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Do you have a hobby that would just kill you to have to give up? Or, worse yet -- sell off piece by piece to help support you and your spouse after retirement or the loss of a job?
 Hi, my name is Merle Long, AKA "gypsytu" on eBay, husband of Pam, the "montanadollady" on eBay.
Pam is the "front end" talent of our web site "antique dolls collectors online advisors". I am the "back end" techie. Together with the inspirational help of Dr. Evoy and his amazing web building, monitoring and monetizing tools, we have built a web site that is well on its way to changing our lives and lifestyle.
And, most importantly, saving Pam's doll collection!
Pam has been a serious doll collector nearly all of her life. It is her greatest love, as you will witness when you visit our web site.
Pam and I met in 1979. She worked as a Booth Cashier selling coins to the slot machine players in the Silver Bird Hotel/Casino (formerly the Thunderbird Hotel/Casino) on the "Fabulous Las Vegas Strip" in Las Vegas, I had hired on in the role of a Floorman in the Slot Machine Dept.
After awhile, we began dating and in the early 1980's we were married.
I lacked any interest in dolls, antiques, or collectibles, but I soon learned if we were to spend any quality time together--one of us would need a change of interest. Well... Pam won, and I do not regret it one bit!
Pam was way ahead of me in the development of a feel for "value" and a "love" of old things. But with her help, I was soon developing my new "collectors" legs. After a time, we were hitting the road on the weekends to buy at yard sales and swap meets in Las Vegas and Southern California.
The trip back to Las Vegas from California on a Sunday afternoon, with all of the traffic going in the other direction, the station wagon loaded to the "gills" with our "booty" and Pam showing off her prize items as I drove, brings back some very fond memories.
 Pam kept most of the real good dolls and related items for her own collection (telling me we will save it for our retirement). The rest of the "stuff" we sold at swap meets, antique malls, and our own Antique Shop on E. Charleston Blvd. in Las Vegas.
In 1995 we closed the Antique Shop and headed out on the road to do weekend Antique shows in California, Utah and Arizona--that was so much fun we decided to do it full time.
We also decided to move to Montana where Pam’s daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter lived. Las Vegas was getting far more populated than we were comfortable with--we had both lived there since the 1950’s, and that nice little western town was just not the same.
Well... it seems that the minute we moved into our new home in the little town of Livingston, MT--we had to start selling off our "valued" collection... and this was not sitting well with Pam!
It is a well known rule "you do not fall in love with your stuff". I did not have a problem selling off my "stuff", but I could see Pam was having difficulty letting go of her prizes. It did not take me long to realize that a change in direction was called for.
I had learned just a little bit about computers and the Internet from selling on eBay (we started in 1998), so in 2000, I thought I would start looking for other avenues of revenue.
At that time, there were just a few other web based sites selling their wares on eBay. When I started researching those sites, I noticed some were linking to a web site named "sitesell.com", and having nice things to say about a Dr. Evoy.
He was giving away free information about making money at home through Internet Marketing. WOW--could this be the answer to my dreams? (Ever try to go anywhere during the winter in Montana?)
So, off to the web site named "sitesell.com" to see what is going on. There it was, along with many other items of interest, the "5 Pillar Affiliate Program"--FREE! So, I downloaded this free ebook, printed it out and began to read.
As I related before, I did not know my way around a computer very well or the Internet either, but I knew we were on our way to the "Big Time" when I started reading that "5 Pillar Affiliate Program". I just knew we were going to find a change in direction. I did not know how it would happen, but I knew that the "5 Pillar Affiliate Program" and the "sitesell.com" web site had the answers.
And you know what? I know that for a fact now!
 Pam loves to talk about dolls and really enjoys helping others with their collections. She does not like to sell her dolls. Now with our Site Build It! site (www.antiquedolls-collectors-onlineadvisors.com), Pam can socialize and make enough money while at home without selling her cherished collection.
It cannot get much better than that!!
Building our web site has been an easy thrill, mainly because of the "laid out" step-by-step plan in the free ebook that comes with SBI!, called "Make Your Content Presell! Action Guide". It made it so easy, even for me.
Pam and I work as a team. She writes the articles. I add them and the pictures that go with them to the site.
We are monetizing our traffic several different ways:
- We have a link to Pam’s "Items for Sale" page on eBay (her User ID is "montanadolllady").
- We also have an affiliation agreement with eBay. Every person that visits eBay from our site or through the emails we use to answer questions with (we have a "Doll Questions With Answers" Page on our site), we get paid for the click-though if they are not a registered user, and get paid if they register and buy within a set amount of time from when they register.
- We were accepted in the Google AdSense program so we have Google ads on our pages.
- And we have affiliated with Amazon.com.
My plan for the future is to create ebooks geared to helping hobbyists build a
"business". It just came to mind this morning when I was thinking about how I would monetize the site going forward. I believe that there are many hobbyists who like to show off their hobbies, communicate with other enthusiasts, and make money as well. They would be interested in learning how to do that. And with the help of Site Build It!, they can do it... just like we are!
As I think about our experience so far, one word comes to mind... independence.
Pam and I have spent many years working for other people, some of them nice, others not so nice. Striking out on our own to go on the road to do antique and collectible shows around the country proved to be the most satisfying.
Traveling and making friends with other vendors and customers was a real joy. But the biggest joy I received was when a customer would buy a collectible or antique that I had made the decision to purchase for resale.
The purchase of that item by that customer had 2 benefits. 1st was the money, and the 2nd benefit was the satisfaction I paid myself for having chosen something that another had placed a high value on. To me, it was much the same feeling that an entertainer gets when their audience applauds.
 It is much the same now that we have made a web site about antique and collectible dolls, something Pam loves to talk about and show off. And I enjoy computers, the Internet and making money through my own way of doing things. We both have the opportunity to express ourselves in our own way, at our own pace, with the knowledge that we need only account to the satisfaction of our visitors. We are not dependent on eBay!
Our visitors are seeking help and information about dolls when they visit our web site and Pam has been able to provide many with information and sources. Much, but not all, of the information will lead the visitor to a vendor that is willing to provide compensation for our referral. That is how I get my "applause," by finding the best sources of information and services, and hopefully, but not necessarily, that pay for referrals. Yes, don’t forget the money!
With the different ways and means of income that can be produced from an information web site like ours, anyone’s dream of becoming independent can be realized in a very short time. It’s not hard to do with SBI!
In conclusion, I suppose the real icing on the cake is the fact that Pam can show off her doll collection and meet some real nice people. And me? Well... I can be a hero! I saved Pam’s precious collection.
Thank you Dr. Evoy for sharing the products of your dream with us, so our dream could be realized.
Merle Long
http://www.antiquedolls-collectors-onlineadvisors.com
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