Question:
I've had an interesting experiment going and didn't even know it. I have a huge roll of green suedecloth that I bought for next to nothing - almost 50 yards of it. I first listed it several months ago and called the color "olive" since that's what first came to mind. Zip, nada, barely any hits even.
I waited awhile and then listed it again and called the color "avocado" since that seemed to fit too. I got a few more hits and sold 2 yards but at this rate I figured I'd be living with this fabric the rest of my days.
I relisted a 3rd time a few days ago. I'm in the process of painting my kitchen cabinet doors sage green and noticed that the darker chip on my color stipe for that paint was exactly the color of the fabric. So, I called the fabric "dark sage green." All 18 yards on auction are now spoken for.
Isn't that interesting? I guess it really does pay to know current color trends and use them whenever they fit.
Lori
My eBay Auctions
Answer:
Weird computer things happening. Never mind.
My eBay Auctions
Answer:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by wryly:
...I first listed it several months ago and called the color "olive" since that's what first came to mind....
I waited awhile and then listed it again and called the color "avocado" since that seemed to fit too....
I relisted a 3rd time a few days ago. I'm in the process of painting my kitchen cabinet doors sage green and noticed that the darker chip on my color stipe for that paint was exactly the color of the fabric. So, I called the fabric "dark sage green." All 18 yards on auction are now spoken for.
Isn't that interesting? I guess it really does pay to know current color trends and use them whenever they fit.
Lori
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Lori,
I've had similar experiences and I've always wondered how to keep up on those trends and when it would work best to use the new names.
I've been thinking about this topic since you posted on the 11th, and keep changing my mind...or at least keep thinking of new considerations.
For instance:
What if the item is antique or vintage and the name of the color is something like jade (as in jadeite)? Does it matter if we know the 'original' name of that color? Or does it only matter if we know the 'current' name that collectors now call that color?
I reread your message for the 20th time and noticed something I hadn't seen before. Did you have "dark sage green" in the title or description? Those exact words? Did you have the word "green" in the titles/descriptions of the other auctions? Such as "olive green" or "avocado green"? Maybe the lesson is that we need to include the BASIC color name (like 'green') along with the more descriptive color name.
Do you think people search for a specific word like 'sage' when they are looking at fabric? Or does having the word in your auction just make it more likely that they'll actually consider your fabric as a piece that will fit with their needs?
Also, how in the world can we keep up with these names? As a teen and 20-something, I spent inordinate amounts of time reading fashion magazines and even 'house' magazines trying to absorb all the then-current fashionable names of colors and styles. Do I need to revive that? Or are there shortcuts? Like checking out the names of paint swatches at Home Depot or something? I went to Pantene and printed out a bunch of fashion color stories last fall, but I'm not really sure the colors that printed out are very accurate....not to mention, I have no idea which of those color names have actually 'caught on'.... There are always the fashion catalogs to peruse, but I've FINALLY gotten off a bunch of those lists! http://community.here.com/infopop/em...s/icon_eek.gif
Anyhow, I'll be back later. DH needs both phone lines to do some troubleshooting on his computer....!
Elaine
Elaine

goodworks1 at ebay
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Answer:
Elaine,
Good point about the basic color name. Maybe that's it because my title this time was Dark Sage Green whereas it was just Olive and Avocado previously.
Still, I do think that since SAGE is the RAGE right now, that color description had something to do with it too. My kitchen has, in 70s lingo, gold walls and avocado green cabinet doors. But in today's lingo I have winter garden (I'm not making this up http://community.here.com/infopop/em...on_biggrin.gif) walls and sage cabinet doors. And bell-bottoms are back too but now they're flared leg jeans, like that somehow makes them different from what I wore.
How to keep up? I have no idea. I'm a big fan of Trading Spaces but have very little interest in fashion trends. TS might not be the best source since so much of what they do isn't based on trends.
There must be some source of "what's in/what's out" for color. I just can't spend hours looking and keeping track. But finding something like that may help with those fabrics that we know should sell well but just aren't generating interest. Could be something as simple as a name.
Lori
My eBay Auctions
Answer:
okay- give me an up-to-date name for ecru!
~~arkay
dkpt at eBay
Answer:
Very interesting points Elaine & Lori.
I'm terrible about keeping up with what's popular. I do look through a lot of mail-order catalogs and that helps somewhat. Not really with colors though.
arkay, I was going to say "linen" but that would probably be too confusing since that's also the name of a fabric. I wonder if "oatmeal" would be more trendy?
This is kind of an amusing "color" story. My Mom has always painted every room in her house ivory. Even when she repaints it's always just ivory. When we bought our house 16 years ago I was determined not to fall into the ivory "trap" but I didn't want anything too outrageous either since most of our rooms are pretty small. I painted our living room first and I picked out something called Adobe Sunset which - once painted on the walls - looked exactly like...ivory!


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