What happens when answers have no value?

At many points in our history the person who had the answers was king. If you knew where the water was to be found, a safe place to sleep, or how to get out of the cold you ruled your kingdom. In recent history,  professions we valued most had answers we wanted such as doctors, teachers, and lawyers.  Questions always seem to be plentiful, but the answers to those questions had value.  

Over the last 18 months as I have settled into my role as a father, I have started to wonder what the world will be like for my child.  She'll grow up in a time where literally anything she wants to know can be found in a few clicks.  When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time at the library searching the stacks of books for answers to subjects that interested me. I learned the Dewey decimal system and found books on subjects I never thought I would be interested in, but became fascinated with.  Even though I lived in a small town the library provided answers to questions that even an eight-year-old me found interesting and thus valuable.  It was the answers I was looking for that caused me to go down paths less traveled and find things that stimulated my imagination.  If answers have little value, what will stimulate my daughters imagination?  If answers can be found in a couple of clicks, what books will not be read?  What topics will not be explored?

We can hold more knowledge in our hands in the form of laptop computer or smart phone, than the combined knowledge of all people who have come before us.  If you can ask Siri how to get to your destination, what is the value of a map?  If you can ask Google how many miles it is to the moon, what is the value of an astronomer?   If any question can be answered with a little time behind a browser instead of a textbook, what is the value of an education?  If expertise can be found on YouTube, what is the value of a plumber or electrician?

The question about the value of an answer is a fascinating one.  It will not be long before computers are doing many tasks that today use expertise.  If computers can make medical diagnosis better than doctors, will we no longer value the expertise of a doctor?  Someone once said that the value of everything eventually goes to zero, but I can't believe that anyone ever thought that the value of answers would get there.

I don't think we can answer this question and that tells me that our place on earth is to think of questions that can not be answered.    Where once the value was in answers, it is now becoming the question that has value.  A question that makes us think of answers beyond statistics and probability will always have value.  We have to ask better questions.

If I can raise my daughter with this thought in mind I'll be doing a good job. 

Why eBay needs to lead and stop following!

In a recent side project, I was able to use some emerging artificial intelligence capabilities to distinguish with a high degree of accuracy the significant items in a vintage photograph. I was able to create a title by comparing the keywords dissected from the photograph and ranking them as search terms in Google. Not only was I able to get a title for my eBay listings, but also a keyword rich title that improved the search results and click-through rates. It also is able to answer all of the item specifics questions for the vintage photograph category.  This allows us to create a complete listing for our vintage photographs as quick as we could scan them. Paired with our high-speed scanner, we are able to complete 30 photographs ready to be listed on eBay within one minute. The rapid advancement in artificial intelligence and deep machine learning made it possible.

Not far in the future you will use the same technologies to create eBay listings with nothing more than a photograph. This will cure two current problems for eBay. First, it will allow sellers to list items much easier. Imagine walking through your house taking photographs of things you no longer use with your smartphone. Having those items identified and compared against previously sold items on eBay instantaneously and creating a listing. Secondly, it allows eBay to easily create a product catalog and a single listing for the same product. No longer will we have 457 listings for Super Mario Brothers, but one listing with 457 sellers competing for the buyer.

Some will say this is no different than Amazon.  But, it is because you did it all with a single photograph. No searching to make sure that the item is in the correct place. No more multiple listings for the same item. If you have a blue and green plaid Ralph Lauren shirt, it'll find all of the other plaid blue and green Ralph Lauren shirts of the same exact pattern and place them in a single category arranged by size and condition.

Now that we have the catalog sorted out, let's take this a step further. Imagine you are a hipster sitting on the subway. You see a shirt that you really like on a person standing across the aisle. You snap a picture with your eBay app. The photograph is inspected for the key elements and determines that the shirt is a vintage 1996 Dallas Cowboys Logo Athletic T-shirt.  The app then returns the listing for that exact shirt; however, it also shows you shirts that people who liked this shirt also liked or purchased.

Perhaps you want to find replacements for your grandmother's worn flatware, but you don't know the pattern.  You simply take a quick photo with your smartphone and eBay will find all the flatware in that pattern for you, or if there is none currently listed it will send you a push notification as soon as it is listed.

