Becoming an Art Garage Sale Seller

How do I become a seller on Art Garage Sale?

First you'll need to register. Once you've registered for an account, you'll need to upgrade to a seller account. To do this, either click the Sell tab in the top gray navigation bar or the become a seller link in the Your Garage > Your Account > Become a Seller and follow the on-screen directions Note: You will need a valid credit card and a PayPal Business Account to become a seller.

Who can be a seller?

Anyone who is at least 18 years of age can be a seller on Art Garage Sale.

Can kids have an Art garage Sale Garage?

If you are under 18, you may use Art Garage Sale only with the permission and under the guidance of a responsible adult (parent or legal guardian). This is for legal reasons, not because we think kids or teens are any less creative or capable. Consider using Mom or Dad's shop instead of having a store all to himself.

What is a Garage?

Every seller on Art Garage Sale gets their own garage free of charge, located at http://www.ArtGarageSale.com/username. This is the link you can share to easily direct people to your items for sale. Every item you list will automatically show up in your shop, in addition to being placed in the public category you listed them in.

Can I customize my shop?

You certainly can. Once you're logged in, click Your Garage on the top navigation bar, and go to the Edit Profile section. You can upload a banner that will show up at the top of your garage, give your garage a descriptive title that will show up just beneath the banner, enter your artists statement and bio as well as add an image of yourself. All of these are optional.

I'm in Canada, or the UK, or anywhere else in the world besides the US – can I sell on Art Garage Sale?

Yes, as long as you've got a valid credit card and PayPal Business Account, you can sign up. We're working on making Art Garage Sale an international marketplace.

I already have a buyer account. How do I become a seller?

To be a seller we require that you put a credit card on file and have a PayPal Business Account. Click the Sell tab in the red nav bar to get started.

Can I change my username?

No. Usernames cannot be changed, as this undermines the feedback system and breaks our database.

Does my username have to match my store name?

No, you can change your store name when you sign up. Since your username is your email address, it’s best to change your username to something that can show up in your garage’s url (must not contain spaces or special characters) However you should not change your store name frequently so buyers can find your store easily.

Can I have more than one shop?

At this time, no.

Can more than one person operate a shop?

If multiple people are using the same account, you do so at your own risk. This is not something we encourage, nor do we explicitly prohibit it. All we'll say here is that it complicates matters and might not be the best decision in the long run. We will not mediate disputes between two people fighting over the same account. Please see the RULES of Art Garage Sale (under Member Accounts) for more information.

Can I use a debit card or PayPal to become an Art Garage Sale seller?

You can use a debit card if it has a credit card logo on it. Otherwise, you will need a credit card to become an Art Garage Sale seller. You will also need a PayPal Business Account in order to receive payment and pay invoices.

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Fees & Billing

How do Art Garage Sale fees work?

When you list an item there is a $0.30 (USD) fee per quantity of one. This covers an item listing period of three months. For example, if I list a print (and there's only 1 in stock) it'll cost 30 cents for three months. If you gave the listing a quantity of 3, it would cost 90 cents. When an item sells, there's a flat 4% fee on the final sale price (not including shipping). All fees are in US dollars. All listings are created equal, with 5 images included in the price.

How am I billed for fees associated with selling?

When you sign up as a seller, we require that you keep a valid credit card on file and a PayPal Business Account. At the end of each month we will email you an invoice detailing all the charges. You can also pay your fees any time after a bill is issued by going to: Your Garage > Invoices.

How do I pay my bill?

Sellers can pay their bill from the invoice emailed to them or by logging into their Garage and going to the Invoices section. Art Garage Sale will send out an outstanding invoice once a month for three months, after the third statement, Art Garage Sale will charge the credit card on file for the outstanding fees.

Is there a fee to get started (open a garage)?

Getting your shop is free. There's no setup fee and no monthly fee.

If I edit an item, is there any fee for that?

The only fees are for increasing the item quantity, so you may edit an item (description, photos) all you like.

I got a notice that my credit card is expired, but it's not. What do I do?

The notice is a reminder that you card will expire soon, and you will need to update the information in your Account Settings. To do this, go to: Your Garage > Edit Profile.

Why is my credit card getting declined?

Ensure the following: * You are using a credit card or debit with credit card logo on it. * You are entering the correct CCV number. This number is the last group of numbers on the back of your card. Depending on your card, it could be anywhere from 2-4 digits. Most cards in the USA have 3-digit CCV numbers. * Your credit card number is not more than 16 digits long. * If you are locked out of the system, wait 24 hours before entering the information again. This will allow the system to reset. If your card still doesn't work, please contact your card provider and send support@ArtGarageSale.com the last 4 digits of your credit card number.

