ACEOs

Artist Trading Cards (ATC) have been around for over 20 years. But recently I've seen a lot of chatter on social media from other artists about ACEOs (Art Cards Editions Originals.) Basically the difference is that ATC are for trading only, and ACEOs are ATC that are for sale. 

ACEOs (and ATC) are small, 2.5"x3.5" to be exact. That's the same size as other trading cards like sports or playing cards. ACEOs are typically sold on auction websites. Tiny Gallery was made for ACEOs, but eBay has a larger market. Since I'm already familiar with eBay, that's where I started my ACEO journey.

There's an artist, Nicole Carothers, who shares a ton of tips and information on selling ACEOs. Her videos were extremely helpful starting out. Also, her art is vibrant and colorful in ways I wish mine was! It's like if Lisa Frank grew up and painted realistically. 

A selection of my ACEOs that I've posted on eBay.

One of my favorite things about making ACEOs is that they are small. Somehow they feel almost casual - not that my art was ever that serious to begin with. But you can experiment with them and try out new techniques and styles without the pressure of ruining a large piece. I've been using some of my "special" art supplies, like glittery or iridescent watercolors, name brand pens, or even new brushes! That all by itself is delightful.

Before I go on, I do want to say that I have some hesitations. This feels new, and exciting, much in the same way NFTs did a few years ago. 

And let me be very clear - NFTs are a scam. They always have been, but nobody but scammers are involved in NFTs for the past few years. So the fact that this feels a little bit like that definitely gives me pause. 

​I jumped in anyway, made my first three ACEOs, and listed them on eBay. Two of them sold that first week! 

When I list them, I know people love free shipping, but I just couldn't short myself. Blame Jon for it, who has told me a million times to "Stop giving your art away for free!" So I start my auctions at $0.99 with $3.00 shipping (buyer paid.) Some artists start their auctions at $0.01 with free shipping to encourage bidding wars, and if that works for them that's totally awesome!

Now that I'm a few weeks in, I have learned a bit more. For one week, I shifted all my prices to $3.99 with free shipping, and all I got was a chorus of crickets! So the next week I went back to $0.99 with $3.00 shipping, and had a bid within 24 hours of listing a new batch. I'll be the first to tell you that I do NOT have the secret to selling art!

I've also listed some 4"x6" paintings and drawings, which are not technically ACEOs due to their size. I started them at a higher price, but haven't sold any yet. So I'm still trying to find the sweet spot for them. 

Circling back to my "is this a scam somehow?" feeling... I haven't paid any money (except to buy more stamps) and I've gotten three payments into my account so far. Maybe it's my imposter syndrome telling me it's too quick and easy.

At this point, I'm having a lot of fun creating these tiny little pieces of art. And I'm definitely enjoying getting paid for them. So I guess I'll need to do an update post in 2027 to see how things are going. 

And finally, what kind of a small business owner would I be if I didn't share the link to my eBay so my readers could take a look at what I've been creating? 😉
https://www.ebay.com/usr/redstoneartstudio