Can you use eBay as a genealogy resource? You'd be surprised what you'll find!
Written: Aug 02 '01
The Bottom Line
eBay is a frequently untapped resource for looking for genealogy resources!
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OK, I realize this is the 1107th epinion written about eBay. What else can be said? How about using eBay to find old family heirlooms?
I've been using eBay for longer than I would care to comment. I used to do a lot of buying, now I buy rarely, and actually spend a little time selling odds and ends. I've never had a bad transaction.
I've been doing genealogy research for about 7 years now and 2 years (or so) ago, I combined these two passions. So what do I find?
Artwork
OK, this is fairly unique for my family, but I have found magazine covers and other reproductions of artwork done by my great-uncle, Frank Victor Colson. Victor was an artist for the U.S. Navy at the Boston Naval Yard. I also once found an original oil painting done by him, but I couldn't afford it.
Yearbooks
This is what I look for most often, and occasionally have luck purchasing. There is a section for school annuals, and they often are sold at reasonable prices. I have a certain number of yearbooks I look for and I've bought about 4-5 of them by now. You can search by keyword, and if you're not certain if a relative is in a book, the seller will often do lookups for you. I ahve found this to be a very rewarding way to obtain HS or college yearbooks. For many of the relatives I've found, these are the only pictures I have!
The School Annuals section is at this URL:
http://listings.ebay.com/aw/listings/list/category1136/index.html
Published Genealogy Resources
There are many books that have been published, either by family name, or location (for example town histories, lisiting of births, deaths, or other vital records). Frequently, if you find a surname you are looking for, the seller will do a lookup for you to see if it is a book you would be interested in buying.
CD-ROM Resources
If you use Family TreeMaker or FTM (I don't), you will find many of the research CDs up for sale on eBay.
In summary, I think it is a great place to look for some of these resources to purchase. Unfortunately, it often takes many weeks or months of searching faithfully until you find what you are looking for.
However, when I found my dad's sophomore college yearbook, it was worth the surprise he expressed!
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Scott Colson, MD
Location: OH to NV, to IA, finally in MN!
Reviews written: 106
Trusted by: 91 members
About Me: Family Physician practicing in the Twin Cities, MN
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