Category eBay

Apr 27 2026

eBay and the AI assistant

I don’t have a mailbox. Haven’t had one in 30 years. But, the USPS rents out little boxes for those of us who don’t trust a tin can half a mile from the house. However, recently eBay told me I would never get paid as a seller if I didn’t provide a physical address. So, I gave them a friend’s address. I still ship stuff from the post office, and I still receive stuff there. However, I recently sold a pair of pants to a chick in New York, and they didn’t fit. She wanted to return them, which is not smart, considering that she had to pay shipping both ways. However, when she returned the pants, they ended up with my friend, and not the post office. So, I tried to change the address on eBay, and eBay won’t let me use the post office. So, I decided to chat with eBay. Here’s what I got from the Assistant:

Hi Pamela! I’m eBay’s automated assistant. I can help with any issues you might have, or connect you with an agent.

We may analyze this interaction to enhance the quality of our customer service, including by using artificial intelligence.

I see you were on our article, How to handle a return request as a seller. Let me know if you need help with this or something else.

Something else

Assistant

Something else

Since you didn’t see what you needed, please rephrase how I can help.

Assistant

I have a problem with my return address. I get all of my mail at a post office box, and eBay lets me ship from that address, but the return had to go to a physical address. I want returns to go to the post office.

If tracking details show your return is going to the wrong address, ask the carrier to reroute the delivery.

In cases where the seller provides an incorrect address, you may be covered by eBay Money Back Guarantee. Otherwise, you may be responsible for the item. Learn more- Return shipping for buyers

Manage returns and cancellations 

eBay Money Back Guarantee 

Assistant

So, you want me to use something other than eBay.

eBay Plus is a membership program for buyers and sellers in Australia and Germany.

Assistant

Wow. I’m glad you are not a human. I would be seriously worried about you.

Payment errors may happen for a few reasons. Select an option below to get started:

Payment declined

Payment pending error

Help with gift cards or promotions

Assistant

Done for now

All of the items other than books are de-listed. I seldom get returns on books, so I will leave those for a while.

Where do you readers sell your unwanted items? Or do you?

May 13 2025

A review I didn’t write

Review of The Art of Star Trek by Judith Reeves-Stevens and Garfield Reeves-Stevens

The Art of Star Trek is an expansive, visually rich tribute to one of the most iconic science fiction franchises in television and film history. Authored by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens—veterans in the Star Trek literary universe—the book is both a meticulously researched chronicle and a celebration of the franchise’s visual imagination. Originally published in 1995, it captures the essence of Star Trek from The Original Series up to the early days of Deep Space Nine and Voyager, offering a deep dive into the creative process behind its legendary design work.

Content & Structure

The book is organized chronologically, walking readers through the development of each series and film, and highlighting the evolution of Starfleet’s aesthetic—from the colorful minimalism of the original USS Enterprise to the more militaristic tones of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. It covers not only starship and costume design but also alien worlds, species, props, matte paintings, and behind-the-scenes concept art.

What makes The Art of Star Trek stand out is its generous use of images—over 600 illustrations, including concept sketches, set designs, production photos, and storyboards. Many of these had not been widely published before, giving fans a rare glimpse into the franchise’s visual development.

Insights & Analysis

The authors provide thoughtful commentary throughout, not just presenting the art but contextualizing it within the creative and production challenges of each era. Interviews with production designers, concept artists, and series creators add depth, explaining how design choices supported storytelling themes, budget constraints, or advances in technology. There’s also insightful discussion about how the look and feel of the franchise shifted to reflect changing cultural attitudes, from the optimistic idealism of the 1960s to the more complex and politically nuanced narratives of the 1990s.

Strengths

  • Comprehensive Scope: Covers nearly three decades of design work across TV and film.
  • Rare Artwork: Features a treasure trove of previously unpublished art and design materials.
  • Historical Value: Serves as an excellent reference for both casual fans and serious scholars of media design or science fiction.

Limitations

  • Cutoff Point: As it was published in 1995, it doesn’t include Enterprise, the reboot films, Discovery, Picard, or any modern Star Trek series.
  • Print Quality (in some editions): Some readers have noted that certain editions could benefit from higher-resolution image reproduction.

