eBay is a great place to find wonderful old rings~there are thousands of them for sale every day. This guide can help you find the ring that's right for you and help you get it for a reasonable price! Here's how:

• Search. But ignore eBay's pre-set Categories. Let's say you're looking for an opal ring, set in yellow gold. You might find the ring of your dreams under the Ring category, to be sure. But it might also be listed under "Handcrafted, Artisan" or "Ethnic, Tribal". It may be part of a "Set". So instead of meticulously searching each of these categories, do this: put Gold Opal Ring in the title bar of your search, and see what you come up with. If your search brings up too many rings, you can always subtract out unwanted types by adding a minus sign, then the name of that item-- for example "Pink Ring -silver-belly-navel-toe", etc. Another good thing to do is to limit the price of the rings you'll look at-- saves time and heartbreak! Go to Advanced Search to do this. Once you have your search terms set, be sure to save it to "Favorite Searches" so you can check every day, without going through the same hassle. I set my searches to "Sort by: Time, Newly Listed" so I can quickly see what's new.
• I only look at listings that have a Gallery Photo--the little pic that you can see at the left on the large list. These little pics make your shopping quicker and easier. Listings without a gallery photo take too much time to check out, and they're usually not worth the effort. Trust me, if the ring is great, there'll be a gallery photo.
• I generally only consider buying rings from someone with 99% positive Feedback or above. There are exceptions to this rule. Pay attention to your instincts. Or, buy from a Company like OldCities or Magnotti's, both of which have excellent reputations and give vast amounts of informed information about their jewelry. Beware of individual buyers who make claims about gold content that is not marked on the ring, or type, quality and carat weight of stones. Unless an expert has examined the ring, it's impossible to tell synthetic from natural, sapphire from tourmaline. If the ring is cheap, you like the looks of it, and you don't especially care what exactly kind of stone that is in the center of it, then go for it. But if you're going to spend a lot of money, be sure you've checked feedback, and that the person seems knowledgable about what they're selling. The best insurance is 100% return guarantee. When you get the ring, take it to a good jeweler and verify it's what it's supposed to be. If not, send it back.

    I only consider a ring that I have lots of information about. Sometimes you have to ask for it. Things that are important are:

• Size ( Professional sizing costs about $30-35; and can be significantly more if you want to make a ring a lot bigger).
• Size of the Face of the Ring-- you need this information to know whether the setting is on the dainty side (5mm or under, either direction) or more towards the bold (10 mm or over). Ask for it if it's not in the listing. Close-up photos, which are great for seeing detail, can be deceptive when it comes to judging the scale of a ring's appearance.
• Metal-- Is it gold-filled (marked HGE), silver (marked 925, or Sterling), gold (marked 9k, 14k, 18k), platinum? Pay accordingly--less to more, as the above list is arranged.
• Stones-- synthetic or natural? Scratched, chipped, worn? Pay more for natural, in excellent condition.
• Weight--usually given in grams. 2 Grams is a decent weight. I like rings to feel substantial on my finger, so I look for 4-6 grams.
• Condition of the band, or shank of the ring--is it very thin and worn at the back? If so, it will probably split soon, on being worn. Is it "out of round"? Then it's probably thin and worn. It can be made thicker by a good jeweler, for a price. Bid accordingly.
• Condition of the setting--Are the prongs thin and worn? Do they stick up (catching on clothing, etc.)?
• Age--another grey area, and one where most sellers just take a guess, and probably are wrong more often than not. You have to really know your stuff to guess the age of a ring. If you want to be sure, stick with the guys with great feedback who sell lots of rings.
• Shipping-- it only costs $3-5 to mail a ring within the US. It seems to be popular these days for ring sellers to mimic electronics people, and charge ridiculous shipping fees. Remember to check them, and if you're willing to pay them, subtract the fees from what you ultimately want to spend.

Bottom line--the less money you bid, the less you need to worry. Start low, and have fun learning!