The simple answer is: Yes, we are! We're absolutely nuts about our terrific ebay buyers, and at this very special time of year, we're inviting you to engage in some old-fashioned ebay holiday frivolity.
In celebrating the conclusion of our twelfth year on this wonderful global marketplace, we'll be tossing in a penny auction from time to time from Halloween evening through New Year's Day, 2013. So please check back with us often, and let's all have a great time commemorating the good fun days of founder Pierre Omidyar; first employee, Chris Agarpao; and the brilliant President and CEO, Meg Whitman.
Up on our penny auction block tonight, we have...
**********
And so begins our 2012 holiday campaign on ebay!
What better way to do so than to go retro with a penny auction emphasis!
Sprinkled throughout our usual store and auction offerings will be a handful of spicy and saucy 1 cent listings. It's a great way to thank our loyal customer base while appealing to the curiosity and sense of intrigue of new visitors to our online site. You can find us at:
Penny auctions are the exception rather than the rule these days. Administrative changes on ebay, the topsy-turvy global economy, a more sophisticated and internet-savvy shopper, and a tremendous surge in online marketplace choices have all contributed to a greater emphasis on Buy it Now prices that are set as well as higher starting amounts for auctions.
At Lords of the Fly, a mom and pop ebay shop for a dozen years now, we believe in honoring tradition. That's why we're very excited to provide our customers with a nostalgic, fun, and what we hope to be successful business strategy--the 1 cent auction!
The penny auction campaign kicked off on Halloween night and will run through New Year's Day, 2013.
Obviously, we're not giving any credence to the Mayan calendar issue. No disrespect to the Mayans or their wonderful descendants, mind you. On the contrary, we'd love to have all interested Mayans participating in our penny auctions. And while we're on the subject, if anyone has the last known Mayan calendar and would like to make a generous commission, we'd love to be your ebay Trading Assistant.
So where's the action at? Right here, at Lords of the Fly on ebay!
It's mid-September, and I'm feeling autumn's chill slowly making its way into the Walla Walla Valley.
Like a tentative pubescent high school boy tripping over his size eleven shoes as he scans the gym floor for the one girl that might say yes to a dance request, the ambience of golden leaves, pumpkins, weekend football games, and the donning of coats and sweatshirts approaches timidly.
It's that time of year when I start thinking, I want to be in Hawai'i for Christmas.
Chances are you've had similar thoughts sometime this year. Maybe you've been to the island several times and have enough warm memories tugging at you to repeat the experience yet one more time.
Or maybe you've never been to pacific paradise and are telling yourself, If I don't go now, I'll never go.
Whatever the case may be, take it from me, you don't want to waste precious time and maybe some embarrassing situations and, most of all, any of your hard-earned money buying your island wear after you get to the islands. No, even a former Kaua'i boy like myself knows better than to pull out the vintage Magnum, P.I. aloha shirt clones and old jeans from storage. Besides, they'd no longer fit my, shall we say, more mature manly build (read: sexagenarian fat man).
Perish the though of procrastination. Now you can be well prepared at a fraction of the cost and, for the price of a handful of dinners and movies, have a week's (or even two weeks') worth of 50th state wardrobe before boarding that flight to the islands.
How? By clicking on the following link and treating yourself to a delightful and aesthetically pleasing line of pre-worn yet very high class Hawaiian attire at a fraction of their original prices:
The personable and down-to-island Mom and Pop team of Makalehua is a relatively new presence on the gargantuan eBay global marketplace, but they're definitely leaving some giant menehune (pardon the oxymoron) tracks in the wake of their fledgling entrepreneurial success.
The simple reason? They practice the old school protocol of excellent customer service--intelligent sourcing of an appealing product line, great communication, superb hygienic preparation and care of their pre-worn clothing items, a sprinkling of outstanding Pacific Islander and Asian collectibles, very reasonable prices, and super fast shipping.
