eastwest
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posted on January 1, 2001 10:53:49 AM new
1) The best thing was to sell in a lady in Philly and then become good friends afterword..we still email each other every couple days!!!!
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borgt
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posted on January 1, 2001 10:56:38 AM new
Deciding to eBay full-time and give up the corporate job. I'm definitely not getting rich but the bills are still getting paid and I'm a much happier person.
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RebelGuns
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posted on January 1, 2001 10:59:10 AM new
Ebay's performance during 2000 convinced me to post more and more on Yahoo, resulting in increased sales overall.
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eagerbeader
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posted on January 1, 2001 11:09:10 AM new
Ebay has given me the opportunity to support my vast bead collection without selling my children or prostituting my husband.
Dawn
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london4
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posted on January 1, 2001 11:15:37 AM new
The best thing would definitely be someone who emailed me to ask if I wanted to buy the identical item from her when I was outbid. I did and we've become really good friends, talk on the phone constantly and she's going to be a "substitute" mom to my son when he moves to her state and 10 min. away from her the day after tomorrow for college. And I have a place to stay when I visit!
The second best thing would be all of the great deals I've gotten and the items I've found in my collectible category that I never would have found locally; plus all the things I never even knew I "needed" until I saw them on ebay.
Good thread,eastwest!
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DWest
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posted on January 1, 2001 12:04:00 PM new
I collect Reports of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs dating from the mid 1800s to the 1930s. After successfully bidding on one, I told the seller that I was interested in buying others. He sent me a list of all of the Reports in his collection, with prices. Since then I've been buying them from him directly - one every 6 to 8 weeks. I believe that I am paying less than I would have otherwise.
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vinniegambini
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posted on January 1, 2001 12:39:35 PM new
I bought a digital camera and now all my auctions have pictures with them and sell much higher than without a picture.
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reston_ray
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posted on January 1, 2001 01:04:38 PM new
I became so angry and resentful of the changes and attitude the eBay management was imposing that I became seriously depressed.
Survival mode kicked in and I finally did something about my actions.
I tagged along in the back of MAM and established myself on another venue (YAHOO), I explored using a web site and re-established some local RL markets.
That had the, surprising to me, result of making me feel less dependent on eBay but able to return to using the site with a "take what works and leave the rest behind" attitude.
Freed of my own, self imposed, negativity I've been able to do better than ever on eBay and enjoy some reasonable success elsewhere.
With so much less of my energy consumed in "struggle" I'm getting more done and enjoying it a lot better.
I pulled up some of my old postings and really like myself more, now, than the angry person I was.
Not that I'm unwilling to stray into a "difference of opinion" occasionally but it's much less controling of my attitude and daily efforts.
Being open and available lets a lot of "best things" happen that I was too busy to notice or allow to occur before.
I really wish I could get someone to paint a white line down the middle of my life. Then I would have some guidance to staying on track and not have to keep driving on to the shoulder and careening into and out of the ditches.
Almost makes me thankful for Meg etal. I said "almost".
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eastwest
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posted on January 1, 2001 01:08:55 PM new
man can i relate!!!!!!
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pa4ft11
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posted on January 1, 2001 02:02:51 PM new
Well being new to ebay this past summer I started out slowly testing the waters. I had several good sales, but in the last days of 2000 I put up some old magazines and had someone offer to buy ALL of my old magazines for over 200 dollars!! I turned a 7 dollar investment into over 300 dollars. Ya gotta love this business. Prosperous New Year to all!!
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pumpkinhead
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posted on January 1, 2001 02:11:42 PM new
The best thing that happened to me is that I was able to quit working full time at my management job of supervising 25 people. Really was just a glorified babysitting job! Work three days a week, 20 hours, and spend the rest of my time with my kids. I love going on field trips, being involved in school activities, and other things that I just didnt have time for before. Now I schedule ebay around these activities. I make just as much, if not more, selling on ebay than I did at my job anyway, so it worked out well.
This past year I also started selling a lot of vintage clothing. That is about the only item at thrift stores that no one else seems to grab right away. So, I learned tons about vintage clothing this year. Love it!
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reddeer
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posted on January 1, 2001 02:32:15 PM new
I survived .........
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rnrgroup
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posted on January 1, 2001 02:49:20 PM new
ebaYs attempt to silence our reporting about their October outages. Caused a rapid increase in subscribers, and much greater press attention and contact.
Personally, I think I like the BIN feature, and maybe am even coming around to ebaYs way of implementing it. If they would just quickly remove BIN closed auctions from the current auction pages, I think it might turn out to be a good feature.
