Needlework at Shows: When I've done shows, I display my framed pieces on a little stand that holds them nicely. I post the price either on a sticker on the corner of the frame or on the stand right below the picture. And with framed pieces, even if they're picked up now and then people pick them up by the frame so I don't worry about them getting dirty. The samples for my kits are displayed on a pegboard stand I made which also holds all the kits, so there's no problem with them. I want people to look at the back of my rugs because they are neatly stitched and I also back them with a special type of woven interfacing that looks sort of like the back of a rug. But what I have done is put them in a plastic baggie that is either a zip lock or taped closed. That way I can post the price on the outside of the bag and the rug can be viewed on both sides. If someone is seriously interested in it and wants to get the "feel" of it I am happy to take it out for them. If I was ever lucky to have numerous rugs all at one time (HA!), I'd probably display them in those plastic sheet protectors in a notebook - saw this done at the Chicago International show by the Miniature Needlework Society members and think it's a great way to do it.

Mary Lynne in Huntington, WV

Back of Needlework

Needlework At Shows: As for looking at the back of needlework, I do not mind if people wish to see the backs of my rugs. Most of my samples at shows are sort of attached to my display and visibly priced, but I have three or four that are touchable, and I encourage people to examine them. I prefer to take orders for finished pieces, so each customer gets a piece made just for them, that has not been handled by others. I also usually have a work in progress with me-- it's a wonderful aid in explaining how to do things to people, and shows the unfinished back of the piece too.

Michelle Fox

Handling Miniatures at Shows: I have to comment on picking up items to closer examine. Having been a judge for several county organizations, it is a habit for me. I have seen some pretty shabby work back there folks, though at 1st glance at the front would have given them the 1st place. I suggest you back the rugs and needlework with fusible facing to finish off the piece. You then have presented a cleaner item, safer to damage, and lays flatter. I'm just glad that no one has caught me using my 10 power jewelers loop to see if the stitches were all in the same direction!

About tugging at the corners of a piece not square, use that sign as a helpful hint that it needs a little blocking on it. I find a piece of needlework that is great, but can it be corrected so I can maybe fix it when I get it home? The best compliment someone who has looked closely is that they have purchased a quality piece!

Protect your needlework in a clear plastic bag so that your fine work can be seen but not damaged.

Lisa Lynn

Handling Miniatures at Shows: As far as holding minis are concerned, until I was a dealer at shows and had some customers handling and abusing my samples, I really hadn't understood this problem for dealers. Previously I would pick up an item that I was interested in buying...my natural impulse to touch and feel it. But now I always ask first if they would mind if I held it. This way, it is a method of assuring the dealer that I will be careful with their merchandise and it also reminds me that they might be a dealer who doesn't want their minis held. This is especially true for stitchery, or other materials that will stain from the natural oils from our hands.

Roz Weitzman in Toronto

Handling Miniatures at Shows: It caught my eye that is was considered impolite to turn an item over for inspection. I have always done that, and expect a buyer to do the same. If you aren't proud of your back, then maybe you should cover it.

I also look at the back of something to see what kind of backing is there... is it paper (glueable to the wall), or does it need backing? if it is finished on the back I get a a better sense of "value" as someone took the time to finish their work nicely. If they are "loose" like upholstery, then I turn it over to see their skill for the needle. If a buyer of my work doesn't, I am the first to flop something over to show them my ability to hide a thread. The craft world here in WA has never had an issue of closely inspecting items.

I also believe that wear/tear, handling/ and all that other usage is part of the selling business. Do you buy a car without touching, sitting, or driving it? Did you buy your home without "checking it out"? When we sell expensive things we need to understand that in order to for humans to make decisions about the potential purchase we all need to touch it. I used to get all ruffled when people touched, how rude, don't they know how much work it takes... blah blah blah. Then I met three people who taught me how important it is to touch what we buy.

The first man I met was Stephan O'Meara who promptly plopped several pieces into my hands during our visit so I could "really see it". Can you guess the stroke I had when he put that gorgeous Lapis bowl with the gold swans in my sweaty little palms? During our show and tell a piece was dropped and lost on the floor, but he didn't even get ruffled. Before the end of the show he did eventually find the piece, but he still didn't get upset when it happened. I was more upset than he was. Needless to say, Stephan will get repeat business from us in the future.

