The Chatter

Art Modern Era Furniture Strong on eBay

2008-11-12T11:32:19-08:00

The market on eBay for all-things-Modern continues to generate interest among collectors and designers as indicated by several recent successful listings for mid century designer furniture. In the last two weeks alone, several choice examples of Eames / Herman Miller chairs and lounge / ottoman sets have sold on eBay. What follows are a few examples of those as well as some other Mid Century Modern items of interest. (click any photo for a larger image).

This set of Four Original Charles Eames designed Dining Chairs, manufactured by the Evan s Products Company Molded Plywood Division, sold for a Best Offer of $4639 on Oct 30th. These chairs were extremely popular in the 1950's so many of them have survived. However, they do bring a premium when preserved as sets with the original finish in good condition like these chairs.

Two good examples of the iconic #670 Eames lounge chair & ottoman sets sold recently on eBay. First, a Herman Miller Eames Rosewood Lounge Chair Ottoman with black leather upholstery and bent rosewood in excellent condition, sold for $5000 (Buy It Now) on Oct 31 and an Eames Rosewood 670 Lounge Chair/Ottoman with gray upholstery also designed and built by Herman Miller, sold for a Best Offer of $3,000.00 on Nov 2nd

Eames lounge chairs continue to draw interest and there are usually at least one or two available on eBay every few weeks. If you are considering acquiring an example, always look for those that are good to excellent condition, and of course, think eBay first!

It's always a bit disconcerting to find items on eBay that are considered "antique" and were also manufactured during your childhood. Although not quite considered "Art Modern", this molded fiberglass and tubular steel 1960's Pop era Laverne Tulip chair, designed by Erwin and Estelle Laverne, is nonetheless a top example of hard-to-find 20th century design. It sold for a Buy It Now price of $2900 on Oct 31. The chair, which swivels on a tubular stell base, would be the perfect foil for Barbarella.

Another highly sought name in Modern furniture, this pair of Milo Baughman Tufted Armchairs sold for a Best Offer of $2100 on Nov 2. They chairs have been professionally reupholstered in appropriate fabric to match the period. Considering the cost of a good upholstery job, these chairs were a definite good deal.

The increasing interest and prices for good Danish Modern furniture is exemplified in this set of six John Stuart Dining Chairs by Arne Vodder that sold for one bid of $1800 on Nov 1 Though the prices for Danish Modern have risen dramatically over the last decade (remember when thrift stores couldn't give this stuff away?), the best examples are still affordable and available, at least for now.

And finally, another icon of the Modernist design era, this single Zenith PAW Eames Herman Miller Shell Chair circa 1948 sold for a Best Offer of $1500 on Oct 29

As the seller stated in their description: the "...Shell is an extremely early (c. 1948) rope edge example..." the condition of the wood base and plastic shell along with the superb sage green color make this a highly desirable example of the type.

You can always find current listings for Art Modern furniture and decorations by using the keyword "modern*" as a search term in the Antiques > Furniture category. This will display a wide range of furniture of every type and from every designer/manufacturer where the seller has used the word "modern" in their title, which mid century sellers most do. To explore a larger selection, including listings without the word "modern" in their titles, navigate to the Antiques > Furniture category and select "Mid Century Modern" from the option drop down list under Furniture Finder.

eBay Reviews & Guides of Interest
by expert eBay sellers and buyers:

Decorating in Mid Century Modern - MCM-I-love-aqua-pink

Retro Shopping & Decorating

Twinkie-apos-s Toolbox: The Eames Era and the Magic 8 Ball

Furniture Buying Guide

TOP 10 FACTORS AFFECTING ANTIQUE COLLECTIBLE VALUES

Next time in the Antiques & Collectibles News...Antique Cameras and Film

By the way, this is the first edition of The Antique and Collectibles News, a new column here on The Chatter. In this column, we will share news of recently-closed auction listings of interest on eBay for a wide range of categories in Antiques and Collectibles. We'll also publish general news and information about the antiques and collectibles business on eBay. In the future, we'll add additional columns and articles focusing on other eBay categories.