Vintage Reyn spooner 100% Silk Aloha Shirt
by MAKALEHUA
Makalehua has 100% positive feedback. Their customers are extremely satisfied with the par excellence service. Here's some of their feedback:
Excellent shape, hard to tell if it was used at all. Great deal! I love it!
Great seller. Super fast, cheerful and honest! Mahalo!
A++++ all the way: lovely dress, as desc, fast ship; highly recommend seller; thx
No ka oi eBay seller!!!!!!!!!!
AWESOME THANK YOU! BEAUTIFUL, GREAT PRICE & SERVICE, LOOK FORWARD TO BUYING MORE!
Very nice eBayer with fast transaction and nice items.
Got it!! Thanks for this great item at a great price and an easy transaction!!
For a comprehensive look at their feedback rating and most current customer raves, you can visit:
If Hawaiiana is your thing, Makalehua offers a spicy eclectic mix of vintage and contemporary collectibles along with their entree clothing line. Here are a few examples:
Vintage Asian Tea Set in Woven Basket
by MAKALEHUA
Japanese Cranes Lacquered Plate, 7-3/4"
by MAKALEHUA
Ritz Carlton Hotel Silver HEPP Exclusive Silver Plated Water Pitchers
by MAKALEHUA
Maybe you want to go to the islands but the budget just isn't right for making the trip this year. Treat yourself to a healthy compromise, then, and make MAKALEHUA your cyber vacation stop for your holiday shopping needs.
At the very least, you'll be prepared for presenting the special people in your life with an exquisite array of choice gifts.
At best, you'll definitely be at the head of the class, dressed in your Makalehua clothing and looking beachcomber spiffy for next year's trip to the wonderful Islands of Aloha!
Aloha! When I'm not lounging around in my favorite coffee shops in downtown Walla Walla writing profusely while sipping on a tall cup of bold or, whenever I feel like splurging, guzzling down a venti-sized caramel frappucino, I'm diligently taking photographs and working on listings for my eBay business, Lords of the Fly.
The large majority of our sales have been through our fixed-price items in our eBay store. Lately, we've opted to complement those Buy It Now listings--on a weekly basis for now and, hopefully, more frequently in the future--with a nostalgic throwback to the good old days of eBay...the 99 cents listing.
Yes, there's always a risk, more so in an unsteady economy, that we could take a loss. But the marketing psychology behind the move is akin to driving in slippery conditions: Turn your wheel in the direction of the skid!
What?!
Call me crazy (don't worry, I call myself that all the time), but nothing in life worth striving for ever came without risk. Sales have been down these last couple of months, so I'm simply retrieving the old welcome mat from storage, giving it a good dusting, and laying it out there for the global marketplace to tread upon.
My metaphorical welcome mat--the 99 cents sale--says loud and clear in my language of origin:
So here are some of the items that I'm listing today. First, a mention of the artwork at the top of this post. Caesar Hernandez was a prominent watercolor artist in California. His paintings have sold for hundreds of dollars. My listing of this particular item for a starting bid of 99 cents without any reserve (a set amount that the seller determines ahead of time that is unknown to the buyers, unless the seller chooses to tell them; if it isn't reached, there is no winner...thus, no real risk to the seller) is probably the highest kind of risk I could take with my eBay item(s). Ah, but what the heck? What's life without risk? Besides, read the beginning of paragraph 5 again.
