Interview: Former EBay Top Seller GlacierBayDVD Speaks Out

Reprint of Ina Steiner's Interview from AuctionBytes.com - with Permission

GlacierBayDVD rose to become one of eBay's top PowerSellers, achieving 268,198 unique feedback ratings and making $4.6 million in GMS (the value of items sold) in 2004. But something went terribly wrong, and in February 2006, GlacierBayDVD's status changed from PowerSeller to NARU (not a registered user).

Randy Smythe, owner of GlacierBayDVD, now wants to share his story. In a post on Associated Content (which he dramatically titled "What is the E! True Hollywood Story About EBay's Former Top Seller Glacier Bay DVD?"), Smythe explained why he decided to speak out now, 8 months after his company's demise. "I've been observing eBay over these past 8 months and I've come to the realization that they are a ship without a rudder, and it is affecting a group of people that I care a great deal about: EBay Sellers. So I thought I would lend my voice to the discussion. I have a unique perspective on eBay, and since I no longer sell online I can speak freely." 

AuctionBytes interviewed GlacierBayDVD owner Randy Smythe this week to see what lessons could be learned from his journey to the top and subsequent plunge to bankruptcy. (Interview has been edited for length.)

AB:Give me some background on GlacierBayDVD - what did you sell, how many employees did you have, how long were you selling on eBay?
RS: I sold DVDs and CDs, I had at the time I closed 6 employees, a 5,000 square foot warehouse and had been selling on eBay since 1999 and started the business in 2002. 

AB:Were you using an auction-management software program?
RS: I used AuctionRover, then ChannelAdvisor Pro. I was one of the first to use ChannelAdvisor Merchant. 

AB: What was the effect of that on your business?
RS: It gave me so much more control, it allowed me to scale some aspects of my operation and it allowed me to grow probably faster than I could have at ChannelAdvisor Pro.