I'd like to know who the vendor was that you bought your vanilla beans from on eBay. I bought some, and they were hard and broken. Never again from the vendor I used!
Theresa 
I second the suggestion for Penzey's. I haven't purchased vanilla beans from them, but every other herb and spice I've bought from them was very fresh and perfect.
Here in MI we have a great "International Marketplace" - kind of an upscale fruit and produce market. I've seen vanilla beans there - maybe you have a similar type of place near you?
I third ( 
) the suggestion for Penzey's. We buy all of our spices from them. They are fantastic, their products are high quality, and the prices are great!!! Here's the link to their vanilla beans (they have two different kinds): http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysvanillabeans.html
Another plug for Penzeys besides the vanilla beans--their other spices and extracts are incredible. Everyone that smells their extracts is converted, and besides, it is WAYYYYY cheaper than the local grocery store's IMITATION!! I couldn't believe it, but it is true! Try it out!
One more plug for Penzey's. Moved away from their backyard 3 years ago and took an order form with me in the "important papers" folder when we moved. I'm a devoted fan and you'll not find better quality anywhere. Their buyers go all over the world in search of the best, and if a product they pick arrives and it's not up to standards, it doesn't go to market. Period.
Well worth the money AND the wait for shipping!
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