Final Verdict

The Art of Star Trek is a must-have for any serious Trekkie or fan of cinematic design. It not only honors the visual legacy of the franchise but also captures the spirit of exploration, creativity, and vision that defines Star Trek. Even decades after its publication, it remains a definitive guide to how imagination was translated into one of science fiction’s most enduring worlds.

Rating: 9/10
A stunning archive and a passionate tribute, though in need of a sequel to cover the post-1995 era.

This is the book, which I read and enjoyed. Just for fun, I asked ChatGPT to write a review, and the text above is what it generated. While I don’t gush quite as much as the AI, mostly I agree with the review. For fans of the older television shows, there could be a bit more details. For fans of the full length features, the content is better. And, as it was published about the time Voyager was getting started, there is certainly plenty of art that must be found elsewhere. My rating would probably be more like a 7, if I were to give ratings up to 10. Still, seeing what the AI generated was so entertaining that I decided to share.

Cover of The Art of Star Trek, book
May 28 2024

Sand Dune Pony— a retro review

Sand Dune Pony, by Troy Nesbit was one of my “annual reads” when I was a kid. The reader must suspend disbelief rather a lot, but I re-read it recently, and I still enjoyed it. Yes, there was a bit of nostalgia for me, but the story is fun.

When I perused a few reviews on Goodreads, I saw that some folks had the same affection for this little yarn that I have, while others took a modern view and were either skeptical or horrified. The plot, which is nothing like the AI garbage on big A’s site, is simple: A youngster named Pete has come to spend the summer at his uncle’s large ranch in Colorado. Pete had been looking forward to having his own horse for the summer, along with the promise of learning how to be a real cowpoke. However, his Uncle Lem and Aunt Clara lost their barn to a fire, so Lem has had to sell off almost all of his horses to cover the cost of replacing it. Pete is stuck doing chores and watching one of Lem’s hands try to break a stubborn horse, because there is no horse available for him to ride.

Kids have shorter attention spans, so Nesbit’s narrative moves swiftly. A new character, Hatsy, enters the picture in the second chapter, and the older gentleman takes an interest in Pete and his situation. Hatsy offers to take Pete along on a fishing trip, which Lem and Clara agree to, but the goal is not just catching fish. No, Hatsy has in mind catching a horse for Pete. No spoilers, but there’s a mystery interwoven with the finding a horse for Pete plot, and there is enough suspense to keep the pages turning.

Being somewhat chronologically gifted myself, I know that kids were not nearly as sheltered in the era of this tale as kids are today. Probably not many parents would allow an underage child do most of the things that happen in this book in the time it was written, and certainly not modern parents. No, today, Pete would have to play video games on an iPad and wait for Uber eats to deliver, instead of camping beside an old-fashioned covered wagon, eating canned corned beef warmed over a fire, while planning to capture a wild horse with a septagenarian mentor. Fortunately for the reader (and Pete) things were different in back then, and there are many details about the West, horses, and people sprinkled into the story. In short, this is an adventure, and safety isn’t much of a consideration.

Parents or grandparents could read this one aloud to younger kids, or just hand it to a third (or later) grade student. There’s a Kindle version available on big A’s website, for that kid who has a tablet instead of a horse. My daughter bought me a copy off of eBay, as a gift, when we were talking about books that we had enjoyed as children.

Honestly, I was amazed that the one I got looked so good, considering the 1952 copyright. Whitman Publishing books were inexpensive items for kids, so the quality of the binding and pages lacks that heirloom feel! While the cover looks good, the pages are darkened with age and crumble on the edges if the reader isn’t careful. This is an old book! There are several cover art versions, but I chose to display the cover on the book I lost decades ago, rather than the one I received.

Feb 19 2024

The Making of Star Trek by Stephen E. Whitfield—a retro review

Way long time ago, I borrowed a copy of The Making of Star Trek from a friend. After watching some episodes of The Original Series (TOS) on Pluto TV, I remembered the book, so I ordered a vintage paperback via eBay. Once I had it in hand, I could revisit a wonderful read, as well as wallow in some insider info once again. First printed in 1968, this book is both a history of Star Trek, with quite a few photos, and a “how to” guide to creating, producing, and writing a television series. However, as the book was written as the series was coming to a close, the legacy and cultural significance of Star Trek were not yet known to Whitfield (or Gene Roddenberry, who is listed as a co-author.) For more casual fans, there are other sources, from videos to more focused books.

