e-bay-ing Your Puppets...

[Show and Tell]

Ravage is correct. For you as an experienced builder, you need to remember your time is your most valuable asset and that the time to design and build a custom puppet is worthy of much more than a little over minimum wage. Of course you gotta keep food on the table too so in the slow times "you gotta do whatcha gotta do".

 

[PaulyPuppets]

I actually do pretty good on Ebay. I've been supporting me and my family primarily building and selling puppets on Ebay for about 3 years now. I'll do an occasional acting or writing gig once in a while. And now I just became a Realtor, so I'm hoping to stop having to build puppets. I spend about $400 - 500 a month on this business between supplies and Ebay fees. But I build and sell about 10 -15 Ebay puppets per week. Most of the time, on EBAY, they each sell at auctions end for the minimum I start them at ($46). But many times they sell for 2 sometimes three times that amount. Plus I get a few orders from my non EBAY site, www.puppetsnstuff.com . I have it down where I can build one puppet in under an hour, but that does not include the hours I spend driving around getting my supplies. I try to stock up on supplies twice a month, and schedule the shopping during big sale days (at JOANN FABRICS). It can be done. You just have to know all your personal limits, physical, mental, financial, etc. .....Pauly
http://stores.ebay.com/PUPPETSNSTUFF-PUPPETS​

 

[Show and Tell]

And now I just became a Realtor, so I'm hoping to stop having to build puppets.​

Good grief! Your trying to get out and I'm trying to get in.

 

[ravagefrackle]

for me a custom build can take up to 100 man hours, thats designing, patterning/sculpting,dying fabric,hand sewing, and machine stitching, building arm rods,costuming ,making eyes, finding the right materials, consulting with the client back and forth, shipping prototypes for approval,

all that not nessarily in that order, often times while i am working a day job at another design studio,

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I never realized how much I was underselling myself. I was talking to a friend last night over milkshakes (which make me sick, but I love shakes!) and he started thinking about a friend he'd known who was marking prices up really higher than they should be so the other people could 'chew him down,' and another guy who has a list of base rates from which he won't change.
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So, it's half-n-half over those who sell on ebay if they get their money's worth or not, and those who buy from there typically are pleased with both the price and quality of the puppet.

 

[SONBEAM CREATOR]

I sell a few puppets on ebay but DEFINATELY DO NOT get the time that I have invested in making them-the materials are covered but those are mainly Jo-Ann's sale prices and wholesale LARGE quanity prices we buy.
The aspect that really bugs me about ebay or anywhere else is the fact that people can purchase the "manufactured" puppets at a MUCH lower price than those made with BLOOD, SWEAT and TEARS(and love, in there somewhere). People just don't want to pay for quality-they want the "Wal-mart" prices. And I guess they get what they pay for but it does erk me at times. Thank you for letting me blow.

 

[Phantom]

I've placed my first one for sale on my website which honestly only gets 9 or 10 visits a day. I figure in about three weeks, if no one has shown any intrest, I may e-bay him or donated him to my church.

There's no way that I can charge for time invested (no puppet pedigree), but I figure I enjoy what I do so I can take some solace that I may be able to generate some income from that. (I'm getting out of debt....every little bit helps.) I think I build a really good puppet and that they have lots of character.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Well, the Audubon Society guy said he'd found a puppet builder who'll build the puppets for $125 each. I told him to "rock on!" I'd rather NOT get the money and NOT build the puppets rather than undersell myself to someone, thus causing the prices other professionals ask for to be dropped as well.

The underselling of artwork or cartoons or puppets or costumes underminds the entire process of creativity, and also undervalues the worth of the work we entertainers put into our projects!

 

[Phantom]

Maybe I can someday become a professional builder then price my work accordingly. It sounds like you don't approve of my undertaking, Kevin.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

You mean you're the one who got the Audubon gig when I refused to go cheap? Good for you! Or, that you're simply starting out inexpensively to get the much needed recognition? Nah, do it however you wish to do it. It's not for ME to approve. I'm just one person. Do what feels right to yourself, but don't de-value YOUR work or YOUR worth!!

My lesson in underselling myself (and basically others) came from a major cartoonist here in town. I allowed free use of Muley Comix comic strips in a local publication, and then when others were trying to sell strips, they said they had a free one, why pay?

When I realized after he explained that I wasn't just underselling myself, but decreasing the value of my craft, as well as the hard work of others, I withdrew my strip, and then offered it to them for sale. They declined. Now, there's a high-school kid doing those strips for free. Exposure ain't what it's cracked up to be, gang, so when you hear that, DON'T let it fool you. You can't feed yourself on exposure (unless your a stripper at a club).

Anyhow, sure, start out light and easy just to get yourself known, but start kicking your prices to where they should be as time passes by.

I am curious to see the work of the builder that the Audubon guy hired. I took actual puppets with me to the meeting to show him my work.