What if I have a question about my specific bill?

Please contact billing@ArtGarageSale.com by email with questions about your personal bill.

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Selling Policies

What items can I sell on Art Garage Sale?

You can sell anything that you yourself have created; a painting, photograph, jewelry etc. You may not sell anything someone else has made; a poster, a print of another artists work etc. For more detailed information on selling policies, check out the RULES of Art Garage Sale.

What items can't I sell on Art Garage Sale?

Anything that is mass-produced or a knock-off. Anything that is not art. For example CD’s, Computers, Video Games etc. Such items will be unlisted by Art Garage Sale Admin and listed fees refunded. Check out the RULES of Art Garage Sale (under Selling) for detailed rules.

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Art Garage Sale's Front Page

How are the featured items chosen for the Art Garage Sale home page?

Featured items on our home page are selected by Art Garage Sale staff daily, usually by choosing a theme and using one of our search tools to find fitting items. Any item actively listed on Art Garage Sale is eligible to be chosen, and we try our best to mix things up.

How long do the featured items remain on the home page?

We try to change the front page items several times a day to provide more exposure for more sellers.

Can I edit an item while it's featured on the home page?

Yes, just make sure you don't edit the quantity down to 0.

What happens if an item on the home page sells?

If an item on the homepage sells out, it is removed and replaced by another item from a different seller.

How do I become a featured seller on the home page?

The featured seller is always hand-picked by one of the Art Garage Sale Admin. We look for ingenuity, well-made items, interesting descriptions and top-notch item photos.

How long is a seller featured?

We select three different sellers to feature every week. Each featured seller has two days in the spotlight.

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Featured Items in Your Shop

How do I feature items in my shop?

Login to Art Garage Sale, then go to Your Garage and click the Edit Your Garage Favorites link. 4 items can be selected to be Featured. When a Featured item sells the space will then go blank until you select another piece to take its place.

How many items can I feature?

You can feature as 4.

What happens when a featured item sells?

The space is left blank until you pick another to replace it.

Are my store featured items related to the home page hand-picked items?

There is no relation between them.

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Banners

How do I upload a banner?

First make sure you have your properly sized image (900 x 125 pixels) saved on your local computer. Then in the Edit Profile menu under the Select a Banner Image, click the Browse button to locate this file, and click the Upload button. Your new banner will show up in your shop right away. Banners must be .jpg, .png. or .gif file format.

Why does my banner look wrong/fuzzy/pixelated/stretched?

Your source file was not the proper dimensions (900 x 125 pixels). Make sure to pay attention to exact pixel size specified on the banner upload page.

How do I create my own banner?

You'll need to use an image editing program to make your graphic the right size (900 x 125 pixels) for an Art Garage Sale banner. You can also combine words and images on your banner.

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Shop Appearance

What is the Garage Name?

This is the name of your garage. The name you choose will also be your unique url (web address) to guide customers directly to your garage. The url will be: www.ArtGarageSale.com/YourGarageName

How long can my Garage Name be?

155 alpha-numeric characters, no spaces or special characters.

What is the Store Description?

It's a blurb of text that shows under your banner to further describe your garage. It too can only be 155 characters long.

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Your Item Listings

My listing disappeared. Where is it?

There are three ways an item can disappear from your shop: * If an item that has a quantity of 1 (in stock) sells, the listing is removed and you'll see it under Your Garage > Items Sold. * If you start editing an item listing and don't click the Finish button on Step 4 before you navigate elsewhere on the site, the item will be left inactive. * Lastly, an item listing can expire (this happens three months from the listing date).

When does my listing expire?

Three months after the date it was listed.

Can I change the order of my listings in my store?

Right now the items in your shop are sorted by date listed (from new to old) as the default setting. Shoppers can choose to sort the items in your shop by Name or Price.

What if I have multiple sizes/variations of the same item?

For now, you'll need to create separate listing for each item. We're working on a way to sell variations on an item within a single listing.

How do I see the public view of my shop?

You can type http://www.ArtGarageSale.com/YourGarageName directly in a Web browser's address bar. Or, if you're already at Art Garage Sale, go to Your Garage and click the Seller Garage link in the Seller Info Box.

How do I edit my listing text and photos?

