eBay Live 2007

Boston

Once again, I had the opportunity to join thousands of my fellow eBayers & several hundred eBay employees at eBay Live! And, once again, I am so glad I went! Live is the greatest to learn stuff to help in one's eBay business and to meet eBay friends who, like I, work 362 days a year with little to no physical contact with others who do what we do.

From the moment I arrived in Boston to the flight home to Tucson, my hours and minutes were full of ideas and inspiration about eBay. I cannot think of any 3 days better spent than being at Live!

First, the press:

Because I'm so shy & retiring ;-), I'm hard to find in a crowd, but a couple reporters found me any way...

Here I am on the Dutch site (down a few articles): http://dekoopman.net/category/ebaylive/ This is the very rough translation:
"Most expensive that I have ever sold..." Was most expensive that I have ever sold, a package playing cards to a Dutchman. I believe that I have deserved more than 2,500 dollars. It went a package cards from the 19th century with then photograph of the Swedish king house. The photograph had been coloured with the hand.
(What I told him was: one of the most expensive items I've sold on eBay was a 100+ year old deck of playing cards featuring the Swedish royalty of the time. The illustrations were hand colored. I sold the deck to a man from the Netherlands for more than $2500.)

http://www.boston.com/business/gallery/ebay_test3?pg=2 is the Boston Globe article. Click Next once for another quote from me.

Then some photos I took:

As I look over the photos I took at Live, I notice that there were so many I didn't even think of taking - people I spoke with, the Voices dinner, the pre-Live gathering with a few of my fellow Blackthorne users. Ah well, the images are stored in my mind!

One of the first characters I met was HarveyBaby! I don't recall Harvey's mom's name, but I'll bet you agree she should know, this is not a face you should run into in public!

Like thousands of others, I HAD to get my photo taken with Bobal! Bob is a fellow Arizonan and one of eBay's treasured assets - an eBay community Hall of Fame honoree. He's active on several of the eBay discussion boards - a place where any eBay member who wants to learn more should visit!

Looking over the Solutions Center at Live. eBay staff from various departments as well as 3rd-party vendors offer solutions for many eBay issues.

One of my newest friends and enthusiastic eBay seller, SenorJayme. We've known each other from email and phone calls over the last couple months & got to meet in Boston. This is one woman I want on my side! She's dynamic & so enthused about eBay & Blackthorne! (And a platinum PowerSeller to boot!)

At the PowerSeller Q&A with eBay executives. Many got a chance to ask tough questions of the execs - good session!

An out-of-focus Griff. Jim Griffith is THE eBay Ambassador, one of eBay's very first employees who know heads the eBay University team traveling around the country teaching others how to "do it eBay". Another blurry guy - John Slocum, founder & developer of Blackthorne software. Blackthorne's smiling Mauricio Monico - head programmer & all-around nice guy.

John in slightly better focus...

Leslie Vanallen, Blackthorne's only female staffer & support person extraordinairre.

Leslie, John Manning, me & Steve Latimer (they're all with Blackthorne). Looking over the crowd at the Gala.

Kool & the Gang at the Gala.

A bit more of Kool & the Gang.