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 Ed Tomchin who used eBay to parlay a Nikon lens into cash - and a retirement career.

Dear Ina,
You're absolutely right. Everyone remembers the first item they sold online. I'm no exception.

The year was 1998. I had a couple of Nikon lenses I wanted to sell so I could buy another Nikon lens. Typical of a photographer. We think in terms of equipment rather than money. So I took the lenses down to a friend who owned a camera store in Las Vegas and asked him if he'd put them up for sale on consignment. Bill said he would, but that I should really list them on eBay where he was sure I'd get more money for them than his store could produce. "E what?" I replied.

Bill proceeded to show me and teach me the hows, whys and wherefores of eBay. He even loaned me a digital camera to photograph my lenses. Being a photographer and writer, the pictures and descriptions came easily - were even fun. And when I reaped more than I paid for the lenses, I was hooked.

I started haunting yard sales and selling collectibles and eventually evolved into buying and selling military surplus electronics. More profit, less time per item. After I bought my first good digital camera in 2000, I never again shot a roll of film and eventually sold all my film gear on eBay.

Bill has since closed down his stick & brick camera store and sells strictly on eBay. I continue to supplement my Social Security on eBay by working a few hours a month from home. The rest of the time is all mine.

Notwithstanding all the complaints and irritations, eBay is still the best marketplace in the world - bar none. Were it not for eBay, I'd probably be wiping tables at McDonalds.

Ed Tomchin (trader_eddie on eBay)