This is why I think eBay should skip the idea of using a UPC as the key to their current process of creating a catalog of products. Product identifiers like UPC and ISBN are hard to find for used products and do not exist for products made before the 1970's. If eBay wants to remain a leading ecommerce platform, it needs to lead the way with something innovative. Being a leader with this type of technology would open the door to many different business opportunities. With all the photos eBay has for products sold on its site over the last 20 years, it could have a viable product in 18 months.

That’s some serious technology to think about.  Or, maybe some bytes to bite into the future.

To Do List Week August 1-7

• Run the first large data set of images thru the Tensor Flow Custom Classifier. Compare the results against the control group to see if we are on the right track. 
• Ship the last 2 Back to School product pallets to Amazon.
• Take the tests of the flat lay clothing setup from last week and scale to one photo station. 
• Use the new photo station to rework the product photographs and listings for eBay Clothing.
• Build on last weeks success with Easttexasestatephotos.com and continue Instagram paid advertising to grow page views. Test Pinterest promoted pins to see if it can cheaply grow page views. Test promoting individual images vs. promoting the top 5 uses for vintage photos graphic card.
• Work on Pickinglive.com as my personal blog.

Top 30 apps downloaded in the first half of 2016

I currently have the 15 apps from this list on my iPhone.

Apps I use everyday

1. Messenger-  This has taken the place of my text messaging
2. Facebook- The worlds homepage
3. Instagram- My number one marketing platform for my business
4. Youtube- First stop to learn basics of anything  
5. Netflix- I no longer have cable television
6. Pandora- I have the best station
7. Amazon- Prime and Proud
8. Google Photos- Love the new AI (artificial intelligence) that tags the images
9. Skype- Makes working with people much easier

Apps I see the value but do not use often

1. Spotify- I like Pandora better
2. Snapchat- Hard to grow an audience not much fun without one
3. Pinterest- My teenage nieces can't have a Facebook page, but have Pinterest 
4. Uber- I live in the country but excited to try it when I go to a larger city
5. Twitter- To much noise for 140 characters
6. Google Maps-I like iPhone Maps better

“They” Said It Would Never Work

Not one person has more to do with the person I am today than my wife. Her affect on me, has divided my life into two phases before her and with her. I had no real direction or drive before I got married. Life was a series of boom and bust cycles. That quickly changed when I met Olivia.

When we meet I was in a particularly bad bust cycle. I had no car, no real money and I was living at home with my folks. The first conversation with the woman who would become my wife, left a lasting impression. It made me feel like things were about to change. Shortly after, we were talking for hours on the phone and knew each other better than any two people who had never actually gone on a date.

My current circumstances made me embarrassed, and every time she would bring up the possibility of a date I would make an excuse as to why I couldn’t. The truth of the matter was I didn’t have the money to take her on a date. Putting her off until after my birthday, a few weeks away, seemed like the best course of action. I could put the money together to take her on a real date, but that did not happen. She’d given me the ultimatum, we go out now, or we don’t go out at all. I was about to blow something special. So I took a leap of faith, that she would over look my shortcomings and feel the same way I already felt about her. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I didn’t need to worry about impressing her I already had.

Life is funny and most things never go as you plan. Walking up 200 steps to the top of a sand dune overlooking Lake Michigan seemed a lot more romantic in my head. A quick check of the weather report would of been helpful as well, as the sunny day quickly turned into a cold rain. When we reached around the 180th step, I was again wondering if I had blown it. By the end of the date, I knew that she was the one for me. And, I was pretty sure she felt the same way. After just three dates, when we started talking about wedding plans, I was sure I had found my partner for life.

Like the chance encounter that had given me this wonderful women to call my wife. I stumbled into online selling by accident. I was working in the car business. I enjoyed the job and the people, but I wanted something more.

Being married for just a short period of time and moving into our first house, we were looking for a way to furnish our new home on a budget. While reading the newspaper at my desk, I saw an advertisement about an estate auction that was coming up on Saturday in a nearby town.

