Sally Milo\

Tippy Kal at eBay Live

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:08:50 -0400

at eBay Live - Chicago 2008

Tippy hitched a ride with us to eBay Live 2008 in Chicago. A couple days before Live started, she joined a few friends for fun & frolicking on a Wisconsin lake...

Tippy registers to attend Live...

McCormick Place was huge! This is Tippy in the hall on the way to the Solutions Center.

Tippy joins the throngs entering Live's Solutions Center...

First stop for Tippy - the Blackthorne booth...

Then a visit with Lulu of eBay's Community team...

Tippy congratulates Uncle Joe on his eBay Community Hall of Fame award...

Tippy attends the luncheon for Priority Pass holders.

...and greets her old buddy, Harvey Baby, held by me.

Here, Tippy enjoys Chris Isaak's tunes at the Gala...

The ideal e-commerce venue?

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:20:36 -0400

Over the last several months, eBay has instituted new policies which have upset much of the selling community. Many of us have stuck with eBay, but are feeling left out & hamstrung. Many long-time sellers have quit selling on eBay all together.

Since eBay's earliest days, many members have wished eBay would do this or that differently. "I want to sell off my Nazi memorabilia my dad brought back from his tour of duty in the 1940s", "I would like to direct buyers to my own e-commerce site so I can save on fees", and "These listing limits are killing me" are among the various comments I've heard over my 9+ years on eBay.

Granted, eBay answers to its stockholders. And, of course, eBay has to institute policies to present a safe marketplace to its buyers. Its entirely possible that eBay has some legitimate reasons for not allowing sellers to leave negative feedback for buyers.

BUT...if you could design a competitive site, what would that site look like? I don't mean the graphics & layout of pages, but what kinds of features would such a site have? A feedback system like eBay had last year? Lower fees - or none? More involvement of staffers (including the upper-level execs) on the discussion boards? WHAT?

I'm curious as to what would be the ideal site on which you, an independent business person/seller, would look like!

Going Fishing!

Sun, 8 Jun 2008 13:54:17 -0400

My big trip of each summer for the last few years begins again this week - we're going to eBay Live in Chicago. Since Kyle's family is in Chicago & mine's in Detroit, we're making a big road trip of it all, thus this is an extra special vacation for me!

With all the recent changes on eBay over the last few months, I expect this Live will be a tad more somber than the events have been in the past. But still, I get to see my eBay friends, both fellow sellers & staffers. That has always been one of the best things about Live to me - to hang out with my "coworkers"!

I've not seen Kyle's family for several years & it's been seven years since I was back to Detroit. Unfortunately, 3 of my siblings won't be in Detroit when I'm home, so I'm going to have to figure out a way to visit again when all are there in the next couple years.

I've been unbearable the last few weeks as our trip approaches - I've been so excited that I can give you a minute by minute account of what I'll be doing in "1 week, 3 days, 14 hours &27 minutes" from now. (That will be snoozing in my room at the Hyatt a few hours before Live officially begins - and after I've caught up with many eBay friends for dinner & drinks.)

So, since I'll be on a break, Tippy Kal will be also...she should reappear on the last Sunday this month.

Scrabble this!

Sun, 1 Jun 2008 14:50:19 -0400

Wonder if email, google & photoshopped are in the dictionary yet...

They are in our house! We've written in our own acceptable words which are in common use. (And we allow one look-up, too.) I love playing scrabble - words have been a passion of mine since I first learned to read. Kyle likes Scrabble, too, but gets bored particularly since we've learned eachother's games so well over the years and I want to play several evenings a month.

Show Off or Showdown?

Sun, 25 May 2008 13:12:45 -0400

Guess it all depends...

100% on eBay for the first time in 9 years!

