I specialize in comic books and have found an annoying consistency among "bad" sellers. Condition of the comics is very important in comic collecting, so getting accurate descriptions is critical. When you are buying in any field of collectibles, closely examine the competence of the seller, especially where condition is important in determining the value. There are several statements/phrases in the description that I focus on which have helped me avoid a bad purchase. If you see the following phrases in the description, consider avoiding the purchase, as there is usually an unfavorable outcome to the deal (to you, the buyer). Phrase 1; I don't know much about comics (cards, dishes, coins, etc.) That means that the seller can't give you an accurate and objective grade of the item. If is cracked, broken, not working, missing pages, a reproduction, incomplete,and so on, the seller claims not to know the difference! The above phrase is usually accompanied by the following 2 phrases... Phrase 2 ; ...But for something 40 years old, it looks in fantastic shape to me! Is the item VG, NM, BU, C 7.5..etc? Otherwise, "looks fantastic to me" is Not a helpful grade! Look for appropriate grades for the appropriate item. General terms such as " shiney, OK for its age, rare, hard to find, and any other non-descript attributes" that do not address any particular quality of the item are showing too much non essential detail. I do not need to know the family history of the butter churn, just tell me if it has cracks, or that it leaks, or has any labels or stamping.I don't care that the comic book being sold has a story by some obscure writer of the 1950's. Is the book complete? Is it intact with the back cover. Is the cover the right one? Are the pages brittle? Is there any tape or glue or restoration on or inside the book. Don't tell me that the elderly gentleman who owned the book found them in some barn in Ohio. Just describe the book!! Phrase 3 ; Sold as is!~ No returns, All sales final! All 3 phrases put together roughly translate to " I am incompetent, but if you are stupid enough to get this pig in a poke, you don't deserve to get your money back!" Often the inadequate description and frequently bad scan/picture will be so vague, that you have no idea what you are getting. Try to avoid sellers who use the word "MINT" in their title. These sellers are, as a rule, incompetent. They do not know how to grade, and the item NEVER is mint. If a grading service was used to determine the grade, and that grading service calls it MINT, that is an exception. But you will find that these sellers don't use the grading service. A true MINT (9.8 or higher) is so exceptional and rare that it would make news. Any experienced and competent seller will not use this word. Only the unscrupulous and /or incompetent will employ this term in their description. If you examine the accompanying scan or picture, you will notice that the item is NOT mint! There are MANY fine sellers on Ebay. Look for good feedback ratings ( I am circumspect with anyone who is selling $500.00 and up items with less than 10 positives of similar types of merchandise), and examine if this seller actually has a track record of selling similar types of items. Good sellers will admit lack of knowledge in a field, particularily when selling on consignment, but then the seller will show clear and adequate scans or photos. They are approachable if a savvy collector has a pertinent question. Always ask the seller if you need clarification as to any description. A good seller will be up front with potential bidders. Personally,I am more comfortable paying with Paypal. If sellers insist on only Western Union payment, beware. It might be a scam. Ebay goes to great lengths to educate everyone about this one. One last tip...I have found some very nice items represented on Ebay, and have had many very happy outcomes. But once in a while, a deal that is too good to be true shows up. When I contacted a seller on one such item ( It was a high grade golden age comic book from 1941 with a buy-it-now price far below market value), I contacted the seller. The seller had a feedback of + 400 and listed the item location as a city with which I was very familiar. When I pressed the seller for details as to where I would be able to pick up in person, the seller claimed that he had just moved to Italy, and the books were with him abroad! If an item is not in the same city as the seller's listed location, you might want to check things a bit more closely. That's all for now. Hope some of these basic hints are not too simple, but when I started out on Ebay in 1998, no one told me about the potential dangers. Remember, if the seller claims to be sweet 90 year old Aunt Matilda who is selling some treasures from her attic, her bad descriptions and claims of lack of ability to use a digital camera will not make that reproduction of a real valuable item a steal for you! It will be a steal alright! Guess who is the victim! Good luck everyone! Happy hunting. A good picture is worth more than 10,000 words!!!