I have attempted to sell art and handmade goods online since there was an online marketplace to sell.
I had some success on eBay, selling vintage items, music, books, rarely works of my own making. My stuff never sold. just a drop in the ocean of online artists. I never had the time nor ability to dive in deeply and make it successful.
I developed as an artist, came into a passion and style, and finally plenty of time. MS disabled me quickly, but allowed time to art (it’s a verb). Still no time to market myself, what with creating and surviving the hell that is disabling chronic illness.
Finally, a portfolio of art works… with time and the inability to sell, it built. I felt the need to reopen my Etsy store and dive in to marketing myself and my work, from home where my condition has me often.
My first day I sold a painting
a favorite… an auspicious beginning, right?…
No. Etsy absolutely took any joy out of it for me. With their Etsy pay system, supposedly linked to my PayPal btw, it took 3 days for them to disperse the funds to my bank and THEN reported my bank would be holding it for 3-5 more days as some sort of verification process… anyway…
It took a week before I was paid, the next two I sold, 4 days.
The customers paid right away. Etsy doesn’t pay like I used to get paid from internet sales. I was paid directly to PayPal and it was done. I don’t care what or why anymore and this isn’t about Etsy or their policies…. nor the fees I’ve always paid to sell in online marketplaces
This is about me going truly independent. Again, PayPal has been the best system for online payment to pay and receive.
I got a PayPal.me link to be able to get paid for an item directly. I can also receive donations for art supplies and easy payments for commissions.
Simple as that, market myself simply through my social media outlets, hope someone sees, appreciates, purchases or donates.
I used Instagram to successfully auction a small watercolor of a recurring mermaid in my repertoire, Arrlene, The Pirate Mermaid:

She sold and I am so happy to send her to her new home. So, here’s to auspicious beginnings, anew.
Slainte!
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