Whenever online sellers get together, you can be sure there will be stimulating conversation and plenty of differing opinions. Last weekend in New York was no exception, when some of eBay's top sellers got together at the eBay Elite Summit meeting http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y04/m05/i03/s01. For me, the meeting was a wonderful opportunity to meet a diverse group of eBayers who are professional, intelligent and trying to find their voice.
One of the biggest gatherings of online-auction buyers and sellers will take place at the end of June in New Orleans, at the eBay Live conference. I find it useful to explore the exhibit hall in search of new services and to meet industry old-timers. As usual, we will cover the event on the AuctionBytes Web site so you won't miss any news.
Speaking of industry old-timers (but not old!), Scott Samuel has graciously agreed to help us kick off a new AuctionBytes series called "Industry Profiles." In this series, we will interview people who have had an impact in the world of online auctions. The interviews will hopefully give readers some perspective on where this young industry came from, how it developed, and where it's headed. Scott is the man behind Andale's free counters, having founded Honesty.com in 1998, and he is a truly nice guy. Scott shares a bit of his story with us in today's issue - it's a must-read.
Also in today's issue, Franci Neale shares her experience in networking with other online sellers with her local initiative called Sellers Connection. The advice and support we can offer each other is priceless, and it's just plain fun to be around people who understand what we do! If you belong to a local group, let us know about it here:
http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=9572
There may be AuctionBytes readers who want to join you. And I'm interested in writing more about this trend.
I'm also very pleased to announce a new feature on the AuctionBytes Web site: Collector's Corner Resource Links http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/pages/resources. Contributing Editor Michele Alice has created a section of useful collectibles-related links. Each section has links to valuable informational sites, as well as links to articles we've published about related topics. The area will be growing steadily; so if you have favorite resources you'd like us to add, please send an email to dsteiner@auctionbytes.com.
We'd also like to thank Kim Pierce, who graciously allowed us to be "home" for his resource links library for several years. Kim has moved his valuable resource database to http://www.doyoucollect.com. Thanks, Kim!
Edith Reynolds has somehow talked me into giving a short workshop on online auctions. Edith writes for AuctionBytes and is Editor of The Bookologist newsletter for online booksellers http://www.bookologist.com. Edith assures me it will be a casual setting - it will take place May 15 at the John Bale Book Company, the bookstore she and her husband operate in Waterbury, Connecticut. Details are listed below under "This & That." I hope you can make it, I'll make sure there is plenty of opportunity for questions and answers and discussion. And if you are going, feel free to write me and let me know some of the things you would like me to cover.
Finally, in a previous issue, I shared this saying, "Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it." A reader came back with an add-on to that statement: "And nostalgia is the longing for things you didn't want when you had them."
Thanks for reading.
About the author:
Ina Steiner is Editor of AuctionBytes.com and author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). She has a background in marketing and research in the high-tech and publishing fields. If you have story ideas, comments or questions, send them to ina@auctionbytes.com.
