The best HIDDEN SECRETS Everyone Should Know When Buying Crystals On Ebay

Hidden secret #1) POINT OF REFERENCE:

 Well it is not exactly a secret....but how you do it DEFINATELY is! Everyone has a favorite crystal. Some look for color, clarity, hue, saturation. Others for shape, inclusions or purity. It all depends on what you want or need. Many are looking to find crystals from specific new locations around the Globe to add to a collection. Most everyone wants beautiful striking examples or rarity that will rival a specimen crystal found in a Museum or Private Collection. Fact is you can build a world class private collection if you know how to do it online. When purchasing or bidding on a crystal on Ebay you have the convenience of seeing a variety larger in scope & volume then most anywhere else on earth. Everyone and anyone is vying for your attention. Whose listing do you look at? By following my secrets I will teach you how to expedite the crystal buying process. Everytime!  It does not take long to develop a stellar point of reference by watching auctions in order to determine just how different, rare, or sought-after a crystal really is. So my advice is: do your research. Look before you leap. Do not bid/buy the first thing you see.Wait until you study the crystal market for a brief period of time. Have patience.

Hidden Secret #2):WHERE TO LOOK

 EBAY PULSE is a great way to see what the buyers are watching. It gives you a guage of what is available in the crystal marketplace that the herd is looking at. Look to see what catagory ebay pulse crystal items are listed in and go to that catagory to continue your search. If you see it once and miss out on the bidding, logic tells you it will appear again. However......one of the best kept secrets when trying to find that crystal you want is to simply peruse the NEWLY LISTED catagory. I stay away from thre herd. Why follow everyone else listing to listing? Get away from the herd....that is where the real crystal finds are! I look for the unsusal & sublime. That rare crystal at a reasonable price. Most crystals are found in pockets where, however small the discovery, they consist of more than one crystal. Money should not be the first factor when looking for a crystal. The crystal catagories of grading are: Mine Run,

Hidden Secret #3): GRADING CREAM OF THE CROP

Commercial, AAA and GEM. Always look to the gem crystal. It guarantees you quality and rarity at the same time. The very best investment. You get what you pay for. The top 10 percent is the cream of the crop. Why settle for less? Even if you have a budget, consider the entire gamut of auctions & Stores available to you in Ebay listings. Keep looking !

Hidden secret # 4.) WHO IS THE SELLER?

 Always pay attention to photographs. If the crystal looks funky, it usually is. Try to find auctions that show good photography as you scan for potential buys. Not everyone who sells crystals has access to new expensive digital cameras or has the perfect pics. Read descriptions carefully. Often, a perfect crystal can be missed even though it is not offered by a big seller or someone who has a Store. Some of the best crystals are often mined, collected and offered by individuals who are doing this for love, not money. Email questions. Ask and you shall receive. The best crystals to aquire often come from the best sellar response! 

Hidden secrest #5.) FEEDBACK IS A FACTOR:

 Carefully examine the feedback score. It can give you clues as to the temperament of the Store or seller. Are there a lot of negatives? If so, why? Was it a problem when a buyer got into a discrepancy with a Seller that proved too stubborn, idealistic, or critical? Or was it the other way around? Remember we are all human, everyone makes mistakes. Look for policies or instructions in listings that makes it a level playing field for everyone. A Win-Win situation for All is the best Ebay experiance! I find the more compassionate and understanding the participants, the more fun and rewarding the crystal finding. 

Hidden Secret #6.) AVAILABILITY:

 When do you look for certain types of crystals? What time of year? In what Ebay catagory? There are so many listings. Many crystals that come to market are based on the time of mining and factoring when & where it it occurs. Many crystals do not become available to market until at least 3-6 months after thier discovery..... unless it is an isolated individual find. New crystals are always being discovered. Prices rise when a crystal find is exhausted and demand is greater than availability. These factors are determined by location or continent where found, shipping, and Gem shows. Large shows like Munich Germany, Tucson Arizona or Denver Colorado and Hong Kong is often the first time new crystal discoveries see the light of day! Looking on ebay can be a challange. ROCKS, MINERALS & FOSSILS are definately not the only place to look. In the JEWELRY & WATCHES CATAGORY many fine crystal specimens can be found in the SINGLE GEMSTONES catagory seeing as all gemstones are cut from Crystals. SPECIMEN ROUGH is one of the many catagory listing names in which to look for spectacular crystals.

 Hidden  Secret #7.)

Hidden Secret #7.) WHATS HOT?

There was a Hot Catagories Report list for Gems, Fossils & Minerals as well as the Loose Gemstones catagory in Jewelry & Watches. It was generated in a downloadable PDF format from ebay that was disabled in early February 2008. A shame it is no longer available It was the easiest way to determine what had been driving the gemstone market. Why this list was removed is unknown? Perhaps people were not utilizing it. Here you would find who has been dumping what on the market. Supply does not always meet demand. The hottest items are those that there are the least of. Higher demand than availability. This is good & bad. Ebay Sellers would watch this list & follow suit making items available if they have that particular type gem in inventory. So sometime after an item reaches the hot list....good deals are sure to follow if you are a Buyer....have patience.....keep looking. If you are a Seller..... the "Whats Hot List" could be the Kiss of Death. Whatever you happen to be selling is about to have a lot of competition....if that Gem is available. The best way to determine What is Hot now, is to access the Terapeak window search that appears when you do a buying search. Type in the item you are looking for and it will give you an idea of the current pricing parameters. When looking for particular gemstones or crystals. Type in for the name of your favorite.

This guide started in October 2005. As the years go by I will be adding gem buying secrets to this list. Hopefully you have learned something new. My intention is to expand the guide to specific gems based on your needs. If you have any questions come visit my Ebay Store. I have much more useful information and buying tidbits available at SEDONASTONE. Any Questions? ASK. Please check the box below if you find this guide helpful.