In June of 2007, my son graduated from Brandeis University with a Masters degree in economics and was immediately offered a job in the investor relations department at eBay.  Upon taking the job he coaxed me to do something I was reluctant to do: offer my prints at auction on eBay.   My concern was that I would spoil my own market by underselling it.  But I also sensed an opportunity.

Here was a chance to create some much important cash flow and develop a mini-marketplace in each different print- without lowering prices.  After all, I could sell prints off-price, one-at-a-time, and still maintain my retail price structure, and cease the practice on a moment’s notice.

I could also open an eBay store which would replicate my own web site and create double the exposure for my products.  This has served us well so far.

When I first started in the art business in New York in 1972 I became a Pop Art print specialist. The marketplace intrigued me. The Leo Castelli Gallery represented the lion’s share of Pop Art artists and published limited edition offset lithographs that were either given away to Gallery openings attendees or sold for a minimal amount of money. A vigorous secondary market in these prints had evolved. Lichtensteins and Warhols that had been near valueless were reselling for hundreds of dollars. This closed, controlled marketplace became the model for my current business, although it took years for me to have the wherewithal to publish editions of prints.

I began publishing limited edition lithographs in the late 70’s under the banner of my 57^th Street Gallery.  When I closed the gallery in1984, I started a new business dedicated to publishing limited edition ballpark prints. The idea was to release them at low prices and as the supplies diminished through sales, raise the prices. Demand was quite high in the beginning due to a strong baseball collectibles market, the uniqueness and newness of my venture and the quality of the artwork.

The baseball strike of 1994 could not have been a worse event for my carefully constructed marketplace. Demand sunk like cement shoes. All of the investor/speculators left the market. It also coincided with that fact that my collectors were becoming saturated and my inventory diluted. That is to say the newness of a Yankee Stadium print was gone on the 12^th edition we published.  Instead of nearly selling out the editions upon release, we were selling 10% or less of the editions. Nevertheless, I struggled desperately to maintain the integrity of my pricing.  My prices were now too high for the newly evolving lower-demand marketplace.  I came up with programs such as great game plan, calendar club and multiple purchase discounting, all designed to allow customers to purchase at discounts without actually lowering prices.

This went on for a number of years. Then came eBay.  Anyone who had ever purchased a print from us who no longer wanted it had an opportunity to unload it on eBay where there were traditionally very few buyers of these prints searching for them on a regular basis.  This drove prices down enormously. At first I tried to support this by re-purchasing. The quantity sold on eBay soon became too overwhelming to keep ahead of it.  There was little demand for our lithos on their site.  With the deterioration of our pricing system, eBay became the enemy.  I was uncomfortable selling any of our own inventory on eBay for fear our customers might feel we were underselling our own marketplace.

In May 2007, my 22 year old son, Ken Goff, graduated from Brandeis University with a Masters Degree in International Economics and Finance.  Two days before his graduation he was offered (and accepted) a position at eBay as a financial analyst in their Investor Relations Department.  Ironically, he was to have worked that summer for my company applying his graduate school knowledge to my business.  Double enemy.  But as he took the job, it piqued my curiosity and interest. And at his urging, I began to study eBay to see if there might be a way to make it work for me.

I read a book on the history of eBay and took some of their on line tutorials.  I realized that I had known very little about eBay and its philosophies and how it really worked.  So I re-opened my eBay store (which I had experimented with earlier and closed) and began stocking the store with inventory and sending items to auction.  New life.

Things began to take off. Not one complaint came from my existing clients, only elation to know they might be able to win items at real value prices.  We put a click-through to eBay on our home page advertising auctions on eBay. We have done a mailing to our entire mailing list in an effort to drive interested customers to my now thriving marketplace on eBay.

The Lee brothers, Cliff and Ut of  Phil Lee’s branch of the family help the Phightins to  take game one! But after game 2, the Philadelphia papers were a little over the line saying “Yanks Avoid Sweep!”

As a life long Philadelphia Phillies fan, it couldn’t be more gratifying that the cosmic tumblers appear to be clicking once again. I don’ think I’ve ever seen better clubhouse chemistry than with the 2009 Phils.

As a four year old, I first became aware of Phillies fever in 1950 when the Whiz Kids won the pennant. Let me jump off for a second here.  The New Phillies could easily be called the Biz Kids as they always seem to take care of business;  or maybe the Fizz Kids because they are popping a lot of champagne; or maybe the Sizz Kids because of the sizzle in their bats and arms.  But enough of that. I have no specific memories of the 1950 season, but I remember vividly how disappointed I was 2 years later when my father came home with 2 tickets for the 1952 All-Star Game at Shibe Park (soon to be renamed Connie Mack Stadium)

Connie Mack Stadium

and informed me that my mother, not at all a baseball fan, was going with him, not me. To this day I do not understand.

The Yankees swept the Phillies 4-0 in the 1950 World Series and I am hoping for a little payback– after 59 years. But first the Yankees must put away the Angels, no easy task.  As I sit here writing, rooting after yesterday’s rain out, I am a bit conflicted.  As a marketer of NY Yankees lithographs, I want them to succeed. I certainly hope they beat the Angels.  When they get to the team of my childhood, loyalty trumps avarice. -Bill Goff