WORLDWIDE: eBay Buying Tips and Tricks

Every swag slag knows there's plenty of bargains to be had on the fantastically popular online auction site eBay, but how do you win the most competitive auctions and grab the very best bargains? I've been reading the fabulous book eBay For Dummies  and it's full of hints and pointers for the savvy eBayer. Here are just a few of the shrewd and smart eBay buying tips and tricks it shares:

• Research the item before you bid to get an idea of how much you should be bidding. Search completed auctions to see how much similar items have gone for. If the item is new, Google it to see how much online retailers are selling it for.
• Remember to take into account the shipping cost. Add the p&p cost that's listed to the maximum amount you're willing to bid. This is effectively your maximum bid.
• Check out the seller's feedback. Even if the overall feedback rating is high, only buy from sellers whose recent feedback is all good.
• Bidders often bid in even numbers, such as 20p, so you should bid in odd increments. If someone bids 20p and you bid 21p, you could end up winning the auction by just a penny!
• Search for misspelled items. If a seller's mispelled the brand of an item they're selling, then people searching for that particular brand won't come across the seller's items, meaning there won't be many bids on it. This gives you more of a chance to win the auction. For example, I just searched for 'Addidas; instead of 'Adidas' and well over 100,000 results came up:

• We all love finding the autograph of our favourite star on eBay, but be sure that it's the genuine article before you buy. Always check the description to ensure it comes with a certificate of authenticity.

So now we know! What are your tricks of the trade? Share your own ebay Buying Tips and Tricks in the comments below...

With thanks to Ryan Fanshaw for the adorable image that heads up today's post.