If you are an expert in a particular field of collecting or dealing in antiques and collectibles, enjoy writing, and would like to contribute content to this new column, please contact Griff at griff@ebay.com. All submissions will be considered.

A Tribute to Bobal -- By Giraffer and Shipscript

2008-10-28T14:56:40-07:00

eBay lost a beloved Community member this week -- our dear friend Bobal. If you've been to an eBay Live (any of them but the very last one in Chicago), or if you've ever sought expert help on the Photos/HTML Discussion forum, then Bobal needs no introduction to you. From his ubiquitous "bull" icon signature -- to his one-of-a-kind eBay uniform which he wore proudly as he wheeled around his favorite eBay Live conferences -- to his dedication to helping others, Bobal was a stand-out. He epitomized the barn-raising type of generosity that made eBay's Community so special.

It's been said you can really know a man through his friends. I leave you now with this tribute from two of Bobal's closest eBay friends -- giraffer and shipscript. On behalf of all the staff here at eBay, our hearts and prayers go out to Alice, Bobal's devoted wife. We thank you, too, for helping Bobal help so many others over the years.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

By giraffer and shipscript:

Last Sunday, eBay lost a pioneer Community member and its most colorful legendary figure - known to many as simply Bobal. At 5:06AM on Oct. 26, 2008, after a two-month battle with cancer, Robert E. Bull quietly slipped away when his wife Alice released his hand and his grip on this material world.

Living with Multiple Sclerosis, emphysema, and diabetes, attached to an oxygen hose, and navigating a motorized chair with only one eye could be daunting for many, and it was indeed a life-changing challenge for Bobal years ago. However, he credited eBay with lifting him from his morose existence by providing him a new purpose and new lease on life. You can read his words here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20050308024256/http://www.bulls2.com/index/bobal/mylife.html

Bobal became an eBay member on April 21, 1998, learned buying and selling, and quickly realized what a fantastic venue this afforded people with disabilities. He soon discovered eBay’s help forums, where other new members were struggling to learn eBay, and he has been answering questions and helping members ever since. His warm and friendly style set the tone on the forums where he seemed to be available any time of day or night, every day of the year.

And people quickly found his posts by looking for his snorting bull avatar.

That dedication and generosity didn’t go unnoticed by eBay staff. Because of his commitment to helping fellow members, Meg Whitman presented him with the Community Hall of Fame Award in 2002 in Anaheim, California.

And Alice remembers how extremely proud, amazed, and humbled Bob was that a farm boy from Jamestown, New York could get a chance to make a difference in so many lives across the globe. (Read a 2004 Chatter newsletter article about Bobal's accomplishments.)

Bobal’s favorite hangout was eBay’s Photos & HTML forum, where Bob’s Tips are the defacto help pages for new sellers: http://www.bulls2.com/indexb/bobstips22.html He also hopped around to many other forums, such as the eBay Live Board where he answered questions and helped people get to eBay Live each year. Bob loved to have fun, enjoyed meeting people, and encouraged members to join him at the annual Live events where he, with his wife Alice, could be spotted from across the exhibit hall wearing outrageously bold outfits, holding court among a knot of admirers.

Photo left: eBay Live 2007 Boston. Bob with wife Alice (the "Al" in "BobAl"), daughters Cheryl and Barbi

Photo left: eBay Live 2006 Las Vegas. Bob with daughter Barbi and granddaughter Brandi

Bobal was a man full of patience, honesty, humor, and caring, with a love for helping others. Bob frequently commented that the eBay Community was “the fuel I need to keep my fire going each day”. He was rarely seen or encountered without a smile on his face and a warm welcome in his voice, whether meeting in person or chatting on the forums.

We'd like to share some comments posted on the forums by other members.

nates_tips from the Photo/HTML Board ---

“When I first came to eBay, I had no clue where to start, and I didn't even know what templates were. I was literally clueless about eBay, and about computers. I stumbled across the eBay forums, and I found myself on the Photo/HTML board. I asked a question, and within minutes, this guy with a bull thingy responded. You gave a link to your help pages, and within a couple of weeks, I had read every single page on your website.

