Does anyone here use eBay?

I've bought a few things from the site but recently I've found some really good deals there. Which has resulted in me searching for other good deals there.

One thing I've learned.......do NOT bid on multiple items. You'll forget what - and how many - items you've bid on and that can cause all kinds of "issues". Especially when you get three email notices that you've "won" the items that were up for bid. Yes, all three of them!! They're things I will use but I wouldn't have bought all three at the same time........ Lesson learned!

And don't get into a bidding war with someone when it's almost time for the item to close. I've been told to wait until the bidding is almost over (last 5 or so minutes) because that's when most bids are placed. I've found a better solution.....at least for me......just DON'T bid!! I will set the filter to show only "buy now" items so I'm not tempted to bid. It can be addictive!

I have found some really good bargains, though, and will continue to go to eBay for certain items that can be purchased for much less than retail. My "guilty" pleasure is pajamas and lounge wear from Carol Hochman. She has some really pretty PJ sets and loungewear. I need a timer on my computer so I don't spend hours browsing through pages and pages of her clothes!

I just found and won two wonderful bargains yesterday. LOL

I think when Ebay puts up its "incentive" messages, more
unusual items appear then, at nice prices.

I only bid in the last 10 seconds. This is called snipe-ing.
If you click on "bids" during the offer, you can see which sellers use shills to bid up the price. These have high monthly bidding history in several categories. I avoid items with many shills.
Some sellers use a shill only in the beginning and then the bidding remains more fair. I believe this is to get their item into the algorithm area where it is advertised by Ebay to buyers at the bottom of the watch page. Some sellers only use shills to get the price upto what they consider fair. And some sellers use shills to excess, to inflate the value of the item. This is typically done on antique things or vintage items.

I usually buy using "buy it now" too, Kitty. The art supplies I get now, are often shilled into one of those 3 categories. When I bid at the very end of an item, I place a "high bid" ---a price I think is fair-- as the high bid. I usually lose about 50% or more of the time, but if the seller is an honest soul, I will win.

Right now I am having major damages coming from the Post Office. I just had to collect a $50 priority mail insurance claim it was so bad. The seller seemed to pack the plastic brush holder well, but the post office really smashed the box up!
So I have been less active on Ebay and only buying items that look simple to ship.

This is a photo of the item as I unpacked it. It is a vintage vertical paint brush display item, with a clear plastic protective door (dust cover) that covers it. The plastic door was smashed into 2 large pieces, and ripped off the base. This had to have sustained a major blow to rip the screw holding one side in place completely out.

I have purchased just a small few of similar things for my studio, and they arrived ok...but were sent by FedEx and not USPS.

Are you using the "watching" page for your items? It is called "My Ebay"... I check that every day if I have several things I am watching. And I use a small kitchen digital timer for monitoring the last hour of an item I might decide to bid on. hint hint.

Watercolor brushes, paint, paper, and easels, are very expensive to buy even now from a discount outlet like Blick. I always check Amazon before I bid on Ebay. Sometimes Amazon is far less expensive. But I luckily found 17 books (1/2 of them new hardcover, the other half new paperback), for $15 from a seller on Ebay... the Pern dragon series by Anne McCaffrey! That was a true Ebay success! LOL

Wow, mrsD, that package really got beat up! I have had terrible luck with UPS but not with eBay items......usually with the pet sites I get my cat food from. I've had boxes that looked like they'd been run over by the truck!!

I do use the "watching" feature on eBay. And I've learned to ALWAYS check Amazon before buying anything on eBay! Amazon is wonderful and usually has better delivery times, too.

I've found quite a few good buys in the toy section.....got several things for the grandbabies at a substantial discount over the retail stores. I've noticed Target posts quite a bit on eBay.....

I also make offers on items I think I can get at a lower price. It's generally clothing and I take 15% off the asking price and usually the seller accepts. I just bought a $47 Carole Hochman lounge wear set for $27 which is well below the 15% discount I usually ask for. I took a chance and it paid off!

I agree about UPS too. I have had box bottoms bashed out from UPS.

We don't get much anymore from UPS though.

I talked to a seller at Ebay from the NY area, and she said about 25% of sent items from one relay station/hub of USPS near her are opened and damaged or stolen by employees! She was happy that I wasn't from that service area, and yep, my pencils were not damaged or tampered with luckily from her.

Most of the sellers I deal with do help me, because I put a message in the pay screen to them explaining the damage potential.

My brush holder base is still usable, but the "vintage" dust cover is toast. Can't really resell for a good price in the future if I ever decided to do that. It cost $15 for the shipping...and look what they did to it? The USPS does not refund shipping costs, only stated value of the contents.

I try to get free shipping whenever I can but I know the shipping cost is worked into the price somehow. It's just the illusion of "free"........

This is the outfit I got for $27!! It's nice for being comfortable around the house.

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Oh, that is cute, Kitty!

I have been using ebay since the late 1990's, before I got sick I collected fishing reels, it was a good place to buy and sell them.

I bought these for me and my kids for Christmas.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121841313166

Great flashlights, for home or car use, they will light up a room, have two settings for brightness, and a flashing red strobe light and magnetic base in case you break down on the highway.

I might just have to buy one of those. They'd be great to have if the power went out. I was just looking for a flashlight yesterday and the batteries were almost dead in it.

My latest purchase from ebay........I get the feeling the cats will claim the little couch when the girls aren't here!

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