Collectible Vintage Set of 3 Teddy Bear Porcelain Thimbles
Collectible Vintage Duck Figurine
Collectible Vintage Brooding Hen Salt or Pepper Shaker
Collectible Vintage Bee, Hive, & Flower Salt or Pepper Shaker
Collectible Vintage Leanin' Tree Greeting Card featuring
Norman Rockwell's 1947 Saturday Evening Post Cover--"Family Outing"
National Geographic--October, 2009 Back Issue
The Tallest Trees
Collectible Vintage Schramberg Cow Figurine
Collectible Vintage Konica Minolta AF Maxxum 70 SLR Camera
With Quantaray Lens 28-90 mm f/3.5-5.6
Dipinto A Mano Hand-Painted Vintage Collector Plate
Venezia Ponte Di Rialto
Vintage Collector Plate
Mission San Juan Capistrano, California
We earnestly pray that our eclectic 99 cent auctions will be a fruitful venture and a great win-win experience for our buyers and us. We truly believe it keeps us entrepreneurially sharp, focused, and motivated to honor the heart of the buyer. Empathizing with our customers and uplifting their perspective will help us make steady progress on the road to becoming better sellers.
Smack dab in the midst of high school and college graduation season, with Father's Day and the 4th of July just around the corner, and with a myriad of birtdays, anniversaries, reunions with loved ones or fellow classmates of an honored alma mater, and other special occasions on the horizon, you're left wondering, What kind of gift can I get?
What are vintage print ads? They're commercial advertisements carefully removed from old magazines--say, from the 1970's and earlier (although the term vintage is often loosely interpreted to include even more recent items). These ads are then placed in acid-free plastic sleeves along with acid-free backing boards and then mailed in large flat or padded envelopes to their respective customers.
The top photo is a great example of a potential gift for dear old Dad. It not only piques the nostalgic strings of an older generation's collective heart; it also has intrinsic value in a sub-niche of its own--Coke memorabilia.
Here are three more examples of ads from three different sub-categories--automobiles; World War II; and sporting goods.
1946 Ford Mercury Vintage Print Ad
(Hawaiian Odysseus Photo)
1942 Lockheed Aircraft Corporation World War II Vintage Print Ad
(Hawaiian Odysseus Photo)
1945 Wilson Sports Equipment Vintage Print Ad
(Hawaiian Odysseus Photo)
Why settle for the old humdrum annual necktie, bottle of cologne, golf club, fishing pole, or stationery? Sure, these gifts are great, and we're certainly not knocking them. But if you're looking for that unique and very special item that's sure to elicit a grin from your favorite family patriarch immediately upon its removal from the envelope, we invite you to check out what might turn out to be the gift that special man remembers for years to come.
Who knows? In browsing through these lovely yesteryear memorabilia, you might very well develop an interest in becoming a collector of vintage ephemera. There's something very appealing about the way the ad agencies of the past combined gorgeous art and/or picturesque photographs with clever text construction that you just don't find in today's high-tech advertisements.
Why Collect Vintage Print Ads?
To preserve Americana
To understand our heritage
To appreciate our social, cultural, political, and economic roots
To enhance our grasp of history
To compare and contrast the past with the present
To leave as a legacy for future generations
To own as antique collectibles
To acknowledge the art and artists of yesteryear
To frame and craft into attractive gifts
To utilize as decorative household pieces
To buy, sell, and trade
To enjoy a good return on investment
1946 National Confectioners Association Vintage Print Ad
(Hawaiian Odysseus Photo)
The folks at eBay's Lords of the Fly store would be delighted to have you drop in for a visit. Browse through their vintage print ads selection and feel free to share your comments and questions with them. Their responses, like their delivery time, are prompt and courteous.
You'll find more information about this collectible gift specialty in the following articles. Thanks for dropping by, and--yes, by all means--your comments are always welcomed and appreciated.
An annual phenomenon on eBay is a noticeable slowdown of traffic, perhaps even to the point of a standstill for some sellers, a few days before and after the income tax return filing deadline.
Rather than pull whatever remaining hair I have left on my coconut, I act the fool and do something off the wall--pupule, as Hawaiians would say--that will simultaneously provoke my competitors and, hopefully, amuse my viewers.
I posted the one week listing early this morning--an unconventional time for a Pacific Northwest eBay seller to submit a listing but, for the other side of the world, a most convenient and thoughtful act on my part.
