Finding Connections – How Lasting
Friendships Form on eBay
by Nino
eBay Staff Member

Over the years, eBay has changed the lives of many people in a myriad of positive ways. Many members have found business success on the site (more than 430,000 people in the United States make either a full-time or part-time living selling on eBay). Many more members have been able to add to their incomes by selling items on eBay. And of course there are millions of buyers who find great deals and hard-to-find collectibles on eBay.

With so many people visiting the site, communicating with each other in the course of their transactions, and stopping in the Community forums, it's inevitable that they connect on many different levels. On eBay people have discovered other kindred spirits, stumbled on to unexpected support groups, shared knowledge about business success, and formed lasting bonds. A few have even found personal happiness by meeting their future spouse on eBay. (Read A Match Made on eBay from The Chatter archives.)

Here are a few stories that show how people meet on eBay to learn, connect, and stay informed – for business and for fun.

Almost two years ago lildivasboutique*com, an eBay member from Nebraska, was selling her youngest daughter's infant clothing on eBay. One winner, a local person with the User ID minimaxshow, asked if she could pick up her item in person from lildivasboutique*com's home. Little did they know that they were not only about to become friends, but business associates as well.

When minimaxshow came by to pick up the item she had won, lildivasboutique*com also gave her an extra outfit that hadn't sold. A week later, lildivasboutique*com was surprised to get “the cutest Halloween bows” in the mail and a note thanking her for the great outfits. Floored by this nice gesture, lildivasboutique*com quickly called her. “The rest, as they say, is history,” she says.

lildivasboutique*com had just started a jewelry business and was about to have her first Open House for items geared towards little girls. She mentioned it to minimaxshow, and suggested that minimaxshow bring over some of her Halloween bows to include in the Open House.

From that time lildivasboutique*com and minimaxshow have built their business together. Almost every weekend in the spring and fall, they do craft shows together. lildivasboutique*com says that they are an incredible team together. "We have never had an issue!"

Their different personalities actually complement each other and make the friendship stronger. lildivasboutique*com says that while she herself is "more of the Type A organized sort," minimaxshow is more artistic and creative. "So we balance each other extremely well. It just makes it that much more fun."

It's a rare day that the friends don't talk, even if it's for just a few minutes. While their friendship came about on eBay, they have found that they hold similar views on many things in the offline world, from crafts to parenting. 

But now lildivasboutique*com is moving to Connecticut. She's sad to leave her friend minimaxshow behind. “I will miss her tremendously, not just as my craft partner/buddy, but as my best friend!”

raglebagle with husband

raglebagle's story starts with the purchase of a vintage linen three years ago from eBay member unique-find. “An embroidered pillowcase, or a tablecloth? I can't remember,” raglebagle tries to recall. But she does remember that unique-find wrapped her linen carefully, with a ribbon and a special card.

These extra touches earned unique-find repeat business from raglebagle. From that moment in time, a special friendship grew. raglebagle recalls, “An email here and then another there. Another purchase here, and a recommendation for another item elsewhere. Three years later, after exchanging birthday and Christmas presents, and countless emails every day, I cannot imagine living life without unique-find.”

raglebagle describes themselves as “modern day pen pals who have never met.” Yet they seem to know exactly what to say to each other on good days and bad. They value each other's support every day. “Her support is worth more to me than gold,” says raglebagle.

Both friends are now looking forward with anticipation for eBay Live! 2005, eBay's live Community Conference. Why? Because in San Jose, California, the venue for this year's eBay Live!, the two friends will finally meet in person – after three years of waiting.

raglebagle says, “For me, the power of eBay is making connections with special people around the world while staying home and catering to my children's needs. I look forward to the day when I can actually hug unique-find and thank her for her precious friendship.”

In 1999 mermer was looking for books on eBay about Katharine Hepburn, her very favorite movie star. She won an auction for a book listed by “a very nice lady” who also lived in Southern California. The emails between them about payment and shipping were ordinary enough, but mermer realized that “there was just something really neat about this lady.” They soon began corresponding about more topics than books about Katharine Hepburn.

It turned out that classylass, the seller from whom mermer had bought the book, was going through treatments for breast cancer at the time. mermer was herself a breast cancer survivor and had walked that lonely path a few years earlier. She instantly understood her situation. They soon struck up a wonderful friendship and shared many phone calls and emails. 

Recalls mermer, “I sort of became a support person for her as she dealt with the frustrations of treatments, drug reactions, emotional highs and lows, and all the other things that go with the situation.”  She knew from her own experiences that classylass needed a friend who would listen and understand her fears, frustrations, joys and triumphs as she walked the path to recovery. mermer was more than happy to be that friend.

Six years later, mermer and classylass are very dear friends and stay in touch often. But they still never have met in person. “We hope to one day change that and meet for lunch at a half-way point between our homes,” mermer says, adding, “If it had not been for the wonderful Community of eBay we would never have met. We are both so fortunate to have found eBay and our special friendship.”

It wasn't the most promising start to a great friendship.

In May 2002 palamine, an eBay member from Vancouver, Canada, was mildly irritated when dtc-store, an eBay member who wasn't even bidding on her items, asked her a question through the Ask Seller a Question feature. To top it all, it wasn't even a question related to the listing. The member was asking where she could find audio tapes of the books palamine had up for auction.

palamine laughingly recalls her first feelings on receiving that email. “My first instinct was – the nerve of her! As if I don't have enough to do...” But being the good person that she was, palamine did some research and answered dtc-store's question. The member was suitably impressed.

Soon palamine and dtc-store began exchanging emails and found that they had many things in common. They were both grandmothers, and had lots to share – about grandchildren and their husbands. Although they were separated by thousands of miles (dtc-store lived in Los Angeles), they soon bridged the gap by chatting via instant messenger every night.

The friendship grew so quickly that they decided to meet in person, each traveling halfway to meet the other. Later that year, in the fall of 2002, the two friends and their husbands finally met each other in Aberdeen, Washington. After a weekend spent getting to know each other, they were even better friends.

Their friendship only kept growing in subsequent years. Discovering that dtc-store was “struggling to make ends meet,” palamine shared her knowledge for selling successfully on eBay. In return dtc-store and her husband, who were well-versed with using computers, were able to increase palamine's knowledge about computers in general.

“We still chat several times a week and are the best of friends,” says palamine. "When I need support, a shoulder to cry on or someone to share a joke with, she's there. I know that we will be friends forever. And it all happened on eBay.”

Every day eBay opens up the world and creates a fabulous venue for folks to meet, transact, and share – not only special items, but special friendships as well.