ACEOs -- A Small Art Form With a Large Following on eBay

This week we're celebrating one of my favorite communities on eBay -- artists specializing in ACEOs (Art Cards, Editions and Originals), an exquisite miniature art form that was actually born on eBay. Back when The Chatter was still a monthly newsletter, we did a story on ACEOs and bone*diva, the pioneer of eBay's home-grown art movement.

Much paint has flowed off the palette since that story. ACEOs have a huge fan following on eBay and several artist groups dedicated to this art form are flourishing. bone*diva's original group now has over 4500 members! But there are several other groups as well. Here's artistjillian (Jillian Crider), the leader of a few of these groups, to talk about what's happening in the ACEO community these days.

Whether you're an artist looking for tips and helpful advice on selling your art on eBay, or just an art lover who's fascinated by these beautiful miniatures (just enter "ACEO" in the eBay search box), you'll find something to grab your fancy in these groups: Small Format Art *SFA* and ATC & ACEO Enthusiasts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For many artists, the first question they ask is "How can I sell my art?" Artists that come to sell on eBay can sometimes flounder. It is not easy to discover specific help close at hand. To help other artists is the reason I opened up my group ATC & ACEO Enthusiasts, and its sister group SFA – Small Format Art in eBay groups in the eBay community section.

Early in 2005 I discovered ACEOs. After selling art on eBay for 5 years prior, I suddenly understood that these dynamic diminutive artworks – each one is exactly 2.5x3.5 inches - were a fun way to create artworks AND to collect the original artwork by other artists. These tiny masterpieces can be easily displayed in off-the-shelf frames, or in trading card albums. Not only that, they are being sold faster than any other type of art on eBay.

ACEOs (Art Cards, Editions and Originals) originated from ATCs (Art Trading Cards) and have the very unique distinction of being founded on eBay. ATCs were set up in the mid-1990s. Traditionally they are traded, never sold, hence a name change for ACEOs. This name change was established by the original ACEO group which was set up by bone*diva in October 2004. Sales of these art cards boomed, and continue to grow today, daily gaining new converts. The variety is endless, and some have sold for prices in excess of $500!

There is always something exciting to talk about with ACEOs. There are always fun things happening in groups, like weekly challenges, themes, dares, and more. We love showing off our latest artworks. But most of all, our group tries to help others – there are tips and plenty of wonderful artists and moderators ready to lend a hand. Current membership of the Enthusiasts group is over 5,250 members. We share years of practical art knowledge; also keep members advised of eBay happenings and share eBay selling and buying tips as well as form lasting friendships. All this is crucial to optimizing an artist's or art collector's eBay experience.

The images below show ACEO art cards by shadowtreekids, sunshinesketches, moussart and me, artistjillian. All have been creating and collecting ACEOs and participating in eBay groups since 2005. Top selling prices for these artists have ranged from $75 to $260.

We invite you to join either of our groups, the ATC & ACEO Enthusiasts or the Small Format Art group.  SFA (small format art) is for artwork no larger than 14" in any one direction (this includes ACEO and miniature artworks).