INTRODUCTION<p>
 When I first started on eBay, around 10 years ago, there were only a few people selling beads. An occasional listing of an antique bead, and around 1,800 total listings for lampwork beads, and one would have done. Today there are many bead sellers, in the lampwork catagory alone, nearly triple that amount listings! The antique and vintage bead market also has grown. This guide will tell you how to buy good beads on ebay for a price often below market, as well as how to sell your own beads.<p><p>

 A. BUYING BEADS ON EBAY <p>
1. Seller Feedback: I usually check a seller's feedback. Most of the Self Representing Artists (SRA'S) have good feedback. So I bid on what I like. I've found incredible beads by some of the finest lampwork artists in the world here, some famous, some newly discovered. I look at a seller's overall percentage (I like 99 or 100%), and also how many happy customers they've had. For instance, if a seller has sold 1,000 lots of beads in the past six months, a few disgruntled customers is normal. However, if a person has only sold a few things and already five people are unhappy, I take it as a sign. Feedback is usually accurate. <p><p>
2. Photographs: Sometimes I've picked up incredible bargains, particularly in lampwork beads, where a good artist just took a bad photo. Conversely, a highly artistic photo with frills in it like leaves, flowers and sparkling corners added in Photoshop is not necessarily indicative of exemplary beads. Also, sometimes a new artist or Self Representing Artist (indicated by the SRA in the auction title) might have very creative beads and just not quite gotten the template thing yet. A great graphically designed custom template helps drive prices up, granted. But if you're bargain hunting, sometimes a hot young artist won't have their own template designed yet, they'll use eBay's designer templates, which work just fine. Beads auctions with a single simple photo doesn't mean the seller has bad beads, to the contrary, an artist may be new to eBay but not necessarily new to the world of beadmaking (and maybe spending a lot of time making their beads!). Personally, I don't judge on a template, whether the photo is fancy, or even how many photos, I just look to see if the beads "speak" to me in some way, and if I like them, and an idea for them, I buy them.

3. Famous Artists: I've found some amazing internationally known artists on eBay. Many of these artists are well known among lampworkers, either for their work as teachers, or their work galleries and art shows. Famous artists on eBay include Kimberly Affleck, Pati Walton and her partner, Michael Barley, Maria Grimes, Lily Owen, Eric Rader, Jan Harris, Jeff Welsh, and JC Herrell, to name a few. eBay also has some of the finest lampwork artists from Europe, with amazingly creative beads, selling on their site. I've even gotten great, one of a kind, beads from as far away as Israel and Australia. What does a set of great beads cost? In 2006, eBay seller Bluff was more than $2,000.00 for a set. They were larger sized, in unusual shapes, with great color combinations. You can pick up great sets by other well known artists for much less. I got a wonderful set from one American aritst for a little over $800.00, which, given the quality of the beads, I was thrilled to have won! Usually, if beads are bidding for more than $100 for a small set, there's a reason. I also am confident when I see a tags like WC (short for Wet Canvas, a forum for artists of all media in America), that I will get a good set of beads because I know that artist is reading about new techniques on that site. Another tag that is popular in the lampwork bead making community is SRA, which includes wonderful glass artists worldwide.

4. Antique and Vintage Beads: People who buy vintage beads often shop at estate sales and really know their stuff, it's a good idea to look in one of the groups and ask a few questions and look at a few auctions before you buy. Antique beads is a horse of a different color. It's a small field compared to lampwork, but also a fiercely competitive one. Everyone claims to be an authority, and everyone has a different story because we don't have much in the way of documention past a few hundred years to authenticate rare beads. Since the sellers are few, and the people who know anything about ancient beads even fewer, it's a good idea to have a thick skin when buying and in general, if you like it and can afford it, go for it!

