But the numbers don't tell the entire eBay story. Behind these numbers lurk the stories – some told, many that remain untold – that reflect the spirit, enterprise, and humaneness of the eBay Community. Members going out of their way to help others, people empowering themselves to earn a good income while remaining stay-at-home parents, someone overcoming disabilities or career upheavals to give themselves a successful second chance, making lifelong friends on the site, small businesses becoming large businesses in a few short years—these are some of the stories that show eBay's real character.

On the occasion of eBay's 10th anniversary, we asked members, as well as some employees, to share their thoughts and wishes for eBay as they reflected on ten adventurous years together. Here are some of them.

Oh, how you have changed my life....how do I begin?

I got to eBay as fast as I could, in August of 2000. I wish it had been sooner. 

I've never had so much fun and met so many wonderful people in my entire life. I've traveled a lot and met lots of people with my husband's work, but meeting eBay friends has been a true and heart warming lifetime experience.

I've had house guests from Canada (sir.freddy – I love her to pieces!), and eBay friends from Arkansas come to spend time at my home. I have visited so many others in Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, and California. I've been to the Dallas/Fort Worth area to meet a lady from Illinois that has a daughter living there.  Since I'm in the Houston area, I go see her when I can. We have also become very dear friends. Without eBay and buying and selling, I'd never have met these wonderful new friends that I have made over the past five years.

I've made two trips to California to spend time with different folks I've met on eBay. There are so many others that I'd love to meet, and hope to some day.

Then...oh my gosh...there are the conventions!!  I've been fortunate to attend the last two eBay Live! conventions and the experience just can't be explained. I mean, you are so totally overwhelmed with eBay staff and the ‘amenities' but you meet and make more new friends. You can take a breather and sit in the Pinks Lounge and just start up a conversation with a total stranger. But that person doesn't remain a stranger for long. Then, heck, you meet so many of the ‘pinks' (widely used member term for eBay staff posting on the discussion boards – so called because of the pink stripe that is displayed on their posts), and it just keeps getting better.

So, Happy Birthday eBay.....I think in 10 years you have done fantastic to bring so many people together, make life more enjoyable for people and just give the ‘bored' something to do. Hope the next 10 are even better.

I've definitely enjoyed my last five years with you! Happy Birthday!

floozie$mama
(Visit floozie$mama's About Me page)

I remember when I started as the first graveyard customer support supervisor in early 1999! I had a lot of great people who trained me, including Griff and some of our earliest customer support reps like April and Sonny, who worked remotely. However, during the middle of the night and early morning hours, there weren't a lot of eBay people available to ask questions or get answers. (Actually there weren't a lot of customer support reps at that period in eBay's history.)

In my training I learned from Griff and the remote staff how valuable the discussion boards were and how responsive and helpful the eBay Community was. I often used the boards in my first several months on the graveyard shift to get to know the eBay Community, learn the ins and outs of the site, and on occasion even to get some questions answered!

In my 6-plus years at eBay, I have always felt part of the Community – I have never felt that this was just a 9-to-5 job. This is so much more than just a job to me. We affect people's livelihoods with the decisions we make. I am proud that we work with the Community through various programs to gain their input. I take a lot of pride in what we have accomplished together. Happy Birthday, eBay!

Michael Robinson,
Senior Account Manager, Strategic Partnerships, eBay

it-girls

Happy 10th Birthday eBay! Although it was 6+ years ago that I was introduced to the world's online marketplace, it seems like so much longer. In that time, eBay has reached some huge milestones on how to accomplish the user-friendliness of the marketplace so that everyone has an equal chance to succeed – whether it is success in selling, buying, communication with the Community, or succeeding in building friendships. 

Looking back, it is amazing to think about how things evolve. When I started buying and selling on eBay, not only could a user leave feedback for any other user, they could leave feedback for themselves! Turbo Lister or Seller's Assistant did not exist and listings were done the old fashioned way – HTML.

The greatest thing about eBay to me is not the buying or selling, but all the people I've met along the way. There is no other community like the eBay Community. In fact, for the last three years, a growing group (Oregon Region eBay Sellers Group) of us get together every month and have dinner and “talk eBay.” The friendships that have developed are worth far more than any sale. I am grateful to eBay for all the opportunities and very excited to see what the next ten…twenty…thirty years entail.  I'll definitely be along for the ride.

it-girls
(Visit it-girls' About Me page)

I am awed at the opportunities that eBay enables. So many people can start a business and live their individually chosen lifestyles—even if they do not have the traditional education or experience usually required. All the time I hear about members buying homes and cars, paying for education, being stay-at-home parents, or taking dream vacations—all because of the work they put in, in selling on eBay. In the 10 short years eBay has been in existence, so many lives have been affected in so many positive ways.

Working for PayPal has changed many of my life's goals in a positive way. It is by far the best job with the most opportunities I have ever had. Its challenges have encouraged me to further my education and reach higher than I ever imagined I could.

