Missed my 10 year Anniversary Yesterday

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Posted By: Steve Murray

On January 31, 1998 I signed up on ebay. It's been an interesting ride as I have met so many other collectors through ebay alone.

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Posted By: Shawn Chambers

Congrats, Steve...

It is interesting, too, to weather the changes that have taken place with ebay over the last decade (both good and not-so-good)...

My 10th is coming up in March with 2160/100% rating. Reading some of the horror stories, I feel fortunate that both in buying and selling I've rarely had any problems more serious than a slight nuisance. I'm not sure that streak will continue with the changes coming.

I'm going to celebrate my 10th by buying a card! How about you?

Shawn

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Posted By: Mike Mccullough

Jan-19-98
2373 99.9% positive..

Congrats on 100%, thats quite an accomplishment..

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Posted By: John S

March 5th. Currently I have a 836 rating, 100% positive. I have completed over 1200 transactions over the last eight years with only a handful of negative experiences. Ebay, love it or hate it, has had a tremendous influence on the hobby.

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Posted By: MVSNYC

i just hit 9 years on eBay. believe it or not, i only have had 78 transactions. quality, not quantity...


jan. '99 i was at the live auction in NYC for McGwire's 70th HR ball.

there was a small new website on hand, handing-out their PR kit, and trying to get their name out there...

the website was eBay.

i still have the PR kit in a folder (maybe that's worth something?)

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Posted By: Richard Simon

I was the autograph authenticator/consultant for the auction house at the McGwire ball auction, NYC Auction House Guernsey's. In addition to the McGwire ball there were some very nice items being sold.
I too recall the ebay booth and in all honesty I thought it was just going to be another website that would generate some activity but I never dreamed it would have this kind of influence on the hobby.
--

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.
Unknown author
--
We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember.
No retreat baby, no surrender.
The Boss

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Posted By: scgaynor

My 10 year anniversary was last August. It does not seem like it has been that long. I would say though that ebay has never been as easy to use for the seller as it was back in 1998-99. It seems like pretty much every change that has been made since then has made it harder and more expensive for the seller. Ebay seems to make changes simply for the sake of making changes.

Scott

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Posted By: Rob Dewolf

Member since Oct-22-97

I don't know whether any of you have the same recollection, but I can remember for a short time after I started buying and selling on eBay, scans of items in listings were the exception rather than the rule. Kind of hard to fathom that today.

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Posted By: Steve Murray

"accurate grading, fast delievery, what more could you want!! sb1 ( 3559) Feb-14-98 16:17"

I wonder if Scott's spelling has improved in the last 10 years.

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Posted By: leon

I respectfully disagree. Much like PSA every change made by Ebay is for the benefit of their bottom line. I understand their capitalistic ways but always want to keep the motive in the correct light. It would be nice if some of Ebay's and Psa's changes were for the good of their clientele but I don't think that is the case. They will usually say that the changes are to benefit the customers, and some might, but most reasons are to generate more income, as any "for profit" company would do..regards

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Posted By: Neal

I tend to agree with Leon. Corp America is all about greed and bottom line profits in their deep pockets! Ebay anywhich way they go about it! Bottom line is more profit for company,heck with us feeding fish!

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Posted By: davidcycleback

That was back in the first Clinton Administration.

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Posted By: scott

Leon, I agree, I mean the changes are not helpful to the seller for the most part.

I remember the first time that I went to ebay there were like 25 things in the entire sports category. Mostly it was pottery and glass and that type of thing. A couple of months later, "Friendly" Henry Moses told me that I should check it out again (he left me my first feedback!) and it had really taken off but only to the extent that if something sold for $200-300 it was a big sale. Only the really high tech guys used pictures, you could leave feedback for people even if you had never done a transaction with them, the site used to go down all of the time and they had different servers named after types of reptiles. You would see a message at the bottom of the screen like "searching caiman" and then it would time out.

