How Has eBay Changed Your Life?

Has eBay made a significant impact on your life? For example, has eBay enabled you to greatly change your lifestyle? Did eBay allow you to make a career change? Did you meet your spouse through eBay? If so, please share your story by contacting us at ebaylife@ebay.com. Please note that your correspondence is very important to us; however, due to the volume of email we receive, we are unfortunately unable to reply to each individual personally.

Sara worked for a major retailer for 18 years as a Human Resources manager. In addition to the job she was hired for, she says she could also be called the company's cashier, custodian, service desk clerk, party planner, peace keeper, baby sitter, and stockperson. She felt she was totally unappreciated. "I purchased a computer and found out about eBay just by surfing through AOL," she says. "I decided to cash in my 401k plan and change my family life."

Sara's husband, a carpenter, worked while she stayed home and learned about eBay. "I probably spent too much money buying stuff, then I started selling all my dressy work clothes that I no longer needed (ahhh ...comfy jeans at last!). Now I shop for a living and purchase clothing from consignment shops or thrift shops that only sell good stuff, and I pass on great bargains to other eBayers," she says.

"I now have time to spend with my family who hardly recognized me because most of my holidays were spent at work. In fact, I worked on Thanksgiving for 5 years straight—I forgot what hot turkey and stuffing tasted like! I have not made a fortune yet, but I am loving every minute of my life now."

Lisaanne was working in a dead-end job to support her three children. "My children were all born premature—34 weeks, 32 weeks, and 31 weeks," she says. "They all have some type of medical need." Lisaanne was working to pay off hospital bills when one day she realized she needed to do some kind of work from home. "At about the same time, my girlfriend emailed me to tell me about eBay," she says, "and I immediately bought a few things. Then I realized I could work at home and involve the kids."

Now, Lisaanne says she makes her own hours and takes her kids hunting for "all of the goodies" that she lists. "The kids love being involved in Mom's 'work' and they like tracking my auctions," she says. "Also, I make more money in one day then I did working outside the home, and I have made so many friends. Truth be told, on Mother's Day at my son's kindergarten class, the teacher made my son stand up and tell what he loves the most about me. He said 'I love my mommy because she works for us and lets us eBay with her!' Everyone laughed but everyone knew what eBay was! Thank you!"

Candy was active in the jewelry business, when she suddenly started having panic attacks and couldn't be around many people anymore. "I didn't know what to do," she says. "I started a pearl-stringing business, but most stores already had someone to do that. Then I got lucky and found two stores where I could get a few pieces a month to do.

"When we got our computer in March, I heard about eBay and I thought I'd see what it was. I decided to buy some pearls, string them, and sell them on eBay. Now I am doing that, plus selling other things and bringing in more money. I am now able to fulfill my dream of working with pearls and gems (I am a Gemological Institute of America (GIA) graduate), and have met wonderful people, all due to eBay. I don't know what I would have done without you!!!"

Kari had been working as a gas station cashier a couple nights a week. "The work was easy, but not really something I liked," she says. Kari found eBay when her sister-in-law told her about it at her daughter's baby shower a few months ago. "When I bid on a couple items and won, I was hooked!" she says.

Kari's father used to buy and sell things at garage sales and flea markets and then have summer-long yard sales. "I hated them then, but I am happy now to have that background because when I saw eBay, I saw a way to stay home with my family while making money. So I invested in a supplier and tonight I quit my job to sell more on eBay. My husband has been very supportive and I am so happy to be able to be at home working at something I enjoy. Besides, I don't know of any other job where you can shop while making money at the same time. Thanks, eBay!"

Gerri was a registered nurse who was also looking for something new in her life. "I was really getting burned out with all the changes going on in the health care industry and the hassle it created when trying to care for patients," she says. My son, who is a professional and very knowledgeable antique dealer, had been telling me about friends of his who were selling on eBay and making good money. So I decided to give it try—maybe just as a sideline—and continue working at nursing.

"We started in May 1998 and WOW is all I can say. I haven't been this excited about doing something in a long time. In July 1998, my son quit his full-time job to do eBay full-time, then in December 1998 I cut back to working only five to six nursing shifts a month.

"This has opened up a whole new wonderful world for me. I am almost 60 years old and in the last year I have become pretty darn proficient at the computer, buying and selling. I feel so fortunate to be working at something I love doing. I thought all those people who I heard saying 'I just love my work' were lying, but now I am one of them—thanks to eBay."

Amy's husband lost his job due to a serous back injury three years ago. As a veteran, he decided the best choice he could make was to return to college to secure his degree and use his small veteran's benefits money as a tiny source of income while he was recuperating.

"We have four small children and had bought our first home shortly before his injury. We had no idea how we were going to be able to sustain our family. Using his GI Bill was the best option we had at the time! While tinkering around on the computer one night, I found an eBay ad. Curious, I got onto the eBay site and was glued to it for hours! Having always been a fan of garage and estate sales, it dawned on me that I COULD DO THIS!"

Today, Amy's husband is nearing completion of his degree and Amy is solely supporting her family by selling on eBay. "I sell everything from incredible antique textiles, to my children's outgrown clothing," she says. "eBay has TRULY changed our lives-I absolutely know we would not be in our own home, with a comfortable income, and just months away from my husband's college degree (without being in debt up to our ears!), had it not been for eBay."

Over the course of the past year, six of Amy's relatives have also become active eBay sellers. "My sister recently quit her 'day job' in order to eBay full-time, and she is doing wonderfully! I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am for this service. You have truly made it possible for a mother to stay home with her children, to not be tied up in meetings at an office and, for us, to even support a large family strictly eBaying! This has been such a blessing in our lives. I cannot imagine not eBaying for the rest of my life (and hopefully, BUYING more in the near future)!