“Honestly, your help pages helped me get started on eBay. If it wasn't for your help, I don't know where I'd be. After getting a good understanding of things through asking questions, trials and errors, I decided to start posting on the eBay boards. I sorta had a newbie type idea, and had a million links to other sites that I couldn't vouch for. You kindly emailed me and gave some advice on what I could do to be of better help, etc.

“You had and still do, have an influence on the way I post on the boards. You have always been kind, helpful, full of joy, and never posted in a negative way, ever. You have set the path for me and others to follow.”

kaleidowonders from Photo/HTML Board ---

“Thanks so much for all the help you didn't even realize you gave me. I've used your tips to learn some basic html, and as a nice safety net. Always knowing that I could come back here and reference your easy to follow info.

“No doubt there are countless others like me who have silently benefited from your hours of work and generosity. And many of them may not get the word to come here and acknowledge your help. So I just hope that you realize you have touched many lives and businesses with your generous spirit!”

purpleferret999 from Canada Town Square Board eBay.ca --

“A dear man that I am proud to say taught me html and I was thrilled to have met him.”

thevintagezone1 from Photo/HTML Board ---

“Bob, I am sure you don't remember me but you have helped me soooo many times. I could never have worked from home if you had not been here with your advice and knowledge. I have been able to make a living and raise my son (that has autism) without having to leave him with a baby sitter when he was little. I can't thank you enough for the help that I have received from your emails, posts and links. You made a DIFFERENCE in our lives....Much love, Rebecca”

shipscript from Photo/HTML Board ---

“Bob, this may be changing from a 'thread of hope' to a 'goodbye thread'. And yet, it will still remain a thread of optimism and inspiration to so many because of your phenomenal legacy.

”You have uplifted and expanded the lives of many who just needed to see from your example that it is possible to live with untold adversity and to succeed in a special way. You have reached outside of your own personal limitations to enrich the lives of so many, and you have done that with grace and with a special kindness toward those you help. Your friends and admirers are more numerous than you can possibly know, and even when you move on, you will still be winning new friends and admirers. Your journey has been, and will continue to be, a noble one.”

The eBay forums are buzzing with memorial posts from community members remembering Bobal, as can be seen in these few examples:

Photo/Html: http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=520002948&start=0

eBay Live: http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=510003262&start=0

The Soapbox: http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=510017821&start=0

Animals: http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=510017898&start=0

Miscellaneous: http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=520038589&tstart=0

Powersellers: http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=510003504&start=0

Canada Town Square: http://forums.ebay.ca/thread.jspa?threadID=500036630&tstart=0

How can we remember Bobal and honor his legacy? Several charities were mentioned (Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes, and Cancer research) for those who would like to make a contribution directly or through eBay’s Giving Works. But Bobal was an ardent believer in “paying it forward” and spoke of this with his wife and friends. Many of us have been helped by Bobal at one point or another, and one of the finest tributes each of us could make is to pass along his patience, honesty, and overflowing kindness when helping others. Pay it forward for Bobal.

Rest In Peace, dear friend.

_____________________________

Bob’s remains have been donated to the Arizona State Medical Center in Tucson for disease research and the family will forego a funeral or memorial service. Notes may be sent through eBay’s contact system to Bobal. To send cards or letters (no flowers please), please see the Photo/HTML forum for information. Bobal would also approve of using eBay’s Giving Works to send anonymous donations in his memory to any charity of your choice.

Introducing PayPal Micropayments

2008-10-20T13:42:10-07:00

Good news for sellers who sell low cost items on eBay (typically, $10 and below). PayPal has launched a special pricing solution called Micropayments that can save you money if you regularly accept payments with small total dollar amounts.

The Micropayments account pricing is 5% plus 5 cents per transaction (for USD accounts). Compared with our usual 2.9% plus 30 cents, micropayments pricing will cost you less if the total transaction amount is under $12.

