eBay and Buying

The postman just delivered an item I had recently bought on eBay. The item was cheap and mainly a gag gift for the family. It started me wondering about how my buying has changed with the this new opportunity to purchase items I never even had thought of owning before eBay. My sister jokes she is a "preferred member" of QVC. She lives in a relatively remote area and maintains she has all the selection available to someone in a metropolitan area via QVC, which she would not have otherwise. But in my case, eBay gives me items that aren't even generally available.

A case in point is my collection of Philosopher Press books from the turn of the century. They are generally impossible to find and when you do find them at a bookseller they can be VERY expensive. eBay solves that, at least partially. "If it's out there, it will eventually be on eBay," is my mantra. Lo and behold, recently a book that I didn't even relaize they had done, not on any biblio I have seen, turned up, and I got it. My point is it just amazes me how literally the world and everything in it is now available to anyone with an internet connection (and a PayPal account.)