Glass and Copper Wind Chime, the Start

Large Glass and Copper Wind Chime, Coast Chimes

I made my first glass and copper wind chime, quite similar to the one pictured above, and listed it on eBay about 25 years ago. eBay was new, and no one had ever seen a wind chime like this before. I listed it at .99 cents, and the bidding went crazy. It ended up somewhere north of $250, and I knew I was onto something. Shortly after, the second glass and copper wind chime I made and listed repeated the bidding frenzy, and I really knew I was onto something. In the following years things have not always been so easy. It does turn out that nothing stays the same, and this is especially true concerning the internet! With all the improvements in technology, how funny that selling something like my wind chimes has actually become much, much more challenging. I am so pleased that back when I started out it was actually simple to sell something like my wind chimes on line. Anyone starting now would be in for a much more difficult task.

The inspiration for my first glass and copper wind chime came from a customer. At the time, I was selling some single pieces of beach-style glass, with a little copper work. This woman emailed and asked if I could make her a wind chime out of my glass. I told her that would not work-- the glass would break. A little later it came to me that I could use glass for a top section, with chimes hanging beneath the glass.

Now, so many years later, I have numerous designs (and still thinking of new ones!), and also work with beach stone and driftwood. Indeed, one of the most enjoyable parts of my job is to take a long hike along the beach, looking for materials and dreaming up new ideas.

Eventually eBay went to the dogs, at least for high-end quality handcrafted works like my wind chimes. Etsy came into play just at the right time, and continues fairly strong, despite occasional bumps. My first website, made about 20 years ago and unbelievably rough, has gone through many transformations, and last week was reborn as a Shopify store: Coast Chimes

eBay Blues

If you had told me several years ago that I would today be thinking seriously of quitting eBay, I would have laughed. I would have thought you had a screw loose. But today I am thinking seriously of totally quitting eBay.

When I first started on eBay about ten years ago, it was an amazing place. Back then, I could put a wind chime on auction for 99 cents, and I would typically get more than I thought I would, and often a lot more.

Not so long ago, an auction would attract somewhere between 250 to 500 views. Often within the first couple of hours of listing, there would be a bid, or multiple bids, and perhaps nearly a hundred visits.

Welcome to the new eBay. Here is an example of what a dismal place it now is. I listed three auctions at around 5:00 PM yesterday. This is still during prime Christmas shopping days. This morning, two of them have had one (one!) visits, and the third has had two visits. Unbelievable! Back in the good lo' days, I expect those same auctions at this same time of year would have each have had over a hundred visits, not to mention multiple bids. What in the world has eBay done? Whatever it is, it is wrong, wrong, wrong.

In a nutshell, eBay now stinks.

Thank goodness I listened to a friend who saw this coming, and I set up a good website (Coast Chimes), and I also researched many other sites out there, and finally determined that one stood out (Etsy). I now get most of my sales through these two venues.

Yes, I would have laughed two years ago at the idea of closing down my eBay store and auctions. But sadly this is now what I will be doing. Because eBay no longer works for me.

$200+ Wind Chime at 99 Cents? Crazy.

Cick on the picture to see it largerStarting price of 99 cents. No reserve. I must be nuts!
Click here to see the eBay auction

For months I have run one auction a week on eBay— always sticking to my 'kaleidoscope' style wind chime. It's pretty, and pretty popular. But for some strange reason, I decided to list one of my fabulous cobalt blue all glass and copper wind chimes last night. Even stranger, I decided to stick with my 99 cents starting price.

You need to understand that the blue glass (along with frosty white) is by far the most challenging to work with. It is tough achieving nice, large pieces, with a pleasant shape. Even drilling the holes is much riskier (I used to constantly fracture the blue glass). Because of the challenge, I do enjoy making them. But I just never have that much blue glass.

This wind chime is 100% glass and copper. No string. No wood. It should last pretty much forever, and just look better and better as time goes by. I've had three of this style on my deck year round for the past ten years.

