We've used eBay a few times so far. One use of eBay is to monitor what's out
there. We won't go after everything that might be worth adding to our
collection, but it's worth keeping an eye out for things that shouldn't be
on eBay in the first place. And we've already spotted some of those.
Sometimes a seller will work with you if you approach them right. One seller
agreed to end the auction early and sell to us at a fair price, eliminating
the possibility that we could be outbid or hit our bid ceiling and lose the
item. That seller also donated some other related items as well as an item a
few months later.
Another seller was asked to donate or consider ending the bidding early.
With bids already placed on the items we were looking at (a set of 14
letters from the early 1840s from a family in an important family in our
county) we did not expect much other than to let the seller know of our
interest in acquiring the items. Much to our surprise and delight, she
happily agreed to end the auction early and donate the letters to us. In
turn we agreed that we would transcribe the letters and publish them in some
form, which we are working on.
Ending an auction early is a can of worms some sellers don't want to open.
Ethically, once there are bids placed on something, the seller should not
end the auction for the benefit of an bidder. Exceptions would include the
discovery of major damage that was previously unnoticed, or problems
involving ownership. In our case, the seller who agreed to donate had no
problems ending early. She was glad they were going to a good home and not
to some reseller or investor or whoever. She was also very upfront with the
bidders who inquired as to what happened. For the most part, the bidders
were satisfied with the resolution of the transaction: one wanted them
because she was doing research on Quakers (the family were Friends) and
another said she wanted to buy them so she could donate them to a museum or
historical society.
For us, they proved to be a very important look at the ways, customs and
lives of a noted family in our county.

But don't expect people to roll over for you. More often than not they're
going to you where you can go.

If you're realistic and ask questions, eBay is a good place to at least
monitor.

Scott D. Peters
Research Director/Archivist
Ocean County Historical Society
26 Hadley Ave., P.O. Box 2191
Toms River, NJ 08754-2191
(732) 341-1880
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"Telling the Stories of Ocean County"

Historically Speaking
ALHFAM -FPIPN vice-chair for trivia, errata and miscellany
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"The ordinary distinctions in society are often vague, and imply no just
pre-eminence: rank and titles are
adventitious things and instead of designating merit or virtue, are
frequently the baubles of imbecility, or
the sparkling decorations of meretricious pageantry"

William Griffith, on behalf, and by order of the New-Jersey Society for
promoting the gradual Abolition
of Slavery, Twelfth Month (December) 20th, 1803

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