You can only either have micropayments or "regular" pricing on any given single PayPal account, so PayPal suggests maintaining two accounts if you're a seller of low cost items who also sometimes has higher dollar amount transactions - one account that is setup with micropayments pricing, and one with the standard rate - and then processing to the appropriate account depending on the total transaction amount.

Some of you who pay close attention may remember that micropayments pricing was actually launched a couple of years ago, but was only available to select customers. We're happy to announce that micropayments pricing is now available to all accounts worldwide, and we now have a new website that explains all the details.

eBay at the Kansas Jubilee

2008-10-06T13:53:49-07:00

Last week, eBay seller and Education Specialist Joyce Banbury (danse on eBay) hosted a special event in Hays, Kansas titled, "Kansas Jubilee eBayer Convention for eBay/eCommerce Sellers and Buyers." The two-day convention was held at the Memorial Union hall of the Fort Hays State University campus and was sponsored by the Fort Hays State University College of Business and Leadership.

How did eBay become involved in a member-sponsored event? Joyce approached us several months ago with news of the upcoming Jubilee and asked if we in Community Development might send a few employees to instruct or speak at the event. We were happy to oblige. (I never miss a chance to visit our members in the great Midwest, especially a town or city which I have never visited. Big cities are OK but they are no match for small town hospitality.)

Five employees from eBay and one from PayPal attended as part of a larger staff of 14 guest speaker/instructors:

Nearly 50 eBay seller's from as far away as Nebraska and Texas attended the Jubilee to learn about a varied roster of topics including Catalog Photography, Marketing on eBay, Creating a Brand with eBay Stores, Packing and Shipping, Using PayPal, etc. Other workshops included an Extreme Listing Makeover session, a workshop on boosting DSRs and feedback, and a session on improving visibility in Search.

Although the two day event concluded on Saturday, Oct 4th, the spirit of the event will continue with a 10 day Charity Auction of two, extensively autographed and bejeweled (with eBay Live! pins) eBay Live! white lab coats.

100% of the auction proceeds will benefit the High School Rebuilding funds of Chapman and Greensburg, Kansas school districts. Chapman High School was extensively damaged in a tornado this year and the town could really use a helping hand in recovery. The auctions will go live on Oct, 15^th so if you want to do your part and own a rare piece of eBayana, bookmark the seller ID yabiecentral and get your bids in starting October 15, 2008.

Our thanks go to Joyce Banbury for inviting us to her event and to all of our hosts and fellow speakers and attendees for your enthusiasm and kindness during our all-too-short stay in Hays, Kansas.

[Pictures courtesy Joyce and Education Specialist Cindy Shebley (www.clovercitycells.com)]

Jeff "My mom says I'm cool!" -- we wish you well!

2008-10-02T15:47:30-07:00

The Community Development team says goodbye to one of our own this week. After 7 years, Jeff, who many know from this blog, from Voices gatherings, and all eBay Lives but the very first, is moving on. Our team has a long history together, and for this reason, we've always been close like family (you know, that kind where everyone is always in everyone's business). We've watched and supported Jeff during many of his important life milestones over the years.

Oh, the memories...

Jeff's always been a free spirit. He came to work each day with a smile on his face and music in his heart, although his friends knew behind those twinkling eyes there was a streak of rebel in him.

Jeff's boyish charms (and intractable ego) made him a bit of an office flirt....strange as it may seem to us, he regarded himself as a chick magnet.

One of the MANY (too many to count, really) Jeff quirks was his eating habits. (I've personally watched him eat his weight in garlic mashed potatoes.) He's a simple man with simple food preferences. But we did keep trying to tell him that you are what you eat.

Eventually, he did settle down with the woman he loves. We love Kristin, too, and their wedding was such a joyous occasion for all of his eBay co-workers! (Jeff really made a beautiful groom.)

When we learned Jeff and Kristin would be having their own little eBay-er this summer, we were ectstatic for them.