5. Mass-Manufactured Beads: I hesitate before buying mass-manufactured beads. Sometimes they're made with inferior quality glass (although now the oversees makers are getting better glass) and are usually not annealed. It's the breakage that can be annoying. They also don't properly clean their holes and we know the white powder inside is toxic. I'll pay more for a set from an artist who takes the time to properly clean their beads before mailing them. Mass manufactured beads are subject to breakage and are generally not as beautiful or well made as the individual one of a kind sets I buy from the SRAs. However, for people on a budget who are just learning to bead, they remain an option. Sometimes if I'm working on a design, I'll chose some less expensive beads. Once I've gotten the design where I want it, I pay top dollar to get the best artist's beads to improve the overall quality of my pieces. I once saw a seller here copying another eBay sellers rose flower beads. I know she came up with the design herself, she was the only one to make beads in those shapes, colors, style. They LOOKED like her beads, she has an unmistakeable beautiful look to her beads that is hers and hers alone. So when I saw a seller in the South selling imported beads that were an exact copy of her color combination, shape of petal, shape of leaves, just everything down to the last detail, I politely emailed that seller. And then I stopped buying from them. Fair is fair. And it's never cool to take another artist's designs, I try to make my own style of beads. Unless of course you took a class and with your teacher's permission you're emulating their style until you can develop your own, that's different! But for manufacturers to come here, look at what eBay sellers are doing and just take their style?<p><P.

B. SELLING BEADS ON EBAY<p>

1. Powersellers: There are some HOT sellers out there. People who sell thousands of lots of beads. I've found Javabead to have great packaging, quick shipment, and beautiful beads at reasonable prices, not to mention free shipping. Plus the owner gives a LOT no charge to the bead community, just hours and hours of her time to helping newbies improve their photos, so I like to support that seller when I can. Another seller who used to call herself eliza500. Eliza500 has sold antique African beads and art objects quite sucessfully in a high end market where others failed by staying out of the competitive frey and avoiding bad mouthing of other sellers. Eliza and her wife are now platinum powersellers, they also sell expensive masks and amazing tribal art objects from Africa which bring in big bucks. Usually you can tell by eBay's powerseller denotation who's movin' and shakin' beads. <p>

2. Have some FUN: a. One store has gotten so big I don't order from them anymore due to delayed ship times. However, before they got so huge here, they had their infamous Cat auction full of reasonably priced beads for newbies to play with. You don't have to be a designer to afford half a pound of beads for nine bucks. The furry white cat, was a rescue who died of cancer years ago. But he's still selling beads! Every week he narrates his auction in his cat voice from his white bed lookin' cool. For those of you raised in Southern California like me, he was eBay's equivalent of Cal Worthington and his dog "Spot." If an auction entertains me, and is fun in spirit, I'm more likely to buy. <p><p>

b. I joined in the fun with my young pitbull pup, Damita. Running a home business can have it's hazards, such as beads everywhere. And beads and puppys don't mix. So I called my auction "Damita's Folly" and did a CSI crime scene type humerous ad for the beads Damita gets into in her spare time (she has a lot of time on her paws). The photo shows Damita messing up the beads that you now get a whole lot of--at a discount price since they have doggie teeth marks in them (well not really, but it's okay to have fun on eBay!). And Damita is sure enjoying her newfound celeb status. Plus I have a home for my oopsies--henever I have some lampwork bead seconds, I toss them in the pile of beadies and off they go! What can i say--I believe in recycling! <p>

3. Answer Emails: From the yellow button and ask seller a question format, to questions about combined shipping after an item is won, I try to answer every single email, within 24 hours if possible. Sometimes answering questions about bead sizes, international shipping requests, special rush order requests, and buy it now requests can help sales. I treat my customers as I wish to be treated, and always give them the benefit of the doubt. I've made a lot of friends through eBay, sometimes I send extras and sometimes I get extras in return, and that part is a lot of fun. <p>

4. Odd and Ends: Little things can add up to big sales: Padded packaging. Artistic presentation. A business card with your seller id. Leaving positive feedback for your customers. Participating in eBay groups, panels, events, etc. I contributed some helpful hints to the book "Tips and Tricks of the eBay Masters", I recommend it for anyone who is starting to sell on eBay. And of course there's Griff's Bible, which is a must read for anyone starting off at eBay, whether buying or selling. And if you are lucky you'll sell so many beads that you'll become a platinum powerseller and get your own account manager. Now that's success!