It has been a whole hour since I put my first piece of art on eBay and not one bid. Granted, I still have six days and 23 hours left on my auction, but there must be somebody out there looking for a piece of hand-blown glass right now. Where are you?

I’m a glass blower selling my work in Maine galleries, and I wanted to see if eBay could be an additional outlet for me. I was familiar with buying on eBay, but not selling, and I have friends who have bought everything from socks and cuticle scissors to digital cameras and watches. But does eBay work for art?

It seems to have its advantages. You can sell whatever you want, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The world could now be my potential buyer. I wouldn’t have to split sales with galleries. And eBay’s selling fees seem reasonable.

There have to be some negatives, though. What about the fact that buyers can’t get up close to the art to inspect it? When I bought on eBay, I knew I was looking for a bargain. How much are people really willing to pay for my glass? And what about how daunting it seems to set up on eBay?

As it turns out, many artists are selling on eBay. On a recent day, using a quick search for Maine art and artists, some 1,571 forms of Maine art popped up. For Fabio Napoleoni, a surrealist painter from Alexander, “This has been a positive experience. Still can’t believe it.” After almost four years, his sales have grown exponentially, and his art has sold in 13 foreign countries. Same for Karla Gerard of Waterville, who can now paint full time because of eBay.

But it hasn’t worked for everyone. For Harvey Peterson, a folk sculptor from Belfast, “It didn’t seem like a good fit.” He didn’t get any bids on some older work put up for auction and instead has chosen to continue to build on his successful relationships with galleries around the country.

As for the galleries themselves, the ones I spoke with aren’t fazed by eBay. They like their position of fostering relationships with customers and artists, and that their galleries are enjoyable destinations. As Wes La Fountain of Portland’s Greenhut Gallery put it, “It’s a non-issue.”

So with assistance from a friend who buys and sells comic books on eBay, I registered and chose a user name and password. Listed my glass vase under the category “Pottery and Glass,” and since my piece is more decorative than functional, I chose the subhead, “Art Glass.” Selected the sub-subhead, “North American,” and titled my vase. Wrote a detailed description, including size, condition and color, and selected a photograph for display. Digital cameras are useful for eBay and allow you to easily upload your photos. In my case, I had professional images available. I set a minimum price of $275, which is less than what my work sells for in galleries. Decided I would accept money orders, cashier’s checks and PayPal for payment. PayPal, owned by eBay, acts as a middleman for transactions and allows me to accept credit cards.

With a click of a button, my glass vase was in the virtual auction house. My first auction would last seven days, ending at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, giving people plenty of time to bid like crazy. I sat back and waited. Nothing. With six hours to go on Sunday, I got my first bid. $275. I kept watching, but experienced eBayers told me the action starts just minutes before the end, with the hope of a bidding frenzy. Five minutes left. Still nothing. Three minutes, two, one. Sold, to a brilliant, astute buyer from Virginia who knows a bargain when he sees one, for $275.

EBay notified me and I e-mailed the buyer an invoice. Within minutes I received his payment to my PayPal account and shipped the glass the next day. EBay and PayPal did take their cut. $21.99. So I netted $253.01. I’ll take it.

Now I’m clearing off my shelves and have another auction under way. Today, I sold in Virginia. Tomorrow, the world.

David Jacobson is a writer and artist living in Montville. He can be reached at jcubson@privot.net.