| Ebay was only two years old when I
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| | gas out of my pickup truck to fuel up the
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| discovered it.A friend I worked with was
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| | generator.The little generator fired up
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| also starting to sell on Ebay at about
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| | on the first pull, and with the help of a
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| the same time, and we exchanged ideas and
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| | few extension cords and power strips, we
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| experiences constantly. Since we were
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| | had a computer network up and running at
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| already working together on our Ebay
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| | My partners house. It was then we made
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| ventures, we decided to combine our
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| | another interesting discovery. Cable
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| resources into one company and grow it
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| | internet connections do not work without
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| while we were still both working our
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| | electricity. I had a DSL internet
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| regular job. We found our niche selling
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| | connection at my house, so off we go with
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| technical books and manuals as our little
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| | a partially charged battery in my laptop
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| company began to grow and prosper. Our
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| | to test my internet connection. SUCCESS!
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| co-workers at the company we worked at
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| | DSL works off the phone line power so it
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| during the day came to consider us the
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| | was still functional. We made a quick
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| "Ebay Experts". We were answering
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| | drive back to My partners house to tear
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| questions about online auctions on a
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| | down the computer network and load the
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| daily basis, but one coworker had the
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| | generator, then back to my house to set
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| same comment every day."Hey, show me how
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| | it all up again.
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| to make easy money on Ebay!" he would
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| | At 4:30 the next morning We had the
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| ask. It became a standing joke between My
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| | network online and a couple of lamps for
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| partner and I that usually came up around
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| | light. We were self-contained, and open
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| two or three in the morning during a
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| | for business. Now we could get to work,
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| marathon packing or email answering
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| | and so we did, for the next straight 48
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| session. One of us would look at the
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| | hours. We had a pickup truck load of
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| other and mutter in a disgusted tone
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| | packages ready for the post office when
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| "Yea, Easy money on Ebay.."In January of
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| | it hit us, "Is the post office open?".
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| 2002, we had more sales, and more
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| | A quick phone call ( by the way, cell
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| auctions running than ever before. We
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| | phones and cordless phones are useless
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| were looking at 100 to 150 auctions a day
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| | during a blackout. The simplest
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| closing, and enjoying a sell-through rate
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| | plug-it-in-the-wall phones work great.)
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| of close to 75%. Our shelves were piled
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| | found us with another problem. Our local
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| high with books and manuals, the shipping
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| | post office was closed (no electricity
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| area was well stocked with supplies, and
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| | there either.) They did tell us the
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| we were ready for long hours of
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| | regional USPS hub had power, and was open
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| fulfilling our orders.Then, as if fate
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| | 24/7. The bad news is, the regional hub
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| stepped in to see just what we were made
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| | was 75 miles away in Oklahoma
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| of, a huge ice storm hit our part of
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| | City!Meanwhile, back at the fuel issue...
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| Oklahoma taking out large sections the
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| | We were relieved to discover that two
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| electrical grid. It doesn't take a rocket
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| | local gas stations had rented generators
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| scientist to figure out that online
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| | and were open for business. We gassed up
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| businesses can do without many things,
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| | and headed for Oklahoma City. With the
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| but electricity is NOT on that list!
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| | load of packages on the way to customers
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| On the third day of the blackout, we
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| | and most of the other urgent tasks
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| were able to learn from the radio
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| | completed, we took a much needed break.
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| (battery powered) that it wasn't just our
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| | We shut down the network and use the
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| area, but over HALF the state of
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| | generator to power an electric griddle
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| Oklahoma. Worse yet, the damage was so
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| | and make a hot meal. The little generator
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| extensive it was going to be at least TWO
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| | wouldn't power both at the same time
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| WEEKS before power was restored! A quick
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| | without throwing it's breaker.For the
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| calculation and we almost panicked. We
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| | next two weeks, that poor little
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| would have over two THOUSAND AUCTIONS
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| | generator ran constantly keeping the
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| END, and no way to contact the bidders!
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| | computers running and the shipments going
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| If we didn't keep up with the sales,
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| | out, the questions answered, and our
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| payments, and shipping on a daily basis,
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| | customers happy. Every other day I would
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| we were in deep trouble... We couldn't
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| | make the 150 mile round trip to the USPS
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| imagine what a mess it would be in TWO
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| | hub in Oklahoma City, stopping on the way
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| WEEKS!The fourth day into the blackout, I
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| | back to fill the gas containers for the
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| made an executive decision. I grabbed the
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| | generator, and fuel up the truck for the
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| company checkbook, and headed for our
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| | next trip.One evening we took a short
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| closest Lowe's Home Improvement center
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| | break, and stepped outside for a breath
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| (about 70 miles away..). The little
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| | of fresh air. We noticed something
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| roadtrip turned into quite the adventure.
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| | different.... THE STREET LIGHTS WERE ON!
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| Strange thing about a massive blackout is
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| | I ran inside and tried the lights...
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| gas stations can't pump gas without
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| | ELECTRICITY!I went next door and asked my
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| electricity, and you are burning gas
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| | neighbor how long the power had been back
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| while you are driving around looking for
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| | on. "Oh, about four or five hours..". We
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| a gas station that was open for business.
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| | had been so wrapped up working in our
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| I was running on luck and fumes before I
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| | self-contained office, we hadn't realized
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| finally found a station and filled up.
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| | the power had come back on!
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| With a full tank of gas, I made it to
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| | With our ordeal behind us, we couldn't
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| Lowe's and purchased a generator. We
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| | resist the temptation to elebrate with a
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| assembled the generator in record time,
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| | cold beer and a toast..."Here's to "easy
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| put oil in the engine and then
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| | money" on Ebay!"KL Bohn is an Industrial
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| realized... Uh Oh, we need gas for the
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| | Engineer with a passion for technology
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| generator. No local gas stations were
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| | and especially Ebay.Ebay was only two
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| open for business, and we didn't want to
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| | years old when I discovered it quite by
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| risk another road trip. Using an old
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| | accident. 7 1/2 years, and over 85,000
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| trick I hadn't used since I was growing
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| | transactions later I'm still hooked on
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| up on a farm, we were able to get enough
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| | Ebay as a seller, buyer, and shareholder.
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