Go to Your Art Garage Sale > Your Shop > Items for Sale, and click the edit link in the row of the item you wish to edit. This will take you back into the 5 step-listing process. Click the pencil icons as a shortcut to edit the different parts of your listing. Make sure you click Finish on Step 5 when you're done editing.

How do I make a listing inactive (on hold or "Vacation Mode")?

There's a trick to doing this. After you've fully listed your item for sale, go back into edit mode. This time, make sure you don't go to Step 5 and click finish. Navigate away from the page. Your item is now in limbo. You can find it and relist it by going to Your Art Garage Sale > Inactive Listings, going back into edit mode and clicking finish. Items in limbo will not show up anywhere on the public site, but their time in limbo is still being counted as part of the three month period.

How do I delete a listing?

Click the Delete link on your Items for Sale page in the row of the item you wish to delete.

If I delete a listing is my listing fee refunded?

Listing fees are non-refundable, with the exception of reported transactions.

I sold an item in person at a craft show – can I mark it "sold" on Art Garage Sale?

No. The sold items section of your shop if just for items sold through Art Garage Sale. If you sell an item off-line, just delete the listing from your shop.

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Create a New Listing (Add Item) – Step 1: Item Info

How long can my title be?

155 alpha-numeric characters.

What do I select as a Category?

Use the drop down menu to select the appropriate category for your work. If the category you need is not here, please contact us at help@ArtGarageSale.com so we can add it to the list. You can list your item to up to 4 categories, but please do not list an item in the incorrect category. Use the second drop down menu to choose your sub-category. If the sub-category you need is not here, please contact us at help@ArtGarageSale.com so we can add it to the list.

How long can my Item Description be?

Very long! Use as much space as you need to accurately and completely describe your item.

How do I use the Tags section?

Tags are single- or multi-word keywords that you attach to an item listing, separated by commas. For example: blue, silver, framed etc.

How do I enter compound or multiple words as Tags? (e.g.: "sterling silver")

Just put a space between them, but make sure you have commas separating each wordset.

How many Tags can I enter?

You can enter up to 14 tags.

How do buyers find my items with my Tag words?

Users can search items by tags if they change the search bar drop-down menu to "tags."

How do I use the Mediums section?

Tags are single- or multi-word keywords that you attach to an item listing, separated by commas. For example: oil, pastels, charcoal etc

How do I enter compound or multiple words as Mediums? (e.g.: "oil pastels")

Just put a space between them, but make sure you have commas separating each wordset.

How many Mediums can I enter?

You can enter up to 14 mediums.

How do buyers find my items with my Medium words?

Users can search items by tags if they change the search bar drop-down menu to "tags."

What are Tags?

Tags are single- or multi-word keywords that you attach to an item listing.

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Create a New Listing (Add Item) – Step 2: Selling Info

Is Art Garage Sale in USD only?

Yes, for the time being all prices on Art Garage Sale are listed in United States Dollars (USD).

How do I do currency conversions?

PayPal (credit card sales) will automatically convert your currency, but all other sales such as money order and check need to be calculated by you.

Can I use my native currency in listings?

Right now all items listed on Art Garage Sale should be priced in USD. We're working toward supporting other currencies in the future.

How do I calculate domestic shipping cost?

This will be a something you need to figure out. Most of the shipping cost is by weight, so you can visit various shipping websites to get a better idea of how much it costs to ship items by their weight.

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Create a New Listing (Add Item) – Step 3: Images

How do I add/upload photos to my listing?

Click the browse button and locate the image(s) on your computer. Then click the upload button, and you'll see a thumbnail of the image(s) show up just below.

Can I add a photo that exists on the web?

No, the image must reside locally on your computer.

Can I edit or remove photos from my listing?

Yes, at any time. And there's no charge for this.

Can I change the order of photos in my listing?

Yes, by removing an image you can reshuffle the order. This can be tricky and we recommend that you have your images in their desired order before uploading. The first image you upload will be the primary thumbnail and detail photo.

How many photos can I add?

You can have up to 4 photos per item listing.

Do I have to fill all photo slots for my listing?

Nope, you can leave as many blank as you like.

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Create a New Listing (Add Item) – Step 4: Review & Post

What happens if I don't click Post?

If you don't click the post button when you're first listing an item, and then navigate away from the listing steps, everything will be lost.

Can I edit my item after I click Post?

Yes, at any time. There is no cost to edit an item unless you increase the quantity available. It costs 30 cents per quantity increase of one.

Where does my listing appear?

