Do you want to bid on Ebay and avoid making mistakes and make purchases that are great deals which actually show up to your door step without incident?
The following is an Ebay Bidding Buying "Fitness" Guide that will help you make sure you avoid problems and help you make purchases at great prices, and that your items will actually show up on your door step and meet your full expectations with out having huge disappointments.
Ebay Bidding Buyer's "Fitness" Guide:
Read the descriptions and inspect the photos - Always thoroughly read the descriptions and inspect the seller's photos before buying or bidding on Ebay. If you just gloss or scan over them, you will find that you may have overlooked something. After the item shows up to you and if you're not happy with a defect or flaw and it was indicated in the description or photos, then you have no recourse, especially if the seller indicated that "no returns allowed." Best to read up and be thorough with the photos and make sure you know exactly what you are getting ahead of time.
Deal with reputable sellers - If you notice that the customer feedback ratings are low for a seller, then either be ultra extra careful in dealing with them, or find the same item from another seller that has a higher rating. We recommend dealing with sellers that have at least a 96% positive feedback rating or higher.
Don't go off the platform - Sure, we all want to save money and upon occasion a seller might suggest going off the Ebay platform and transact business privately and give you a discount. Don't do it! Ebay has a plethora of protections for its buyers. In example, if an item isn't shipped, Ebay can force the seller issue you a full refund you. Ebay also protects you against fraud and will force a return to the seller if you've been taken advantage of. If you go off the Ebay grid you lose all that consumer protection and in the end it is not worth it, especially when your item never shows up or you get stuck with something you don't like. Stay on the Ebay platform, don't ever be tempted otherwise.
Have patience and don't over pay - If you are bidding on an item, always keep in mind that if you can't get the item at the price you want, that there will always likely be another one down the road. Have patience and play a long game sometimes on items that you desire. If you have an item on a shelf that you purchased and like, but also have a feeling of remorse and bad taste in your mouth for having overpaid, then that is not good. Wait patiently to get the item you want at a price that seems fair to you.
Do research and find multiple comparable items - If you like a certain item or category of items and are wanting to find these pieces on Ebay, make sure you find multiple comparisons and factor in price for condition, age and aesthetics. The more you research and learn about the category of items of interest to you, the better of you will be in the long term in recognizing items that are great deal versus one that are a fair priced or even over priced. Always do your homework and research, research, research!
"Save this Search" - If you have a favorite category of items you want to purchase, then learn how to use Ebay's "Save this Search" feature. Once you save the search, Ebay will then notifiy you of newly listed items. This is where you will make some of your best purchases by finding sellers who often are selling below market value. As one of the first buyers to be notified of a "too good to be true" bargain, you will have the best shot of pouncing on and buying it before anyone else out in the world, just does a general search. You can also set up multiple searches. This is definitely probably the best feauture that Ebay offers to its bidders and buyers.
Don't Stress Out! - If you lose out on an item that you really wanted, then it is not worth it to stress out over it. If you are disappointed, then just remember that it is very likely that another exact or similar item will come down the pike. Eventually, another opportunity to purchase will arise. We've had items that literally took us decades to eventually procure. Just be patient and stick in there. If you try long enough, you'll get what you want in the end. If you treat Ebay more like a game, then that will help your mind be more at ease. You definitely will win some and lose some. Almost no one ever wins every game that they play.
Stay in Budget! - We all have our ocassional shopping binges, but.... on Ebay, you can really really get carried away quickly in just a short period and spend way too much money in a hurry. If you spend $100 a day on Ebay for a month that equates to $3,000!! It's super easy to lose track of all those little purchases and they can accumulate quickly and bite you in the butt if you're not keeping track. If you are not independtly wealthy and are on a budget, just try to restrain yourself from the urge to pull the trigger all the time. Pace yourself and know that almost everything you desire on Ebay will most likely still be available weeks, months or even years down the road. There is no need to rush and buy everything all at once and break the bank.
Learn from your mistakes and hang in there - No one is perfect and not matter how much research you do or no matter how much you think you know, you will inevitably make some kind of error in judgment and an outright buying mistake. This is natural and when it happens you just have to take the hit and move on. Learn the lessons from your mistakes to become a better buyer. Just know that even the best of the best experts still have an occasional, "What in the heck did I just do moment? " Hopefully, the vast majority of your great buys that you make on Ebay will make up for any small mis-steps. Don't beat yourself up too badly when you make a poor judgment call.
Have fun! - Enjoy the thrill of getting deals - There's almost no better feeling when you score a deal on Ebay. There's plenty of oppportunities on Ebay to find auctions where no one showed up and the seller took a big hit on an item that sold too cheap - score for the buyer! "Early bird gets the worm" - there are tons of newly listed items that are priced well below market value and when you happen upon these and scoop them up it is a huge mental rush to score here also! Enjoy those bargains when they befall you, but don't aways expect this to be the case all the time. Have a balanced approach when buying on Ebay regarding price. Your time is worth money also, if you spend too much time holding out hope to buy only super bargains, you might almost never buy anything and be spending way too much time spinning your wheels.
Conclusion: Ebay is extraordinary invention of technical marvel bringing together buyers and sellers in a mutually beneficial way of doing e-commerce and transacting goods with a worldwide reach and extreme ease of use and user friendliness. If you integrate and implement our "Ebay Bidding Buyers "Fitness Guide," into your buying routine, then it will greatly serve to enhance your user experience on Ebay. You will also become a better buyer and avoid making mistakes. Best of luck in buying on Ebay and happy hunting!
Article authored by: Greg Arbutine on 1-18-25
We want to purchase antique sterling silver flatware and hollowware!
If you have items that you'd like to sell,
or even just want to get an idea on valuation
please click the email us button for a quote.
Please send us photos, measurements and item descriptions.
Thanks,
Greg Arbutine
Silver Museum Owner
The Silver Museum buys all sterling flatware and hollowware
regardless if it is rare or not.
We want it all!
Please sell your Sterling Silver Pieces to The Silver Museum!
Please get our offer no matter what else you eventually do.
We are looking for great pieces for our Museum.
Love this advice!