Welcome to the 90's Mr. Trend-rider.
I've never exactly been ahead of the curve with a lot things gadgetish or habit-wise really. I didn't get a PC until '99 and a cellphone until 2001. So it should come as no surprise that on August 13th, 2004 I experienced my first thrill of ebaying (please forgive my making up of verbs, it's a nasty habit I can't kick).
I needed one golf club. I searched and discovered that ebay has tons of them. Needing one club turned into needing a whole set of clubs. Well! I was getting the deal of a lifetime!
It was a close-out model and this dealer has three sets. I consulted with the crafty ebay veteran, the Sig Ot, and I put in a bid. For the next day, no one bid against me. I was already picturing myself swinging my swell new clubs. The ball was flying straight and long and chicks were all over me and I was famous and rich hanging with Tiger and...
My bubble was burst. I didn't realize the smart people came in at the last minute and swooped it up. They got it for one dollar more than my bid. Freakin' bastard. I hope he hits nothing but his own nuts with those godforsaken clubs. ahem.
One more set left. Now much wiser, I started my bid and watched it carefully. It was Friday evening and my brother and his chick had just arrived. Five minutes to go. I assembled my crack team. The fast typist, the Sig Ot, manning the Dell hooked to my super fast DSL service. My brother and his girlfriend...well they were there to cheer I guess. I, was there at the helm to bark out the commands and obscenities.
Four minutes in, someone starts driving up my automatic bid. At two minutes they top it. The Sig Ot is typing away, I am jumping up and down screaming and cursing. One minute and we get a bid in. Will it hold? Do they have dialup and we win or did they sneak one last bid in? The pressure mounts, the crowd is silent and the screen refreshes...
It was mine! All mine! Choke on that you sneaky bastard!!
I only had to go up $12, still a third of the retail price. What a rush of competitive adrenaline that was. I can see getting hooked on this. The Sig Ot however, tells me I am on my own. Likely something to do with the barking out of orders at her and all that. Weak woman. That's ok, me and my 10 wpm's will get out there and win again. I don't know what I want to buy, but surely I need something if I just mull it over a while.
There you have it, just a few years later than the rest of the world, I discover ebay. What's next for Mr.Trend-rider?
I think in 2008, I'll get me one of those newfangled IPOD things.
And maybe parachute pants. I never had any of those.
maybe you can buy them on ebay!