Every listing appears in your shop located at http://www.ArtGarageSale.com/yourgaragename, in the top-level category you selected, and in any relevant search results or subcategories.

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Payment Methods

At this time Art Garage Sale uses PayPal for all payment methods. Each seller must have a Business PayPal Account.

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Expired Listings

When does my listing expire?

Three months after the listing date.

How do I view the listing expiration dates? ??

There's a section named Expiration Dates in Your Shop.

Can I make an expired listing active again? ??

Yes. This is called renewing. Go to Your Art Garage Sale > Expired listings. Check the box next to the item you want to renew, then scroll down and click the renew button. This will give your listing three more active months and costs 30 cents per quantity. Click here to return to the list of questions.

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Relisting a Sold Item

What does relisting mean?

Relisting an item creates a new listing that has all of the info of an item you have previously sold.

How do I relist an item?

To relist an item, go to Your Garage > Items Sold, and click the listing you would like to relist. Click the "relist" link.

Am I charged a fee for relisting?

Yes, the same 30 cents per quantity of one fee applies.

When should I relist an item?

When you sell out of an item and have more of it in stock that you wish to sell.

If I relist an item will I keep my views and favorites?

No, these will be lost.

If I relist an item will it appear at the top of my store?

Yes.

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Renewing an Item

What does renewing mean?

Renewing a listing add three months to the period it will be for sale on the site.

Am I charged a fee for renewing?

Yes, the same 30 cents per quantity of one fee applies.

When should I renew an item?

You can renew a listing at any time. If the item has yet to expire, you'll be topping off the listing period, adding more time. You can also renew items that expired but didn't sell.

If I renew an item will I keep my views and hearts??? Favorites

Yes.

If I renew an item will it appear at the top of my store?

Yes.

How do I renew an item before it expires?

To renew an item before its expiration date, go to Your Art Garage Sale > Expiration Dates. Here you will see a list of all our active items and the dates they are set to expire. Click the box to the right of the listing, then scroll down and press the Renew button. It costs 30 cents per quantity to renew a listing.

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Image Help

I'm having trouble uploading pictures, can you help?

Ensure that the file is 2MB maximum in file size or below – most users will timeout before uploading larger files than that. Ensure the file is a properly encoded jpeg, gif, or png. Is there a firewall that could be blocking your uploads? This might be the case if you work for a large and/or slightly paranoid company and you're trying to upload from work. Try to alter your firewall settings or take the firewall down briefly to test the transfer.

Why do my thumbnail images keep getting cut off or misaligned?

Thumbnails on Art Garage Sale are a perfect square, and garage images are rectangular. Your original image will be cropped for at least one of those views. We crop from the center point of the image. Your entire original photo will show on the item listing page.

What size (dimensions) are the thumbnails and garage images???

Thumbnails are either 75 or 50 pixels square. Garage images are 155 x 125 pixels.

Why do the images on my shop page keep getting cut off?

Featured (also called Garage size) images on Art Garage Sale are horizontal rectangles. So, unless your original image is that same shape, there will be a bit of cropping. We crop from the center-point of the image. Your entire original photo will show on the item listing page.

Why do my photos look wrong (blurry, distorted, etc)?

Make sure your original image is at least 430 pixels wide. If it's not, we'll stretch it to fit the page and this will cause unpleasant effects.

Are watermarks acceptable on my photos?

We're not very fond of them but you're welcome to use them.

What file format can I use for my photo?

The following file extensions are valid: JPEG, JPG, GIF and PNG. All images are resampled as JPEGs with a quality of 90. Uploading animated GIFs won't work.

What size (dimensions) do my photos appear in the listing?

The detail image in all item listings is 430 pixels wide. We retain the aspect ratio of your original, so the height is variable.

What dimensions should my uploaded photo be?

The minimum size for your photo should be 430 pixels wide (with variable height). We recommend using an image that is around 800 - 1000 pixels wide.

What is the largest file size ("k size", MB) allowed for my photo?

It can be up to 2mb, though that is rather huge. Most images should be around 250k.

What resolution should my photo be?

Every image on the web is displayed at 72dpi (dots per inch). Anything greater than that will create very large file sizes without adding anything to the quality.

Should I use CMYK or RGB for my listing photos? (What do these mean?)

You should use RGB, which stands for Red/Green/Blue. CMYK is only for print (and stands for Cyan/Magenta/Yellow/Black). CMYK images will not work on the web.

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Transactions: Items Sold

What happens after I sell an item?

