eBay is going really well. It is paying our rent on a regular basis and then some.
Last night Mike was saying how he just doesn't understand how people can want these silly little marbles around that don't "do" anything; they just sit there.
I pointed out that we have items in our home that just sit there.
He agreed, but said they usually have some dual purpose, and if it is "just art" it is often something he made.
I then proceeded to explain the beauty that is an art glass marble.
He looked at me like I was sort of nuts.
"What do you expect? I have been photographing and creating layouts for your marbles all summer long. I have been thinking about what makes them beautiful so I can include their descriptive qualities in a justified manner. Didn't you realize that maybe I would start to actually think they were That Great?"
"Well, yeah, but then why don't you include all that stuff you just said in the listings? That would make a great marketing tactic!"
So, I wrote a thing about marbles, and here it is (and I guess I sort of want some feedback, as I know what I'm trying to convey but remain unconvinced that I am actually conveying it):
Do you know what a glass art marble is? It's a beautiful painting, an elaborate sculpture, brilliant colors, shapes and patterns contained in a tiny perfect sphere.
It's a WORLD OF ART wrapped in a compact package. The colors perform a dance with the light and you'll never tire of turning it over and over in your hands. It'll never look the same twice and you'll always notice something new each time you look.
If you don't believe me ask a marble collector: 'What is it about those marbles?' They will each have a story - or a hundred - to share.
A glass art marble makes a gift that is both wonderfully unusual and unusually wonderful: EXPECT the lucky receiver of this gift to ooh and ah at the wonder that is the art marble.
It's an addiction that never gets dull as new concepts and designs are constantly being created. It's an exciting world where glass artists get to give you a portfolio, a taste, of their talents in the form of a small perfect globe, perfectly symmetrical, perfectly round.
Don't take my word for it. With a 100% guarantee, what have you got to lose?
It's a work in progress, but that is what I have written so far.
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4 comments:
It makes me want a marble! I can just feel it in my hands right now and picture holding it up to the light and turning it around, letting the light catch on all the different colors inside. Good job!
Thanks, Ms. Onion! I think I will go ahead and add it to our eBay listings then!
I love that! I've never thought about marbles before!
I heard recently that an important part of marketing is creating a narrative. People buy things because of the story-- if every marble has a thousand stories, then maybe you should tell one of them! The story of how it was made, the story of the maker, the history of marbles, the story of where it was made, the story of what it's made from and with... !
Fantastic, Laurie Overcoat! Thank you - I know you have been to conferences and read many books relating to this type of thing (that is, How to Use Writing to Make a Living, among other details) and any advice you give is very much appreciated.
The main goal that we have is to combine my love of writing with his love of making glass art into a lucrative career for the both of us. Together we are doing the glass art side of it - him being the artist and me being the business partner - and now we are trying to implement my love into all of this.
I will most definitely put your advice to some serious mulling.
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