Andy Benedict of Maison des Maisons was the same way. I was admiring his Navajo pottery, next thing you know the plexi comes out, and he is plopping fragile little bits into my hands for me to feel and enjoy. He then showed me his Irish mini crystal, again, by letting me feel his offerings. What did it do? it cemented a sale.

Jim Pounder was there, and when I stopped to admire one of his new pieces he immediately wanted me to pick it up to feel how heavy the pieces were. He was so gracious to share his work with us, and that included showing the "underneath" He was so nice to share his work with us and let us see with our hands, that we bought 3 of his pieces.

Yes, some of this work is solid, such as bronze, but then some of it is crystal, pottery, and very fragile stone. These men knew that it was more important that we get a feel for something, as it makes a far quicker sale than if something sits behind glass, as a vision. Yes, I have to replace silks, antique laces, glass, wood, and all sorts of things. It usually takes a week to repair things if I don't "do it" during the evenings of a show. It is part of ensuring that I make a sale. that extra bit of time spent repairing wear is well worth the return. After all, I learned that the quickest way to close a deal is to put it in someone’s hand.

I also learned that by getting the names addys and phone numbers, and calling/writing those that seemed interested in my work that I get Post-show sales because I took the time to follow up. Yes it can be time consuming, but it means something to send a picture of the item they were interested in with a personal note thanking them for their interest. This too I learned from these men. All three of them "followed up" with me within a week with a phone call, note, or email. What did it do? it further cemented my future purchases with them.

Sudie Parker

Displaying at shows: Arrange your table so the children, and clumsy adults can't easily reach the most treasured items. I have my best dolls on risers at the back of the table. Use those small white shelves with the pop out legs (Wal-Mart) at the back and sides of the table, then in the center have a double stair step (bought at a craft sale for Beanie babies) for the featured ones. We rearrange these frequently , there is little chance for anything to be brushed off the table, , then in the center front have the plastic shoe boxes with small stuff and naked dolls.

I have fabric to drape over the top of my table and a lighter shade goes over the small tables. Looks good, simple to set up and quick. The shows I go to allow risers so I have 12 inch pieces of pvc pipe to elevate the legs with. People don't have to bend over, it's not so tiring for us sr. vendors and very rarely does a customer try to reach one of the dressed dolls.

Annieb

eBay: I always question the seller about high shipping costs. You must remember though that shipping isn't just postage, it's packaging, time/labor for wrapping and going to the post office, etc. I'm not unreasonable, but when I win an item for $4.00 and the shipping it $6.00, believe me I ask! In your situation I would write to the seller and ask for an explanation. Unfortunately, leaving negative feedback doesn't work, as the seller generally will leave same to get even. So I don't know what to tell you. If you can leave feedback without hitting positive/neutral (I've never tried). I might just mention that the seller charged double for postage. I'd say $3.00 would have been more reasonable.

I bought a lot of stuff that looked good on the computer, but was a box of crap and I had to throw most of it out. And, it was way overpriced. I sent the seller an e-mail telling them exactly what I thought in a very polite way. Then I left a positive response because as far as everything else was concerned the transaction was fine. Remember, buyer beware! I've had no problems on eBay like this and I figured that out of 70 buys one bad transaction wasn't so bad, so that was how I handled that. Like I said, leaving negative feedback always backfires! Again, I'd inform the seller of your complaint, then move on.

Steven

eBay: If I see an item on eBay I am interested in and the shipping is out of line for the weight of the item, I just simply do not bid on it. It just tells me that they are also making money on the shipping. Also, if I see an item which is priced rather high to start out with and they say "no reserve," I figure that is what they would normally charge for the item and if they get more then so much the better, but they still do not lose if it sells for the opening price.

If you are doing much shopping on eBay, it would be worth it to get one of those big catalogs for miniatures and then you could reference it to see if the item is overpriced.

Elizabeth Cooper

Sending Photos to eBay: It's only hard the first time! A couple years ago, it took me the better part of a day to get my first listing done. After that it only took a few seconds. I used an "FTP" program that I downloaded from the internet. There are several available, some free and some only free for a one month trial period. I used CuteFTP. FTP programs transfer files (such as photos files) from your computer to the internet via your internet service provider. The hardest part for me to figure out was the ftp "address" I should use for my service provider, and after the "transfer" was complete what the URL of the photo was. The actual transfer was just a mouse click.

