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Ok, this is basically a rant and is not intended to be a really in-depth guide on how to sell puppets on eBay or other auction sites. The following contains 20 hints to those potential and current sellers out there, based on what I've seen on the net lately...

I occasionally check out online auction sites for puppetry books, but I find the term 'puppetry' almost always comes up with R-rated stuff. So I use the term 'puppet'. Naturally, this means I also get to see what range of puppets are being sold on these sites. Which is fine, because I'm kind of curious, and it's good to know what's selling.

But there are a number of things that annoy me about the advertisements for puppets. Usually, puppets sold on these sites are not being sold by puppet makers or traditional sellers, but rather people who either just happen to have some puppets to sell (usually glove puppets; although this is where the term 'hand puppet' seems to be in greatest use) or by those who can see a niche in the area of collectables.

A number of things piss me off about it. As a puppet maker and potential collector, there are many things that are missing from advertisements, that I desperately wish people would consider.

1. Tell us more about the puppet

The ads are obviously primarily made towards teachers/parents/collectors, and even though those people might not be interested, a decent piece of information about the puppet is often lacking. Eg. Shadow puppets or Javanese rod puppets sold on these auction sites usually recap the history behind the tradition of the puppet, but don't actually mention the puppet being sold at all! If you're going to sell a traditional puppet from another country, don't tell us the history about the puppetry in that country. Fine, give us a sentence or two, but don't make the whole ad about the tradition of Wayang Golek. It's more than likely that you, the seller, don't know what the puppet is for, and has to do some research on it. I don't want to know the history of the puppet tradition, if I'm looking for puppets, it's more than likely I already know. But I DO want to know whether the puppet is durable, what it's made of, the condition, whether it has rods/detachable rods... I want to know more about what I'm actually purchasing! (This goes for selling any kind of puppet actually). More to the point, I also want to know whether the puppet is simply decoration (usually it means they come without methods of operation, like rods), or whether it is fully operational.

2. Tell us more continued

Don't just tell me about the costume. There's more to a puppet than what it's dressed in. Tell me about the materials of the puppet, tell me about the dimensions, tell me about who made it (if you know), tell me about hinges and rods and puppet mouths... tell me about what the puppet can do!!!!!

3. Are you in control?

If you're going to sell a marionette, SHOW THE DAMN CONTROL. Don't just take photos of the puppet's body and head, show photos of the control and strings. Marionettes are tricky to untangle, and the control is usually made out of wood. Condition of the puppet is important, especially when selling to collectors, and if the strings or control are damaged or worn, then the marionette is less collectable - therefore less valuable. If you're having trouble taking photos of the whole puppet, then either: sit the marionette against a wall; have someone hold it up, with the control and strings clearly visible; or hang the control from a convenient door handle or washing line. Don't photograph only half of the puppet, make sure you have at least two photos where the puppet is visible in its entirety (this counts sitting, since it's more practical to photograph a sitting puppet than a standing one). It pisses me off no end that you don't show the control, since there are many different versions of controls, some which are easier to use, some harder, etc. In fact, for all puppets, DON'T EVER CROP THE PHOTO SO THE RODS OR STRINGS AREN'T VISIBLE. People are paying for your puppets, and they will want to see all the bits and pieces that come with it, especially the method of operation. Otherwise they may as well just buy a soft toy.

4. Materials matter

If you're advertising a glove puppet, try and find out what materials the head and hands are made out of. Actually this goes for every type of puppet. Again, it's about durability, and glove puppets can be made out of a wide range of materials; some more durable, some less.

5. Puppets aren't like diamonds

Just because puppets are a niche market doesn't make every puppet collectable. Do your research, just like any other niche product, and find out who made the most collectable puppets and how much they are worth. It's not rare just because you say it is. Most puppets sold on the net are actually very common, and probably made by non-collectable producers.

6. Learn the basics

You're more likely going to be a hobby seller, or a 'mom and pop' seller than a puppet maker or traditional puppet seller. Which means you usually write things like: "I don't know much about the puppet," "I don't know what kind of puppet this is," or "Someone told me this was a [whatever] puppet". Which is understandable, not many people know a lot about puppets. But please, it's not too much to ask you to know the difference between a puppet with strings, and a puppet that's rod operated: SERIOUSLY. One's got strings, one doesn't. How hard is that to figure out?

7. In the picture

As said above: show more photos. Show the back of the puppet, show under the clothing, have big, clear photos. Studies actually show that people buying on the net are more inclined to make a purchase if there's a decent photo with the listing (seriously, go do some research on this. I'm not making this up). Do yourself a favour and add a photo. A CLEAR ONE.

