History of the Decline and Fall of Ebay- Part 1 Chap. 1

Good morning bookies! Here in Memphis we are seeing the outlying bands from Hurricane Ike, dark blue and purple snakes coiling about the sky looking for somewhere to strike. By and large it's Memphis that takes these hits, this time it appears to be to our west. Wherever and whenever, I hope the destruction is over.

Today's topic is Ebay. Yeah, yeah, I know, a real yawn, right? 'Don't just shop, win'. Dancing fireplugs telling you how great Ebay is, some doofus selling software on how to sell on Ebay, people writing books on how to become millionaires selling on Ebay (the trick is not to sell on Ebay, it's to write software or books telling other people how to become rich on Ebay). Boring. Or maybe not. If you buy, sell or trade on the internet, then Ebay's fate directly affects you.

But let's start at the beginning, which is usually a good idea. Okay, so think Men in Black. The movie, not the guys hiding behind your fence. Remember the alien that kills the exterminator and takes over his body? How, as the movie goes on, he begins to decompose, turning colors, smelling bad and then bits and pieces of him falling all over the place? Can you see the image? Good. Now, where you picture his face, place the Ebay logo. Because that's what the Ebay of 2008 resembles, an alien creature that has taken over the body of someone we once knew, first killing them and then staggering around while they decompose before our very eyes.

It's a crying shame. Look, I'll be the first to admit, I miss Ebay. I really do. Ebay was slated to be a huge part of my business plan this year. I had 27 saved searches there relating to a large, long-term project of mine. Ebay and I were going to do a lot of business in 2008 and into the future. If the Ebay of 2005, heck, even 2007, were to suddenly reappear, I suspect I would throw myself into their arms and pretend this whole thing has been a nightmare.

Or, maybe not. Before we go any further, read this: http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/09/14/afx5421268.html

That's a good link because it's short. But the essence is that Ebay is falling apart right in front of our eyes. If you have never seen a major company self-destruct before, then pay attention. It will be brutal and cruel and, for those of us who make a living selling on the internet, it will produce a lot of tears. But the fate of our once beloved trading partner has apparently been sealed.