Ebay is full of vultures waiting to take your money. A friend paid $10,000 on eBay and got nothing in return. We've all heard the stories.
I use eBay a lot, and I love it. But I often come across people who rarely or never use eBay, and they always have a horror story of a friend of a friend who got stung. When you ask for more details, they don't have any because they don't actually know who got stung, or what they bought, or what was done about it. All they know is they won't go near it because it's bad.
I think its a shame that people fear the unknown so much, especially when this unknown could save them so much money.
Buying on eBay doesn't have to be a bad experience.
And looking good doesn't have to cost a fortune.
Remember the days when everything you bought was from an actual shop, with an actual sales assistant, and an actual price tag that covered the shop's rent, overheads, wages, and other on-costs. Luckily there are other options today. Don't get me wrong, you can still hit the shops. And there is a certain buzz you get from retail therapy. But it is no longer the only option available to you.
On auction sites, such as eBay, you can buy practically anything for a fraction of the cost in retail stores.
But how do you go about getting a good deal?
- Know Your Retail Market
Check the real-live retail stores for the item you're interested in. Many stores have online catalogues, so you don't have to trek around a number of stores. Make note of the price. I usually write down the highest and lowest prices that I came across.
- Know Your eBay Market
Perform an eBay search on your item and see what comes up. You might be surprised to see how many search results came up. Once you have checked the items for sale, have a look at the sold items. Select "completed listings" (you will need to be signed-in to eBay for this) to see if items actually sell at those prices. Anything that sold will have the price listed in green. If it didn't sell, it will be listed in red. Often you will get a completely different picture of prices when you look at the sold items. Again, make a note of the highest and lowest prices.
- Compare and Decide
Look at your store prices and your eBay prices. Weigh up your options. Is face-to-face shopping important to you? Are you prepared to wait for the item to arrive in the mail? Decide whether you are going to shop online, or go out for the afternoon.
If you decided to shop on eBay, my next post in this series will give you some tips on what to look for in a seller.
See also:
How To Buy On EBAY Pt.2 - Check The Seller
How To Buy On EBAY Pt.3 - More About Sellers
Do you have an eBay experience you'd like to share? Good or bad? Leave a COMMENT to this post.
See also : Vintage Cove Website | Vintage Cove on Facebook
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