8. Replacing those repairs

Don't say in your listing that the puppet "just needs some repairs and it'll be as good as new". People don't know how to repair puppets, and it's not as easy as just re-upholstering that old couch of yours. Repairs to puppets, especially collectable ones, should be done with care and caution. Obviously, it's fine to announce to the world that the puppet is played with or is of a fair-good condition: that's the nature of puppetry. But learn about what you're selling, and find out just exactly what condition the puppet is in, and how much work would need to go into repairs. Quite often, it's not a matter of a quick lick of paint. Depending on the type of puppet and the materials, it could mean chipped clay, broken hinges, moldy controls... etc. Which means the puppet has less value and/or use. Additionally, any working part of the puppet could be affected by any faults/wear and tear, as well as any homemade repairs. Any repairs needed to be done on a puppet should never be classified as "it will be as good as new".

9. Are you short-selling yourself?

A variation on #5. Puppets are made with care and dedication, and if made with good, durable materials, are quite costly to produce. Combine this with the fact that most puppets aren't actually rare, and the fact that the condition of the puppet is probably fair-good, consider your pricing. The best puppets being sold online (muppet-types) can go for up to $US 400. I doubt your puppet is worth as much... On the other hand, do you really want to sell someone's hard work for $0.01? (See my post about good prices for puppets here)

10. Being specific with conditions

Don't just create your own grading system. "Puppet - great condition". What the hell is that? If I were buying a book in "great condition" would that mean it's new, or does that mean it's secondhand but mint? Seriously, if you're going to come up with a grading system, come up with a better one. How about actually telling us more about the condition of the puppet - are there any holes in the clothing, is the clothing intact and original, are there any scratches... etc. And just because it's new and never been used, doesn't mean it's in good condition. Storage can greatly affect the materials of the puppet, and make degradations to certain parts which are more vulnerable than others.

11. Learn more than the basics

If all else fails, why not actually learn about puppetry? It's not that hard to do, and you'd probably have to learn a bit about other products in order to sell them... I had someone show me a picture of a puppet once, they told me that their parents had bought it at a fair in the UK. They insisted it was a European style puppet. I knew without even blinking that it was not of European style, but rather from an Asian country; most likely the Javanese Wayang Kulit (side note: please learn the difference between Wayang Kulit and Wayang Golek. They are not the same and not interchangeable). For collectors, the difference is important, because we want to buy from sellers who know what they're selling and can answer questions about the puppet/sale in an informed manner. (For another great example, I just found a listing for a Chinese marionette... in the description, they explain that marionettes in China are similar to the European glove puppet!)

12. Happy shipping

Don't underestimate the need for proper packaging and shipping. Puppets can be easily damaged in transit; learn how to pack a marionette so the strings don't tangle as well.

13. Are you overselling yourself?

Another variation of #5. If you're selling a puppet that would be quite collectable, but it is in very bad condition (parts missing, chipped, broken, whatever), don't tell us it's rare and put a price of several hundred dollars up. Don't follow it with a description that reads, "it's quite tatty". No matter how rare the puppet is, the condition is everything. No collector would seriously buy a rare item that's "tatty" for several hundred dollars. If you have to describe something use a more tactful description, and consider lowering the price. If it's as rare as you say it is, then some crazy collector will buy it anyway, and perhaps for more than you wanted in the first place. (On the other hand, it's just as bad to write "rare" and "collectable", and then have a price of $10. And it's just as bad to call it rare, even though you are selling a factory-made item, and that same item can be found every day of the week on all of the auction sites)

14. Are you a LOLcat?

Learn how to spell. Discerning potential customers are turned off by bad spelling (again, go do some research, this has been studied), as well as any listings that don't include a decent return policy and shipping/payment information.

15. Pictures aren't worth a thousand words

An addition on #7. Don't just have a photo, then have the usual shipping/payment info. The photo does not say it all, especially if you are selling factory-made puppets and the photo is stock.

16. Marketing - do you need lessons?

This one is so obvious, it's hard to believe I found a listing where someone's done this. Don't state in the title of the listing that the puppet needs repairs. It might be up front and honest, but it's certainly not a good marketing tactic.

17. Better images for the new age

A variation on #7. Did you know you can now add video to your listings? Well, spark up your listing and show us how to use that puppet. Get a young kid, a sister, a nephew, someone, and do a little skit. Not only will it show how fun it is to own this puppet, but it will convey a lot more information about the puppet than a simple photo will.

18. By hand or by machine

Tell us whether or not the puppet is handmade or factory made (ie. if it has tags, it's factory made). Factory made puppets may be of a higher quality materials; on the other hand, it's not as caringly made as handmade ones.

19. Puppets or toys

No matter how you dress it up (figuratively speaking) a toy is still just a toy. A puppet has a method of operation, so you can move the arms, legs, head, or mouth. A toy has no methods of operation. It's fine to call a puppet a toy, since many of them can be considered as such (puppets made for kids, or to be used with kids), but a soft toy is not a puppet.

20. Stop using the word "professional"

As discussed here, the word "professional" is just a made-up term to convince people the puppet is of high quality workmanship and materials; and isn't necessarily true. "Professional puppet"... have you ever heard of an amateur puppet? No? I wonder why...

... Now that I've got that out of my system, I feel so much better.. Hope I can see some of these put into practice in the future. (Or all of them actually)

(Footnote: many of the quoted descriptions of puppets come from real eBay auctions. I'm not making this stuff up)

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