This is my first attempt at a blog. Ive decided to start one about the thing I know most about - eBay. I've started this blog so I can talk about the site itself (well eBay UK anyway), my experiences on there, my opinions about things on ebay both new and old, not to mention some controversial stuff about playing the eBay system and stuff i've gotten away with.
And due in part to that last bit I'll be doing this blog in anonymity. Much as I'd like to advertise my own and other people's stuff on here the only content regarding my own sales from eBay itself on here will be screen-grabs (and appropriately censored ones at that) to illustrate some point or other. Like so:
This is my feedback as it stands at the moment :)
I can only be completely honest on here in anonymity. Another lesser reason I run the risk of attracting unsavoury people to my stuff, I deal with enough non-paying buyers to have to fend off people bidding on my stuff for s**ts and giggles. I might post some links and stuff from ebay of other people's stuff though :)
So heres the story:
I join eBay towards the end of 2001. I forget what my first exposure to it was but it was more buying than selling. Amusingly one of my first sales on there ended with a neutral feedback for a cracked CD jewel case. So for a while I was pootling along on there selling the odd thing or two and buying music left right and centre.
Then towards the end of 2002 I parted company with my employer at the time in acrimonious circumstances. This coincided with an online acquaintance selling off their impressive record collection. Some stuff I wanted, some stuff I already had but knew other people wanted, some stuff I didnt want but someone else definately would. So a 400 quid or so chunk of my final months pay and outstanding holiday pay was exchanged for several hundred 12 inch records and I gradually put them on the mighty 'bay. As you might expect, this was when the selling bug really started to bite :D
And so from there I gone from selling stuff I dont want anymore, to buying job lots and selling individually, to actively looking out for stuff to sell at boot sales and markets, to where I am now - which is a combination of all the above plus operating as a Trading Assistant (to the uninitiated - thats someone who sells on ebay for other people and takes a commission) with about a dozen clients. Let me put it this way: im surrounded here by other people's stuff in bin bags and boxes, I have business cards for my Trading Assistant service but don't need to use them. Im on the verge of having to turn away more stuff such is the backlog.
Ive survived all manner of scares, rule changes and goalpost moving on eBay, I've been banned for the best part of a year back in 2005/06 through a *complete* misunderstanding with eBay (more on that another time - I've got a list of subjects to work through), ive had the account down as on the verge of sanctions for a whole year in 08 through a simple run of bad luck, I've moved with the times and got out of selling music as much thanks to the great digital music...hah....'revolution', I've dealt with buyers both unreasonable and unhinged, and most importantly I've been boring the hell out of co-workers, friends, family and girlfriend about it for years. So if I do it here, I won't feel the need to do it anywhere else.
So if you're out there reading this, drop my a line whether it's advice, praise, criticism or outright abuse. Then at least I know you *are* out there because I've no idea what kind of exposure this blog can and will get. It would be nice to know I'm not just talking to myself here :P
Thanks
eBB
