS a phone number listed to actually phone and speak to a live PERSON! It takes a bit of searching but it is possible to work out most problems.
Bobbie
