First eBay Item The first item listed under "CoffeeGeek.com Auctions", currently live at eBay. Click the picture to see the auction.

Well, the word's been given. The boss has spoken.

"Get rid of some of this stuff, willya!"

Jeanette's been mighty patient with all the coffee related stuff around the house, but the inclusion of 3 more espresso machines this week has meant one thing - some things have to go.

I thought about it for a day or two. I started thinking about CoffeeGeek. The advertising we charge is not a helluva lot - after hosting costs are paid, and some of our writers are paid, and shipping costs, and travel costs, and duties, and taxes and the like are paid, it starts taking a few bucks out of my pocket. Forget the fact that CG's development owes my company a lot of money, none of which has been paid back so far.

So I decided to sell off about 25 coffee related items. Slowly. The first up is the item you see pictured here - a nice, gem mint ten set of Illy Collectors cups, the Zebra set designed by Roberta Pietrobelli in 1999. Last time I saw these cups up on eBay, they fetched about $175. I put my reserve up at $75. Anything above that and I'll be happy with.

Next up is a couple of other Illy cups sets, and then I start delving into my way too big vac pot collection, and maybe even an espresso machine or two.

Sigh. It's kinda like selling the kids...

Hey, if you wanna buy any of my "kids" direct, the next items I am putting up for auction are pictured below: Email me with a decent price if you're interested, and let's talk. Remember, the funds go to help keep CoffeeGeek.com alive and kicking.

Roma Aeterna, 1997 These cups are extremely rare and from 1997, and are still sealed in the box (cups outside are from my second set). These have gone for over $200 before on eBay, and I don't want to tell you what I paid. Click to Enlarge.	World Cups, 1998 Another rare set, this one doesn't have the lid but they have never been used or removed. Another desirable collectible. Click to Enlarge.

Other news
I recently spent a few days down at JJ Bean's two (of 3) locations in Vancouver, the Powell and Victoria main shop with the giant roasters, and the new and expanding cafe at Commercial and 6th.

The Commercial location is blowing my mind. This is not the JJ Bean shop you saw there last year. They took over the corner shop (used to be a Chinese grocery store), knocked down the walls and have a huge main room now, with a centre feature - an antique half moon bar that has a 4 barrel antique sample roaster behind it. The Plan™ is this: Still keep the "cool-hip" cafe thing going, but also turn the location into a bit of a show. Aaron DeLazzer will be doing cupping seminars and exhibits real time there at the bar (I'm jazzed for this - I hope I get invited to many), and they will also be doing "roasting on demand", custom blending up to 4 different bean types for customers willing to pay a slight premium AND for what I imagine is at least a 2 lb minimum order.

Inside, it's still a work in progress, but it looks killer. This could be the cafe to see in Vancouver down the road.

I also got to hang out a bit with Angie, the new but amazing Barista at the Powell and Victoria location, and met Nicky Neate, the manager of the Powell location. Both are skilled, and passionate about what they do. You can't ask for more.

John Neate, the owner of JJ Bean, graciously gave me a pound of their "direct relationship" bean, a Guatamalan that they buy direct from a farm coop. This bean is unlike any other Guat I've ever tried - it isn't bright, it's almost chocolatey! I highly recommend trying this bean.