Maria Lamb

Sending Photos to eBay: I like to start with http://www.auctionwatch.com   They offer free image hosting and you can launch your auctions from there to eBay! Their site is pretty easy to figure out, too. Register as a user. Click on "Auction Manager," then on "Image Hosting." It will let you browse on your computer to find the images you want to download to AuctionWatch. After downloading your images, you can click on quot;Create Auction." Then you can select eBay as your auction site and AuctionWatch will step you through creating your auction. #1 is your item title, #2 is your item description, #3 is your image (picture) (don't forget this part!), #4 is shipping info (if you need any more shipping info), #5 is to continue to where you put in your quantity, starting bid, reserve, etc. Then you just select to launch your auction now or you can schedule when you want it to start. It really is super easy!

Sonia

Auction Help: There's a nifty website that assists putting stuff on auction sites. http://www.auctionwatch.com It's cheap (read free), easy to follow and even lets you track all your online auctions at one place.

Carrie

Shipping Charges: This person wants $7.50 for shipping on this item. It's a nice set, but $7.50 is too much for shipping, don't you think?

I wish I could say it's too much but if you look at a UPS rate chart and add on the extra fee for home - non-business delivery, you are not too far off. That's why I send via the post office on a lot of my packages, but even that's not cheap. Probably about $4.50 for postage and then another .85 per $50.00 of insurance. (Its value is probably over $50.00 so $1.60.) If they lose it, you can't trace it for 30 days unless you pay another .35 for tracking. They then take 6 weeks to pay a claim. After all that, add on the cost of the box, packing material, and time to go to the post office (UPS does pick-ups for about another $7.50 a week). It makes $7.50 sound like a bargain, doesn't it?

I give my customers a choice of ground or priority and insurance or not at their own risk. I try to keep the cost down any way I can by using recycled boxes if possible (not always possible) and shredding my own packing materials (that takes time also) but it still adds up. As much as it may seem like it, no one is making a profit off it except the post office or UPS.

Deb Laue

Ebay: I try very hard not to overcharge on postage and never charge a handling fee, which some do. I often get in trouble when I figure the postage then forget, even though I recycle, I have to buy padded envelopes and bubble wrap, so I come out on the short end. I'd rather cheat myself than someone else though. Then you run into things like I recently did with sending a package 3 times to Germany. The second time, I paid for it to go registered air and it came back. The address was correct and carefully printed so it was very readable. The third time I just sent it air and it made it. Total cost of shipping a swap box - $22.95, 3 trips to PO and 5 months of frustration!

As for Ebay, maybe I have been lucky but I have felt only once that I was really jabbed but it was my own fault for not checking first - $3 to ship 4 mini paper bags with dept. store names on them and in a big box to boot was ridiculous! I think the worst thing I saw on there was a Chrysenbon dresser set painted and sparkled up and sold for over $150. The seller had a 4 or 5 page write-up on it being a one-of-a-kind thing and each piece was shown separately. I recognized it right off, but could see how others may not catch it if you hadn't made them up yourself. I often wondered if the person who purchased it actually took it!

Anita McNary-Haynes

eBay Shopping Tips: I religiously check postage charges, some seem much higher than they should for the item involved. Talk to the seller. Example: I "won" a small rug and theshipping costs were just about as much as the rug was. I suggested that they just toss the thing in an envelope (it surely didn't need cushioned packing) and send it to me. The seller agreed and I save a couple of bucks right there.

Things I've learned :

1. Getting money orders is a hassle and I avoid credit card charging because it's way to easy. I only buy from folks who take personal checks - - at least at this time. Sure, I have to wait a little longer but I'm saving myself trips to the bank and it's sometimes hard for me to get out.

2. READ THE DESCRIPTION CAREFULLY! I "won" a gold framed mirror that was described as being metal. It was also described as having a small glue spot on the mirror but this didn't show in the photo. The mirror is actually resin and the glue spot is quite large and noticeable. However I love the mirror and it not being metal just makes it easier to hang because it's lighter. I "won" a grouping of items that I went after mainly because I wanted the little beater thingies. I forgot that the seller noted that one was missing one of it's two beaters. When I got the grouping, one of the jars in the assortment was fractured and both beater thingies were missing a beater. I emailed the seller who pointed out that one was supposed to be missing a beater( but not both). However she promptly sent me 2 complete new beaterdealies. I appreciate her good customer service.

