What Sells on eBay and How to Get it For Less

By: Elaine L Currie Click author's name for more of his/her articles

As a buyer on eBay, you will want to know what sells on eBay and how to get it for less than you might pay in the shops or less than you might pay on eBay without a few tips on clever buying techniques.

It is possible to buy on eBay by bidding on an item that no one else bids on, by bidding on an item that other people have bid on and being the highest bidder, by purchasing a Buy It Now item or by entering a Best Offer that the seller accepts.

Whichever scenario you find yourself in, there’s the threat of competition from other buyers. You do not always know when you bid if another buyer is watching the item and intends to bid. Buyers can place bids right up until the last few seconds, and they frequently do.

If you can, surprise your complacent competitors with your maximum bid in the last few seconds. This gives little time for others to respond.

If you want an item that has a low starting price and a high Buy It Now price, enter a bid immediately. This removes the Buy It Now option which means no one can take the item on Buy It Now behind your back and you may win it at a very low price that is below what the Buy It Now price was.

Don’t be shy about making a Best Offer. They are supposed to be fair to sellers, and many sellers will have set up an automatic rejection for offers below a certain price. If you don’t try, you will never know.

If you are determined not to pay the starting price for an item, you can simply not bid. Crazy as it sounds, you might be the only person interested in the item, which means you might find a desperate seller relists the item at a lower price – then is your chance to pounce!

If you find you are outbid on an item, your bid may not go to waste. You may find a seller contacts you with a Second-Chance Offer. These offers occur if a seller is unable to complete the transaction with the original highest bidder or if it turns out that the seller has more than one of the item to sell. Offering you the opportunity to purchase the item for your highest bid means that you actually get it for less than the original highest bidder. The seller benefits from a quick sale that does not involve relisting their item. Second-Chance Offers are time-sensitive, so take them up quickly.

If you’re in the mood for spending, why not buy a few things at once from the same seller? Most sellers would rather offer combined postage than lose your business. Ask before you bid if the seller is willing to combine postage costs, unless they state they will in their listings. Remember that not all the items you buy can be packaged together.

Why not attempt to bid on items that end during quieter times when fewer buyers are online presenting a threat to your winning the item? Friday afternoons and evenings and Saturday evenings can be quiet, as can holiday periods such as Christmas and New Year, so while everyone else is in front of the TV, grab yourself that bargain.

If you are entering bids on items on eBay, just make sure you intend to pay for them, or your buying feedback will be poor which may result in a loss of buying privileges.