A Bit about my eBay Life

I love eBay. I began as a Power Buyer and became a PowerSeller. My little brother introduced me to eBay. He is a rare book collector specializing in fly fishing books and spends hours researching books before bidding on them.

He knew I collected out of production (OOP) Snow Village lighted houses and he happened to find the Dept 56 Snow Village category one day and emailed me a link to this shoppers' paradise.

I became an addict. I must have bid on 20 items before I finally won my first auction. When I told my brother how frustrating it was to bid and bid and keep getting outbid, he explained the finer points of sniping to me. Armed with that useful information, I began winning almost every auction I bid on and soon completed my Snow Village collection (translated that means I ran out of display room).

I also discovered the art glass category and began filling in my art glass collection. I purchased several Perthshire paperweights, lots of millefiori glass pieces (my favorite is a mushroom lamp that is absolutely stunning) and even some handblown art glass from some very talented contemporary artists (mostly from the Pacific Northwest).

I then became interested in art glass beads and began bidding and buying loose beads and creating my own beaded bracelets, as well as buying the occasional finished bracelet from time to time. I'm still trying to muster up the courage to sell my own beaded bracelets on eBay. The jewelry market is very competitive and I'm not sure my creations measure up... LOL!

I finally took the leap and began selling on eBay, first emptying out the storage closet and selling off items the family was no longer interested in keeping or collecting... we're a fickle bunch. From there, I started haunting local yard sales and antique stores looking for sleepers I knew would bring a handsome profit and I was hooked. The thrill of the hunt and the even greater thrill of watching your auction items get bid up way past your wildest dreams is such a kick.

My big brother lives in North Idaho and comes across a lot of vintage and antique fishing tackle which I sell for him. He hasn't yet joined the 21st century and has no internet access. He doesn't even have a computer... LOL!

Selling for my brother inspired me to become an eBay Registered Trading Assistant. If you ever wondered what that meant when running across our breed on eBay, allow me to explain. Simply stated, we take items in on consignment and sell them for others. Each Registered Trading Assistant sets their own terms and conditions so you have to shop around carefully for the Trading Assistant that's right for you if you are looking for someone to sell your valuables on eBay.

From selling to Trading Assistant and now to designing web pages primarily for eBay sellers... I think I have finally found my niche. I love working with sellers who have an idea of how their eBay listings and Stores should look but don't have the technical ability to do it themselves. It's a fun process to start from scratch and build a seller's store for them from the ground up. It is just as much fun to take an established store and give the seller a complete makeover.

If you are a new eBay store owner or an eBay seller looking for a makeover, whether it's for a complete storefront package or just a custom listing template, please visit my Store, Lesley's Auction Template Designs. Shoot me an email if you have any questions or concerns and I'll do my best to answer you quickly.

In my next post I'll explain how the whole design process works. I have quite a list of frequently asked questions and I'll address them here in case anyone is interested.

This blogging is an interesting concept. I am one of those individuals who is constantly talking to myself while I work and blogging seems to be a natural progression for me... LOL! You don't know if you are talking to yourself or if anyone is listening in. Later...
Lesley