It took some convincing, but I was able to talk my new bride into an afternoon at the auction house. When I walked through the doors, I was hit with the smell of musty old books and the sounds of blue-haired-old ladies fighting over the trinkets that filled the tables. I felt it I was home. Four hours later, with a back seat of things we did, and didn’t need, we headed home.

This pattern continued for a few more weeks, until I had an epiphany. I asked my wife her thoughts on selling some of these new treasures on eBay. Her response of “I don’t see why not” changed the course of our lives. The seven year journey taking me from a newlywed car salesman to a successful online seller had just begun.

I found a couple truths in selling online. It is not a job; it is a lifestyle. If you want to be good at it, it will become the first thing you think about when you wake up and the last thing you think about when you go to sleep. People who are successful at it, just like any other passion — eat, drink, and sleep what they do.

These truths describe me and my passion for what I do. It has not been easy; there have been mistakes.

But, as I learned I built a business, and the successes have become more and the missteps have become fewer and farther between. My commitment has grown stronger and my passion deeper.

I have made a commitment to be an online seller. I eat, drink and sleep selling. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, I am Dallas Moore, online sales merchant. Unlike many working Americans who wake up dreading the day ahead, I wake up everyday excited. I try to find ways to make the day last longer, so I can do more.

Many believe a wonderful wife, a good job, and a nice home are enough, and they are right. Like most people in today’s society, I grew up being told that my life could be anything I wanted it to be. This is an integral part of the American dream. But I have always been the type of person who is looking for something more. After some successes and more failure than I care to remember, I realized that I could spend my life merely enduring, or I could spend my life doing something I love.

By laying out the lessons learned, hopefully it will stop you from making the same errors. I understand that this is not the only way, and maybe not even the best way. It is my way and if I can do it, anyone can. My skills have come over time learning from my mistakes. Sharing the lessons learned, hopefully will stop you from making the same errors.

I will not tell you what to buy, what it should cost, or where to find it. However, developing those skills was an imperative part in finding my own path. These are the skills that I have used to become successful.I learned early that knowledge is the only things that no one can take away from you. Once you possess the information, it is yours. If I just tell you what to do you will not develop these skills and will not ever be successful in the long term.

My true assets are my knowledge and thought processes. I can lose money on a purchase, but if I learn something from it, the only loss is monetary. I could be dropped off anywhere in the world with a few dollars in my pocket and immediately make enough to meet my needs. Given more time, I could build a business anywhere.

That did not happen overnight it was a progression. When I started, I didn’t know anything about antiques or collectibles, or even selling online for that matter. I was green. No, I was neon green. However, I gained more knowledge with every auction I attended and every purchase I made. This is the knowledge I have used to build a business.

Time will tell how far this journey will take me. I have enjoyed each part so far and look forward to seeing what the road ahead has in store for me. I know that there is still a lot to learn, but i have developed a strong foundation to build upon. But, the learning, that is the best part!

How I came to own these “Small Pieces” of Commodore Computer History

Many of you have asked how I acquired the original molds that will be used in this project. I wish I tell you a grand tale or a even tell you about a well executed plan, but in truth it is neither. In my everyday life, I am just a man who owns a small business. I buy and sell almost anything I can find with value ranging from Barbie dolls to antiques.

Often, I search for local auctions to find equipment I can either use in my business or sell to someone else who can use. This is how I came across a newspaper ad (yes, newspaper ad) for a liquidation sale for a local plastics manufacture that was closing down. The item that initially caught my eye was a pallet wrapping machine, which was in nice used condition. I could use that! And, honestly, the last thing that interested me were the molds that weighed a ton (literally) and were made of hardened steel.

The preview day was nothing worth noting. To be honest, I really don’t even remember the day of the week it was held. I do remember walking into a large warehouse with large steel plastic injection molds lined up in rows as far as my eyes could see. The auctioneer for the company that was holding the preview, came over to me and asked if he could help me find anything. I told him I was there to look at the pallet machine; he pointed me in the right direction. His final words were to tell me that if I needed any additional information that I could ask the gentleman standing across the room. That gentleman was the person who had ran the machine and would know more about it. I said thank you and walked in the direction he pointed me. The pallet machine was just what I was looking for, so I asked the gentleman if he ever had any problems with it. He gave me a long answer giving me more information than I really wanted, but he was nice and I appreciated his thorough answer. I thanked the man for the information and headed for the door.

