I've just used eBay to buy an instrument for the fourth child of four to take with him to college. In the last two weeks I've nearly worn out the "back" button on my keyboard, and it occurred to me that it might be a good idea to analyze why and share my reasoning with the rest of the parents out there who are trying to make their children's dreams come true while staying within the budget.

First, there are some common-sense things: If it seems too good to be true, it most likely is. If the seller's feedback is below body temperature, or if there are a gang of mutual withdrawals, be very cautious. If the seller is in a foreign country and/or wants payment by a method not recommended by eBay, don't do it.

That said, my axiom for buying anything on eBay that costs more than I can afford to lose is: Always pay with PayPal by credit card. This offers the most comprehensive protection for the buyer.

You must do your homework. Talk to your child's music teacher and find out what instrument brands and models he feels best suited to Johnny's playing ability and future goals. Don't be pressured to overbuy. A beginning student needs an instrument  that plays well and easily and is in tune, but buying a professional-level, "prestige" horn for a beginner can be a waste of money. If he turns out to be serious, your first, educated, buy can be used to trade up to an intermediate or advanced horn. Check the prices of these instruments, new and used, in as many different sources as you can. Local music stores, catalogues, classified ads and bulletin boards at your local college are all excellent research tools. There are many different sites on the internet that list classified ads, and some are specific to the instrument you're looking for.

After you have some idea of the market, search eBay listings for what you want. I find it a good idea not to have eBay prices in my mind first, but to have the outside base of comparison.

Reading the listing: I look at the title, the gallery picture, the price, location and accepted payment methods. If anything there looks shaky, back I go. I keep in mind that on eBay, another one will be listed again soon. If all is well, I go on to the description and the rest of the photos. If there's only one photo, especially if it's dark or out of focus, I check to see if the seller invites me to ask for more pix. If not, my own nature leads me to suspect something is being hidden. That may not be true, but it's pretty easy to take good pix, even with an inexpensive digicam.

If the description includes damage, like dents or bent keys, I want to see a good close-up of it. What one person describes as "minor" may not be what I consider it to be. I also want to know the serial number of the instrument, or at least the first digits of it. Some sellers don't list serial numbers because unscrupulous people have been known to make false reports of stolen goods based on the numbers, but the first several numbers help date the instrument and should not be refused if requested through ASQ.

Which brings us to: Ask, ask, ask. If a seller doesn't care to answer your questions before you bid, how helpful will he be if there's a problem afterward?

Many of the sellers whose listings I've read say something like, "I don't play this, so I can't tell you whether it's playable." If someone's clearing out Grandpa's attic and finds and old flugelhorn to sell, that's one thing. But if the seller is listing ten flugelhorns from different makers, I expect better. It doesn't cost an arm and a leg to take an instrument to a technician and have him evaluate it, and I expect that any seller who lists several instruments either to have a tech on retainer or make some other effort to demonstrate proof that the instrument is in the condition described. If the seller says the horn has been cleaned, adjusted and play-tested, so much the better.

If you see a brand-new instrument selling for half or less of your research prices, beware. There are two main possibilities: That the instrument is a shoddy, usually foreign-made, copy of what you want; or that the instrument doesn't really exist and is listed by a scammer. I don't even open those listings, because of the phishing that's been going on all over eBay. High-dollar items like musical instruments are especially vulnerable to this.

Compare shipping costs among items, too. I queried one seller about his cost because it seemed to be about twice as much as other sellers', and he found he'd marked it oversize 2 in the calculator instead of oversize 1. He corrected his mistake, and all was well. If he hadn't, I wouldn't have bid. Also be very clear about return policies. If the instrument is being sold as-is, with no returns accepted, you may end up stuck with something you can't use. If the seller accepts returns within a limited time, be sure you adhere to it. (One seller I've noticed says he will accept returns within three days of the date of sale. Since it would take most of a week for his item to reach me, that's the same as a no-return policy, in my mind.)

Bidding: Once you've found your item, bid mindfully. I decide how much I'm willing to pay, wait as late in the auction as I can stand to (the last five minutes is good) and then place my maximum bid, tying my hands behind my back so I can't up my max no matter what happens. This isn't the only bidding strategy out there, but it keeps me from getting into a bidding frenzy and spending way more than I can afford because of an overdose of adrenaline.

Once it gets to you: Okay, you bid, you won, you paid. In most cases you'll need to be home when the item comes or make arrangements to pick it up from the shipper because you'll have to sign for it unless you got a very inexpensive deal. Look the parcel over very carefully before you open it, preferably in front of the deliver person. If the box shows significant damage, you want it to be noted immediately. Open it and inspect it for obvious shipping damage. If it's been rattling around loose in a box for a thousand miles (or even less), even an instrument in its own fitted case can be damaged beyond repair. If all seems well,

Have it evaluated: At this point, you need some outside assistance. Within the time-frame of the return policy you need to have an experienced person check the instrument out thoroughly, even if it's brand new. Your child's teacher is a good start, if he's willing, and most are. Your local music store can help you, but if they have a backlog for their technician they may not be able to do it in time.

Most instruments, even new from the factory, need some minor adjusting after shipping. You shouldn't consider spending a few dollars on a tune up a matter to take up with the seller, but if the horn is significantly not as described, you need to contact the seller and follow all the procedures given elsewhere on eBay.

Success:  Once you've received your purchase and made sure you got what you paid for, your child is on his way to a lifetime of enjoying music. I have two brass players, a woodwind and a string who come home for Christmas, and the delight of playing with them.