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 Alex Durant, who used cMarket to produce a charity auction for Share Our Strength, and Crystal Brooks, whose husband's eBay purchases turned her into an eBay seller!

Hi Ina,
One of the first online auctions that I produced for a charity was for Share Our Strength "Taste of the Nation" event. We got a great donation of tickets to the Miami Vice movie premiere:

"You and a guest will attend the 2006 MIAMI VICE East Coast Premiere Gala Reception to be held at South Beach hot-spot, Mansion on Tuesday, July 25, 2006. Enjoy a star-studded evening featuring live music, fine food, wine, spirits and champagne. Spend the night at the Loews Miami Beach where you will be able to toast the evening with a 1.5L Perrier Jouet Grand Brut."

It was exciting to get a one-of-a-kind experience package that stood out in our auction catalog. We knew that by taking the auction online, that we could leverage cMarket's exposure to a National audience to drive up the bids.

Our total 10 online items raised about $16,000. The Miami Vice package was online for pre-bidding and raised $800 online before it went into the live auction at the event.

Alex Durant, founder of Durant Consulting, a fundraising auction service
http://www.durantconsulting.com

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I can remember my first item I sold, like it was yesterday!

In 1998, my husband came home from work and said "I found some cool Boy Scout items on eBay today." I asked him, what was eBay?

As time went along my husband continue to buy. One day in 1999, I decided to get on the internet and find out for myself, what this website was all about.

The very first time I got on, I saw the word "SELL" I liked that word!! I thought to myself, if my husband could buy then I could sell.

So the very next weekend I woke up bright and early and had a nagging feeling to get up and go to this garage sale that I have seen, the day before. So I listened to my enter thoughts and went.

I had NO idea what I was looking for when I arrived. Matter of fact, I never have been to a garage sale before in my life.

As I walked around the tables I noticed there were some old records that did not have a round hole. So I picked up the stack of records and asked a little lady about them. She told me they were very old "Busy Bee" Disc that you played on a special phonograph. I purchased all 11 disc for $6.00 that day. I took the Disc home and listed them on eBay and a few days later, they had sold for $50.00. I was hooked!

Over the last 9 years I have continued to sell on eBay for myself and other companies. I am currently a full time eBay Marketing Manager for a large Corporation here in Texas. We are the largest seller of Hunting, Fishing and Work Wear clothing on eBay, under the name OutdoorClothesUnlimited.

I Love eBay and the thrill of the sale, is still alive and thriving within me!

Thanks for letting me share my experience.
Crystal Brooks