When you sell an item, you are sent an email containing all the pertinent info for the sale (item, buyer, shipping address etc.). The item's quantity is automatically reduced by the number that were sold, and will show up in the Items Sold section of Your Garage. You will also receive confirmation from PayPal once the buyer’s payment has gone through. Add transactions@ArtGarageSale.com to your email address book to make sure our messages don't get caught in your spam filter.

How do find a record of Items Sold?

All your sold items are located in Your Garage > Items Sold and click the View button to view the full invoice.

How do I contact the buyer?

You can view the invoice page to find their email address.

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Transactions: Buyer Payment

When do I get paid by the buyer?

Most buyers will pay right away. There is a 3-day grace period for submitting payment.

How do I get paid by the buyer?

Through PayPal.

How do I invoice a buyer?

The best way right now is to send them a copy of the Art Garage Sale invoice, however Art Garage Sale also sends an email to the seller with a full invoice.

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PayPal

What is PayPal™?

PayPal is an online payment processing company widely used on the Internet to facilitate sales transactions. Art Garage Sale is not affiliated with or subsidized by PayPal.

How does PayPal work on Art Garage Sale?

Art Garage Sale facilitates credit card payments through a third-party service called PayPal. You will need to open a Business account with PayPal by going to www.paypal.com. Sellers must choose the Business or Premier account. Once you have your account, login to Art Garage Sale and go to: Your Art Garage Sale > Edit Profile. You need to enter the email address, under PayPal Email: that you used to open an account with PayPal and Art Garage Sale will do the rest. Buyer clicks on “Pay Now” button Art Garage Sale then sends buyer to PayPal to complete payment. Seller will see money deposited into their PayPal account

Can I sign up for Art Garage Sale with a PayPal account, and use that to pay my fees?

Yes, you will get an invoice monthly with a “Pay Now” button in order to pay your invoice using PayPal. After the third invoice statement has not been paid, Art Garage Sale will charge the credit card you have on file.

Why is the shipping wrong on the PayPal invoice?

When the shipping charge on your PayPal invoice is incorrect, you'll need to adjust your PayPal account settings. If you need to revise the invoice for the customer, go to your PayPal account and click on "request money" to send a corrected invoice. To check your PayPal settings: 1. Log into PayPal at www.paypal.com 2. Go to My Account > Profile > Shipping calculations (in the Selling Preferences column) 3. Select the Shipping Method and click Edit 4. Select Yes for "Override shipping methods per transaction" and press Save Changes. Please note that if you have not set up any Shipping Calculations in PayPal, the default is to override shipping methods per transaction (you should not need to change anything). Also note that the above instructions are for www.paypal.com; other country-specific versions of PayPal may differ slightly.

I made a sale, but the money doesn't show up in my PayPal account. What happened?

This is how PayPal transactions work: * Buyer clicks on “Pay Now” button * Art Garage Sale links buyer to PayPal to complete payment * Seller will see money deposited into PayPal account

Do I need a PayPal account to sell on Art Garage Sale?

Yes, you must have a PayPal Business Account in order to sell on Art Garage Sale.

Do I need a Premier or Business account to sell on Art Garage Sale?

Yes, PayPal requires anyone selling goods on the Web to have a Premier or Business account.

My customer doesn't have a PayPal account. Can they just use a credit card to buy?

Buyers can submit payment by credit card through PayPal without having a PayPal account. Check out this helpful walkthrough of that process:

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Transactions: Disputes & Problems

I received negative feedback. What do I do? Rescind negatives?

The first step is to contact the person who left it and talk it over with them. If you arrive at a mutual understanding you can use the Kiss and Make Up feature to rescind the negative(s). If you believe the feedback was left maliciously, please alert support@Art Garage Sale.com.

How do I report a seller or buyer for not completing a transaction???

Please file a Transaction Report linked to in the sidebar of the main Help page. This form is also found under Your Art Garage Sale > Cancel a Sale.

How do I get refunds for a transaction gone awry? Is this possible??

If a buyer has failed to pay or backed out of a transaction, we will refund the listing and sales fees, and remove all record of the transaction. You'll just need to fill out the Transaction Report linked to in the sidebar of the main Help page. Be sure to leave feedback now, as once we remove the transaction, the option for leaving feedback is also removed. Also, relist your item first so that you don't lose your listing descriptions, etc.

Are both the listing fee and the transaction fee refunded when a report is complete?

Yes, they are both refunded.

How do I receive the refund from a report?

It will appear on your Art Garage Sale bill as a credit. All fees will be refunded separately.