Antique Seller Creates New Life on eBay
by antiqblane
eBay Member

antiqblane, from Fort Worth, Texas, throws herself into her work on eBay with verve and passion. Whether locating antique artifacts for the painstaking reconstruction of a school that burned down in 1915 for her local museum, selling items she finds at local sales, or helping others sell their items through the Trading Assistants Program, she is able to live her life on her own terms. Here's antiqblane 's story, in her own words.

In 1998, I was an antique dealer in a local antique mall and someone I knew asked me if I was selling on eBay. I investigated the site and decided to register and give it a try. I bought a camera and already had a computer, because I also was free-lancing for the Dallas Morning News while working full time at Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. Almost everything I listed on eBay sold and brought a higher price than the antique mall. 

I got hooked on eBay because there was a great deal of excitement about being in a room with my computer and watching activity constantly taking place every moment of the day and night in my little corner of the Internet. People were constantly going in and coming out and I didn't have to open the door or shut it behind them.

I found myself constantly walking over to the computer and refreshing my screen, hoping someone had bid on my items. When an auction ended and brought an incredible amount of money, I did the same thing I do today – I would stand up and shout and furiously clap my hands. The room was always empty and silent, but I didn't care. Now I have a dog, who turns her head and gives me a strange look when I burst into applause.  At first, Angel used to run away and then peep around the corner to see what was happening. She is now accustomed to my reactions when a sell far exceeds my expectations.

I can't remember the first thing I sold on eBay, but within a very short time, my weekends were devoted to looking for finds at garage and estate sales. I would have my day planned with a map and the newspaper, before I ever stepped outside on Saturday morning. Always tired from a long week at work, I would start up my truck at 7:00 a.m. and return later in the day, loaded down with things to sell.      

I started out with four or five auctions on eBay, and then I began to slowly increase the number of auctions I listed at one time. 

I sold a toy fire truck to a fireman, and I remember how nice he was. A year later he emailed me to let me know he had checked my auctions and was very proud of me for doing so well on eBay. I did not get compliments like this at work, and here was a man I had never physically met, wanting to let me know that he was watching my auctions. He was impressed with what I was doing. I purchased barkcloth drapes for my bedroom and after enjoying them for a year, sold them for an incredible amount of money on eBay. I think it was somewhere around $750.00.  

I began to calculate how much I made an hour, and realized other than benefits, one sale on eBay could net me a week's worth of wages on my weekly job. By October of 1999, I had retired from my job of twenty years to become a full-time eBay seller.

I became an eBay addict and hated being away from my computer. I badly wanted a laptop, but was afraid to spend the money. I still wish I had one, so when I find something special while shopping I can research before purchasing it. eBay's Search is a fantastic feature and gives me a good idea what is selling well.

One of my early sales was a turn-of-the-century metal fireplace pan rack. I took it to a box-and-ship company and they wanted around $60.00 to ship it. Upon hearing the shipping quote my customer sent me a page and a half of criticism. I took his remarks to heart and then packaged it myself. In doing so I was able to ship it at a much cheaper price. He was thrilled with the pan rack, and we became eBay buddies.

I take pride in my packaging. One customer bought four different items from me. She said her husband commented, “Here comes Texas,” referring to the size of my package. They even sent me a cartoon where a man is furiously throwing paper out of a big box only to finally retrieve a ball point pen. I take the teasing along with the occasional criticism well and try to learn something from everyone.    

I use discarded boxes and buy bubble wrap. I think it's a waste that stores send all their discarded packing material to landfills – I'm sure many eBay sellers would be glad to use it! At a local Tuesday Morning store, a sales lady walked up to me and said, "I know you – you're the box lady."  I realized then that I had acquired a reputation for always hustling boxes, often out of their dumpster. Her remark stung for a while, but I got over it.  

I wish someone at eBay could start a project for saving the environment and keeping grandmothers from having to dig through dumpsters to save money for their customers. There's a positive aspect to everything – even discarded packing boxes get a new life on eBay.

Because I specialized in antiques, I spent as much time as possible at the library and antique malls. Exposure to other antique dealers helped a lot. I walked the aisles in the malls learning as much as I could about glass and antiques. But I now know that eBay is a different market than the antique malls. Certain items bring much more on eBay than they do in the malls. 

Last year I had great sales for Burmese glass and 1800's glass, selling a Mount Washington Burmese pitcher for $898.88 and a Burmese fairy lamp for $566.00. One of my auctions was even mentioned in a newsletter for antique glass collectors. Once, a family asked me to sell some antique glass they had. When I sifted through the Styrofoam packing peanuts in the box they had sent me, I lifted out a family of tiny little pigs made of Burmese glass. I must have had a very strange expression on my face for a moment – then I burst out laughing. They sold for around a hundred dollars – each!

Also, last year a man asked me if he could see a Burmese finger bowl before he bid on my listing. I let him come to look at it. He sat down at the computer with me and told me he had already bid on the piece. As we talked, I would occasionally refresh the screen to see how the auction was doing. The price started climbing in the last few minutes of the auction. It closed for about $1,300. I looked at him and he was very pale. I said, "Can you believe someone paid that much for the finger bowl?"  

"It was me," he weakly said. "I didn't expect it to go that high. Can I get a discount?"

"Sorry," I responded. "I am it selling it for someone else."

He counted out $1,000 in hundred dollar bills and asked to pay the rest by check. He now owned the famous finger bowl and may have since sold it at a profit.

I know many of the items I have sold on eBay have gone into collections and museums where they will be preserved with care and admired for a long time.

Although I am not getting rich (most of the time I sell items on commission), I have been able to support myself with my eBay sales after retiring from “Corporate America.” More importantly, I now have the freedom and control over my life that I never had before. Today, I'm my own boss, and I can tell you that the boss is happy.