As we sort through all of the years of accumulated stuff, four piles have emerged:

- Boat
- Las Vegas
- Stash Somewhere
- ebay

I don't know how people got along in the garage sale era. We're controling the boat pile which is good. The Las Vegas pile is decidedly small as we don't know how long we'll keep the place in Sin City. The Stash Somewhere pile is also in pretty good shape. On the other hand the ebay pile grows faster than I can post auctions.

I'm not actually sure how much money we're making in relative terms. I think I could earn as much on an 'hours invested' basis working at Krispy Kreme. I'm pretty sure that ebay and PayPal are doing ok though. The best thing about ebay is that it allows you to get rid of stuff that you can't stand to throw away. It is the greatest recycling system on the net. It just feels better knowing that your stuff will go to those who will appreciate it rather than a land fill. In the end, when your travels are through, perhaps you can buy it back on ebay so that it can take up space in your closet again where it belongs.

Ebay is an amazing marketplace to study also. For high demand items ebay is very efficient. I sold two identical items one month apart and the price I received was within 1% variation. There are also interesting currency dynamics. When the Euro gets strong the French out bid all the folks from Idaho, even with the shipping penalty. You get a lesson or two in the effect of time zones on market dynamics as well. You get the best prices when you list items so that they close at an hour when the most interested parties are conscious.

Another week or two and the high profile stuff will be out the door. Then it will start getting tough...

http://www.ebay.com/