Currently there are over 200 stores registered with Ebay Stores, than have Avon in thier name. Most of the items sold in my store are Avon, and my title doesn't include the brand name. So imagine how many stores there are that actually carry Avon products. Oh! I forgot to mention that there might actually be a few thousand items for sale at auction that aren't in an Ebay Store. All of that to sort through just to make sure you get the best deal on that night cream. So what do you do?

     I just did a search for the word Avon, and had over 92,000 hits that covered over 24 categories. With so many sellers fighting for your business, how do you ensure your getting the best deal without taking so long you have to add anti-wrinkle cream to the list, again. As one of those sellers I am going to walk you through a few steps that will help you feel comfortable with what you recieve.

     First, let me explain to you the process that I go through as a seller, as I prepare to list an item on Ebay in my store. The very first thing I do is to bring up the Avon website in a second window in my web browser. This allows me to quickly look up the item on the Avon site to verify details, and current retail price. The next thing I do is to do a search on Ebay for the item, paying close attention to the actual selling price from completed auctions. This tells me exactly what the items have been selling for. This is important as some items may not be available through Avon anymore ( possibly raising the average sale price ), or they may be on sale through Avon ( possibly lowering the price ). Comparing the posted retail price from Avon, and the average selling price on Ebay will tell you what you should be expecting to pay for your item.

     Now, some particulars to pay close attention to. If you are searching for an item that doesn't weigh much, make sure you aren't paying through the nose for handling ( Packaging ).  Sellers add a nominal fee to the shipping costs to help reimburse themselves for time and materials spent on preparing an item(s) for shipping. Recently I shipped a small item to a customer, and I had offered three shipping options, the least expensive being Parcel Post through USPS. I printed out the shipping label from home, already paid, and took it to the post office. I had a concern that I may have under estimated the weight so I waited in line to verify it. They informed me that the package actually qualified for First Class Mail and would cost about $2 less than expected. Oh Boy! Once I got home I issued a refund to the buyer, and quickly double checked the rest of my items for the same. Just because a seller offers one type of shipping as the lowest cost, doesn't mean it is. Do your homework! Once you know approximately how much it should cost to ship, subtract that from what the seller is charging for shipping and handling. The result may shock you! It's only fair for a seller to charge for the envelope and the bubble wrap but be careful. Don't be afraid of listings that provide a shipping calculater, they are there for your advantage.

     Since most Avon beauty products are small in size and weight you should take advantage of the fact that there are so many of us selling it, and sort your search results by "Distance: Nearest First". This really helps to narrow your search to keep your price down. While shopping, make sure you have your list next to you. Since many Ebay Stores offer to combine items for shipping, your best bet very well may be to buy more than one item from the same store, even though the sale price for an item may be higher than elsewhere. Your overall cost can be lower because you will not spend as much on shipping, because the seller will ship them together.

     Next on the list is the product itself ( mostly make-up items ). Please, please, make sure you know whether or not the item is new, new in the box, sealed, or possibly used. Would you buy a used make-up item at the swap meet? If you answered yes, depending on what type of item it is, than by all means shop and ask questions about the home it comes from.(Smoke Free?, Pet Free?, etc.) Items like perfume that are kept so well are safer to purchased used, but what of the rest. If you aren't looking for a used item, make sure it isn't. As I was writing this paragraph my wife brought in some Avon Lip Color and thought we could sell it on Ebay. I checked and found that she had dipped her finger in one of the colors to test it. Something as simple as that could change your mind. I won't be listing that item.

     One last piece of advice. Many of these make-up items don't sell for very much at all, often costing more in shipping and handling than in the actual price of the item. That being said, please understand that as a seller it is much cheaper to list items in a store than out at auction. Because of this, the items show at the very end of your search results. It might be 6 pages back but you'll find good deals.

Happy Bidding!