A Very Special Father's Day Gift
by Zigmund
eBay Staff Member

Through the early part of June, many eBay users will be scouring eBay's listings, searching for the perfect gift to give dear old dad on Father's Day. But perhaps none will be as special as what faraday2 will be giving his father-in-law this year.

It all started back in April.

Seller gad88, who specializes in postcards, had purchased a collection of vintage photos featuring people, so she could re-sell them on eBay. One in particular caught her eye.

The card, which was in excellent condition, was a portrait of a family from the early-1900's. What made it even more special was that all the people in the photo were identified.

gad88 said she knew when she was listing the card on eBay that "I had a winner on my hands."

As luck would have it, a few days later faraday2 was working late one night and decided to surf on eBay as a break. His father-in-law used to be an author, and "on a whim, I decided to see whether any of his old books were for sale on eBay."

Several items came up, including gad88's postcard. Curious, he clicked on the listing. "My first reaction was of total disbelief."

Pictured on the card was his late grandfather-in-law (then a little boy), along with his brother, sister and mother. faraday2 knew that soon after that picture was taken, the mother had passed away, and the girl went to live with relatives while the two brothers were sent to an orphanage.

"The family's possessions had been dispersed, and we were not aware that any childhood photos of this generation existed. I realized I had found a charming photograph of a missing chapter in our family history." Ecstatic, he emailed gad88 to tell her the story.

Upon hearing about the photograph's history, gad88 was just as thrilled at the connection as faraday2. "I shouted to my husband to come to our home office at once to read the email with me," said gad88 after looking it over. "I was so touched with the story…..I was choked with emotion. I feel really privileged to be given the chance to give one family a piece of their past".

faraday2 knew he just had to be the winner of that card. He had found the item and placed his first bid with less than 24 hours left to go in the auction. There were no other bids--still, the fear that a "sniper" would jump in at the last minute of the auction and steal it away drove faraday2 to increase his maximum bid two additional times.

Happily, after a few tense hours, the card was won. A delighted faraday2 already knew what he planned to do with the postcard.

"This may also be the only remaining photograph of my father-in-law's grandmother, whom he never got to meet. The boy on the chair, whose granddaughter I would marry almost 90 years later, passed away earlier this year after having lived a very full life."

"But his son," faraday2 added, "will no doubt be thrilled to receive this special photograph for Father's Day."