posted on March 31, 2002 01:23:27 AM
I was curious to see if anyone has been or is planning on going to the eBay Convention on June 21-23. I live the midwest and am thinking about it but not sure if I want to spend the money if I am not sure it will be beneficial. I know it is a tax write off but is it worth it??? I have been to conventions before and thought they were great but it was never with ebay.
Please give me your thoughts.
posted on March 31, 2002 07:33:45 AM
It would depend, I think, on whether you are a happy ebayer or not. If you think ebay does everything pretty well, then this could be a rewarding get together.
The few times I have met ebay folks, I felt like I was talking with members of a cult.
I have a number of issues with ebay, including (but not limited to) the way they market and promote their site, their arbitrary and capricious rules, and their inability to read emails and respond with a logical answer.
The ebay people I spoke with about some of the concerns I had were totally out of their depth, and could not understand the problem. It was like talking with zombies.
As to ebay live, I wonder if it would be worth the not inconsiderable expense for air, hotel etc. If I put that kind of money out, I might expect to get answers and become quite contentious if given the "blissed out on ebay" routine. So I will save my money and let ebay off the hook. This time.
posted on March 31, 2002 07:41:29 AM
Since this is the first, it's a tough call. I will probably go but not expect to get much out of it. A June weekend in Anaheim spells disastrous timing; MouseWorld will be jammed with squealing munchkins and their dazed and confused parents. Dodging strollers and spending hours waiting on line for rides, yeah, that sounds like fun with a capital F.
Still, it's an excuse to get away for the weekend, even if I only sample lightly of the delights offered by eBay. A keynote address by Meg Whitman? Don't make me laugh. They'd have to pay me to sit through it. What could she possibly say that would be 1) sincere and 2) of any interest? Does eBay really think Meg is some sort of charismatic personality a la Steve Jobs?
posted on March 31, 2002 07:53:34 AM
since most agree ebay is a fleamarket,do we want to spend that kind of money to meet the fleamarket cult leader??
it is a loose conferation of fleamarket dealers,what productive result can come from attending?
but if you are doing well,and cant think of better way to spend your money,why not??
posted on March 31, 2002 09:45:06 AM
Well, I did go ahead and sign up. I still got the discounted price of $25.00 so I figure, even if I don't go, it won't be a huge loss.
I realize there are things ebay needs to work on. Goodness, I realize that. I am currently selling about $10K a month and thought it would be nice to meet others that are doing ebay full time and who knows what you might learn. I also realize that like any convention, you end up sitting thru hours and hours of seminars and the like and may only walk away with a few pieces of information you didn't know. But trust me... $25 or even $45 are great. I used to work for a huge multi-level company (I actually got a salary, thank goodness) and they charged their reps $325 and didn't offer near the number of seminars that eBay is offering...so I am not concerned about the amount it cost for the actual eBay fee.
I am taking into consideration the fact that we are talking Mickey Mouse land there and since I am not taking anyone with me, I figure, I just won't stay at a 'Disney' hotel and hope for the best..maybe ask for a sound proof room.
If nothing else, I will take an extra day and do a bit of shopping in LA.
I would love to hear from someone that may be going to see what their ideas are.
Thanks for the comments so far and Happy Easter.
There's no danger of developing eyestrain from looking at the bright side of things!
posted on March 31, 2002 04:02:42 PM
I've been to all sorts of conventions, and it's always worth it. It can help you make connections, motivate you, and being around others who are successful rubs off on you. This ebay convention does look cheesy, but you never know what you'll gain from it until you go. You might get some sneek peeks into new trends, as I did at one convention, helped me avoid costly mistakes. Plus you send your kids to Disney and it'll be a great vacation.