So....So Long, Jeff! May, as your Skype message has told us for the last 2,555 days, your mom keep thinking you're cool, and your Feedback stay 99% positive. And don't forget, you still owe me $94,323,754.37.

eBay Groups Spotlight on EHAG: It's Halloween All Year Round for these Artists

2008-09-30T16:42:14-07:00

Just about a month before everyone goes crazy with their Halloween costumes. I bet this year we'll see a lot of election-themed costumes, not to mention the horrors on Wall St. or the evils of rising gas prices. Most people might not start scratching their heads about what to do for Halloween until around this time every year, but for a group of eBay sellers, it's Halloween all-year round. Meet the Eclectic Halloween Artists Group or -- as they like to be called (to the sound of sinister thunderclaps) -- EHAG. It's one of our smaller eBay Groups, with only around 71 members, but since it began it has quietly established a great reputation for itself among fans of Halloween art and collectibles on eBay.

As you plan your Halloween deviltry this year, be sure to look for EHAG items on eBay -- just type "EHAG" into the search box to find their wonderful offerings. Here's one of their members, ivas_creations, with more information about the group:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Second only to Christmas, Halloween is the biggest shopping holiday, generating more than $6 billion in sales, according to some online sources.

Search eBay at any given time in the year, and you'll find hundreds of Halloween items for sale. With so many enthusiasts, it was natural for long-time eBay seller and artist Pat Benedict (woopitydooart) to want to connect with others who love all things Halloween. So in April 2006, she started Eclectic Halloween Artists Group, or EHAG, the first, original Halloween art group of its kind on eBay. "I started EHAG because I found a need for Halloween artists to share their thoughts and love of Halloween," Pat says. The small 71-member group is for professional artists and enthusiasts who share a love for the art that celebrates the magic of All Hallows' Eve.

EHAG members sell Halloween art year around, even outside the typical Halloween season. The group's membership is varied—you’ll find those who make miniature dolls (like Pat), painters, folk artists, doll makers, and collage artists. Some are well-known in the Halloween art world having their work licensed by large distributors, while others are just beginning. The diversity creates a great opportunity for collectors to shop direct from the artists themselves in every medium and find one-of-a-kind works.

Pat, who's been on eBay since November 2003, began selling her Halloween haunted miniatures in May 2004. She formed EHAG almost two years later. Part of her goal was to create a home for artists who created "a less horrific" Halloween. EHAG is not about gore or extreme Goth art. "EHAG is a place for members to give mutual support, nurture, discuss and celebrate their artistic creations," says Pat. All members list their items using the EHAG acronym. And, EHAG has built a reputation of quality art among eBay's Halloween art collectors.

Additionally, collectors turn to EHAG because they are as much a part of the group as the artists they buy from. In fact, EHAG's membership is comprised of both artists and collectors. "Allowing collectors to join was a natural. They provide input on the lively online forum discussions about ideas, trends and general questions put to the group," Pat adds.

Membership is by invitation only, thus making it a private eBay group. Membership guidelines include having a minimum of three months' experience selling Halloween art and having a certain amount of positive Feedback. EHAG group members are expected to be active participants in the group's discussions, which typically include a thread on members' latest creations listed on eBay, what everyone is working on that week, and who in the group has made the eBay Pulse page, which all celebrate. Halloween related topics include sharing pictures of a Halloween collection, talking about what inspires the artists, or sharing a newly made costume, home decorations or favorite Halloween movie. Members also share news about awards, published articles, upcoming art shows open for participation and calls to artists from various publications or online sites. Then there are the topics about fantastic art finds, new art supplies or how to use a specific medium.

To keep artists motivated, the group has regular art challenges. Members come up with suggestions for a theme and then everyone votes on their favorite. These are particularly popular because it encourages the artists to break out of their typical work and expand their offerings.

The group's popularity has grown since its inception. Less than a year after it began, the members started ehaag.com, an informational site. Visitors to this site will find links to EHAG member websites/blogs, an eBay search of current EHAG auctions, a quarterly newsletter, member photographs, several member collectors, artists' past works, upcoming Halloween shows, an EHAG contact and other links.

With Halloween fast becoming the nation's most celebrated "unofficial" holiday, it's no wonder the group has seen much growth. And, as the number of enthusiasts and collectors of all things October 31 grows, so does EHAG's opportunities for artists and collectors on eBay.