The auctioneer caught me just before I left. He asked me if I got all the information I needed and if I was interested in any molds. I said no I did not really have much use any molds, and he asked what I did. That one question is why we are here now.

I briefly explained what I do, and he said there was something that he thought was cool- the molds for some old computers. I asked if I could see them because I really had no idea what they were. We walked to the back of the warehouse. In this dark corner, I realized these were the molds for the Commodore 64C, Commodore 128, and Commodore Plus 4. He told me he had a friend who might bid, and that he was interested in turning them into coffee tables. We talked a little more about them. I thanked him for showing me and I left.

On the ride home, it started to bug me that someone was going to take these molds and turn them into furniture. To be honest, I thought it would be cool to have them. When I got home, I told my wife that I wanted to place a bid. She asked me all the question I should of been asking myself. How big are they? How are you going to pick them up? What are you going to do with them? All good questions, but I did not care. I had no idea what I was getting into.

As you know, I won the auction. This is where the story gets a little crazy. Do you have any idea how much these things weigh? I did not! I really thought I could just go pick them up with a truck or maybe a U-Haul if needed. Each molds weighs over 2500 pounds, that is as much as a car, but in a very compact production grade steel mold measuring less than a fraction of the size of that car! Let’s just say that it cost more to move the molds than I expected. And, at one point, I even thought about just cutting my losses and moving on!

However, the historical significance that these molds represented, even if they were never used again, was too great. I have had some really interesting historical items before, and I found them homes with people who love them. I didn’t know if I would find someone for these, but I knew I couldn’t give up. I wouldn’t allow these to go to the scrapyard to be melted down and gone forever.

So, they were moved to my shop. And, here we are.


https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1670214687/original-commodore-64c-computer-housing-in-new-coo

Are you Changing with the times?

Are you doing things the same way you were a year ago? Than you are probably not getting the results you had hoped for. The best thing about running an online business is how fast you can change with the times. Selling online is no different.

The vast changes I have made in my business over the last year are crazy. Back in the day, a whole year ago, I thought FBA was a waste of my time. First, I never thought I would be selling this much on Amazon. Second, I believed I could package orders myself and make a few extra dollars. Those two thought were mistakes. From the first merchant fulfilled sale to my first shipment to FBA, I have totally changed my thoughts on what having Amazon and FBA would mean for my business.

My first misconception was that I did not sell products that were suited for the Amazon marketplace. I did not sell a lot of books or music. I focused on collectables and antiques. A year ago my thoughts on Amazon were that it would be a good way to sell the cheap books, DVD’s, and CD’s I always passed up at auctions. Boy has that changed!!

I never thought it would become the monster it has for my business over the last 12 months, but the vast amount of things sold on Amazon is incredible. I still do not sell many books or CD’s, which was what I thought people were selling on Amazon. New products sourced from retail stores has gone from 5-10% of my business to 65-70%. Who would of thought money could be made straight from the shelves at a Walmart!

My second misconception, I could package orders myself and make a few extra dollars. I knew this was wrong very early on. I can remember making a video on Youtube the day after posting a large amount of new products on Amazon. I said “be prepared to ship what you post because it is going to sell.” I was not prepared and after spending a couple of hours packaging I was worn out. Not only that I was spending all my time packing the stuff I sold, but I did not have any time to buy more stuff to sell.

Today, I sell over a hundred products a day, and I was tired from the day I sold 30. Using Amazon’s FBA program not only keeps me from being tired all the time, but it allows me to source more products and grow. I can spend my time doing the only thing that really makes me money buying more stuff to sell.

If I am doing the same things a year from now as I am today. I will not only be behind the curve, but I will be disappointed in myself. I am bigger and better today because of the things I learned from my mistakes and the changes I made. Change is a good thing and makes us stronger. So, look for ways you can change and become better at what you do.