Recent Sales
They say every problem’s an opportunity, so here’s my latest opportunity: Two of my parcels to America were refused at customs, so are on their way back to me. I’m pretty sure I know why, but have to wait a couple of days for the company I used to book the order to do their own enquiries. I suspect it’s because I didn’t attach a list of contents to either parcel. The reason I didn’t was because the label I was given to download and attach said “This is all the paperwork you need”, so was the only paperwork I attached. If so, surely the company I used to book the deliveries will have to accept that it was an error on their part. Hopefully both parcels will get back to me soon so I can resend using a different service. In the meantime, I’ve already switched couriers to one whose labels include a section with the contents listed, but they’re a lot more expensive. The main opportunity here, as I see it, is to make sure both the people waiting for their purchases end up happy with the result. If they like owning my work and I’m a FREE ART FREES ARTer desperate to get rid of it, this shouldn’t be too hard to fix. All the images in this post are of paintings sold in the last couple of days, like this one:
Other than this, both shops have been busy. Nine artworks sold in the last couple of days, including two just now. Here’s four major recent changes that seem to have worked out and that I now realise should have been obvious from the start: super low prices, more freebies, combined shipping and selling outside Europe, particularly America. Three changes in the pipeline: TRANSIT COMPENSATION PACKS that fit into orders being sent out in a tube, a more comprehensive info pack, and most importantly, MORE LISTINGS. There should be at least triple the current number of listings in each shop, and an assistant packing the orders and taking them to the Post Office. If Aon can get over here on a work visa, this should all be done by spring next year. I can’t see THE CAMDEN MARKET FREE ART MAN happening again before then. Free art’s freeing art in the form of my online shops freebies. Before, at Camden, FREE ART FREES ARTwas an idea. By the time I return it’ll be a fully functioning irrefutable reality.
Before Aon comes over here though, I’ll be going out there. Visa rules for Thailand are changing but according to videos I’ve seen, it’s the multiple entry ones that are most affected. Standard tourists like me, who just want to visit with an established reason for being there and no history of overstaying or being in any trouble, still seem to have a relatively straight forward experience. Aon shows me videos of her village every day. As winter approaches in London, it gets more and more tempting to jump on a plane and leave now, but with the momentum of my online shops picking up, to do so would be crazy. It’s hard justifying going out there at all but Aon and I have been apart for 9 months already. If it goes to over a year, I think we’d have to officially declare ourselves pen pals, which can’t be allowed to happen. Even at FREE ART FREES ART’s cost. Arm and Dog sold:
Next to get painted are the small 7 x 5 inch oil on canvas. I used to do online auctions for these and sell them at a loss, just to get more people aware of my shop. Then, a couple of months ago, I stopped doing them just because I didn’t have time. Around 30 are nearly finished and I would like to get back to doing these auctions. Despite often being a financial waste of time, at least directly, auctions are my favourite method of selling. Checking in on the bids every night is like following a horse race, and gives me the same dopamine buzz I imagine gamblers get. If I lose money, I can write them off as entertainment. I don’t smoke, drink or go to pubs. I don’t take drugs, I do online auctions. They say everyone has their heroin. But beyond this, I think if I keep consistent with having them every week, they’ll build up into being more profitable. Man and Swan sold:
