But in the meantime, I've been working on dresses for several of the other dolls, finishing two and almost finishing the third. Yesterday was tough, I was distracted, and made rookie mistakes on the dress causing me to have to undo/redo/undo and redo again! Oh well.
Here's one dress finished--to those of you on MAIDA, it's not new, since I posted pics there. But here she is, and I'm happy to have discovered I actually DID make a pattern of the dress before sewing it, which is a hugely rare bit of forward thinking for me.
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| Bethany in her For Best dress. |
I'll post pictures of the second finished dress tomorrow.
Cheers.
Jan
Bethany looks lovely in her best dress. You are so very talented and your dolls are beautiful. I have no idea why Emily didn't sell but do know it's not because there was something wrong with her. I would think it's more a reflection of the present economy and with Christmas less than a month ago the timing was a factor. Have a wonderful week. Hugs
ReplyDeletePerhaps a bigger lesson to be learned here? We can't always have diamonds. Sometimes it's coal too!
ReplyDeleteHello Jan,
ReplyDeleteI am familiar with your work through MAIDA. I too am a loser at selling......I have started my Blog and have been putting my dolls on Early Work Mercantile since August. I have sold one doll. I was a bit discouraged at first and wondered what I should change about my dolls and them it came to me. I make dolls because I love to do it. I make a specific type of doll because that's the kind of doll I enjoy making. If I change my artistic vision then I don't think I will care as much about it. So, I just keep making my dolls, I am working on being more historically accurate and some other ideas, AND still loving what I do!!!! You are very talented and extremely artistic in all your dolls. Just keep doing what you do, build up your blog,check into some other type of selling sites. Submit your work to some magazines such as Prims, or Early American Life Magazine (a secret goal of mine)but, stay true to your talent and your love of dolls.
Jan - I can't tell you the # of dolls I've sold on Ebay for $14.95 in 2006. Truly. Ebay is a tough market if you were not already established before the downturn in the economy. Your doll is beautiful - don't take it personally. Did it end on Sunday? That's a big football day. So many things can affect whether something gets a bid on Ebay. I won one of a great doll on Super Bowl Sunday one year for far too little. I actually feel a little bit guilty when I look at that doll now.
ReplyDeleteDixie
Thanks guys. Sherri--you're so right about staying with what you love. (Just discovered your blog, btw...following!) Your dolls are EXACTLY the way they need to be. I confess I'm a bit jealous of your seamstress skills. :~)
ReplyDeleteDixie,
$14.95? Dang, that had to hurt. I told myself all the same things you're telling me, and know they're true...but I'm still trying to figure out if I should try again, or just find another venue. But if so, where? You can always rename that "stolen" doll of yours Charity. ;~P
Oh Jan, I don't have enough fingers to count the many times I have had the same sentiments when I don't sell a doll. It is so easy to think you did something wrong when in fact it has nothing to do with your doll and everything to do with the time of year. It never hurts to relist a second time or hold on to her until tax return time. She is without a doubt a gorgeous doll and I love your work so don't be discouraged...at least not for too long as we have all been there, done that, ♥Judi
ReplyDeleteI couldn't stick with the Ebay disappointment long enough to make any money. I wanted the market but knew I could sell my dolls locally for more than they went for on Ebay...I have watched some talented people selling on ebay for years that never seem to get the money they should while others will take off like wildfire and make great money on the simplest thing...It's the feeling of rejection that is more difficult for me than the money thing. Your dolls are beautiful..If you get a nice stockpile of them, perhaps you could take them to a show somewhere. I do a Christmas show every year and I have several regular customers now, that wipe me out....
ReplyDeleteDANG...where was I when Dixies dolls went for ?14.95....
Aren't you sweet! ;-)
DeleteI think you should put her right back up again! Try a low starting bid with a reserve this time.Even if you don't meet your reserve, getting bids is so good for the ego-and fun! Try ending her on a different day. Try changing things in your description, maybe a template and pictures there instead of using the ebay pic format. I don't know. Just don't give up, I know ebay can be brutal, but I have sold dolls there for years and of all the hundreds of dolls I have made I don't have any sitting around here waiting to be sold.Some take longer than others. I have sold for nothing, and I have sold for a lot, but to me I just don't sweat it(too much). I just like to make them and move them along! :^)
ReplyDeleteYour doll is really good Jan, her buyer is out there.
Jan, I think the lousy economy is affecting everything. It's hard not to take it personally. I'm not selling much. I keep making things because I love to, and it saves my sanity. I think relisting her like anniebeez said (with a reserve and a low starting bid) is a good idea. I think I'm a few years off of trying ebay myself. It kind of scares me! lol!! Rest assured, your dolls are really wonderful, and I love every one of them! xox
ReplyDeleteA good dress, well worth the time it took to make the pattern. Craft sales are always unpredictable. I'm happy to just be a hobbyist. I just checked your old site, now I'm here and have updated my links.
ReplyDeleteJan,
ReplyDeleteI put your blog on my sidebar.
Sherri
Have you thought about blogging at another venue like the HIVE....http://creatingthehive.com/
ReplyDeleteI have seen dollmakers show there latest creations and blog about where possible buyers can find them for sale specially through Etsy and Ebay. It does seem to boost their sales. The Hive has a huge membership. Just a thought. It does help to get all the coverage you can get and if it's free then bonus:)
Don't pay attention as why she didn't sell, just keep going! She's beautiful, and you've worked on her because you wanted to. She'll have a home soon. Sometimes the timing isn't right. I relisted at a later date, when something didn't sell, and boom it sold.
ReplyDeletexoxo
You guys are awesome. Thank you for all the encouragement. I'll relist, one of these days, but I'll maybe wait til the spring, after the upcoming doll show in mid-Feb. Fingers crossed I'll have to make new dolls instead of listing these! :~)
ReplyDeleteOne more thing. The profile picture is really important, so that when people are searching it has to grab you. I would study the Izannah search line-ups and see which ones grab your attention...why did you want to look at that particular auction over another? It's not always about the art piece, sometimes it's about little things like that which get people to open up your auction.
ReplyDeleteAnd Anniebeez has some good points...I can't remember where I read this - Seth Godin, maybe....but the act of shipping something creates a positive flow, even if the "flow" is for less than you hoped. It doess (eventually) even out. Some things sell for higher than you anticipated and others for less.
Dixie