It didn't take long for the penny to drop and so I started to order what I needed in smallish quantities and sell on what I didn't need via Ebay. People do sometimes ask me "Can you get me an Acme doo-dah?". I usually can, but only if I think I can get them at the right price and can sell the overpurchase via Ebay. For example, I was once asked if I had any custom chrome 60mm fan grills of a particular design. I did my research, ordered 10 and they all sold pretty quickly at a reasonable cost to the buyers. I don't ever intend to become a millionaire like this, as I usually make just pennies on each sale. But it's comforting to get feedback, as I occasionally do, that goes something like ... I've been searching for this an Acme doo-dah for ages - thanks for making them available on Ebay.

With the increasing array of items that I've got on sale I always stick to one simple rule - that is to never list anything on Ebay that I have'nt used myself and know that it works/does the job intended/is fit for purpose. Since September '06 all larger-value items are tested before being offered on Ebay. I have a professional testbench and spares specifically for this purpose and can test and re-test quickly (usually the same day received).

Good service, flexibility, fast delivery, quality items and commonsense prices are what's made me a Power Seller with a pretty decent reputation (see below).