One of the things about ebay that I love so much - besides the money that I make - is the people I have met. One of the first items that I was selling on ebay 2-1/2 years ago was a Kate Spade basket handbag that Emily and I had bought at one of the Kate Spade Sample Sales. Emily was working for Kate Spade at the time and we were able to buy that wonderful little bag for $50! It was great - it was a white basket with a blue denim lining and flowers on the top of the bag - very Wizard of Oz! I received an email from a gal in New Zealand who had actually been carrying a picture of that same bag in her bag since she saw it in a catalog! She was most anxious to win the bag on ebay. We chatted through email the entire week that the bag was being auctioned! I was trying to give her some advice as to how to bid - she was a new bidder and so I gave her some little tricks on bidding (my husband declared that obviously I'm not a very good business woman!). In the end she did not get the bag - it went for $247.50 - more than she wanted to spend (no matter how badly she wanted it). Instead of the bag though - she wound up with me! We have been communicating through email for 2-1/2 years - she knows everything about me and my family and my life - and vice versa. I love this woman! I have seen pictures of her home, her children and her garden. I know about her boyfriends, her dreams and her life. The funniest part of this is that I sold a sweater to a woman who mentioned that she was planning a trip to New Zealand. Right - you got it - I told her about my friend. It happens that my friend has a cottage that she rents. When I met her she was renovating it - from scratch. This gal is very talented. What a beautiful job she did - she is very innovative - it took a long time and a lot of hard work but she turned out quite a beautiful place (check it out http://www.holidayhouses.co.nz/properties/3448.asp did you notice the Oprah magazine on the bed? She is quite clever).

Anyway - back to the small world.......

Another gal bought a wonderful cashmere sweater from me - I think it was Cucinelli - really fabulous cashmere (http://www.imcstyle.com/pageItem.aspx?pageid=5) and she mentioned to me that she needed it by such and such date because she is going to New Zealand......Right! you got it - I got the two of them together and the gal who bought the sweater rented the cottage from the gal who wanted the handbag! Isn't that fabulous? And now my friend in New Zealand mentioned to me that the gal who bought the sweater is buying a cottage of her own in New Zealand!

So, aside from the money (which I certainly enjoy) I'm meeting people all over the world.

People are all so special - ebay has really opened the world up for me - I have shipped items to Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Israel, England, Canada, France, Italy and Spain (I may have even missed some). The idea that something from my closet (that I don't want anymore) should wind up in someone's closet in South Korea (who wants it very badly) couldn't be better!

I think it's great!