Today I was leaving feedback for a recent purchase and noticed something: I’ve been on eBay since July 1998. That’s 27 years!

I still remember those early days. I was finally able to get trains I’d wanted as a kid in the ’70s and ’80s. Stuff the hobby shops never had, and swap meets rarely did. Suddenly, everything was just a few clicks away. Dangerous for someone with a big imagination and too many project ideas. I definitely overdid it.

In the early 2000s, eBay helped me stay afloat. I sold off some rare trains and paid my bills while building my consulting business. It was all checks back then. You’d wait, hope it cleared, then ship. No issues, but the switch to PayPal was a game-changer. These days, eBay handles payments directly, and it’s even easier.

Now I’m back to selling. Not to make money, just to clear space. There are projects I’ll never get to. Time to let someone else take a crack at them.

A lot’s changed. But 27 years later, I’m still here.