Update: The sale is going well. I’m very pleased. Wouldn’t you be? I have added a cartoon, for practice. It is a fanciful cat cartoon. You will be able to bid on this cartoon (I hope.), but remember: if you want it badly enough, you can “Buy It Now.”

I’ve been hinting that I was going to experiment this week. Well, here goes. In the past, I have sold original artwork online for good causes, and readers, motivated partly by the spirit of giving, have responded well. They responded so well, in fact, that I invariably received messages to the effect, “I’d like to own an original, but the bidding has gotten too high.” I always felt badly about this, although it meant the auctions were a success. Now, for those interested, I’m offering a brief chance to own original Arlo & Janis comic strip art for a reasonable price. Or less! Here’s how it works:

Six cartoons have been posted in “Gallery Arlo and Janis,” my new eBay store. They all have a “Buy It Now” price of $165. That’s not chump change, I know, but based on experience it’s a fair price. If you see the “Buy It Now” button, you can click it and purchase the cartoon immediately. On the other hand, if you feel lucky or sporting you can start the bidding. However, the “Buy It Now” option disappears as soon as bidding begins, and a five-day auction will commence. You might get the artwork for less than the asking price, or (Heaven forbid!) it might cost more. Or you might not get it at all. Remember, if you do not see the “Buy It Now” button, it means someone has placed a bid, and direct purchase no longer is an option. You can, of course, join the bidding at any time.(You eBayers know all this already.)

By the way, the sale of these cartoons doesn’t benefit anyone but me. I urge you to bid only if you’d enjoy having the artwork on your wall. I would not buy it for speculative reasons, but that’s just my opinion. So, have fun! If nothing else, you’ll get to peruse an additional six old cartoons. Here’s how to get to “Gallery Arlo and Janis.”

Addendumb: I messed up. There apparently is no option to bid on the cartoons listed at “Gallery Arlo and Janis,” as there should be. This sort of thing cannot be corrected once the sale has begun. This means the six cartoons can be purchased at the asking price but cannot be bid upon. This is my mistake. If you’d like to own one, feel free to purchase it, and I thank you. Cartoons that do not sell will be reposted when the auction ends, with an option to bid. Darn! That takes away half the fun. — Jimmy Johnson

Addenduh: Be patient. I’m learning. When a cartoon sells, it automatically is removed from the listing. So, if you see less than six cartoons, it means some have sold. I hate when that happens! — JJ