What it was like to create an ebay listing in 2003

[brandonsvsu]

Here's a little blast from the past - I found archived away on my computer a few of the actual seller pages for setting up auctions on ebay in 2003.

[lewisburggold]

Pretty cool.  Best regards

[bearswatching]

I remember, back in ‘97, sitting down to list a dozen or so items. When I was done I would go back to make sure there were no errors I discovered I had bids on 2 or 3 items. Those were really the good ‘ole days😀

[terrycanarsky]

I remember these days!  Like so many others here, I learned a lot about html and such.

(We still have our listing template in html format, a hold-over.)

~M

[tiramisu41]

---

@mikeystoyz wrote:

I remember when pictures were optional.

---

Yep, mostly because a lot of people didn't have cameras capable of taking digital photos or a means to upload them back then.  I didn't even have a home computer or laptop -- I had dial-up and a WebTV unit which was basically an Internet "device" that allowed you to toggle back and forth between watching TV and surfing the net.

Back then, I can remember how much time I used to put in writing detailed descriptions when trying to sell old National Geographic magazines, for example.  Have to say though, I sold a heck of a lot more of them based solely on those descriptions -- and NEVER a return -- compared to now no matter how many/quality photos that may accompany the listing.  Night and day, that's for sure...  

[brandonsvsu]

Some more goodies - I actually found a copy of the Seller page.  WOW was this so much simpler and less bloated and cluttered than today's design.  Some other random stuff here too, including a flashback to a time when money orders were acceptable.  I guess I didn't realize just how non-intervening ebay was back then.  It is sad just how much ebay has taken over every aspect of buying and selling on ebay as opposed to letting buyers and sellers work things out themselves.

[d-k_treasures]

What was it like to create an ebay listing in 2003?

Wonderful. You knew it was going to sell in an auction format. Uncluttered with chinese junk.

[annadryl]

I remember using a webcam for pics (like 360x420?) and storing them on floppies. I bought and sold CD's and cassettes. Any one remember the cost of shipping a six ounce bubble mailer?

Seriously, I can't remember

[pussnbeadsjewelryandmore]

Awe!!! Young and sweet Ebay. So cute. *sniff sniff*

Sometimes I go back to my old photo files from around 1998 or so, and can't believe how WRETCHED my photos are - blurry and horrible. Still sold lots of stuff, though!!

[pussnbeadsjewelryandmore]

Awe!!! Young and sweet e-bay. So cute. *sniff sniff*

Sometimes I go back to my old photo files from around 1998 or so, and can't believe how WRETCHED my photos are - blurry and horrible. Still sold lots of stuff, though!!

[electrola_man]

It brings back memories.  Some things I liked better (like no silly catalog descriptions for used items that contained wrong info, written by people who know nothing about the items!   Sorry, pet peeve took over my fingers for a moment), but other things are a lot easier now.   If only the sales were as good as they were back then, it would be great.   I liked knowing that it was safe to let the market set the price through an auction, and I could start something I knew was worth $100 at $9.99 and just let it rip.  Now I don't dare do that.  By 2003 I had switched over to digital photos using a 0.81MP Sony Mavica that actually did a pretty good job.  Even today I set my more current camera to 2-3MP to make the files load quicker...though I don't have to worry about the time required through dial-up Internet access.  Up until sometime in 2000 I was taking film photos with my SLR and having them processed (which forced me to plan way ahead on what I was selling), then scanning the prints.  I remember the ebay photo service wasn't very good.  Photos were small and low-res, and it worked much better to put a bunch into the description by first uploading them to a separate hosting service and linking to them using HTML, and only have the main photo in ebay.  I'm pleased with how that works now.  Sometimes it would be nice to have more than 12 photos, though.