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Do you remember the first item you ever sold online? Let us know by sending an email to ina@auctionbytes.com and we may publish your story. Today we hear from Eddie StClare, Founder & CEO of auctionchex.com, about his first sale on eBay.
Hi Ina,
Its Eddie (lancashire-lad, auctionpix, auctionchex etc) This may be of interest to your readers ?
My first ebay sale was a silver trophy:
http://auctionpix.co.uk/eddie/trophy.jpg
I am in the UK, I listed it on ebay.com, pongo (remember them) was used as an image host, the image was taken using a scanner, with a towel placed over it to try to get a decent "scan", as digital cameras were not commonplace in 1999, Billpoint was in existence, but only for US residents, and USD money orders were a common place payment option.
The item was sold to a Welsh Pony Club in the USA, and the trophy was used as a special presentation, I contacted my very first buyer just recently, and to this day, that trophy sits as "pride of place" to whom it was presented to.
With my first successful sale "on ebay" I continued to list and sell, still using Pongo, and getting USD money orders sent to the UK, and then the penny dropped, there has to be an easier way, and hence auctionpix.co.uk was created as a non US based auction image host, out of that grew auctionpax, selling packaging supplies to "ebayers" and subsequently auctionchex.com was borne as a service to enable easy exchange of USD payments sent to non US sellers, and create payments to sellers where other online services were not available, appropriate or viable.
All that from the sale of a silver trophy to a US buyer !
Personal note: I don't intend this to be a "plug" for my website businesses, more of an "illustration" of how flexible you have to be to survive in ecommerce, I could have continued selling "collectables" but chose not to, and moved into the "services for online sellers and buyers" market, Its all too easy for a seller to be comfortable and hopefully successful in their selected area, but as sure as eggs are eggs, they will meet stiff competition, and should be prepared to bend with the wind in order to survive.
Regards from Eddie StClare
Founder & CEO of: auctionchex.com, auctiontrax.com and auctionpix.co.uk
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