Sometimes I wonder what people think when they see nikitababy bidding on their auction item. Do they imagine a raunchy stripper? Or maybe an exotic spy trained in the martial arts? Ahh, if only they could see the real nikitababy right now, the one that inspired the intriguing eBay handle ... she's got sleek brown fur, golden eyes and tuna breath and is curled up in her little kitty basket. Beside her is nikitababy's rather unexotic mistress, the one with her glasses falling down to the end of her nose and her paws on the computer.

That, my friends, is the amazing and wonderful thing about online selling and bidding. Nobody notices the bunny slippers on your feet. Nobody has to know you. But they do see your auction name, which can leave an indelible impression. I remember when I was new to the game and easily influenced by User IDs: The first time I saw riptheskull bidding against me on a Halloween item, I almost backed off. Just what would riptheskull do if I outbid him? Luckily, we were both losers and I didn't have to find out. A year and half later, I see that riptheskull is actually a real sweetie (324 positives and counting... not one negative feedback!).

These days, I'm always more happy to deal with someone who has thought up a nifty identity. Sorry, but those run-of-the-mill email addresses bore me. So do those dealers with variations of "sell" in their names .... often they have automated feedback and invoicing along with those thousands of feedbacks. Lately, I've come across a slew of intriguing names. Like crimeandpunishment, who I recently encountered during a late-night Ebay ramble. Was this he or she a lawyer, a judge, an ex-con? Nope, simply a lover of Russian literature who arrived in Los Angeles from his native Bulgaria nine years ago. A great admirer of Dostoevsky, he spent five long years learning how to read the classic prose in its original form. Then there's the newly christened romeobob. Cool name, I thought . . . until I noticed he bought a Vintage Chastity Belt Padlock (with the key, thank goodness)!

I used to get intimidated when a bidder's ID indicated he'd go to the moon to land an item. You know what I mean (ibuyallwidgetssodon'tevenbothertrying). But I quickly found out that serious collectors have already cornered their universe; often they're only toying with that atomic ray gun to make sure their investment stays strong. You can emerge victorious! That said, I still wouldn't want to go head to head with elvisrules@elvispresley.com for what appears to be a rare "Love Me Tender" Emenee guitar.