Ebay Auction pricing

I wanted to answer some questions several collectors had regarding auction pricing. When I price a piece for online auction, I usually try to ensure I'm covering all of my material costs as well as making a small profit. The price I decide upon is the lowest I can possibly sell the painting for. This allows for an attractive price and some room in case there are several bids.

I also don't believe in using a reserve price,where the auction might show $49.00 but will not sell unless you bid $200! It defeats the purpose of the auction. The price you see is how much you pay.
I'd also like to add that after the auctions end,the pieces are usually priced 2 or 3 times more.

New sold work

click the image to enlarge.

This Absract floral was just sold.The title is " Patchwork Vase " and the size is 36" x 36".

Just Sold

Here's a few pieces that were recently sold to a collector in New Jersey.



Title:Carnivale Size: 20" x 30"

Title: Misty Nights. Size: 40" x 40"

Online Gallery Update

It's almost been two years since I began my journey into the online art world and I wanted to post an update on my progress. My main gallery is Cen Arte on ebay. I've been on several other sites but I've found that ebay is still the most profitable for me. It's extremely competitive and volume is the name of the game. In the last few months I've been able to hit my target price points of $100-$400 on most of my paintings. In that range the collector get's a great bargain on gallery quality artwork.

About shipping

I wanted to talk about some of the shipping methods I use to ship my artwork.For North American shipments I usually use Expedited parcel(Canada Post), Express post , or UPS. Depending on size I've found Expedited Parcel to be one of the most reliable and affordable methods of shipping.It's considered a business class and sits between regular mail and Express.It usually takes about 4-6 business days to most major centers in North America. Insurance is also included up to $5000.There's also no issues with brokerage fees to the U.S. since it's Canada Post.

Express Post is another option I frequently use when a customer requires a piece faster than 4-6 business days.Express Post Usually takes 2-4 business days guaranteed in North America.It costs more than Expedited but Express post is a courier service.Canada post usually subcontracts these shipments to companies like FedEx or UPS.The main advantage being the lack of brokerage fees(crossing the border) and the ability to insure the artwork(UPS no longer insures artwork packed by the customer).If you miss the delivery the artwork will be left at the nearest postal outlet.

UPS is the last shipping service I use. There's just some pieces that are too big to be shipped any other way and UPS has a stronger base in Canada than FedEx. They're fairly affordable but I've found that when shipping to residential addresses they always come in the day when people are usually at work. If you miss the delivery you'll have to call the number on the yellow slip they leave and arrange a time for the next delivery attempt(they make up to 3 delivery attempts).
Then there's the issue of brokerage fees.Packages under $200usd are exempt from brokerage fees.After that there's a fee for bringing the work across the border.This is not a duty or tax(Original artwork is duty free).

Hopefully that shed some light on the confusing world of shipping.