Selling prints on Ebay - round 2

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

07/17/2005 12:58:21 PM · #1

Hi all,

I know a few of you were interested in whether people sell their prints on eBay and how well that goes.

I've put three photographs on there over the last few weeks and each one netted me a sale.

The first one I did, was for an 11x14 with an auction style starting at $14.99. That one had over 100 views and up to 6 or 8 watchers before it ended. That said, it had only two bids (one I think sniped at the end) so the print sold for $15.49.

The second one I did as a buy-it-now format. This one I put up for $15.00 flat. It stayed up for about 3 or so days out of 7 before someone bought it.

This last one I put up either yesterday or Friday and I put it up for a flat buy-it-now price of $22.50 ( I chose this as my final price because it fits smack dab in the middle of my pricing for this image in my DPCPrints portfolio (8x10 for $15 and 16x20 for $30). This one sold today and had at least one watcher when I looked at it last - I woke up to find it had sold.

So, so far I have been having a decent run with selling. This is my most popular image and I am selling them as unmatted and unframed prints. I have one more that I purchased from DPCPrints in this size that I can put up, which I will probably do next week. All of them are matte 11x14s.

I have a flat fee of $5.70 + $1.30 for shipping/handling/insurance that I charge on most of my ebay items. It typically costs me $5.60 to ship my photos with insurance/delivery confirmation as USPS Priority. The extra $1.40 goes towards cost for the envelope, tissue paper, and thank you card.

I would say that this go 'round selling has been worth the time, effort and expense. Plus I am making a profit, even after eBay/Paypal's fees are taken out. Its not huge, but its still decent.

So there's an update for anyone interested. :)

digitalpins

Canon EOS-60D

07/17/2005 01:15:52 PM · #2

u have any links to your prints on ebay, just to see how you put them up for my info, cause I am interested in trying this.

ButterflySis

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

07/17/2005 01:17:04 PM · #3

Thanks for the update! Congrats on your sales!

07/17/2005 01:20:07 PM · #4

I have always wondered if I could do a test listing on ebay for my dpc Prints and just link to dpc Prints......hmmmmmmmm

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

07/17/2005 01:25:24 PM · #5

Originally posted by digitalpins:

u have any links to your prints on ebay, just to see how you put them up for my info, cause I am interested in trying this.

Certainly. Here's a link to the one that sold today.

I didn't use the template that ebsqart provides which is very snazzy and professional looking, but then this is done me well for the last 3 sales and is easier to deal with.

sher

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

07/17/2005 01:25:53 PM · #6

i've been thinking about trying this...thanks for the info!

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

07/17/2005 01:26:40 PM · #7

Originally posted by rex:

I have always wondered if I could do a test listing on ebay for my dpc Prints and just link to dpc Prints......hmmmmmmmm

Now I'm not 100% sure about this.. but from what I remember you aren't allowed to reference a website in your ads without paying a fee for it. Something like.. $99.00 per site.

I could be wrong about the intention on that clause though so it may be worth looking into.

vince31874

07/17/2005 01:28:27 PM · #8

Selling prints on Ebay is actually pretty good. I have also sold a few on there. The only problem is that the photography section can be a little over-saturated. Best advice is to open an Ebay store, and then put in your photos with a quantity, so people can buy when they want. Also, using the "Feature" option works. It will keep you photo on the top of the list, and you will get considerably more hits/views.

Also... best thing to do is look at your competition. Look at their policies, type of prints they use, types of frames and matte... etc. Knowing your competition is a great way of learning the ropes.

And one more thing... vintage or old photos seem to do the best on there.

Here is a useful link you can read:

Selling Photography On Ebay

Good Luck People.

Message edited by author 2005-07-17 13:30:10.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

07/17/2005 01:28:48 PM · #9

Originally posted by rex:

I have always wondered if I could do a test listing on ebay for my dpc Prints and just link to dpc Prints......hmmmmmmmm

What you can do is sell the image on eBay, but have it printed and drop-shipped to the customer by DPC Prints (put that clarification in the details). Then, you place the order with DPCP (at base price) and have it sent to the customer.

You can put a link to your OTHER prints at DPCP in the eBay description, but DO NOT have any prints for public sale which duplicate your eBay listings -- that violates part of the non-competitive agreement. But, for example, you can sell "Sailboat #1" on eBay, and have a link to your gallery where you instead have "Sailboat #2" and "Sailboat #3" for sale (sorry!) directly through DPCP.

07/17/2005 03:44:35 PM · #10

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by rex:
I have always wondered if I could do a test listing on ebay for my dpc Prints and just link to dpc Prints......hmmmmmmmm

What you can do is sell the image on eBay, but have it printed and drop-shipped to the customer by DPC Prints (put that clarification in the details). Then, you place the order with DPCP (at base price) and have it sent to the customer.

