Buy and Sell Personalized Artwork
Todd
I've just begun a new online business called "WonderNinja"
(www.wonderninja.com), the purpose of which is to develop a
centralized marketplace for the buying and selling of unique
personalized services.
One such service is "Art and Illustration", whereby people can buy and
sell any kind of art that can be customized for the individual.
For example, a Buyer has a photograph he or she would like reproduced
in another medium. This Buyer browses the listings for a Seller that
offers the particular artistic service desired, or posts an "RFQ"
("Request For Quotations") in order to receive bids on the project.
Either way, the photo might end up as a fine oil painting, a charcoal
sketch, a caricature, or even a piece of sculpture. The transactions
possible are limited only by the imaginations by the participants.
Browsing, of course, is free (and encouraged!), as is registration.
And right now, it's free to post any listing as well, for Buyer or
Seller.
If you're interested, please feel free to check out the site and
Thanks!
Todd
www.wonderninja.com
Buy and Sell YOUR Personalized Services!
Andrew Werby
"Todd" <to...@wonderninja.com> wrote in message
news:50ccb8bd.04050...@posting.google.com...
> Hi:
>
> I've just begun a new online business called "WonderNinja"
> (www.wonderninja.com), the purpose of which is to develop a
> centralized marketplace for the buying and selling of unique
> personalized services.
>
> One such service is "Art and Illustration", whereby people can buy and
> sell any kind of art that can be customized for the individual.
[I don't know that the auction format is really the best way to go about
this, Todd. I know the E-bay model looks good to entrepreneurs, but auctions
are better suited to selling things that are more tangible. A custom work of
art is usually the subject of some delicate negotiation between buyers and
sellers, typically with some money being put down in advance and the rest on
delivery. Facilitating that would be a worthy goal, but I don't see how the
structure of this site allows for it.]
>
> For example, a Buyer has a photograph he or she would like reproduced
> in another medium. This Buyer browses the listings for a Seller that
> offers the particular artistic service desired, or posts an "RFQ"
> ("Request For Quotations") in order to receive bids on the project.
> Either way, the photo might end up as a fine oil painting, a charcoal
> sketch, a caricature, or even a piece of sculpture. The transactions
> possible are limited only by the imaginations by the participants.
[It's easy to find people who are in these businesses. For caricatures, you
might try http://www.the-nose.com/ If you want to find people who do oils
from your photos, go to http://www.photo-painting.com/ . If you want them in
marble, try http://www.nautilusimports.com/studio.htm . Charcoal?
http://www.findgift.com/gift-ideas/pid-21015/ All these services are just a
click away from anyone in the world. What are you offering that Google
doesn't already provide?]
>
> Browsing, of course, is free (and encouraged!), as is registration.
[But what would be the point? The site is currently totally devoid of any
content whatever. Don't you have any friends to start the ball rolling?]
> And right now, it's free to post any listing as well, for Buyer or
> Seller.
>
> If you're interested, please feel free to check out the site and
>
> Thanks!
>
> Todd
> www.wonderninja.com
> Buy and Sell YOUR Personalized Services!
[Maybe, if it wasn't for the name - but what does my exquisite and sensitive
art service have to do with a Japanese thug? Can't you do any better than
that for a domain? Are all the good ones really taken?]
Andrew Werby
www.unitedartworks.com
Todd
I wanted to thank you for leaving such a detailed and thoughtful reply
to my post. I'll try to respond to some of your comments.
I agree that the auction format is most often associated with products
rather than services. However, rather than seeing this as a barrier,
I look at it as an opportunity. A website that could make the
auctioning of services as acceptable as the auctioning of products
could create a sizeable niche. From a business standpoint, this is a
laudable goal.
I also agree that commissioning a work of art "is usually the subject
of delicate negotiation". However, my intention (I would use the word
"dream", but it sounds too grandiose) is to make this often
intimidating or perceived out-of-reach service ("I could never
commission a work of art - that's just for rich people, right?")
available to a wider spectrum. In other words, to make it more common
and less "delicate".
It's also true that there are a fair number of people online who offer
these services. However, the great potential advantage of a site like
WonderNinja is to bring these diverse Sellers together in A
CENTRALIZED MARKETPLACE where Buyers can browse for things they might
not even know they want and "synergistic" sales can occur.
Ultimately, this would be beneficial for both Buyer and Seller.
Sadly, you are also correct that the site is currently void of any
listings. I just "opened" for business, and an unexpected technical
glitch that required a good deal of my attention kept me from starting
my "grassroots" marketing campaign last month. I'm starting this
month instead. It will likely be very slow going in the beginning, as
is typical of an internet startup. However, hope springs eternal -
and a little hard work should help, too.
The name WonderNinja was chosen for a number of reasons, not the least
of which is that it holds personal significance to me. However, more
practically speaking, it's also fairly short, fairly easy to spell and
remember, and fairly unique (i.e., it wasn't already registered!). So
it's on this final point that I'll at last have to disagree with you -
I like the name!
Again, thanks for your thoughtful post,
Todd
I've just begun a new online business called "WonderNinja"
(www.wonderninja.com), the purpose of which is to develop a
centralized marketplace for the buying and selling of UNIQUE