The eBay Community makes me realize what a small world we live in. The anonymity of conversing and conducting business online does away with all racial, political, and ethnic preconceptions. Members interact with each other from so many different locations around the world that ‘the eBay Effect' is furthering understanding and harmony.

Amanda Karaus
Account Management Community Agent, PayPal

The ultimate goal in life is to be happy and do what you love—eBay has given me that opportunity! 

After having children I became a stay-at-home-mom. When the kids were in school full time, my husband 'promoted' me to Household Manager. In December of 2000 I became an eBay member. I sold some odds and ends of clothing, and was thrilled to do so without having to run a garage sale! 

I also purchased on the site. One of my best stories is that for Christmas in 2000, one of our daughters had the Barbie VW Bug on her Santa list. It was a family tradition that each of our kids got one item from their Santa list, to keep the spirit alive. Needless to say the stores were long sold out, so into eBay I dove. I found the car, and—better yet—in her favorite color of pink. I paid higher than store price, but the look on her face on Christmas morning was priceless!  

I have since opened an eBay Store, and have really enjoyed meeting wonderful people—buyers, sellers, and eBay staff. I have the flexibility to still put my family first, which means the world to us. I have also gained the independence of running my own business. Even if it is small scale—it is mine.

Thank you eBay!!!

simplymeshop
(Visit simplymeshop's About Me page)

When I joined eBay, I ended up sitting next to someone who worked in the Collectibles category. I was amazed at how many sellers she spoke with, day in and day out, listening to their ideas and concerns. In big, public companies, there is often little day-to-day direct customer interaction. I was really impressed with how that didn't seem to be the case at eBay.

Five years later I am now at PayPal, but I still see lots of employees on the phone with the Community. There are conference calls with members in the Voice of the Community program (known internally as "Voices") every week. Employees actively look at what members are saying on the discussion boards. Despite the fact that we are at least five times as big as when I first joined, the Community is still front and center and employees still take the time to reach out and listen.

eBay has made me recognize how big a seemingly little idea can grow. I can't tell you how many times I end up at dinner with friends talking about eBay. It's amazing to see how excited people get when telling me about what they bought or sold. I feel good when I see their faces light up when they're describing an item that they love and I cringe with them if they tell me they've had a problem on the site.

I like the fact that every time I attend a Voices session, there is always a variety of opinions. Feedback and opinions give us the confirmation needed to make changes to the site where they are most needed. Whenever I'm in a room trying to decide what the right decision is, I feel confident that taking it to the Community is the right way to go. Just ask the Community. No piece of data or analysis can communicate so well as what a group of our engaged and passionate Community members can tell us. It's the best data around.

Pam Webber
Director, Marketing, PayPal

Happy tenth anniversary eBay! Time sure flies when you are having fun or making money.

I first started on eBay in July of '98. I had a great time. I made many friends on the eBay Q&A board. The Q&A board was SO helpful to me when I had a problem. Many of the regulars on Q&A are gone from eBay now, but a bunch of us met in Vegas that year. It was super meeting many eBay buyers and sellers, and actually seeing their faces.

Most things I sell are one of a kind, things I collected while in the film business (most of my life). After a while I left eBay. I asked to be NARU'd (members' term for "Not a Registered User") because of a problem. And because I was fed up. I left for over a year, then decided to come back. I managed to get my ID back, but not my feedback. But that was OK. I am building up my feedback again.

I cannot believe it has been 10 years. Getting in on eBay's IPO and holding the stock while it went waaaaay up, split, went up, split again… that was not bad either.

Anyway, Happy Birthday, or Anniversary, Pierre and everyone. TEN WHOLE YEARS – SUPER!!

l36suds
(Visit l36suds' About Me page)

My son was born in 1999 and spent a week in a special care nursery. He was six weeks premature and my wife and I were 115 miles away from work. Both Sean and eBay required my attention so I did what needed to be done. I commuted between the hospital and eBay. I am happy to say that both my son and eBay are thriving.

Maggie was born less than a year later. The next day, with my wife and newborn daughter sleeping peacefully, and my son with his Grandma, I found myself at work, at seven in the morning. My team at eBay sent me home.

Is this the confession of a workaholic? Perhaps. But in order to understand why I wanted to be at work the day after my daughter was born, you have to understand what my team does at eBay. Imagine a group of dedicated people building a great company and trying to change the world. That's my team. We keep eBay's computer systems running.

I have the greatest job in the world. My systems run the world's largest e-commerce company. How cool is that? We are doing things that the experts said couldn't be done and are changing the shape of commerce in ways that my Economics professors would never have dreamed of or predicted. Many of our vendors seek advice from us on the best ways to get the maximum performance out of the systems they have developed. I get to work in an environment surrounded by the best and brightest where excellence is the norm. All that and it's a hill of fun to boot.

In my line of work there are plenty of companies that will pay big bucks for the leadership that it takes to build a world class operation. The difference between eBay and everywhere else is the feeling of Community. By Community I am not speaking of customers or coworkers—everyone in business has those. I mean that the people at eBay genuinely care. As long as this is true, I will continue to work here.

