Personally, I don't trust "online auctions" but would love to hear some feedback from folks who participate in them.

And I have NEVER participated in one (lol)......

Are they working for you?

Any tips to pass our way?

Thank you,

I sold antiques on ebay for several years. I don't buy much because shipping is so pricey. From experience I have to say it generally isn't the seller's fault.

Search for vintage items and you can find sellers who buy the unique estate sale items. Browse their stores if you want to get away from the auctions with everyone selling the exact same thing. If you find something you like, then you can check completed auctions to see if it's really a good deal. Read and understand the fine print and the shipping charges!

Alice, thanks for taking the time to respond.

I will follow your advice.

I am an experienced eBay seller and just like anything there are a lot of good honest people and there are some ruthless ones. Unfortunatly their reputation is more well known than the honest sellers. The first thing I recommend to anyone buying on eBay is to check the sellers feedback also see if they are a Power Seller or a Top-Rated Seller. The second thing is to know what you are buying and what you are willing to pay for it. If it is something you can buy anywhere then you are looking for the best price, make sure you check the shipping costs before you bid. If it is something you just have to have and can't find anywhere you'll probably be able to find it on eBay you just have to decide how much you are willing to pay.
Ebay has really been promoting its buyer protection policy and it reallly favors the buyer. If you receive an item and feel it is not what was described you can first contact the seller and see if a solution can be reached such as returning for a full refund, a partial refund or something else. If you get no satisfaction there you can open "an item not as described" case and state your reasons, you will be required to return the item(usually at your expense) but you will get your purchase price + original shipping returned.

We have purchased kitchen ware, animal enclosures, costumes, computer hardware, out of print books, music CDs, old out of print sheet music, and art from eBay, all with very good results.

So far so good!

Cheers!

Thanks for the feedback

Once I get a home computer, I will give it a try. With using the library computers right now, I am very LEERY