You can put a link to your OTHER prints at DPCP in the eBay description, but DO NOT have any prints for public sale which duplicate your eBay listings -- that violates part of the non-competitive agreement. But, for example, you can sell "Sailboat #1" on eBay, and have a link to your gallery where you instead have "Sailboat #2" and "Sailboat #3" for sale (sorry!) directly through DPCP.

OK I have started the process and will volunteer to be the scapegoat.....how do I put something all over the image to keep people from rioght clicking it?

Message edited by author 2005-07-17 15:45:10.

ClubJuggle

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

07/17/2005 03:48:59 PM · #11

Originally posted by GeneralE:

One point worth mentioning is that once in a while, orders get "stuck" at our print processor, delaying shipping. Ultimately, you are responsible for timely shipping to your customer, so if you are counting on drop-shipping from DPC Prints, be sure to keep an eye on the order so that a delay in shipping is noticed and resolved right away!

-Terry

nova

Canon EOS-6D

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM

07/17/2005 03:49:21 PM · #12

./.

Message edited by author 2006-09-03 00:39:13.

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

07/17/2005 03:50:59 PM · #13

Originally posted by 4N4M:

Originally posted by GeneralE:

... but DO NOT have any prints for public sale which duplicate your eBay listings -- that violates part of the non-competitive agreement. But, for example, you can sell "Sailboat #1" on eBay, and have a link to your gallery where you instead have "Sailboat #2" and "Sailboat #3" for sale (sorry!) directly through DPCP.

This sounds like a great idea, but there's one thing I'm not clear on. How do I get my print (Sailboat #1)printed by DPC Prints if it isn't for sale there?

You can deactivate it but still order it yourself or dropship to someone else. You can also order them yourself before they are arroved.

nova

Canon EOS-6D

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM

07/17/2005 03:54:03 PM · #14

Thanks rex.

digitalpins

Canon EOS-60D

07/17/2005 04:20:35 PM · #15

thanks for all the info, I'm gonna give it a try

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

07/17/2005 04:45:02 PM · #16

Originally posted by rex:

Originally posted by 4N4M:

Originally posted by GeneralE:

... but DO NOT have any prints for public sale which duplicate your eBay listings -- that violates part of the non-competitive agreement. But, for example, you can sell "Sailboat #1" on eBay, and have a link to your gallery where you instead have "Sailboat #2" and "Sailboat #3" for sale (sorry!) directly through DPCP.

This sounds like a great idea, but there's one thing I'm not clear on. How do I get my print (Sailboat #1)printed by DPC Prints if it isn't for sale there?

You can deactivate it but still order it yourself or dropship to someone else. You can also order them yourself before they are arroved.

Right. And in light of what Terry pointed out, you'd be better off ordering a few prints for yourself as stock so you can be sure they're shipped on time. Drop-shipping is an option I personally checked out with eBay to make sure it was an OK procedure, but it's not necessarily the best method.

Uusilehto

Canon EOS-1D

Carl Zeiss 35mm f2.4 Jena/Flektogon MC

07/17/2005 05:04:28 PM · #17

i would so get on this print business, if i didn't live in Finland :)

07/17/2005 06:00:48 PM · #18

How do I put a copywright on the photo like across the whole thing?

Truegsht

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

07/17/2005 06:01:28 PM · #19

Thought I would give it a shot as well. I have never been able to sell this print on DPC, so maybe Ebay is my way to making a dime or two. Here is the listing in case anyone MIGHT be interested.

EBAY PRINT FOR SALE

07/17/2005 06:09:27 PM · #20

Originally posted by Truegsht:

I noticed you put the copywright thing there....I didn't think about that....mind if I use it?

"Please note, if you decide to purchase the photograph, I retain all copyrights to the image. The photograph you will get, does not contain any wording or print across the photo as does this example."

Truegsht

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

07/17/2005 06:13:47 PM · #21

I just did a copy/paste of the words "do not copy" and pasted horizontal and vertical across the photo. Only way I could think of to do it. I lost the watermark program I used to have, and didn't want to take time with PSCS to create a custom watermark.

07/17/2005 06:31:38 PM · #22

Good luck to all of you on your eBay ventures!

One other way to introduce other photos to your buyers is the method I chose. With each photograph (and other things I sell) I include a thank you note with a short message thanking the buyer for their support and wishing them much enjoyment of the particular image/item. I sign it and on the bottom inside corner I put my dpcprints site.

Maybe the person will check it out, maybe not, but its there. I think this is an easy method particularly if you've had someone that's already liked one item of your work. Can't hurt to give them the option of finding more.

07/17/2005 06:55:18 PM · #23

Got mine up too......

Ebay link

I know mine is priced much higher but wanted to see what would happen without losing any money. Let's see if it works.

pixieland

Fujifilm FinePix S602Z

07/17/2005 10:46:38 PM · #24

Please keep us all updateon your progress on Ebay. I thought about doing something like this last week.