A Beginner's Guide to Frugal Finds on eBay

By guest blogger Vicki Conley

Buying on eBay can be a great experience for frugal fans, if you spend a little time getting to know the tips and tricks. Even beginners can find both awesome deals and many hard-to-find items. In short, eBay.com has almost everything!

I've been a professional eBay buyer and seller for about seven years, so let me help you learn the ropes. As an example, let's shop for a purse.

1. Take advantage of the eBay search engine. Enter a few keywords for the item you are looking for in the top search bar.

We’ll use the search term “hot pink purses,” which gives us more than 1,900 items from which to choose.

2. You can then refine your search using the selections along the left side of the page.

We’ll select “Women's Handbags & Bags,” and we now have more than 1,500 items. We're narrowing it down.

3. You can continue to refine your search until you reach a manageable number.

We'll to click on “Shoulder Bag” under “Style” on the left side, which gives me roughly 200 choices. My selection is narrower, but easier to manage.

Using “Preferences” towards the bottom of the left-side navigation bar, you can also choose to show only those listings offering free shipping, since free shipping offers are always preferable. This brings us down to just 33 choices of hot pink, very cute shoulder bags that will be shipped to me for free. Or you can use the eBay free shipping search page. 

4. Next you will want to sort your items. eBay gives you many sort choices. Their default is "Best Match," which means eBay picks the most popular items from the most popular sellers.

The sort box is located on the right side, just above the items. Select your favorite sort option. I will use the lowest price with shipping sort, because I’m looking for a great deal.

5. Browse your selections and, when you find an interesting item, click on the picture to open a page with more detailed information.

If you’re nervous about purchasing over the Internet, you can browse only top-rated eBay sellers, designated with a “Top-rated Seller” badge on the item page. You’re very safe making a purchase from a seller who has earned that honor.

6. Whether they’re a top rated seller or not, you still want to look at their seller feedback. You can do this by clicking on the sellers name in the box at the right of the item page.

Read what their buyers are saying about them and look for any negative or neutral comments to see how (or if) the seller responded to them. A good seller will try to address any negative situations.

7. You've finally found a purse you love and, if it's an auction item, you will need to place a bid. Don’t shy away from auctions as they can be a lot of fun.

You can go with the highest price you’re willing to pay or test the waters with a low-ball bid... but be prepared to bid again in the final seconds with your highest offer. You’ll have to wait until the bidding is over to see if you've won.

This is the best way to get the best deals on eBay. Bid low and you may get lucky, but you must have patience for this method.

Many sellers offer 'buy it now" items for those who don’t want to wait or don’t want to take a chance of loosing a favorite item. "Buy It Now" means you pay a fixed price instead of bidding, and the item is yours right away. No waiting, no coming back, no worrying about being outbid, and no counting down time until the end of the auction.

8. Once you've won your auction or purchased a "buy it now" item, it’s time to choose your shipping method -- if a choice is available -- and pay your seller.

Check the seller's policies to make sure you’re giving them the right type of address. For example, UPS can't go to a post office box.

Paypal is the easiest and most secure way to pay your seller. Just follow the on-screen instructions and eBay/Paypal will walk you through setting up an account and processing the entire transaction.

9. For now, your job is done! Just wait patiently for the seller to complete their part of the deal.

Make sure you read the sellers policies so you’re familiar with when you’re likely to receive your purchase. Don’t jump the gun and leave negative feedback. Contact your seller with questions first. Sometimes, the post office may be slow and you wouldn’t want to penalize your seller for something our of her control.

10. At last you’ve received your item and it's wonderful. By learning how to sort and be patient, you’ve found a great deal. Make sure to go back to the transaction and leave honest feedback for your seller. It helps your seller as well as the next "you" who comes along.

Guest blogger Vicki Conley owns and operates PictureItHere, an eBay retail seller founded in 2003 and offering many styles of hats and caps with a 99.8-percent positive feedback rating. Contact Conley at vconley@yahoo.com.

Consulting advice was provided by RocketPlace CEO and Founder Debbie Levitt, (520) 204-1935.