Do you remember eBay? I mean eBay as it used to be. In 1995 there was a guy who had a garage full of boxes containing his huge collection of Pez candy dispensers going all the way back to the early 1950s when the candy was first manufactured. He wanted to sell his collection, because they were just taking up space. They weren't antiques, but they were definitely vintage. They were all in mint condition, because as he emptied the candy in each of them, he never used them again. He had thousands of them. So, he devised his own way to sell them, and thus eBay was born. The man's name is Pierre Omidyar, founder and chairman of the board for eBay.

In 1998 eBay was incorporated, and went public shortly thereafter. That was the beginning of the end of the eBay as many of us knew it. Of course, in order for it to become a great online company, it had to grow. But, as it all too often happens in the corporate world, that growth eventually led to GREED.

When the executive committee, led by the company shark CEO Meg Whitman, touts eBay's growth and success, keep in mind that it was gained on the backs of those devoted eBay sellers who employ honest and ethical business practices and who have made the eBay community what it is. And these sellers are rewarded with increased fees required to sell on eBay, drastically reducing their net income, while eBay grows richer. Most of these sellers are single parents, senior citizens and disabled persons on fixed incomes, or adult children staying home to care for aging parents, who use eBay to supplement their income. In some countries, eBay is the only source of income for some. NOBODY makes a fortune with eBay except for the executive committee and the shareholders.

Make no mistake about it, eBay is THE e-commerce business. It is the Wal-Mart of the internet. For private individuals who sell through the internet, the exposure and advertising advantages which eBay provides is second to none. So, our hard-working sellers are pretty much stuck with eBay, at least for awhile. There are other venues available to us, but most are new sites, and don't receive the buying traffic that we have in eBay. However, we all have to start somewhere, so a good percentage of us are venturing out to these other sites. The sites I will be selling on are listed on "My Other Stores" page.

Below are some links to various news articles, including an insider trading report on eBay stock. The information is quite enlightening and entertaining. We all remember what happened with Worldcom and Enron.......

EBay Shuffles Execs as PayPal President Exits
eBay losing its 'magic' - CEO
EBay sets out to regain magic touch
EBay aims to revamp auctions
International Fallout over eBay Fee Hike
eBay Fee Hikes: Strategies for Store Owners
eBay Store Sellers Launch Auctions to Protest Fee Hikes
eBay Removes 'Protest Auctions,' Sellers Cry Foul
eBay Watch: Protesters Unite
EBay's Net Income Meets Estimates, Announces Buyback (Update2)
eBay Inc.: Insider Trading
Bidville's Greedbay Parody