Because eBay was built on a foundation of people collecting something, it should be no surprise that those who attended the fifth annual eBay Live conference in Las Vegas did their fair share of collecting and trading.

First, there were the eBay trading pins. During different times at the convention, a bell would ring and people would flock to wherever the bell was and get the current pin. The pins were designed as poker chips and came in different colors and styles. You could also get pins by just being in the right place at the right time. I got a blue one as I came out of a seminar. There were also pins that various vendors were giving away, and some people brought offbeat pins with them, just for trading purposes. It was not unusual to have people stop each other and ask about the availability of trading for a coveted pin.

There was one pin with rhinestones that was THE pin everyone wanted. Only 100 were made to give out at the convention. When you have 15,000 people in attendance, those 100 pins didn’t go very far. People who attended the eBay Collectibles Summit were given one of the rhinestone pins in their gift bags. I had no idea the pin was anything special until people began stopping me and asking how I got it. One eBay staff member suggested I not even wear it in public as some people could become very aggressive in wanting the pin.

Now the question is: do I sell it on eBay or keep it? Decisions, decisions.

I also got a ton of ribbons. EBay had stations where you could get ribbons to add to your nametag lanyard that said something about who you were or what you did on eBay. I got about 20 of them. They went clear down to my knees. My favorite says, “I bid, therefore I am.”

I saw some good marketing going on. One eBay user was walking through a casino when he stopped a young man wearing a Kiss T-shirt. The eBay user handed the man his business card and told him he had a lot of Kiss memorabilia for sale.

I’m now sitting in the Las Vegas airport, waiting for my flight home. It was truly an awesome experience to attend eBay Live. I’m sad that I didn’t make my flight arrangements so that I could have stayed for the closing ceremonies at which Hughie Lewis and the News will be performing. It is also at the closing ceremonies that the site of the next eBay Live will be announced. My new friends who I went out with last night and I made bets during dinner as to the next location. We each put in $1 and the name of a city. Tonight, we will know who the winner is.

If you are an avid eBayer, I highly recommend this convention.