As a buyer and seller of dog figurines on ebay for several years now, people are always asking my advice on how to know whether the dogs they see are a good value, or made by the company advertised.  In addition, people are always asking me how to determine the condition of dogs that they have seen listed with poor or limited number of photographs.  I have one basic answer to this: ASK QUESTIONS!!!!!!  From my experience, most sellers on ebay are very honest and ethical, and if they inaccurately describe a dog they are listing, it is not with the intention to decieve, but that they really just don't know much about what they are listing.  Perhaps they just buy box lots at auctions or flea markets in their hometown, and list just about anything they are able to find at a good price in those venues.  Or perhaps they are just listing some things that were left to them by a deceased relative or friend.  Maybe they are listing something for a neighbor, and don't really know much about the item they are selling.  Either way, they are not usually intentionally trying to decieve you.  Chances are pretty good that you know more about the dog figures they are listing than the person that is offering them for sale.  For example, some breeds are not very common, and are mislabeled by people in their titles.  Boston terriers are often listed as bulldogs, and german shepherds are listed as pointers or retrievers, etc...  Half the fun of buying on ebay is finding these inaccuate listings and getting a great deal on a rare dog that is just described as "old" or "from grandma"s collection".  But the best way to make sure the dog is exactly what you are hoping for is to email them with as many questions as you can think of.  Ask them to take more pictures and send them to you.  Ask them what the markings are on the underside of the item.  Ask if something that looks like a chip is in reality just a flash bulb image.  Have them run their hands over the legs and ears of the dog to feel for tiny chips they may have missed, or a repaired broken off leg or tail.  Most sellers will bend over backwards to help you with all of your questions, as they value your feedback and want to make sure you are happy with what you buy.  Also, ask if the item can be returned if it is not as they have described in a way that is not easy for them to determine.  For example, if they list something as being made by Hubley, and it looks like hubley in the photos, and when you get it in your home and you see that it is definitely a reproduction, they should be responsible for taking it back INCLUDING SHIPPING FEES!!  Ask if they will do this BEFORE you bid.  If they say no, then they probably are not the best person to be buying from.  It is always a good idea to buy from sellers that you trust.  There are many dealers on ebay that sell nothing but vintage animal figures,and these people tend to know more about what they are listing and are more accurate in their descriptions.  Second:  Look at closed listings to see what similar items have sold for, or how they were listed as.  This is a great way to research values and learn more about what you are buying.  Ebay stores these listings for at least a month after they close.  Third:  Look to see who buys alot of dogs on ebay, and ask them questions about a listing they see.  Chances are they would be more than happy to help you determine who made it or what it is worth.  Tell them what you collect and ask if they could email you if they see any listings that you may be interested, and you can do the same for them.  The more people you get to know, the more dogs you will find that fit your area of collecting.  Fourth: Learn your keywords, and put them in the automatic search engines that email you each day's new listings of the items you are looking for.  For example, if you are looking for Made in Occupied Japan English Bulldogs, put those words in the search engine, including some poor spellings that are common, and some more popular makers.  If you collect Anri Carved wood dogs from Italy, you can use the words :"Anri" "wood"  "wooden" "carved" "dog" "italy" "tyrolean" "black forest" "vintage" "antique" "Carving" etc.....  Use several differnet searches with a few words each so you are more likely to catch them when they show up.  This saves a whole lot of time for you so you don't have to dig thru listings every week to see if there are some new Anri Listings.  It would be a shame not to find just the right dog that was listed when you were on vacation or didn't have the time to look for it online!!!  Fifth: Specialize.  There is so much out there, that you really need to find your niche and just buy those dogs that fit it.  For example, you could just collect Occupied Japan Dogs, or perhaps just Norlean dogs (a maker), or just a certain breed, or just a certain size.  This makes it more affordable, and makes your display more coherent.  Unless you have unlimited amounts of money to spend, this is the best way to learn about what you collect, as the more you buy of your particular category, the more you will be able to judge the authenticity of what is being listed and not get burned.  I personally collect Bulldogs and Royal Doulton dogs, and will sometimes buy a whole "lot of" dogs listed just to get the one dog I like, and then turn around and sell the others.  Sixth:  And finally, ASK QUESTIONS!!!  Any honest seller will work with you to make sure that what you buy is what you want and what you think you are getting.  Have fun buying on ebay, and good luck in your collecting!!!!  Jay Kerch, Phineas Swann Bed and Breakfast and Antiques Gallery, Montgomery Center, Vermont.