The rock is quite heavy, perhaps 5 pounds, and so I'm obliged to use USPS Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box shipping ($11.35 to US addresses; $47.95 to international destinations).
In keeping with the crazy theme, I'm starting the auction out at a penny. Honestly, I'm gambling that this will also serve to invigorate the lackluster traffic. And if that doesn't work, placing the rock in a large jacket pocket and jumping into the Columbia River just might do the trick.
Then again...a five pound rock won't do diddly squat for my husky islander frame. (Husky sounds better than mildly obese. Yeah, I could've used bathroom scale-challenged, but I'm years away from evolving into a politically correct individual.)
Okay, where in the world was I? Oh, yeah...
If it's true that fads have a way of coming back every few decades or so, than it's high time the pet rock craze made a return, And how appropriate that the loosey-goosey Captain Jack Sparrow of the eBay waters--Hawaiian Odysseus--should be the one to mastermind its comeback.
If you were able to get to this post prior to the end of the above-mentioned eBay listing (go to eBay and type the following item number into the search window: 160793425135), you'll be able to follow its progress. Or, if you find this blog entry within three months after that date, you'll still be able to search for that number to have a few grins over what ultimately happened with this harebrained scheme.
In any event, it's fun coming up with wild and crazy ways to make a living.
Only on eBay...
Only with yours truly...
Hawaiian Odysseus.
By the way, for more on this particular topic, check out my equally zany article on HubPages. Just click on the link below.
Afghan Girl with the Haunted--and Haunting--Green Eyes
June, 1985 National Geographic
(Hawaiian Odysseus Photo of Cover)
PROLOGUE
I'm one for seeing the glass half full.
So while a good deal of the world may be focused on the Mayan calendar ending in December of this year, it's life as usual for me.
Add to that the fact that I'm looking at 60 imaginary candles on the invisible cake this July, well...let's just say that I am a full-fledged member of a universal club that is very appreciative of the life God's given them.
In 2000, I formally opened up a part-time business selling fishing flies I'd tied as well as fly tying materials on eBay.
In the latter part of last year, bone-weary from a bagel baking job in Redmond, Washington, and simply exasperated with the schizophrenic economy, I made the significant decision to abort the rat race I was quickly losing.
Returning home to Walla Walla County, 250 miles southeast of my sojourn in the Emerald City of Seattle, I kicked my online business into full gear.
Admittedly, it was a scary decision, but after much soul-searching, hours of heart-wrenching discussions with my wife, and a total overhaul of my theretofore makeshift business plan, I took the plunge.
And God's favor has incessantly rained upon me ever since.
Not that I'm rolling in the dough, mind you, because I'm not...not yet, anyway.
My blessings have come by way of the people I've encountered in my global entrepreneurship.
And in the end, the golden contact we make with our fellow men is more important than any earthly treasure.
That said, I've been struggling in the last couple of months, desperately trying to understand this minority segment on eBay that purchases items knowing full well that they are not going to pay for them.
When I ask eBay for help, I am told that the global venue is a buyer's market and that sellers are expected to uphold the highest standards of professional conduct regardless of how some buyers abuse the process.
The eBay reps continue: "You know, sir, this is a reflection of our economy."
What? That people can get away with doing wrong to other people?
What? Aren't sellers part of that economy, too? Don't we lose big time when you reinforce the bad behavior of non-paying buyers by lacking consequences with bite?
In short, I come away from those phone calls with eBay customer support feeling, well, entrepreneurially impotent.
Okay...
So then there's the subsequent fallout. I start feeling angry...I have to stuff that anger...with no adequate venting, I get to a point where I'm feeling sorry for myself.
And that's not a good place for anyone, let alone a businessman, to be.
THE BEHIND THE SCENES STORY
God is like this wonderful and timely GPS. When He sees us going down a wrong path, He doesn't treat us as mere marionettes and--with ethereal puppeteer strings--control our movements or force our decisions or rob us of our freedom of choice.
