Algebra - and eBay

You know, I've taken algebra a half dozen times in my life and one of the many things I learned is, if you don't keep using it and practicing it, you will forget it or, lose it as the saying goes.

This came to mind recently when I tried to sell a few odds and ends on eBay. I've been an eBay buyer and seller since 2005 with a few dozen auctions under my belt. I had not sold anything in quite a few years, however. I discovered something I wanted to do, but it isn't in the budget. What I remembered about listing items on eBay did not come to my rescue when I listed the new items.

My recollection is when listing items my "reserve" price  could be protected. In other words, the sale of my listing would be on the condition my reserve price was met. This time there wasn't any reserve price there was, however, a "Buy It Now" price which I mistakenly assumed was the reserve price. I accepted the sale of a $25.00 item for $5.00 including shipping.

I also sold a Tascam Portastudio 424 cassette recorder (without the AC power adapter and cable) for $100.00. The Portastudio cost $50.00 to ship and I may get some money after eBay makes sure the transactions stay sold - and collects their percentage of the sale.

I listed several other dust gathering things and some of them received no bids. I thought I might be ahead of the game if I just donated these items to the Good Will. I canceled a couple of sales too. I just did not understand the ins and outs of eBay anymore and it could have cost me dearly.

So too, in algebra, if you didn't know what the less than or greater than signs mean, you are going to suffer when test time comes along. In life, the miscues can be expensive regardless of the intention.