Oh, the Pandora's Box I've Opened Now

Binta: still sleeping at 9:02 AM!
Health status: Bronchitis (started on the first day of summer vacation)
In the Attic: Becoming an ebay member

For at least the past 5 years, I have been fascinated with ebay. Partly due to the ridiculous items that some people attempt to sell, and partly due to the wonderful finds available!

After first searching the site, and seeing the plethora of items that I really really didn't need, but could so easily convince myself otherwise, I made a conscious decision to refrain from getting an account of my own. This served as an effective safety catch for me, keeping me from any impulsive purchases. When Derek and I tracked down a favorite game from childhood, it was his account that we used. He also bought me an old favorite Wizard of Oz pop up book that I had as a kid. Larry, my stepdad, has since helped me purchase Braingames, which is a DVD of an HBO show from the 80's, another lost book, called Bruce's Loose Tooth, and a musical toy train that Derek used to have.

Are you noticing the pattern yet?

I find ebay to be the perfect site for me because of my need to re-connect with items from my childhood. I'm just a really nostalgic person. I'll have a vague memory pop in my head, and I'll head to ebay to see if I can find the item I remembered. I'll pine over the various pictures and item descriptions, while wishing that I had said item to caress in my hands. From time to time, I'll click the "Bid Now" button for fun, only to have the "Set up your account" page open. But, that's where it usually ends.

But one day, just a few weeks ago, it didn't end there. I completed the shockingly simple application, and now I have free reign to bid on whatever pleases me. Why did I do it? I don't know. I felt somewhat like an addict getting his fix as I officially bid on my first item: the item that opened this can of worms. What was this item that I desired to own so deeply?



Trivia Adventure.
The Fun and Fascinating Quiz Game for Kids.


Obviously, this is another item from my past. Just look at the jeans on that girl! This game has a special memory for me - I can recall one Christmas when Derek and I woke at about 6:00AM. The rule was to leave Mom and Dad alone until 9:00, so we killed about 3 hours by playing this game. I'm sure we played it on other occasions, but that's my only memory of it.

Well, I won the game and proceeded to bid on (and win) many other items, including a set of audio books for Binta (my one non-nostalgic purchase), the entire set of Houghton Mifflin readers used by my elementary school (major geek confession), and a Sesame Street record (I don't even OWN a record player, for the love of god!).

As I write this post, I'm dangerously close to winning an item that I don't even remember bidding on!

This was a bad idea. A very bad idea...