How long should I try to sell my cards on ebay before giving up?

[Riddo]

I'm trying to sell handmade cards on ebay but have so far only sold enough to cover all the fees. Is it worth perservering?

Thanks for your words of encouragement Radley. I know quite a few people who make their own although they do sometimes buy mine because they know how much work went into them. I buy other peoples as well if they do something I can't do.

I'll keep going on ebay for a while longer as it may pick up.

Sorry, I stand corrected

They are lovely cards and when I get a credit card i will buy some

My Cards arrived this morning and were lovely, and very quickly delivered, and very carefully packaged. I got the Pink & purple fairies. I am in Essex if that helps.

Sorry Mumball - I got confused! I'm glad you like them.

Sorry to put the dampers on this.
I thought of selling my cards on ebay a couple of years ago but after studying the sale of other peoples handmade cards I decided not to bother.
I have no patients with people and I won't let my cards go for next to nothing after all the work I have put into making them.
Your cards are lovely and they look well made. You have to have the patients to keep putting them on ebay and as JM says you may build up a cliental

What I thought sold the most on ebay was embellishments, putting thing on tags, I think people buy the tags, stick them on their own cards, stick a happy birthday peel off and pass them of as their own work. Sad but true

This women seems to do \link{http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BURGUNDY-PINK-FOR-A-SPECIAL-FRIEND-3D-CARD-TOPPERS_W0QQitemZ8276571055QQcategoryZ57197QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem\well}

Hi I just wanted to add that I buy all of my cards from eBay. I find it easier than popping to the shops with my 3 year old twins and tend to buy a few from the same person and usually end up saving on postage that way. In fact I just bought a card this week from eBay for baby twin girls. The reason I did not find your ones is that I searched for "Personalised twin card". Maybe if you added the word "personalised" if you have enough space so in case people search for that? Hope this helps as I have a lot of eBay experience buying and selling. Your cards are lovely and I have added you to my favourite sellers for future.

Ruthie

I appreciate your comments Carolinett. I think it would annoy me too much to make toppers for other people although I agree it may be more lucrative. I'm learning a lot from doing this in terms of what people want and how they search for cards (thank you hbp!. I'll keep going until I get fed up. So far I've just about covered the fees - if the losses get too great I shall give up. I have sold some to the local craft shop and am about to sell some in my church's coffee shop so I'll have something to compare ebay with.

Just an idea
If you sell at the Church Hall it may be a good idea to make an eye catching poster to pin on their notice board if you're allowed, take a couple of photos of your cards, put a telephone number or email address on the poster also state you'll personalise any cards, put a from & to price, list the different cards you can make, Birthday, Christening, Wedding etc.
You could put one in your local post office aswell
Just a suggestion

I like that idea, thanks. I had thought of putting a sticker on the back of the card saying that more designs can be found on ebay but I haven't made up my mind yet.

I stick a label on the back of all my cards, I had them made some guy on ebay I think they were £7.99 for a thousand.
I'm dead lucky I sell mine at work.
What a lot of the girls at work do is, at the begining of the year they will give me a list of the cards they want personalised for the whole year.
You could make this suggestion to any new clients you get.
Again just another idea

Have you tried selling through local shops, if you are shy try the town next to you if they turn you down you will never have to see the shop keeper again. Some might be tempted with sale or return. I think it helps if people can see and feel the cards I think with handmade ones.

Places to try might be gift shops, independent garden centres, cafes even hair dressers.

Work place drops as suggested might work if cards are cellophane wrapped people can have a good look and you won't get too many damages. Leave a box with in the staff room or with the receptionist at the staff entrance in places like factories, hospitals etc. Ask someone like the receptionist to take responsibility for collacting cash or orders in exchange for discount or free cards. The book companies often use this method. Often their will be staff notice boards or places like tescos even lat people set up a mini stall in the canteen.

Getting more confident will help, tell everyone you know what do, always have some samples in your bag, perhaps a folder, get cheap business cards or small flyers and leave them everywhere you go. Helps if you have a website to put on cards etc, try one of the free idiot enabled ones like the one I used even I managed to get a site going that is good for show casing .

Riddo....get yourself a Moonfruit website....free and so easy to build and would look better to have your own site than listing ebay on the back of your cards.
Its a case of just keep going at it.
I sell the most cards through my sisters dental practice....she has a stand in her waiting room...patients waiting browse and buy ....try local florists, make up cricket, rubgy, footbal cards and take them to your local club houses....they may let you sell them there.

Good luck and dont give up....your cards are lovely.

Waiting rooms are a great idea. I was chatting to woman who runs a cafe in the bowling club house and she was looking for someone to supply cards for her customers to buy.

Oh and I am with Moonfruit too, pretty easy to set up with a bit of fiddling about and trial and error, ideal for a showcase even for local buyers.