DPW Auction Insights & Strategies

I am delighted with DPW and now to have this forum for all the little questions that occur to me–hoping some experienced members will chime in. I suppose each of these could be a separate topic, but here’s today’s list:

1. When a painting does not sell in 7 days, do you relist it (or use the re-list feature)? How many times? Immediately or later?
I’m sure many potential buyers do not see every auction, but I’m not sure leaving a piece up for auction too long is good practice. I have tried relisting one or two things after awhile and gotten very little interest–new posts and new auctions seem to be the big draw.
2. Speaking of those older works…do you leave them in your gallery indefinitely, or do you ever clean house, especially if you feel you have improved or changed, and they no longer represent your best?
You never know when someone will like something, and I have sold a couple of things from my gallery. But with each little advance, some of my older things start to bother me.
3. Have you noticed any day of the week or season of the year when things sell better or worse?
It seems like there should be more sales near the holiday season–seems pretty slow right now. What’s your experience?
4. Have your sales on DPW ever interested a gallery?
I don’t feel ready and am not actively seeking gallery representation right now. But I wonder galleries ever approach or are more interested in artists as a result of their online exposure and track record. (Or maybe it never works that way.)
5. Any other strategies or insights you’re willing to share? Thanks.

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Connie, I am just trying out the auction department. I have two little paintings there. I think I will revert them to Buy it Now if there are not any bids. I am leaving my older works in the gallery for now, although I am sure there are many of them due for a re-thought. I have recently sold some I was concerned about so I might leave well alone for now. Not sure yet how day, week or season affects my page. No interest from a gallery so far…and my personal choice would be to stay away from them at present. I do exhibit my work however in group or solo shows.

It doesn’t matter how good or how inexpensive your painting is, if it’s buried among the multitude chances are it will never been seen. With hundreds of paintings going up everyday, how do you even get noticed?

I had a flurry of activity when I first started in March. It’s since dropped to practically zero, even though the work has greatly improved. It feels like fishing in a vast ocean. Occasionally there are bites, most of the time not a nibble. Has DPW come over saturated?

I don’t think three months is nearly long enough to reach any such conclusions. It takes time to build a following and see repeat customers. All things being equal (which of course they’re not) different people are going to see different results. I joined in Nov 2012, have more than covered my membership costs (plus it’s fun!), and would still like to hear the opinions and experiences of people who have been here much longer than I have.

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I have given up trying to guess what it is that attracts people to certain paintings. When I paint I just paint to please myself, and try to get closer to my goals. I have noticed that the number of views a painting gets is a good indication of whether it might sell. I am just happy to have dailypaintworks to have a place to show my work to a larger audience. I used to relist the default three times but I came to the conclusion that it was pointless to do so. I now will relist once but am thinking of dropping that too because if it does not sell the first time around, it probably won’t the second. The auction has price categories that I am guessing buyers use to select paintings in their price range. So for example if you priced your work at $101 you would be in a different category than if you priced it at $100. Being in Canada and most of the buyers in the US, I have to be careful with the cost of shipping. It usually cost me more to ship than I charge. When someone buys, they are factoring in everything - cost of the painting, shipping, framing. If you have only one follower for your auction and you get a bid, then your painting will probably go for the minimum bid you set for it. I have learned a lot from bidding on paintings myself. Paint consistently well and be famous - easy-peezy.

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I have not been here for that long, only since the beginning of the year. I used to use the 3 times auto-relist option, but lately I’m not re-listing. What I’ve noticed through my personal experience, and I’m sure yours will differ at least somewhat, that my work does not sell in auctions - it sells later, all through Buy it now options, so I’ll just need to have those paintings available in the gallery, and list new works to bring more viewers in. I also list the works on Etsy and some are sold there. I like to first list a painting in an auction on DPW and after the auction ends I list it on Etsy and link to it. Etsy brings more visitors, so there’s more potential buyers and the work is still available here in the gallery. So yes, I leave the paintings listed here, why not?
I cannot tell much about seasonal changes yet, not enough time here, but I’ve sold my hand painted silk scarves in my Etsy store and I saw several times increase in sales during Christmas season. Not sure if that applies to fine art, I hope at least a little bit.
I also want to explore the option on selling prints from my art. I already had inquiries from my Etsy visitors, I believe there’s a way to offer prints here as well. Here, I sell small works here, but people want to have larger prints for there homes, so it’s something to think about.

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I will agree with Connie about allowing time to build up a following and ‘hang in here’ posting every day. It does take a great deal of commitment to daily painting factoring in all the other jobs in life but I am enjoying it so much. I have just reverted my two auction test pieces to ‘buy it now’ as I think I shall keep to one way of selling. My own choice as a customer would be to buy it now rather than getting into an auction process.

I have been a part of dailypaintworks since 2011. I do re- list and sometimes it has taken the third go around before I have a bid. I should also mention that I don’t always get a bid either. In my opinion it’s all about perserverence. Participate in the challenges, post your paintings whether they are for sale or not. I think the auction site is great exposure for potential buyers and making art buddies. It’s an avenue to get your stuff out there.

As far as galleries…no galleries have approached me because of my work here. I try to separate what I am doing here with small works as opposed to having larger more expensive pieces in galleries.

I see the auction site as one part of many parts of my art life. I think I will always be a participant.

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I haven’t been here very long either, only about eight months. Putting up a painting every day is beyond my scope, simply because I don’t have all the hours I would like, for painting…and not everything I produce is necessarily saleable. I do use the auction facility, with a buyitnow price included. I don’t now relist if it doesn’t sell, the picture just stays in the “collection”. One thing about using auction, the picture gets seen when first listed; then it may get seen again under the “ending soon” section.
I think the number of views, and how rapidly those views build up, is a good indicator of whether the work will sell. The graph is very helpful; where the “peaks” occur show that a particular painting attracted more than the average number of viewers. It also helps as regards subject-matter, and maybe even a colour-scheme…e.g I seem to have more hits on pink or yellow flowers than on landscapes.
I am happy doing my own thing; I don’t follow the crowd or popular styles. If something doesn’t sell then it doesn’t; I just keep it for a local exhibition, maybe. I guess that website visitors are always looking each day and every day for an endless supply of new and fresh work.

I have been resisting but am now about to it that for a while and go to buy it now - the people who have bought from me in the past have waited out the auctions so they could get the picture and I think that’s not so easy for impulse buyers. I do leave my older works in my gallery except for any that I think are “dogs” and we’re submitted impulsively. I wonder too about the best days to post - still not sure.

I sometimes wonder about ‘best days’ Elisabeth. However, as I post every day I suppose it doesn’t matter too much. I hope viewers keep looking in my gallery.

I’d have to agree that there is no use trying to figure out what is popular and what sells. If you do, the work usually suffers and the process becomes work instead of pleasure. I don’t think relisting is pointless. I’ve relisted paintings more than 3x, and in my frustration raised the price. To my surprise I got bids! It’s like fishing. Use good bait, be patient and try different areas (subject matter).

I don’t believe buyers factor in anything other than what they see. Shipping + tax (if any) is automatically added if you preference that. I’ve not had one painting that I listed as framed sold or even bid on because the price of the frame is more than what they paid for the painting (I do watercolors; glass, mat, frame = expensive and costly to ship).