He simply provides more opportunities.
In the early part of April, 2012 (exactly 16 days prior to this writing), I discovered in my eBay inbox that I'd just made a sale of the magazine below to a woman in Australia.
Afghan Girl, Found, 17 Years Later
April, 2002 National Geographic
(Hawaiian Odysseus Photo of Cover)
I was elated! Promptly, I processed, packaged, and mailed the item off to the buyer.
Less than two weeks later, I received the following positive feedback--
thanks arrived today my son has included her in many art essays for school
Now, I'd known briefly about the 1985 Afghan Girl cover story (see top photo) while researching for my description of the 2002 National Geographic issue, but as events would have it, I actually obtained the latter issue first. I don't remember where...could have been at an estate sale, church bazaar, or thrift store.
So that's why I made the sale of the 2002 issue first.
Soon after, however, I got my hands on not just one, but two of the 1985 issues. My interest, like a single lit match in a dry forest, burned brightly and ran rampantly with new possibilities.
I remember gazing obsessively--as have millions of people all over the world--at the image of the Afghan girl with haunted--and, yes, haunting!--green eyes.
On impulse rather than analytical forethought, not worrying in the least about crossing unspoken professional marketing boundaries, I emailed the Australian woman a courtesy thank you for her nice feedback and then...yes, I dared it!...asked her if she could provide me with some background information about her feedback comment. I explained that I occasionally blogged about some of my eBay experiences.
When I awoke this morning to the light Walla Walla rain and checked my eBay status, I found an email from, I thought, the Australian customer. It was a well thought out response to my request. I was about to send an appreciative email when I noticed that there was a second message in my inbox.
Upon reading the second email, I learned that the response had actually been written by her son, a high school student.
Here is what the intelligent and eloquent young man wrote--
Afghan Girl Article
The following is in regards to your request to hearing about my, well, obsession is the best phrase. Firstly, I'd very much like to say thanks for my purchase. I received both issues & they're exactly what I wanted!
Now, you say you wish to hear a human interest story to put on your blog. Well, my obsession with the Afghan girl is nothing compared to her story, a single individual whose beautiful eyes captivated the hearts of everyone who saw them, eyes that reflected the plight of all refugees of war. That's remarkable, a true testament to the nature of humanity and the power of a well-told story, and an amazing piece of art, things of which I've always loved.
I don't quite remember the first time I saw the photograph by renowned photojournalist Steve McCurry, but since then I have been a passionate fan. He is now one of my photographic idols. What I remember, however, is being caught up in the beauty of the image like everybody else. I'd been taking photos for a while at this point, and when I saw this, I was blown away. Not only was the subject amazing, but I was swept away with the lighting, the composition, the focus, the simple beauty. I rushed off and read up on the story. Since then, it's been one of my favorite images.
I've since used it as an example in as many projects for school as I possibly could, from English (in a theme of journey and belonging) to Visual Arts. As recently as three weeks ago, I've used her story as an example in one of my first assessments for university (subject on the future of Afghan women). The Afghan girl isn't just simply an amazing piece of photojournalism and a beautiful photograph. It also captures the human spirit.
Today, I'm in possession of both issues of National Geographic--the Afghan girl's complete story. I am in possession of not only collector's items, but a piece of history as well, and I thank you for that with all my heart.
This has been something I have desired for many years now, and I'm sure it will continue to inspire me.
Sincerely,
Alexander Johnson
EPILOGUE
Just as I was moved by the awesome and memorable Afghan Girl cover, I was absolutely blown away by the thoughtful and equally inspirational response from the young Australian man.
Alexander, you're a credit to not just your parents, siblings, relatives, friends, and acquaintances. You're an embodiment of all that is hopeful and cause for thanksgiving in our world. May the good Lord bless your every endeavor--in your budding university life and in your future occupation, relationships, and global ambassadorship.