3. RESTRAIN YOURSELF and learn to pace your bidding! I got hooked by the initial low bidding on a couple of items. Then I was outbid and decided to just figure what my maximum was and put that. Then some items came on for sale that I really REALLY wanted and getting the first item wasn't so important anymore. I got stuck with that "win" and had to pass up something I wanted more because I'd already blown my mini mini budget.

4. I keep a manila folder with my eBay habit inside it. I make a list of "wins" and write when I've sent the check and when I receive the item.

I can only buy pretty small items but have been pleased with what I've bought. I've seen many items on Ebay that I've also seen at my dollar store so it's a good thing that ss'r's are a bunch of smart shoppers.

Shipping Charges: Just wanted to offer another possible explanation for the $7.50 postage charge for the single furniture piece on eBay. I looked up the item and read the description carefully. First of all, the $7.50 charge is for postage *and* insurance. My guess is that the seller feels the piece (which, incidentally, was made by an artisan long deceased) is worth quite a bit of money and has estimated the insurance to cover the item's perceived value. While I don't necessarily endorse or condemn the seller's estimated value for the piece (after all, I am far from being an expert on appraisals), I do believe it's possible the amount he/she has set might have included an insurance fee intended to cover the item's replacement value should the package be lost or damaged. In a case such as this, I would not hesitate to e-mail the seller and ask them how they arrived at their shipping price.

Bev Gallerani

eBay : The suggestion by eBay that you take it to small claims court is fairly useless, as I think you would have to show up in court or hire someone to represent you. They also are looking at this as a civil case, while I believe it is fraud which is criminal. I would send a registered letter to the people telling them that if you do not receive your merchandise or a refund within a certain time period you will 1) file a complaint with the post office for mail fraud and 2) file a complaint with their local district attorney's office. The return receipt from the registered letter is your proof that you attempted to contact them and to let the sellers know that you mean business. This could jump start them to send you your merchandise. Save all the emails that you sent and print out the auction page. Also make sure, in the end, to leave very negative feedback, file a complaint with eBay, and let us all know the name of the seller.

Overcharging on shipping: Do not bid if the shipping is too high. I would email them first and negotiate a shipping cost. I inadvertently left out a decimal place on an auction and shipping was $300 for a $40 item. People didn't bid until they contacted me first and I changed it on the auction. However, overcharging on shipping is not confined to eBay. I get a lot of packages with $1-$2 on the package and I'm charged $5-$6. I got very annoyed one time when there was a $5 handling fee and the pieces were just thrown into a recycled box with a bit of newspaper. When I called the seller she told me that they charge $5 because they have to drive to the post office which is 5 miles away. I'm sure my package wasn't the only one going to the post office and it doesn't cost $5 to drive 10 miles round trip unless it's a chauffer driven limo. I negotiate shipping costs before placing orders and I don't do business with people who overcharge on shipping.

Carol

eBay: I repeat, leaving Negative feedback on eBay only gets negative feedback left for you and ruins YOUR ratings. The system doesn't work. After being burned several times I will NOT leave negative feedback anymore! The only thing to do is leave a neutral and comment on the problem and hope for the best.

Steven A Burr

Shipping Charges: I have some advice for anyone bothered by shipping charges added to their items. I recently started selling some things. It takes up a lot of time contacting bidders, waiting for them to get back to you, packing items and waiting for payment. I recycle boxes from my purchases and pack carefully. I always combine shipping and if someone is really fast with payment or a multiple bidder, I try to always send them a tiny surprise. So far, all of my eBay experiences have been pretty good.

Linda

Shipping Charges: A seller on E-Bay told me it would cost $100.00 to ship a dollhouse from MI to IA. I called the Greyhound Bus Co. and found out it could come by bus for about $25.00.

Mary Kay Gleisner

eBay: Yes, negative feedback is a good incentive, but please try and work out the transaction before posting it. I sell on e-bay fairly often - miniatures and other stuff. Many times people either have a different idea of what the object is like, or they just aren't happy with it. I know that I (and many ebay dealers) would rather give a full refund with postage costs then get a negative feedback! I've had one negative ever, the person never let me know they weren't happy and what they said about the item was totally untrue, but even one negative can turn people off from bidding on your stuff. But if a dealer refuses to take back bad or misrepresented merchandise, by all means let them have it!

Please ask about postage before bidding! Bidding is binding, and if you aren't happy with the postage charge once you have won a bid, it's really too late if the seller doesn't want to work with you. I agree that $6 postage and handling is outrageous for miniatures, but I think most dealers will work with you.

Beverly Michie