When a ground breaking television series is created, there are thousand decisions to be made. From character names to methods of propulsion, this volume covers in detail how many of the concepts that make Star Trek work were developed, some visionary, such as the multi-cultural crew (unheard of in the mid-sixties) while others were merely practical, such as the “transporter” which was necessary as it would slow down the action if every port of call required a shuttle craft excursion (or worse, landing a huge space ship.) Within these pages are excerpts from memos to and from ST creator Roddenberry, quotes from NASA consultants, and preliminary sketches of possible ship configurations.

As this book was written alongside the filming of the series, there are glimpses of who wrote (and re-wrote) scripts, which actors were cast, and how the characters evolved. Letters from some of the actors, with insights into how their characters were to be portrayed, are included. Loosely organized chronologically, but with sections on such topics as “weaponry” and “the bad guys,” the reader sees how items familiar to TOS fans were developed over time.

Previously, I wrote a bit about a tour of The Neutral Zone Studios, where Star Trek Continues was filmed, and where fan films are still made. Our tour included some of the information in this book, but quite a bit of it was different, as the guides took a more hands on approach. Anyone planning a trip there might well read The Making of Star Trek prior to taking the tour. While the book does compliment Gene Roddenberry’s creative genius, many people helped create this vision of the future. Some of it has come to fruition (think folding cell phones) and some might never (Warp drive), but the influence that this one television series, which most deemed a failure when it ceased production, is difficult to minimize.

The Making of Star Trek is no longer in print, so it does require a bit of searching, but for fans, it is worth the effort.

Feb 7 2022

The Sound of Music Companion by Laurence Maslon— a brief review

Since I was quite young, I have loved this musical, as have many other people. I’ve owned the sound track in various forms, as well has having first a VHS then a DVD of the film. However, recently I read a short but glowing recommendation for this volume, so off to eBay I go, and low and behold, I got the book in a box with yet another DVD and sound track CD. Sweet!

This is what I’d call a “coffee table” book in size, but the content is a bit more than some such books. The forward is by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who was engaged in putting on a revival of The Sound of Music for the stage in London around the same time as this book (2006) but the book itself begins with the story of Maria von Trapp, the subject of a couple of books prior to her story being turned into the now famous musical.

For those of us who discovered the story via the 1966 movie, the musical actually begins a bit earlier, as a Broadway vehicle for Mary Martin. The music was done by Rogers and Hammerstein, of course, and the book takes the reader through much of the creative process, with photos of notes and typewritten song lists, as well as pictures from the Broadway and traveling productions. There is quite a bit of detail regarding the modifications done as the play was transformed into the movie. Fans of the film will know much of the content, no doubt, but there are nuggets of information which should prove interesting for even well-read aficionados, and there are quite a number of pictures taken during the lengthy location filming in and around Saltzburg.

There’s a bit of information regarding the careers of the “children” in the film, and a couple of pictures showing them all grown up. However, the book doesn’t end there. As this play is still being performed in various venues, there is some detail regarding its continued success. The last section is a fairly detailed recount of the revival done by Lloyd Webber’s production company.

When it comes to these photo centric books, sometimes one thumbs through, reading the captions, and that’s that. With this book, I read it, all in a couple of days. While it was not suspenseful, it was interesting and kept my attention from the forward to the credits. That’s rare for me. So, for fans of the film, it a top pick. For those interested in how a feature film is developed, it is also of more than passing interest. And, as it is no longer new, it is quite affordable, too. Win-win!

Jun 21 2021

Re-reading, Goddess by Mistake

Recently, I got my hands on a used copy of a book I loaned and lost, Goddess by Mistake by P.C. Cast. Often, books are so similar that I don’t remember them well enough to write a decent review a week or two after I have finished them. Goddess by Mistake was memorable for me, so much so that I remembered it almost two decades after my first reading of it, so when I scored a used one on eBay, I put it at the top of to be read pile. The story still seems fresh, but the sassy narrator is the main reason I liked it then, and why I still like it. For those who want to know more, here’s a link to my “old” blog.

http://pamspages.blogspot.com/2007/08/