The focus of the site has moved away from antiques and into retail and the focus on making money is on trying to get the most out of the transaction instead of simply having more people selling. The latter is what made them successful in the first place and that (in my opinion) is why they are not seeing the growth that they had in the past.

Scott

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Posted By: barrysloate

Scott- that's really funny because do you know from whom I first heard about ebay? Henry Moses!

Henry was still living in Brooklyn and stopped by my apartment, and while he was here told me he buys things from ebay. And I remember asking him "what is ebay?" I'm guessing it was about 1998.

Been a member since Nov 99, 402 feedback and 100%. But that will soon change, I guess.

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Posted By: scott

They should pay him some money, it appears ebay had made a ton of money off of his referrals.

Scott

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Posted By: Bob

Arrrghhhh. Just noticed my 10 year anniversary was this past week! missed it also. Well, well. 4800 positive feedbacks, over 7000 transactions, 100%. Only ever had 2 negs, one was on a record album the other was non-sports related also. Both jerks, both bounced off ebay for tons of negs years ago. I guess my feedback score will bounce down to 400 something now under the new system, sigh...

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Posted By: 1880nonsports

I'll add a paypal link for the referal fees. At a penny per item bought or sold Scott's 22 million feedbacks alone might fund a "buy".......

(Member since: Jan-18-97)

I left my first feedback for myself OOOOOOO

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Posted By: scott

Henry, January 18th! That is early! Do you remember what you first bought?

scott

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Posted By: 1880nonsports

I'm pretty sure I only sold stuff in the beginning. Had I known ebay would become such a tour de force I certainly would have taken note of my first purchase. The early days were quite interesting - a roller coaster ride on a fledgeling site. I think that most of today's sometimes convoluted rules and proceedures that appear to encumber buyer and seller - evolved out of neccessity to protect the integrity of the process - trust/safety being fundamental to the site's success. It's hard applying a utopian concept of love, honor, and trust to a cyberspace based vehicle subject to the self-serving minipulations of a small but nefarious portion of our society. I think eBay works albeit not without some problems. I'm here for the duration of my collecting life. Off to hear some comedy tonight......

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Posted By: Jerry Spillman

eBay member since May-04-97 - Henry you beat me by almost 4 months.

Scott mentioned that feedback could be left without a transaction being involved. That I didn't know but more than one feedback could be given for a transaction.

I had sold an eBay member an item and he mistakenly gave me a negative feedback then tried to rectify it with a postive feedback. So I got both a - & + feedback on his mistake. This is my only negative feedback to date. See feedback comments below.


+ Prior negative comment was re: another user. KINDLY DISREGARD THIS NEGATIVE!!!! tomcoinvegas ( 451) Mar-31-98 06:05

- Tries to hold bidders to offers, tho less than Reserve Price!!! tomcoinvegas ( 451) Mar-30-98 23:53

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Posted By: Max Weder

Just a little after Henry....

baseballart
Member since: 15-Feb-97
Location: Canada

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Posted By: leon

Feb-14-99 ...so 2 weeks till 9 years.

My 1400 perfect is about to go to 300+ .....so much for being consistent....I think the losing of feedback is one of their worst ideas yet....

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Posted By: Rick McQuillan

I will have 10 years on April 18th. I probably wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't read this thread. It was a pain in the XXX with Windows 98 and dial up internet.

Rick

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Posted By: Richard S. Simon

Correct me if I am wrong but this statement is from the ebay e mail to members:
Feedback more than 12-months old won't count towards your Feedback percentage.
--
Your feedback number should stay the same, I think what they are saying is that the old feedback won't be used to calculate your %. Your % will be based on the last 12 months feedback but your total feedback # should stay the same.
--

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.
Unknown author
--
We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember.
No retreat baby, no surrender.
The Boss

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Posted By: Joann

Dec 1 1998, so my 10th is upcoming this year. First two purchases were Rookwood vases.

J