eBay's legacy at 10

Iria · Sep 2, 2005, 03:04 PM

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--The first thing any visitor to Robert McKeown's home notices is the toy collection.

Vintage Barbies dominate one wall of the living room, with several rows of dolls showing her evolution from the mid-1960s. Action figures from the '60s television show "Man From UNCLE" stare patronizingly at the suburban icon. A Shadow Crime Fighter Detection Belt, a relic of an old radio mystery show, offers clues to "the evil in men's hearts" from a shelf nearby.

Close to 3,000 more pieces crowd McKeown's house. Many were bought on eBay, where he has been a regular since two weeks after the auction site launched. He and his wife, Deeann Little, who together run a business licensing and distributing independent films on DVD, have spent tens of thousands of dollars online and thousands more reselling goods.

And yet, over a dinner in a Chinese restaurant in the suburbs near his home, the lanky, 39-year-old McKeown described decidedly mixed feelings about the auction giant's legacy as it nears its 10th anniversary this Labor Day. eBay is a force in the gray-market economy, of inestimable value to collectors like him, he said. But it has also helped destroy the cozy culture of antique shows and swap meets that once defined the collecting community.
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Read More / Source: News.com

Sep 2, 2005, 03:04 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 87	eBay's legacy at 10 SACRAMENTO, Calif.--The first thing any visitor to Robert McKeown's home notices is the toy collection. Vintage Barbies dominate one wall of the living room, with several rows of dolls showing her evolution from the mid-1960s. Action figures from the '60s television show "Man From UNCLE" stare patronizingly at the suburban icon. A Shadow Crime Fighter Detection Belt, a relic of an old radio mystery show, offers clues to "the evil in men's hearts" from a shelf nearby. Close to 3,000 more pieces crowd McKeown's house. Many were bought on eBay, where he has been a regular since two weeks after the auction site launched. He and his wife, Deeann Little, who together run a business licensing and distributing independent films on DVD, have spent tens of thousands of dollars online and thousands more reselling goods. And yet, over a dinner in a Chinese restaurant in the suburbs near his home, the lanky, 39-year-old McKeown described decidedly mixed feelings about the auction giant's legacy as it nears its 10th anniversary this Labor Day. eBay is a force in the gray-market economy, of inestimable value to collectors like him, he said. But it has also helped destroy the cozy culture of antique shows and swap meets that once defined the collecting community. __________ Read More / Source: News.com