Thank you for blessing me with one more beautiful remembrance of why I do the work I do on eBay.
Aloha and mahalo,
Hawaiian Odysseus
Finding the Afghan Girl
National Geographic Video on YouTube
I also invite all who are interested to read a related post that can be found with the following link:
Konica Minolta AF Maxxum 70 SLR Camera With Quantaray Lens
28-90 mm f/3.5-5.6
(Hawaiian Odysseus Photo)
It's of no small irony that the week after I listed this beautiful pre-owned camera on eBay, I received the official confirmation from an ophthalmologist in Walla Walla that I needed to have cataract removal surgery.
Now, that's disconcerting news enough. But to learn that both eyes needed the surgery, well, that took me for a loop.
Both my parents developed cataracts and had to have surgery in their late seventies. So the odds of my getting cataracts at an even younger age were even greater. Sure enough, I won the cataract lottery--not just once, but twice.
(Hawaiian Odysseus Photo)
On paper, cataract surgery seems simple enough. After local anesthesia is applied, a needle pierces the lens and breaks it up into small pieces. Through a suction process that, for personal reasons, I really don't want to and am not qualified to write about, the pieces are removed. An artificial lens is then installed. If all goes well, after a relatively short recuperation period, the patient is able to see quite clearly.
I was surprised to learn that cataract surgery is the #1 most common medical procedure in our country.
So what does all of this have to do with the camera I listed?
(Hawaiian Odysseus Photo)
Well, if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then God's head must be swelling. Let's look at a timeline to understand a little bit more about man's attempts to make an artificial eye--the camera!
1021 Ibn al-Haytham, an Iraqi Arab scientist, wrote Book of Optics, introducing the basic concept of a camera and the usage of a pinhole or lens to focus an external image onto an internal surface.
1685 Johann Zahn developed the first handheld camera, but it would be many more years for the design to be implemented successfully.
1814 The first photograph was taken by Joseph Nicephore Niepce. By exposing a bitumen coated pewter plate to light, Niepce was able to capture a temporary image.
1814 Expanding on Niepce's idea, Frenchmen Charles and Vincent Chevalier built the first camera that could produce photos. However, there was no way to preserve the photos.
`836 Niepce's partner, Louis Jacques Daguerre, developed the first practical photographic process. Daguerrotype involved an image being made on a light-sensitive silver-coated copper plate.
1840 For the first time, William Talbot generated positive images from negatives to produce permanent images.
1888 George Eastman made his first camera and called it the Kodak. It was the very first camera to go on sale.
1889 Eastman, who had been making paper film for years, replaced it with celluloid. He created a camera that was shaped like a box and had a single speed shutter mechanism.
By the turn of the century, the commercialization of cameras and the advancement in photography technology resulted in quantum leap advances.
(Hawaiian Odysseus Photo)
In the process of doing research and creatively interpolating facts with figments of my imagination-doing my own quantum leaping, so to speak--it struck me recently that it wasn't just coincidence that listing a camera on eBay and being diagnosed with cataracts were such closely aligned events in my life.
These things were meant to happen in close juxtaposition in order that I might understand...and in the understanding, find peace and acceptance.
If man had not been curious and just a wee bit narcissistic in his attempts to be just like heavenly Dad, he might not have attempted to devise a mechanical eye, or camera.
And if he'd given up after his first initial attempts or failed to improve on his predecessors' progress, technology would have gone the way of dinosaurs.
If cameras didn't exist, perhaps it would have been all the more challenging for medical school professors to illustratively and mechanically expound upon the wonders of the human eye.
Figuratively...literally...man would still be stuck wondering what the other side of the moon looked like.
And what would it matter if all of mankind couldn't see very well after threescore years because of increasingly cloudy vision?
As it stands, if all goes well next month--and I'm praying for God's abundant favor, not just for me, but for my camera mechanic, the good ophthalmologist himself--I'll be seeing things a lot more clearly than I do now.
