eBay Live! - A Good Business Investment
by Ben Mandell
eBay Member

For those of you who are wondering whether attending eBay Live! makes good business sense, you'll want to learn what this PowerSeller has to say about how eBay Live! helped him grow his business. For more details about this year's eBay Live! in New Orleans, www.ebay.com/ebaylive, or go do the eBay Live! 2004 Discussion board.

I'm Ben Mandell. I'm not a builder, but I play one on TV! Actually I'm the co-host and producer of The New Home Show television program that airs on PBS affiliates across the US. The New Home Show builds houses on television from the ground up. I like to say we start with dirt and end up with a fully furnished home. I'm not only a television producer, I'm also an eBay Powerseller under the User ID joefriday2.

I signed up for eBay in 1997, because it is a great place to find neat and unusual things that we can use in the construction of the homes on television. It was also a great place to find computers and computer parts! I believe that eBay is the most incredible commerce and distribution system ever invented. If it is on earth, it is on eBay.

I am involved with a company that has become one of the largest sellers of automotive computer chip keys and keyless remotes in the world. Every month we have some customers that drive hundreds or thousands of miles to Charlotte, NC to pick up their keys and have them programmed by one of our locksmiths. They buy the keys on eBay and they come here to have them programmed. Who would have thought this was possible? Just today, an eBay customer from New York drove to Charlotte to have us program his Toyota keys because his local dealer could not do it. This is incredible to me. And it's all because of this wonderful thing we call 'eBay.'

The tremendous growth that we have experienced can be traced to the things that I learned at the last two eBay Live! conventions. My business takes me to a lot of conventions each year. I can't attend every one, but I do attend about eight conventions per year. Why? Because it helps my business. My eBay business has increased after each eBay Live! that I have attended.

Just one single idea from eBay Live! can mean thousands of dollars in extra revenue for your eBay business. I've seen it again and again. Open your mind and open your eyes, because you never know when that idea will show up.

I know eBay folks like a bargain and eBay Live! is the biggest eBay bargain that there is. If you want to save some money, grab a friend, pack the mini-van, and head for New Orleans! You can split the gas and share a hotel room, and then you'll both have the time of your life in New Orleans. The eBay registration fee is incredibly cheap at $70. Every other convention that I attend charges their attendees hundreds of dollars for registration. eBay should be charging at least $200 for this convention. It is an incredible bargain. Take advantage of it!

I have two small children ages 3 and 5. My wife and I took them to eBay Live! last year. eBay thinks of everything - they even have childcare right in the convention center. My kids had a blast and were talking about all of the great eBay things they got to do. They do charge for childcare, but it's a reasonable fee, it's safe, and the kids get lots of goodies!

So, I've given you the dates of eBay live, and I've told you to come. Maybe you still aren't sure. So let me tell you some more. I want to go back to the first eBay Live! convention in 2002 at Anaheim, California...

Up until 2002, eBay was just a picture on my computer screen to me. I didn't see it as a living, breathing thing. I didn't even know that they had a telephone at eBay. eBay was a virtual place that sat on my desktop computer for 5 years. I had no idea that eBay had a building, or where that building was. I later learned that eBay occupies many buildings on a campus in San Jose, California.

I didn't talk about eBay much to my friends. In fact, I was kind of embarrassed to tell folks that I sold things on eBay. They just would not understand. It was always a treat to meet someone that bought or sold on eBay. Those conversations always seemed to end with a smile on both of our faces.

We started talking to each other about better ways to buy, ship, sell, advertise or list on eBay. The sharing of information was incredible. We collected each other's business cards.

And there were others at eBay Live!, as well.

The eBay employees had been given their "marching orders". They were instructed to talk with eBay members and get suggestions and feedback. I noticed they wrote lots of things down. It was almost like the principal was taking notes, but you were not in trouble this time! I spoke with dozens of eBay employees during that first convention. They listened and they listened well. You will never get access to eBay employees like you get at eBay Live!

When the second eBay Live! was announced in Orlando, Florida I just knew that I had to go. In fact, I decided to take my wife and kids and spend a few extra days in the Orlando area. I found a vacation home to rent for a week on eBay. (We have found many vacations homes to rent on eBay. It's a great way to travel if you have kids!)

Up until 2003, my wife (Renee) had no idea what eBay really was. She knew that we are doing a substantial business on eBay, but she really didn't know much about it. She was one of those folks that just couldn't understand why I was so fascinated with eBay. She actually kidded me about going to the first eBay Live!.

I wanted her to attend the second event and she agreed. When Renee walked into the Orlando convention center for the first time she was sold. eBay suddenly was real for her. She "got it." Renee met lots of people and was now proud to be part of it.

eBay in Orlando drew 10,000 attendees. It was more than eBay had expected. The central Florida location really was popular with a lot of eBay folks. CEO Meg Whitman was there along with eBay founder, Pierre Omidyar. It was Pierre's first eBay Live! and the look on his face as he looked out into the group of 10,000 eBay convention attendees was absolutely incredible. The man seemed stunned to look out at what he had created. I was there and I saw it. It was a magical moment.

You'll see lots of magical moments at eBay Live!. It's a first class event. Weird Al Yankovich showed up and treated us to his new eBay song from his Poodle Hat CD. The crowd roared as he sang the song with lyrics that included bubblewrap, Paypal and Visa. It was pure magic. I even went onto eBay and purchased the Poodle Hat CD. It's the number 5 CD in my car, and I listen to that CD almost every time I drive my car! It reminds me of Al at eBay Live! singing that eBay song.

So I do hope you will join me at the 3rd Annual eBay Live! in New Orleans, so that you will have this incredible experience, too.