posted on June 11, 2002 10:49:05 PM new
feistyone,
I think the lady I mentioned in my prior post came into a large sum of money around 1997, discovered eBay in 1998 and has been buying ever since.
I watched a documentary about lottery winners on MSNBC a few months ago. Researchers said the statistics show that the majority of lottery winners are totally broke within ten years of winning their windfall because they can't contain their spending. The documentary showed this one winner, an ex-convict with long hair in a pony tail, who had purchased five mansions, the contents to go inside the mansions, the cars, boats and so on with his lottery money. I did the math in my head and could determine for myself that the researchers are correct, that the man had not left himself enough principle to generate the income flow to support that many houses and possessions. In one house alone, the lottery winner pointed to five sets of antique dishes.
I've been selling on eBay since 1998. About twice a year compulsive shoppers, those with an addiction problem, stumble into my auctions. It is easy to tell who they are because at the worse they will have 65 plus pages of bids in their 30-day bidding history. Take 25 bids per page, times 65 pages, and that is 1625 bids on a 30-day period. Those individuals crash and burn quickly, usually within 6 months of being on eBay. I stay on top of it so I can get my money, or put the ids in my Blocked Bidder List.
Some of the buyers have shared their stories with me over the years. Before eBay, their addiction was clothes shopping all of the department store sales, justifying their purchases on the merits that buying at a sale was saving them money, even though all of the closets in their house was overflowing with clothes. However, when they found eBay, it was a whole international market place of goods right at their fingertips and they went hog wild with buying. When they maxed out their credit cards, they got more credit cards. When they maxed out the new credit cards, then they got more credit cards to take cash advances so as to make minimum payments on the other credit cards. When all of the credit cards were maxed out, they went to a mortgage company, refinanced the home, paid the credit cards, vowed to the husband they would never shop again, but proceeded to charge up all of the cards again. Most of these buyers get NARUed before they can start selling.
posted on June 12, 2002 07:26:04 AM new
one does not get the lump sum less tax with state lottery.the state buys an annuity and you get one payment per year for x number of years.and the tax bite is hefty!!
i wonder if the compulsive ebay bidders are from home shopping channel,housewives who max out on ther credit cards??
ebay is addictive,log on after dinner and see what is out there and one get used to receiving packages daily,kind of like xmas everyday!!
posted on June 12, 2002 08:06:42 AM new
I am going to spend a lot less time selling on eBay but I probably will not quit completely. I have recently rented space in the local antique mall again. I am also consigning some things to some flea market vendors and thrift stores.
I will probably spend more time buying on eBay. Prices have come down to or below B&M stores on eBay except for rare items. Also with so much junk on eBay to wade through a lot of good items get burried.
posted on June 12, 2002 08:54:01 AM new
VALLEYJOHN,,,,,,,,,,YOU AINT SELLIN' THE RIGHT JUNK. NO SWAP MEETING FOR ME FOR TWO YEARS NOW. THE MONEY HERE IS FABULOUS COMPARED WITH WHAT I USE TO GIVE THIS STUFF AWAY FOR AT THE SWAP MEETS. MOTIVATION, DRIVE, DESIRE, FINDIN' THE RIGHT STUFF AND WATCHING THOSE NUMBERS ,,,,,,SOAR! GREAT LIVING. JUST ONE MANS POINT OF VIEW.