To find the latest EHAG offerings, just type EHAG into the eBay search window.

eBay @ Web 2.0 Expo New York

2008-09-29T17:45:48-07:00

The eBay Developers Program gang is freshly back from Web 2.0 Expo New York last week, showing off the eBay and PayPal platforms to web developers and designers. Check out InformationWeek and VentureBeat for what our fearless leader, Max Mancini, had to say from the show floor.

Visitors to our booth got to learn about eBay Developers Program, PayPal certifications, VUVOX, eBay Desktop, Firefox Companion for eBay and more. Developers building applications with the eBay API platform, such as Glaxstar, EffectiveUI, JDT Technologies, Aduci and Payloadz added their perspective and testimonials about their experience with the eBay development and PayPal certification process.

Rolf Skyberg packed his session on Platform Wars: A Brief History on Wednesday, and we also got to catch up with developers like WatchCount.com (a.k.a. helios825 on the Developer Forums), WidgetBucks/Mpire and Guru of Sales, who stopped by our booth as well.

If you missed us in New York, catch us in San Francisco, November 16-19 at Adobe MAX. eBay picked up a couple of coveted MAX Awards last year, and we're looking forward to meeting Flex, Flash, AIR and ColdFusion developers again this year!

-Delyn

Photo Credits to Delyn Simons and Lanz Tsang

eBay In Person Miami -- Event Overview (and Some Pictures)

2008-09-26T06:07:44-07:00

I had a lot of connectivity issues at the hotel in Miami, plus my laptop battery chose this day to give up the ghost, so I wasn't able to blog live from yesterday's eBay In Person. However I took a lot of notes and will be back with more information from the event over the next few days. Meanwhile here are some high-level details:

We had a decent turnout -- about 175- 200 people, mostly local sellers from the Miami area, attended. Some people have criticized eBay on the Chatter discussion board for not advertising eBay In Person Miami enough. To be quite frank, we kinda wanted it that way because it was the very first full-day eBay In Person (our previous events, for example San Francisco, were only for a couple of hours). So it was a test run for us and we figured that a more low-key event would help us refine the format for future eBay In Person meets.

A lot of the attendees were relatively new sellers, although we had a large proportion of experienced/veteran sellers as well. A few people didn't seem to know the details of the recent changes (in fact about a dozen or so people said they hadn't even heard of DSRs!) but for most attendees the focus was finding out more about the recent changes as well as understanding how best they could adapt their individual businesses on eBay. We did get a lot of questions (and from a few people criticism) about the changes. However it was also very heartening to note that many sellers are feeling positive about the changes, especially the new "35 cents for 30 days" model.

The day began with opening remarks from Griff, followed by people breaking out into one of three educational sessions:

Become an Overnight "Star" Seller; Boost Your Customer Service, DSRs, and Feedback
Catching Customers: Improve Your Visibility in Search Results
Shipping 101

The sessions rotated throughout the day so everyone could get a chance to attend all three. I felt the sessions were a good mix of eBay going into more details into strategies sellers can use to adapt to changes on eBay and to online selling overall, and people asking questions about eBay's rationale for the changes and sharing their perceptions about how they themselves were affected.

I'd say the overall mood was very pragmatic. Most sellers seem to agree that bad buyer experiences caused by a minority of bad sellers on eBay, combined with buyers having many other shopping destination choices have led to the changes that were introduced recently. Most were also concerned about the state of the U.S. economy and were worried that it could hurt their businesses even more. Of course there was some criticism of eBay as well (I would be disappointed if our usually vocal Community chose to stay quiet during one of these events), but there were also many positive stories. Several sellers walked up to the microphones to let us (and their fellow-sellers) know how their DSRs had improved or how the fixed price format was working for them. (Watch out for a cool video story soon).

I'll be back with more details in the next few days. Meanwhile here are some pictures from eBay In Person Miami.

