How to Score on eBay in 4 Easy Steps

Transcription

How to Score on eBay in 4 Easy Steps
(plus a magic bullet to get your money back
if it all goes wrong)
Lynn Byrne, editor of Décor Arts Now, reveals the 4 step
process she uses to satisfy her collecting dreams on
eBay. Plus, if your purchase doesn’t measure up, she
tells you how to get your money back. These are Lynn’s
personal tips that have worked for her during her more
than 10 years of buying on eBay.
www.decorartsnow.com
Text copyright: Lynn Byrne, all rights reserved
1. RESEARCH BEFORE YOU BID.
Never bid on anything until you have fully researched
your desired items.
Google it! With today’s broad online content, you will
almost certainly find an article about your desired
collectible.
I have covered a variety of collectibles on DÉCOR ARTS
NOW, ranging from metal wall sculpture by Curtis Jere,
to Hudson Bay and Pendleton blankets, among others.
So take a deep trip down the rabbit hole to learn all that
you can about your item.
Search eBay itself —there is often a buying guide right
on the website for popular items.
Finally, head to the high-end antiques’ marketplace
1stdibs.com. Plug a description of your desired item in
their search box. On 1stdibs, you will find items fully
described with details of the most sought after
collecting attributes.
With this knowledge, you can better assess if an item
offered on eBay is a good deal. Plus if you register with
1stdibs, you also will learn what your desired items sell
for at the top of the market, invaluable knowledge when
you are bidding.
2. COMPARISON SHOP
eBay maybe the largest online auction site, but it is not
the only place to find well-priced antique and vintage
furniture and collectibles online.
Never, ever bid on anything on eBay without first
searching the online site Etsy.
Etsy is not just for handcrafted goods. You can find
many vendors for antiques, vintage furniture and other
collectibles. In fact, frequently, the exact same item is
often listed at the same time by the same vendor on
eBay and Etsy. I have even found the item listed on Etsy
for a lower price than the opening bid on eBay, allowing
me to avoid the auction process altogether.
Search the online vintage marketplace at One Kings
Lane for a similar item. You can find the heading for
vintage in their top navigation bar.
I find that the prices on One Kings Lane typically tend to
be more than those on Etsy and eBay, but less than the
prices on 1stdibs. If you find an item on One King Lane
similar to an item on eBay, the asking price on One
Kings Lane can help you determine what your highest
bid should be on eBay.
3.
DON’T FORGET THE OBVIOUS
Read, and re-read the seller’s description.
If you have any questions or want to see an additional
view of the item, contact the seller.
Make sure you know the shipping costs, paying close
attention to the seller’s location. You don’t want to win
an auction for that cute $10 teacup, only to find that the
seller is based across the world and it will cost you $50
to ship.
Check the seller’s feedback. You can find it under “seller
information” on the right hand side of the item page.
Beware of sellers with negative feedback!
Find out the seller’s return policy, but remember, in
almost all cases, if your item doesn’t arrive within 30
days, or it is not as described, eBay now refunds your
purchase price plus shipping under their money-back
guarantee. Plus there is my magic bullet advice below…
4.
USE EZ-SNIPER
Ok you have done your research, and read at least twice
the seller’s description. You want it bad and you are
ready to make a bid. Save yourself oodles of time and
trouble by bidding via EZ-sniper. It’s an easy sign up.
The benefits of EZ-sniper are two fold.
First, it keeps you from being swept into paying more
than you should by the excitement of the auction.
Second, EZ-sniper places your bid for you electronically
at the last seconds of the auction. It’s virtually
impossible for someone staring at their computer and
manually entering bids to outbid you, plus you aren’t
wasting time staring at your screen.
Here is how it works: You register for an account, then
you enter the item number and the highest amount you
would be willing to pay for the item. After your research
and comparison shopping, you should have an excellent
idea of what this amount should be. EZ-sniper will bid
for you at the final moments of the auction. You will pay
only what it takes to win, not necessarily your highest
acceptable amount. SCORE!
Take a minute and read over EZ-sniper’s auction tips as
well.
OK, YOU HAVE FOLLOWED ALL OF MY
ADVICE AND WON YOUR ITEM. YOU JUST
CAN’T WAIT TO OPEN UP THE PACKAGE
WHEN IT ARRIVES ON YOUR DOORSTEP.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOUR ITEM IS A
DISAPPOINTMENT?
The first step is always to contact the seller. In my ten
plus years of buying on eBay, I have found that the vast
majority of the sellers want you to be happy, and will do
what it takes to achieve that. Today, eBay also will step
in to help if you don’t receive your item within thirty
days, or if it arrives not as described, under eBay’s
Money-Back guarantee.
So what if that all doesn’t work? Here is my secret tip
based on years of experience with auctions…
The eBay premise is based on accurate written
descriptions. Since buyers can’t inspect items firsthand, they must be able to trust those descriptions. So
if your efforts through eBay’s establish channels to get
your money back for a defective item fail, contact the
seller and inform them that you will leave negative
feedback on them, claiming that your item was not as
described. Sellers cannot afford this type of feedback
because no one will buy from them if they see it.
Chances are quite high that they will refund your money
at this juncture even if they refused before. Use this tip
ONLY IF IT’S TRUE and as a last resort.
Happy Bidding!
A very warm welcome to you as a treasured subscriber to
Décor Arts Now. Every week, I try to give you a
beautiful, cultural respite from your hectic life. Along
the way, as a subscriber to Décor Arts Now, you will get
valuable information like the tips found here and other
educational facts on art, decorative arts, collecting, and
what’s new and now in interior design.
I believe your home is like your autobiography. It
defines you, and like your life, it is always a work in
progress. My goal is make Décor Arts Now a helpful tool
in your journey to create your personal haven.
I love hearing from you and will respond to every
comment. Let me know what you want to see on Décor
Arts Now. This blog is for you!
Subscribers to Décor Arts Now are a wonderful,
supportive community with an eye for beauty, a desire
for knowledge and a love of home. I am so glad you are
part of it.
My very best wishes,
Lynn
About Lynn
LynnByrne has been passionately studying decorative
art, fine art, antiques and interior design since she was a
young adult. LikeAbe Lincoln, she is largely self-taught
but she does hold a certificate degree ininterior design
from Parsons The New School for Design and has
engaged in residential interior design since 2003.
Lynn also is an attorney and practiced law for ten
years. She began her legal career at a large Wall Street
law firm but jumped at the chance to work in-house at
the art auction firm Sotheby’s, where she was able to
combine all of her professional interests in one neat
package. Today, she focuses on writing about her
favorite art and design topics on her blog, Decor Arts
Now and for others.

How to Score on eBay in 4 Easy Steps

Transcription

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