Ebay & the Internet

The preowned Sit n Spin I recently sold for $36.

I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I wasn't immediately won over by the concept of the Internet. In the late 1990s, I worked as the marketing manager for Turtle Fur®, a cold weather accessory company in Vermont. Fortunately, we were already using some progressive techniques to market our products. For instance, we were using a digital photo studio and adjusting color electronically, as needed, to produce our product catalogs. So it was a natural next step to talk about launching an Internet presence. We planned to create a virtual catalog online, but when talks turned to customers actually placing orders on the Internet, I was the great naysayer. 


I'll never forget saying it because I laugh out loud whenever my memory whispers, "hey, remember saying this?":  "No one will ever buy anything on the Internet." I still feel the weight of my skepticism because, honestly, it was more than that. I believed emphatically that the whole idea of buying and selling goods on the Internet was PREPOSTEROUS!  

Yet by 1999, I had purchased a digital camera and was photographing and selling my own things on ebay. By now I have made well over $20K (it's likely twice that), mostly from selling stuff I no longer want in the house. Since I began selling on ebay, I've sold thousands of things: a used toilet seat was an early coup, but the list includes sheets, pillowcases, diaper bags, clothing, fabric, belts, blankets, comforters, scarves, drapes, pillows, hats, games, gloves, china, glassware, cookware, jewelry, toys, dolls and stuffed animals, purses, shoes, briefcases, luggage, art, ornaments, books, show and event tickets, electronics, rugs and furniture as well as vintage and antique items of all kinds.

I have fully integrated the Internet into my purchasing style for everything from granola for my husband's yogurt to Mogo bracelets for Christmas. I love it and my list of favorite sites is forever growing – Amazon, Craigslist, Etsy, Overstock... If you ever want advice or tips about ebay or how to get started, please get in touch with me. It's a terrific marketplace and makes for a fun, money-making hobby for many millions of people. 

Nora and I share a moment

By the way, not an omelet.

“You know what I love?”
 I nod, waiting for more.
“Spinach or broccoli, umm... What is Aphrodite's necklace called. You know, Zeus’ daughter.”
“I don’t know. Oh, an amulet?”
“Yeah, I love amulets.”
“Do you mean omelets?”

Beautiful Black Squirrel

Only a few short years ago, right here in Durham, I caught a glimpse of something I had never seen before: a black squirrel. Now at the risk of overselling what I still consider a complete marvel, the black squirrel gives me tremendous joy. When I first saw one, I had no reference for the cute, nimble creature because in almost forty years, I had never lucked upon one. I have since learned a few things about them. For instance, most Americans have never seen a black squirrel and their discrete numbers pop them into a ratio of 1 to 10,000 when stacked against the grey squirrel in North America. I also learned that they represent a subgroup of the grey and grey squirrels can produce black offspring. 

But most fascinating to me was the genetic superiority of the black squirrel. Only brief observation was needed to realize the black squirrel was more than just super cute in his jet black coat. He is faster and more spry than all the other grey squirrels, and he is more aggressive about EVERYTHING in his world. I wasn't surprised to discover that in some parts of the world the black squirrel is rapidly overtaking the grey.

These days, my eyes are always ripe for a sighting and when one occurs, believe me when I say that I stop whatever I'm doing, alert anyone nearby and bask in the glory of my tiny black circus star. Even funnier, for the longest time I believed there could only be one living in the area. Now I know better.

On one lucky occasion (lucky for me, not for him), I spotted one "swimming" in my pool. I practically tripped over myself to get to him, grabbing a skimmer on the way. He was so pissed and scared; I could see him weighing the drowning option. Of course I'd never let that happen, but I had also grabbed my camera and his rescue would have to wait until I snapped a shot or two. The fiercely independent little bastard fought his own rescue, but I vanquished the Reaper for another day.