Usually I put these on my website and stick firm at between $227 and $275 (depending on the glass and the copper on for the chimes). Sooner or later (often sooner), they always sell.

So to put this at .99 cents is just... nuts. Well, maybe if it doesn't start taking off, I will cancel the auction. Maybe not. We'll see.

New Works ~ Interesting Wind Chimes

For the first time I am using some of the large 'shooter' marbles that have been accumulating over the years. Most often, in each small bag of marbles I buy, there is one large marble~ a shooter. I've obviously bought a lot of bags of marbles! These beautiful wind chimes are available for instant purchase in my eBay store, or on the neat arts and crafts site, Etsy. They are very well made. The red cedar box frames, chime roundels and windsails have been treated with an exception eco-friendly tung nut oil finish. A beach stone clapper sounds great against the five heavy copper chimes. A treat for the eyes, and the ears.

A very busy, productive day, yesterday, despite the cold weather. So cold, sometimes I lost all feeling in my hands. One can't wear gloves when using a table saw, or sanding, and I do all that sort of work outside, in unheated space. Not to complain, but I sure wish it was (a lot) warmer. This morning, it's snowing again!

Yesterday illustrates well just how varied my days often are. Cutting cedar, cutting copper, sanding, brad nailing, soldering, cleaning plate glass, selecting glass, applying tung nut oil, cutting roundels, taking pictures, computer work, answering emails. Tools used: sander, table saw, jig saw, drill press, brad nailer, camera, computer. Oh~ and the wood stove might count as a tool yesterday, for thawing out my hands!

A Steal?

Huh~ I had a neat little flash thing here showing a listing from eBay, but the auction ended a long time ago, and the player showed... nothing. So I decided to revise and show the neat little earrings I make and give to customers. Whenever anybody orders anything at all, I always include a free set as a little thank you gift. Sometimes the emails I get lead me to believe the customer is as excited to receive the earrings as the windchime!

Only a little more than a day to go, and such a low price? Looks bad for me. Good for some lucky bidder. Oh well, things can change in a day. I hope so. (things did change~ I got an okay price~-- updated March 1, 2008)

Deluxe Kaleidoscope Wind Chime

Ebay offers a new feature ~ 'eBay to Go' Kind of neat.

Addicted

Large Beach Glass inspired Kaleidoscope Wind Chime

Copper chimes with a beach stone clapper

99 Cent listing on eBay!

So I think I am addicted to 99 cent auctions. This is the third week I've run one, and this is one of the nicest yet.

This wind chime usual resides in my eBay store for $225.50, but I have just listed it for 99 cents on eBay. Learn more about it, or bid, by clicking here.

It Hurts

Missing part of my thumb (see last post) hurts, but it hurts more to see this exceptional cobalt blue beach glass inspired wind chime with cold forged copper hook and spiral connectors sitting on eBay for a laughable price. A treat not just for the eyes, but five heavy copper chimes with a beach stone clapper make lovely music for the ears, too.

Perhaps I was not too bright to start the auction at 99 cents. This is easily a $250 wind chime. Alas, there it is at $41, with the clock ticking. Now that's just plain silly.

'Push, Push, Push'

You're too late! You missed the boat! This one sold yesterday. But don't despair. There are more beautiful works at my website.

A reviewer of my blog just wrote they liked the ‘push, push, push to try to get people to buy.’ That got me thinking (oh, oh).

It’s tough making a living selling art or crafts. You can make all the amazing things you want, but if you can’t sell, the dog’s not going to eat.

As the reviewer noted with approval, I am upfront, and don’t sneak up on people. I believe in my work. It’s a big part of my life. it’s what I do. Along with pushing.

I thank the reviewer for not being annoyed and for an honest, thoughtful assesment of my blog and my new web site (the appearance of which has now been vastly improved from when he or she saw it— I hope).

Now if I could only think of more ways to push...