SPIES & EARS: eBay to Host Invitation-Only Sellers' Summit

S.F. the site of secret seller soiree set for Saturday, sources say

A group of top sellers has been invited by eBay to a conference next weekend in San Francisco. ATR has learned the the auctioneer will fly in some 250 "power sellers" - who sold 7 million items worth $1.5 billion in 2006 - from across the U.S., though the specific purpose of the summit remains unclear at this time.

Considering all of the issues in front of eBay, from the prospect of disappointing Q4 revenues and the failure of eBay Express to concerns over the accuracy of its feedback system (reitterated in the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday), and all of its recent news (the blockbuster StubHub deal, for instance), there would seem to be no shortage of talking points at the sit-down, which gets under way Saturday.

Though not nearly as stealthy as the secret agents from Mad Magazine's famous and very collectible "Spy vs. Spy" paperback series, we'll do our best to get you the scuttlebutt.