Dear Uncle Griff and Dear Aunt Flossie

The following information is provided to educate and inform. eBay and its employees are not liable or responsible for any type of damage or loss caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, by the information below.

eBay's kindly old Uncle Griff has agreed to answer questions for some of our members. If you have a question you would like to ask him, email him at unclgrff@ebay.com. NOTE: Not one to be left out of anything, Uncle Griff's mother, Aunt Flossie, loves to meddle in her son's business. Aunt Flossie offers "helpful" replies to questions also (email her at unclgrff@ebay.com).

Hi Uncle and Aunt,

I am a new member. I read in the Wall Street Journal about a couple who does business on eBay and makes a decent living. Can you tell me where I can find similar merchandise to sell ?

Thank you, Girish

Hello Girish,

You can find merchandise to sell at:

• Flea markets
• Thrift stores
• Garage sales
• eBay
• Your closet
• Your basement
• Your attic
• Your friend's closet
• Dumpsters (Uncle kids you not!)
• Estate sales
• Wholesalers
• eBay
• Mail order catalogs
• Did I mention eBay?

Hope this helps!

Regards, Uncle Griff

Hi Uncle Griff:

I am a staunch eBay supporter. I am enjoying so many nice things that I have purchased on eBay. My question is this: I am retired and travel away from my computer for long periods of time. If my User ID is inactive for a period of 90 days, will my registration be cancelled? Will I have to re-register again to make purchases when I return home? I am considering buying a laptop to take with me just for eBay and email. Your advice would sure help. If Aunt Flossie cares to add input, that would also be appreciated.

Thanks, A.

Hello A.,

Rest assured, your eBay registration is not in any danger of cancellation nor will your User ID be removed due to inactivity. They are yours for as long as you wish to have them.

Regards, Uncle Griff

Hello A.,

Sounds like neither you nor your User ID is about to become inactive, dear! How wonderful that you are spending some time traveling! And, while you're out and about, don't forget to pick up a few treasures to sell on eBay to help finance those trips!

Toodaloo, Aunt Flossie

Hi there Auntie and Unk,

I am on AOL and want to put pictures on my eBay auctions. I follow the instructions on eBay for "if you have AOL for your server," but after I type in the URL, the picture does not show up. What am I doing wrong? Thanks very much.

Regards, George

Hello George,

After looking at the URL (address) you provided, I discovered that your URL was incorrectly formatted. Please remember that URLs are case-sensitive.
Also, it's important to note that when you upload graphics to AOL, you must include the extension in your description.

Regards, Uncle Griff

Dear Uncle Griff,

Is anyone trading on eBay and making a living at it? What are the possibilities? I have tons of good collectibles and antiques. Can I hear from some full time eBayers?

No Name

Hello No Name,

Uncle believes that quite a few sellers are actually making a living selling at eBay. If you visit any of the eBay chat boards and inquire, I am sure they will speak up and tell you who they are!

Regards, Uncle Griff

Dear Aunt Flossie,

I want to start trading internationally, but I have a few questions before I start. Can you put me in touch with other eBay sellers who trade internationally so I can hear about some of their experiences? Thank you very much.

Toys for the World

Dear Toys for the World,

Whether you're selling Furbies to Finland, Hot Wheels to Hong Kong, or Marbles to Malaysia, you'll want to check out the eBay International board, dear, at http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBoard&name=international. The folks on this board love to share information about selling internationally. You also might want to take a look at the new board for Canada at http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBoard&name=canadaboard and the one for the United Kingdom at http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBoard&name=ukboard.

Toodaloo, Aunt Flossie