Some strategies that will allow you to keep your shirt and make good deals when bidding on eBay:
- Know your values ahead of time
- Decide ahead of time what you are willing to pay
- Bid once and bid late
- Never make an emotional investment in any item
- If something is rare and you really want one, look for a good "Buy it now"
- "Make an offer" is better than bidding or "Buy it now"
- Be aware of excess shipping charges. Anything more than the actual cost to ship is a service charge and excess cost to you. Many sellers pad the shipping to insure some profit from even a low bid auction. Bid your estimate of value minus the excess shipping.
- Read the fine print regarding returns
- Don't be afraid to ask detailed and specific questions about an item. In fact, ALWAYS ASK DETAILED AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS! If the seller gives a "dumb" or inadequate response, bid low or not at all. A dumb seller is dumb for a reason. What you don't know, you are not liable for. Be doubly wary of descriptions that include the phrase, "I don't know anything about cameras...".
- Somewhat contrary to the previous point...Don't be afraid to bid VERY low on a sketchy item. It is a bit of a gamble, but I got both of my film cameras with attached lenses for less than $50 (not $50 apiece...$50 total).
Steve