# First ebay auction **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 9, 2000, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673 "2000-01-09T19:28:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RoboDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@RoboDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoboDude)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/1 "2000-01-10T06:51:00Z")
Last Thursday, I passed a major milestone. I bid on my first item in ebay… a DVD copy of “Beavis and Butt-Head Do Christmas” and won. I am now an active member of the ebay community. Yesterday, I bid on a Canon BJ-5000 (1 of 5 in a Dutch auction) and won that, too. * * * Life is a tragedy for those who feel and a comedy for those who think. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2000, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/2 "2000-01-09T19:28:00Z")
You WON it or you got to BUY it? I don’t see what’s so great about getting to buy something. In America anyways. * * * Marge: “You know, Homer, it’s very easy to criticize.” Homer: “Fun, too!” ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2000, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/3 "2000-01-09T19:44:00Z")
Voguevixen – getting the high bid in an auction really does feel like winning. I’ve never done e-bay, but I love going to estate auctions. It’s a total thrill (hey, I live in Iowa) – even if you end up paying more than something is worth, you always feel like you’ve come out ahead. And losing? It feels like losing. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2000, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/4 "2000-01-09T21:28:00Z")
Oooo! Ebay!! I did 80 per cent of my Christmas shopping on ebay (having registered just before Thanksgiving). I blame Satan for this, BTW, since I had never even looked at the place until he started a thread about it. (And I won’t even TELL you what I did to MajorMD to get HER started over there! 😉 Our husbands are now trying to figure out how to block us from the site. I’m now thinking of becoming a seller . . . . -Melin ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2000, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/5 "2000-01-09T21:42:00Z")
WARNING EBAY IS ADDICTIVE Only make one bid and leave it at that otherwise you’ll wind up paying too much. It is fun though. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/6 "2000-01-10T00:15:00Z")
How hard is it to become a seller? Do you need anything specific like a license or can anyone with crap to sell just put it up? My mom has a whole house of antiques and oddities she wants to get rid of and was asking me about it. I’ve never bought or sold anything, just looked around and drooled over some of the baseball cards. 😉 * * * Marge: “You know, Homer, it’s very easy to criticize.” Homer: “Fun, too!” ---
**Author:** ![Doctordec](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Doctordec](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctordec)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/7 "2000-01-10T00:18:00Z")
You have to be careful. I bought my copy of Eraserhead on Ebay and the guy sent a bootleg with a small printed label. I really wanted the videotape so I just kept it but people sell plenty of fake stuff on Ebay. I am starting to sell a few things and it seems like a good way to clean out closets so far. The IRS will figure out a way to tax people selling on Ebay soon. My neighbor makes more on Ebay than at her regular job and she’s a well paid stockbroker. * * * “Hope is not a method” ---
**Author:** ![StrTrkr777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@StrTrkr777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StrTrkr777)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/8 "2000-01-10T00:38:00Z")
Vogue, you do not need a license or anything like that. You have to register on Ebay. There are fees and/or percentages to be paid by the seller for sells. It helps to have a digital camera, or a scanner or a means of capturing a picture from a video camera. Pictures help with the sale, especially in the area of antiques. Check out Ebay and you can find out all the info about selling on Ebay. Jeffery ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/9 "2000-01-10T00:42:00Z")
Its real easy to sell on ebay, complete info all the way. How hard can it be if a deaf person can do it. Lately Im concerned because it seems that web traffic is down quite a bit after Y2K, so nice time to buy, since no competition. Lots of assistance in the ebay newsgroup, though, worth looking at as you can find out how to deal with people who don’t pay or fraud. ---
**Author:** ![RoboDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@RoboDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoboDude)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/10 "2000-01-10T05:58:00Z")
* * * ## Only make one bid and leave it at that otherwise you’ll wind up paying too much. And make that bid as close to the end of the auction as possible. That’s the only time when it’s worth bidding. * * * Life is a tragedy for those who feel and a comedy for those who think. ---
**Author:** ![tatertot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@tatertot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tatertot)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/11 "2000-01-10T12:47:00Z")
My parents have become ebay addicts. The thing is, they have me doing all the bidding and arrangements for them. I’m like those people on the phones at Sotherby’s, although on a much smaller scale. I have no idea why they make me do it, my father has been working with computers as far back as I can remember so I’m fairly certain that he can figure it out. I feel so used. ---
**Author:** ![rubes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@rubes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rubes)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/12 "2000-01-10T14:39:00Z")
I enjoy Ebay, and have posted my first item FOR SALE. I recently was able to buy an album that was out of print for years, still in its shrink wrap. (it was the 16" Right On Track remixes by the Breakfast Club) I had been looking for that for years. I used to have it on cassette, but a “friend” borrowed it only to never give it back. Also, for computer auctions, check out [onsale.com](http://onsale.com) and [ubid.com](http://ubid.com). Combined I’ve purchased 4 systems and great prices from them. * * * Nothing is so bad that it can’t get worse. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/13 "2000-01-11T06:14:00Z")
Now is a great time to buy as the news said just what I thought yesterday, mainly that Internet traffic is down 50% since dec 26th. An ebay trick most people dont know about is people buy new things first from [surplusauction.com](http://surplusauction.com) & then put up for bid at Ebay. If they can’t get their return, they can return it to surplusauction. You’d be surprised how much cheaper things are at suprplusauction than ebay!!! Don’t tell. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/14 "2000-01-11T02:14:00Z")
Tatertot: charging a comission will make you feel less used. Do you think those Sothebey’s people are doing that out of the goodness of their hearts? 😉 * * * Marge: “You know, Homer, it’s very easy to criticize.” Homer: “Fun, too!” ---
**Author:** ![RoboDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@RoboDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoboDude)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/15 "2000-01-11T03:47:00Z")
I looked at surplusauction, and they didn’t seem to have anywhere near as much selection as ebay. And another thing: If anyone is in the market for Aibo, the limited edition robot dog from Sony, there are currently a bunch of auctions for them on ebay. * * * Life is a tragedy for those who feel and a comedy for those who think. ---
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/16 "2000-01-11T05:03:00Z")
I bid on and won an ebay item once. Then I completely forgot to rate the seller. I’m hesitant to go back to ebay because I’m afraid that sort of behavior could get me banned. The ebay seller was like a business or something instead of a flesh and blood person; it was clear from the emails that I was corresponding with a robot. . . who is now sending me xmas cards for some reason. . . * * * “I’m just too much for human existence – I should be animated.” –Wayne Knight ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/17 "2000-01-11T05:47:00Z")
Daniel, you don’t _have_ to rate the seller although it’s only courteous to do it if they give you a rating. If they’ve got several thousand ratings already, they probably won’t miss one. And it certainly will **not** get you banned; leaving feedback is not required. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/18 "2000-01-11T17:26:00Z")
Some guy, parrothead66, got the shooting star award for getting 10,000 positive feedbacks. But he often sells 1000 pieces of the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Frankie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@Frankie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankie)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-ebay-auction/12673/19 "2000-01-11T21:19:00Z")
## I think I may be getting spam from ebay cause people can see my email. Any idea how to delete my account with them? -Frankie Lack of charisma can be fatal