Sean and Maggie are just learning to read, but they have recognized the eBay logo for years. For the first few years it was simply 'Daddy's work.' Now their eyes light up whenever the company is mentioned. Maggie loves the movie ‘Finding Nemo', and her favorite character is the starfish, 'Peach‘, because – you guessed it – she was from eBay!

Happy Birthday, eBay!!

Brian Sweeney
Senior Manager, Crisis Management

I am handicapped and cannot drive. eBay lets me shop while seated in my wheelchair at any time it is convenient for me to do so. I have found many treasures and made friends through eBay. Being a participant in a Voices group was a rewarding experience and really has increased my appreciation of all that you do. I learned so much about the various eBay departments, and it was great to be truly heard. As I said the first morning of the Voices session on the eBay campus in San Jose, California, "Everything I have on except for my underwear came from eBay." To me it is a great service that allows me to stay independent.

cookiecorner

To me, eBay's 10th anniversary is a time to take a step back and reflect on the incredible growth (along with not-a-few growing pains) and evolution that brought us to where we are today—and then look beyond. We can never be complacent about helping members drive our marketplace to suit their needs.

I found eBay in the summer of '98, and the change in my life was immediate and ongoing.

This was the year my husband was overseas and opportunities to see him were rare. I had two small children, and we lived in this brand new scary place called Los Angeles (being from Kansas, L.A. took a bit of getting used to all by itself ).

Now, I am not complaining. I love my family, and have never expected anything to come easily—if it is worth having, it is worth making some sacrifice for. But I was lonely, lacked a feeling of empowerment, and felt that my life was in a holding pattern that might continue indefinitely. Then I landed on eBay. And frankly, I never left.

The eBay Community became my social network, my extended family, and gave me a purpose that was all my own. I found that helping people on the Q&A board was extraordinarily fulfilling, and the ability for me to buy and sell on eBay allowed my children to have things they otherwise would not have had (indeed, things we didn't know existed at times), so they were enriched as well.

After a while, I was invited to work for eBay. This absolutely floored me. I could not imagine that anyone would pay me to do what I would happily do for free. Needless to say I jumped at the chance. I didn't even ask what the pay would be, as that seemed so utterly unimportant at the time. Since that day, I have been privileged to do my part in ‘keeping it eBay.' To me, eBay is defined as our members. Period.

I can never express how rewarding my time here has been. I have been a part of something that has changed (and will continue to change) not only my own life, but the very concept of economic equality and level playing field world-wide. It is still about empowerment, and that to me is synonymous with eBay—be it economic, spiritual, philanthropic, or whatever. If that sounds like a stretch, think about some of the life-changing relationships that have been formed here. eBay is what each person decides it is for them.

eBay April
Senior Business Systems Analyst, Customer Impact

Just for fun, I wrote a poem for eBay, I thought I'd share with you. (I love your site).

           Addicted

My account with eBay
I log on to every day
To see which auctions I have won
And who I have to pay.

Did I win the face of Christ
Embedded in some toast?
Will I get that baseball card
That I wanted most? 

What about that photograph
Of the Smothers Brothers' cat?
Or Mr.Greenjeans underwear?
I sure hope I won that. 

Sometimes I just bid because
They said the shipping's free.
It doesn't matter what it is
I'll bid, ‘cause that's just me.

Maybe after all this stuff
Is added to my stash
I'll finally stop bidding
‘Cause I'm running out of cash.

 psycho6058

eBay's 10th anniversary is a great time to reflect on this iconic juggernaut and how we've contributed to its survival, growth, and success.

Ten years ago, when I was working in the comic book industry, I dreamed of a "place" where it would be okay to transact both top-line new products and secondary market products side by side with no "channel conflict." Such a place would recognize the incredible contribution the past had on the present-day industry, and bring enthusiasts of all stripes together.

In 1995, the only place to do that was a comic book convention. I actually wrote my business school essay about this ideal "place," asking schools to admit me so that I could figure it out while attending (their) business school.

In my second year at Kellogg School of Management, eBay came to appear on several panels during our 1999 "Digital Frontier Conference." My Investment Banking and Consulting classmates heard them on these panels and said "Collectibles online? We don't understand what you're trying to do—but Shira Levine will." To my lifelong delight, eBay tracked me down (literally) after the conference and after talking, made me a job offer. I realized the platform made my dream a reality. The rest, as they say, is my personal history!

I have used many of my eBay vacations to volunteer in the developing world. One thing I've learned in places like Amazonian Peru and Western Africa is that, distilled to its very core, all of humanity is mostly interested in caring for our families, improving our conditions, filling our lives with entertainment, and living a comfortable life as compared to our peers. eBay gives millions of people worldwide an equitable chance to live that comfortable life, regardless of the hands that fate might have dealt them in the past. All of our Community's successes and conflicts seem to spring from that chance, the window on the American Dream, the tiny glimpse of the sun. In this analogy, we (eBay employees) are the keepers of the sun's rays. It's an overwhelming responsibility.

Shira Levine
Senior Manager, PowerSellers Program