Mon, 19 May 2008 13:16:15 -0400

Today, the new feedback system on eBay begins to take effect. The first thing many sellers have noticed is their percent has changed. For most (those posting on various eBay forums), the number has slipped because one or more negative or neutral feedbacks they've received in the last year is a greater percentage of all feedback received in the last twelve months than is the total percent of negs & neuts vs positives since they've been on eBay.

Not me! Those 2 ancient negs are not figured in, so my percent is now 100%! (One of those was the third feedback I ever received!)

Does this new feedback thing make me happy? Sure, I like seeing 100%, but I am very concerned that I will no longer be allowed to leave a neg for a buyer who doesn't pay or is trying to scam me in some way. I'm not anticipating a bunch of negs from buyers just because they won't have to fear one from me in retaliation. I believe my 2 little niches - Mafia memorabilia & eBay design - are not as prone to negs by buyers of, for example, electronics or CDs.

Only time will tell...

When's too early to start planning for a vacation?

Sun, 18 May 2008 15:00:14 -0400

If I hadn't started my eBay Live '08 folder months ago to keep all the stuff I'll need & if I hadn't already created my list of stuff I need to take to Chicago with me, I'd be frantic at the last moment - and who wants that stress? Sure, one can buy toothpaste or undies if they forget those things, but since I'll be teaching a class this year and have coupons to pay for my hotel room, there are somethings I just won't be able to replace if I neglect to pack 'em.

Here's hoping when you go on your next trip - to Live or wherever you may travel to - that you'll be prepared so your trip can start & continue stress-free!

Happy Mother's Day!

Sun, 11 May 2008 09:54:41 -0400

As Tippy above wrote, I, too, will spend a bit of my time today putting listings together - Sundays are my listing days. And I will be thinking much about how I love being a Mom to my daughter Nicole & how glad I am that she gets to celebrate today also, being a Mom to Gracie & Bella. (The roses on Tippy's shirt are in honor of Nicole who loved roses even as a young child - though I recall her liking them in deep red.)

Of course, I will call my Mom to wish her a beautiful day & thank her for me being the first of her six kids to make her a Mom...and for all she taught & gave me in my life! The orangey flowers behind Tippy are in honor of my Mom who's always loved orange flowers. (Wish she could see our orange roses next to our front door!)

To all you Moms who love being Moms - have a wonderful day!

Remembering a great eBay transaction...

Sat, 10 May 2008 13:06:57 -0400

About a year after I began selling on eBay (managing a friend's eBay business), I was involved in a transaction which still gives me chills when recalling that event.
On a Monday evening, my friend & I were going thru items I'd be listing on auction. He pulled out this chalice-like trophy. It was sterling silver with the year 1898 engraved near the top & a bunch of German text below. He read off each letter while I transcribed.
I don't recall now what category I listed it in, nor how much it sold for - that is irrelevant to this story. After the auction ended & I shipped the piece to the German buyer, I asked "why buy this?" He told me that in the mid-1800s a fraternity in Germany had been formed. In 1898, 4 trophies had been awarded at some function. During WW2, the fraternity was disbanded by the Nazi government. Several years later, the fraternity was re-formed and a search began for the 4 trophies. The one we had listed and was bought by the German buyer was the third of the four they were able to recover.
I wish I still had the buyer's email address so I could discover whether the fraternity ever found the fourth and to get more info on the fraternity & the occasion in 1898 - but it still warms me (while sending those chills down my arms) that I was able to be a part of getting such a piece to its home!

Disguising the eBay seller's home...

Sun, 4 May 2008 17:35:44 -0400

Actually, that shipping table next to my front door? It is what it is & I don't care who's coming over, it stays as it is:

Yep, an ugly thing, but so practical! The closet between this & my front door is full of priority mailing boxes - easy to grab when I'm packing up stuff. And, when I have gifts to wrap, I have tape, scissors & a nice big surface to use. I suspect that even if for some weird reason way in the future, I cease selling stuff on eBay that I need to package up, my shipping table & shelves (albeit in a prettier form) will always be in my living room!