Griff and the eBay panelists:

Attendees lining up to register:

1-on-1 (or 2-on-1) attention for an attendee:

The crowd settling down for Griff's opening remarks:

Josh Loftus, Senior Director, FInding, conducts a session on How to Improve Your Visibility in Search Results:

Kristina Klausen, Senior Director, Shipping, conducts one of her sessions:

Griff is always ready for a photo-op:

It wouldn't be an eBay event without some fans making an eBay statement (Helen Espinosa, left, and Lourdes Elvira, right):

Miami Voice: eBay Meets Florida Sellers This Week (Sept. 25th)

2008-09-23T12:02:34-07:00

Since 2002, the biggest event that brings together eBay (the company) with eBay (the Community) has been eBay Live!, with thousands of attendees. But in June, at eBay Live! 08 in Chicago, eBay announced a change to the way we meet our customers face-to-face. Instead of one massive annual event like eBay Live! in 2009, we would have more smaller, regional events called "eBay In Person" where customers and staff can interact in a more effective way (the next eBay Live! is in 2010). We've been experimenting this format since last year (for example, we held an eBay In Person in San Francisco in November 2007).

This week, on Thursday, September 25th, eBay In Person is visiting Miami, Florida. In an all-day event (9:00 am - 5:00 pm Eastern Time), eBay staff from various teams will meet about 200-300 sellers at the Hyatt Regency Miami (400 South East Second Avenue, Miami, Florida, 33131) to listen and learn. We encourage participation, so if you're an eBay member in the Miami area, walk-ins are welcome! (There's a $25 charge.)

Besides discussions about eBay's recent policy changes and future direction, the eBay team will also conduct informative sessions on how sellers can improve their businesses on eBay, such as "Boosting Your Customer Service, DSR, and Feedback" and "Improving Your Visibility in Search Results." They'll also have a session on Shipping Best Practices, including the importance of specified shipping, using the Shipping Calculator, and how to save time and money with label printing solutions.

We'll be covering much of the event here on the Chatter, so please stay tuned.

"Hurricane Buddies" - How a Community Looks Out For Each Other

2008-09-22T08:28:22-07:00

If you ever need a reminder of the inherent goodness of people on eBay, look no further than the Hurricane Buddies on the Clothing, Shoes & Accessories board. With this year's hurricane season being among the most intense in recent years, they've taken it upon themselves to take care of each other.

Essentially, sellers living in hurricane zones "buddy up" with another seller. In the event that a hurricane (or really any disaster) strikes the first seller, the second has a pre-set email ready to go that they send to their buddy's buyers, informing them of the situation and a possible delay in shipment. They even offer to answer any questions that they can. For example, here's an example letter one buddy posted for others to use if they wished:

Hello!

I am contacting you on behalf of the seller of the (enter item title here) you purchased last night, (enter seller User ID here).

She lives in the Gulf Coast region of Texas and was required to evacuate due to Hurricane Ike.

Emergency officials will allow her to return home tomorrow. She will be shipping your item within the next few days.

Thank you for your patience.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.

You can read more about it on this thread on the Clothing, Shoes and Accessories board (just set aside a few minutes - there are a ton of posts). It really shows what makes eBay a truly great community.

Don't Forget the Town Hall - Friday, Sept. 19th at 11:30am PT

2008-09-18T16:51:06-07:00

Grab a sandwich and join us for a lunchtime (at least on the West Coast) Town Hall event tomorrow, September 19th, from 11:30am to 1pm PT. Senior Vice President and GM of eBay's North America Marketplaces Stephanie Tilenius, several people on her executive team, and Griff will be taking your questions about anything going on around eBay.

Never attended a Town Hall? They're broadcast via online radio, and you can email (townhall@ebay.com) your questions for the panel. You can also call in your question live on the air (1-877-474-3302). Just make sure you've finished chewing that sandwich first.

Update on September 19th 12:00 noon. Here are a few pictures from a few minutes before the Town Hall began.

Stephanie Tilenius, Senior Vice-President and General Manager, eBay's North America Marketplaces, with Griff, our friendly emcee:

Stephanie and Griff with Lynda Talgo from our Trust and Safety team:

Stephanie answers a question as the rest of the Town Hall panel listens: