Something Positive About Ebay

Many of us have pounded ebay, at times with some deserved negative opinions. However, I found this receipt yesterday and realized just how much ebay has done for the good of stamp collecting. It is dated prior to ebay's founding in 1995. Note for example, the Scott #234 and #285 which cost me $2.50 each. And that was the special sale price! I often come across these in the same condition and centering for much less on ebay.

I use ebay and it's competitors or perhaps fellow stamp emporiums, as I like to think of them, and have always been happy at how easy it is to access items.

I like the happy smiley face stamped on the bottom of the invoice. I used to put a smiley face sticker on the back of my envelopes sent to buyers.

I wish I could figure out how to sell cheap stamps on ebay and to scan them quickly or take a digital pic quickly. If someone could figure that out the online stamp community would grow quite a bit I think.

Indeed! To paraphrase, If ebay didn't exist, we would have to invent it.

I remember buying stamps from Beach Philatelics at stamp shows in Maryland back in the 1990's. I was able to pick up some nice items pretty cheap - a U.S. RW1 duck stamp for $60, unused with no gum, but excellent centering.

Oh I definitely have to agree. ebay, despite recent policy changes which make me vibrate, has made collecting much easier. Stamps I have never seen before or ever dreamed of being able to own are suddenly available. I'm not a huge advocate of on-line shopping by any means. I believe in going outside once in a while. But it's too far to walk to, say, Las Vegas.

And I remember the days when I would send off a want list by airmail, and two or more weeks later receive a reply. Usually to the effect that they didn't have the stamps I wanted. ebay and its competitors aren't perfect, goodness knows, but I'm glad they exist.

I had bought other stamps from Beach Philatelics and was always pleased with their price and service.

As for ebay, my experience has been like so many of you: a few bad purchases (the worst I made was on a used computer, not stamps) and many good purchases. I particularly like the opportunity to obtain high end stamps, often at bargain prices.

I dig it. Helped me out greatly and like you said thing I though were out of my grasp are only a click away.