E-Bay is the quintessential global market. This lively film travels from a small town in Germany, to the island of Sky, to a dusty village in Mexico and then to bustling cities in China to show how individuals all over the world are using the internet to buy and sell.
In the words of one enthusiastic trader, all you need to do is find an overlooked product and bring it to the world's attention. One American trader discovered a skillful potter in Mexico, has bought from him regularly and resold the ceramics at a profit. But then the artisan realized that anyone with a phone line can sell directly on e-Bay. Now his motto is "direct from potter to gringo."
Of course, not everyone is making a bundle. Some offerings don't sell at their price and have to be re-listed, at a cost. But the film shows that opportunities abound. An unemployed family in Germany is starting to make a living as traders. As the narrator says, nationality, race, education, skin color - all these differences fade away on the internet.
E-bay is shown celebrating its 10th anniversary in San Jose, California with great festivities and acclaim. With all its success, it is beginning to face a challenge in the Chinese market where an ambitious competitor is steadily growing.
Reviews
~ "deftly weaves together multiple narrative threads while also incorporating contextual information...captures the highs and lows of eBay's global business. Recommended." - Video Librarian
~ "continuously informative and cheekily irreverentˇ provides a thorough history of how the website, ˇsurvived the dot-com bustˇand ballooned into the sensation it is today." - Miami Herald
~ " This practical, well-organized DVD is inspiring and informative, bringing out the passion and idealism of entrepreneurs hoping to build a career on selling through the Web. It is suitable for adults of all ages. School, academic and public libraries will want to purchase to help all viewers understand eCommerce, eBay, and entrepreneurship. Recommended"-- EMRO
Notes
~ Edinburgh International Film Festival, 2008
~ Miami International Film Festival, 2008
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