This is the last in a series comparing the characteristics of eBay and the US Government. In the last post I discussed the fractured community and how it's hurt eBay in the eyes of buyers and sellers alike. The last way the two behemoths compare is a bit sad...
#5 - Faded glory
The image of the United States as a glorious beacon of freedom and liberty has undeniably faded around the world. It can be a bit sad to see historical films showing crowds cheering the troops as they liberated cities around the world only to see the negativity and bickering that goes on now.
[tag]eBay[/tag] reflects a similar faded glory. At one time people were proud to say they made their living on eBay. I can say from experience, when those people in my community (see part 1) told me of some of the trouble they'd had with eBay, I was a bit embarrassed. I used to hear those stories and it would turn out that it was something they had done wrong. Nowadays, they are more often victims of scammers or eBay's [tag]bureaucratic[/tag] red tape. What a shame it has come to this.
What now?
Even with all the problems I'll continue selling on eBay. I have never been an eBay-basher, and I'm not starting now. Sellers talk about expanding to other channels to sell. I think that is very smart. Do I believe eBay will go away? Nope. It always was the best place to sell collectibles and it still is. I will still teach people to use eBay and they can make some good money there. But in the end, the glory days are in the past. I could never imagine Pierre or Meg describe eBay's homepage as a "flea market." Looking back, it was when eBay started trying to be a retailing giant pushing loads of new "practical" items that it lost its fun, quirky edge. They insisted on pushing new, "practical" items instead of the unique, collectibles. Based on the "flea market" comment by John Donahoe, it seems that's the course they'd like to continue to take. Like Dr. Phil says, "If you keep doing what you've been doing, you're gonna keep getting the same results." Despite the current rhetoric, much like the U.S. Government - not much is likely to change.
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