-Rosalinda
TAGnotes - daily email synopsis about the Online Auction Industry
http://www.topica.com/lists/tagnotes
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grandmarosie
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posted on January 1, 2001 03:53:40 PM new
HI! I'm new here SO ....Found AuctionWatch as replacement for my old listing service (HONESTLY,they became Impossible to use reliably........Meeting lots of REALLY nice people on Ebay's chat boards, through transaction related emails and now (I hope) Here.......Sold a Pink Aluminum Christmas tree that I paid 7.50 for for $260.00....Sold 200 Barbies in December (listing them singly)from a collection of 292 that I bought right before Christmas, better than doubling my investment on the first 125.....Sold a cartoon Rubber Stamp set that I got in a box lot for 225.00...Well, you get the idea, ......OH, I have stopped using ALL electronic payment services with the exception of BIDPAY, it hasn't hurt my sales and it has greatly increased my profit margin. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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poton
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posted on January 1, 2001 04:42:11 PM new
...hmmmm? I really don't know
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mrssantaclaus
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posted on January 1, 2001 04:49:39 PM new
I was able to sell my full time video store and can now concentrate on selling full time on eBay. PLUS I have been reading the boards more and have learned alot of great ideas .... you people are absolutely wonderful! I have learned more on the AW boards over the last two months that I have in all the books I have read over the past year on internet selling.
PLUS I switched from Auction Assistant to Auction Watch. AA does not even compare to AW. Keep up the fantastic work!
Oh, and the best part - I now can go home from work at 6 PM and actually be a MOM to my girls! Sure, there are lots of problems on eBay, but the good points far outweigh the bad.
In no way can the problems with eBay come close to running a full time store with 8 female employees. NO MORE PMS! GO ME!
Happy 2001 to all!
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joycel
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posted on January 1, 2001 05:46:40 PM new
I can now attend as many auctions and garage sales as I want (and be guilt free!) because it's "work" hehehe
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carolann56
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posted on January 1, 2001 07:14:55 PM new
After 13 years of working 80 + hours a week, 7 days a week, with MAYBE 2 days off a month with a small country grocery store. I closed up the place in March of 2000. I use the store section now ( it's connected to my house) for my auction stuff. I now have freedom to play with my 2 adorable grandkids whenever I want, make impromtu shopping trips with my daughter, and run off for a fun weekend with my hubby ( okay, so we usually end up at fleamarkets, garage sales, etc, but he like it too ). I set my own hours. Yes, I still work lots of hours, but I have a life now.
I LOVE IT!!! FREEDOM
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crankyoldhag
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posted on January 1, 2001 07:54:24 PM new
I was able to quit my full time job in march 2000 and work part time from home. I gave up a 1 hour+ commute each way. I can be here for my daughter for the first time in years.
I recently started working 3 days per week, 6 hours a day just because I wanted to. I find it helps keeps my auction motivation fresh as well. I don't get tied to the same thing day in, day out.
I really enjoy the auctions and the fact that I can now get my husband into thrift stores and to garage sales without complaints! 
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mrssantaclaus
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posted on January 1, 2001 10:15:54 PM new
Shopping at garages sales, flea markets, Goodwill and Salvation Army .....
folks ... are we having fun or what?
AND it is tax deductible!!
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deco100
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posted on January 1, 2001 10:36:34 PM new
I'm with Joycel and mrssantaclaus--unlimited garage sales,flea markets, etc. all in the name of work. This is work? Well, it is, but it sure adds fun to the job.
Now I'm expanding beyond ebay and not stuck in the old ebay's the only one mentality and also going back to a brick and mortar too which is fun planning and it's on my own property too so no commuting and it gives me more room for storage.
I think ebays problems and attitude have finally pushed me to expand.
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IMLDS2
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posted on January 1, 2001 10:48:26 PM new
My only real regret is this venue wasn't available 30 yrs ago! I so wanted to stay home with my 5 children. Now they are grown..but I have 5 grandchildren close by I have the time and energy to be a SUPER Grandma!
I now have a REASON/EXCUSE to spend a lot of time shopping...shopping..garage sales...auctions...did I say garage sales?
I've ALWAYS loved computers(I got my first job the day after I graduated High School as a data entry operator)...now I have a REASON/EXCUSE to spend a lot of time on them..
Oh...and I LOVE checks coming in the mail..
and I even love my PAYPAL account...
I started a 'Tweety Bird' collection and have been able to buy lots of it on ebay..and not dig into our meager family funds!
I was able to buy almost ALL my gifts for the holidays on ebay...with Paypal money..it is GREAT!
I'm one happy camper!
 Carole
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zeenza
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posted on January 2, 2001 05:58:41 AM new
I am lucky my car has not been repo'd.
I am looking for a place with cheaper rent.
I will be darning my socks rather than buying new ones.
I dye my own hair now.
I use candles for home interior lighting.
I can't complain. (if I did I would be NARU'd)
It's been pretty good.
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sadie999
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posted on January 2, 2001 06:05:51 AM new
It's my first year on eBay, so I learned sooooo much about buying and selling. I also learned a ton on this board.
200 mistake that led me to more profits: purchasing large items (in size), then finding out about costs etc. to ship. This led me to local antique/collectible stores which opened up a whole other venue for my stuff. I've made great mark-ups in these stores though the stuff sits longer than it would on eBay. While I don't purchase large items anymore unless they're so desirable that shipping isn't an issue, I've had good luck with consignment for things that haven't sold on eBay also.
Best mark-up on eBay for 2000: something I purchased for $14.50, and would have been happy to get $40 for went to $435 and the buyer was ecstatic to get it.
Best ego boost in 2000: I sold a couple of my photos in May. Got a letter in December from one of my buyers saying she's gotten so many complements from friends, etc., that she's wondering when I'll sell more of my photos!
Best all around experience: I can do this and make a living at it.
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