When I started playing Magic at home with my family and friends there weren't many cards to choose from and everyone knew what cards were out there.  I had almost every card memorized and could tell you exactly what a card was just by looking at the art.  Ha-ha, not so today, 10 main sets and over 30 expansion sets later all the cards are a bit overwhelming!  I'm writing this guide to help everyone, new players and experienced ones alike, make solid purchases of Magic cards on eBay so everyone ends up happy.  The first thing you need to do if your in the market for Magic cards is search eBay to find the cards you are looking for. 

Some things to remember when searching for Magic cards on eBay.  eBay offers a wonderful search engine to find everything you need with many options on filtering search results.  If you are looking for a specific card you can go to search.ebay.com and click the "advanced search" link and get the results you want the first time.  My favorite option is the "Sort by" option.  You can sort by time, price, location and which sellers offer paypal.  You can even search for results in a certain price range.  This option is good if you are buying on a budget.  Once you have choosen your options, type in the name of the card you are looking for, your search results will default to sort by ending soonest if you don't choose an alternate option.  You should see a list of results with titles for the listings, current price, shipping costs and time listed or time remaining.  Click on a listing title that bests suits your price range and what you are looking for.

Once you have found a listing that looks promising, you will need to examine the listing, check the seller's reputation, check the shipping details and return policy and examine the cards condition.

Examining the listing - When you examine the listing you are looking for discrepencies like incorrect data on the card (wrong set, color, etc.).  If you find any, click the link in the seller information box "ask seller a question" and let them know.  Most of the time the seller will correct the mistake and you can bid confidently knowing that you are going to get what you purchased.

Check the seller's reputation - A seller's reputation is their feedback score.  This score is important to most sellers and many are very proud of it.  To check a seller's feedback score click the number next to their name or click "read feedback comments" in the seller information box.  After you click this their "Member profile page" will give you all the information you need to know about this seller.  Check how many neutral and negative feedback this seller has received, if none, great!  Continue shopping with this trustworthy seller.  If the seller has neutral or negative feedback, read what the person said.  Sometimes people leave neutral or negative feedback for things that would not neccessarily lead others to do the same.  You can learn alot about a seller by reading what others have said about them!

Check the shipping details - I can't stress this enough, always check the shipping details on an item BEFORE you commit to buy it!!!  Every seller has his or her own shipping policy.  Don't get stuck paying $5 for shipping on a 25 cent card.  If the seller doesn't specify shipping and handling costs ask them for a quote to ship to you before you buy the card, not after!  Remember that shipping costs include handling charges, charges made by the seller to recover the costs of envelopes, boxes, paper, ink, sleeves, toploaders and everything else it takes to get your card to you safely.  Sellers rarely charge the cost of a stamp to ship, although some offer free shipping ;).

Return policy - Some seller's offer a return policy on their cards.  This tells you that this seller is confident in what they are selling.  Read this carefully as sometimes you will have to pay restocking fees or you may only get a partial refund.  You may find some sellers who don't offer a return policy who are still reputable sellers, don't discount a seller based on the fact that they don't offer a return policy, but be aware of it.

Examine the cards condition - Many listings come with a picture for you to look at, but many times it is difficult to see any flaws on a card through a scan at best.  Some sellers use a "stock photo" for their pictures.  Stock photo's are just for reference, but not of the actual card you are buying.  Each seller has their own condition guide.  Use caution when buying cards and ask the seller questions about the card.  A full price card should be in the Mint to Near Mint range.  Excellent, Very Good, Fair and Poor are other conditions sellers might use for their cards.  It has been my experience that Very Good or less cards aren't "Very Good" at all.  They should be called "Almost Good".  Ask your seller if the card has any noticable marks or whitning around the edges as this is a good sign of a played card.  Played or abused cards sell for far less than their Mint, Near Mint or Excellent counterparts.  If you want to collect cards you should buy Mint/Near Mint/Excellent, if you want to buy cards solely to play with any should do.  Be advised, some marked cards will require you to use sleeves so that you can't tell what the card is from the back of it.  Just remember, the more damage to a card, the less valuable it is.

Well, now that you have found a card and a good seller, it's time to bid or pay for your card.  If you are bidding, wait for the auction to end and check to see if you are the winner.  If you are click pay now or follow the sellers instructions on how to pay.  If you don't already have a paypal account, now's a good time to get one.  Most sellers accept paypal as payment for their listings and it is by far the most convient for me to use.  Paying through the mail with checks or money orders just adds to the amount of time it takes to get your card.  You  can pay instantly with paypal and paypal will help with disputes you may have with the seller.  Remember to pay for your winning auctions as quickly as possible.  I don't know of any sellers that mail cards before payment is made.  The quicker you pay, the quicker you get your card.  Also remember that some sellers require you pay them in a certain timeframe.  If you fail to pay them on-time they may take action against you including negative feedback that will haunt you in the future.  A good rule of thumb is don't spend more money than you can when you bid. 

Once you have paid for your card it's time to wait for it to be delivered.  Some sellers will tell you when they have mailed your card.  If you don't hear from the seller within a day and can't wait, send them a message and ask them if they have mailed it and when to expect your card.  Patience is key when you are expecting a delivery.  Don't overreact if the card is late, remember that mail is sometimes unreliable and many things can happen that would delay your mail.  If you haven't received your card in the timeframe given by your seller, politely let them know.  They will usually do everything they can to ensure your card gets to you as fast as possible.  If it is unreasonablely past due exhaust every option before leaving negative feeback.  Negative feedback should be reserved as a last option.  Once you leave negative feedback for a seller, you take away all the incentive for the seller to resolve the matter professionally.  Remember, negative feedback is your tool.  Don't use it unless you have to.

Once you have received your card in the mail it's time to examine it.  Check to see if the card is equal to the listing the seller has for it.  Is it in the stated condition?  From the correct main or expansion set?  If the card does not live up to your expectations, let the seller know by sending them a message.  Most sellers are eager to please and will discuss any concerns you have about your card.  Remember, don't leave negative feedback until you have exhausted all other options.  A seller will almost always jump at a chance to make things right on the eve of negative feedback. 

Well, now that you have your card and are satisfied, it's time to leave positive feedback for your seller.  Be honest and let everyone know how this seller performed when selling to you.  Did they deliver what was promised?  Were they polite and friendly?  Did they respond quickly to everything you asked of them?  Did they mail your card rapidly?  Tell everyone everything you liked and did not like about your seller.  And remember the seller will do the same for you!

Ok, I know this guide is long and a bit winded, but it seems like there should be something to reference when buying Magic on eBay.  I hope you found something to help you make your future purchases easier on eBay.  Don't forget to have fun when your bidding on your next item.