TY BEANIE BABIES

I'd like to share with you what I've learned about becoming an E-bay Beanie Baby collector.

These adorable little plush cuties have maintained an impressive following for over 13 years now.  Some STILL demand a buying price of thousands of dollars!

E-bay is the BEST place to use as a source to build your collection. This is because of the HUGE variety the sellers offer. You can buy Beanies from all over the world, Beanies that would not be available normally in your location. This is a super benefit. I've been able to buy Beanies from Japan, Germany, Australia and many other countries due to E-bay. I've also been able to obtain Beanies from special charity events that I would never have had the opportunity to purchase without E-bay.

E-bay also has a FEEDBACK score for sellers. This makes it possible to check out sellers' past performances. If you are thinking about buying a Beanie Baby from someone, check out their feedback. You can read what other Beanie Baby buyers have to say about this seller, and whether they trust this seller or not.

If you watch E-bay several times a day in the Ty Beanie Babies category, you will begin to notice frequent sellers, and begin to get a feel for the way they do business. You will begin to recognize frequent sellers and build a trust in them.

I watch the number of bids an item receives to see what is HOT. This is always a great indicator as to what to purchase for an investment, or resale.

Beware of ads that don't say much about the Beanies.  Try to get a feel if the seller is being evasive about things such as this: missing hangtags, cleanliness of the Beanie, chipped noses or eyes, odors, authenticity, etc. Sometimes a seller will tell you these things, or will tell you that the item is "sold as is". You can appreciate their honesty and be fully aware of the flaws. If you feel a seller is not disclosing enough facts about the item, there is a link on the top right hand of your buyer screen that says "contact the seller", or "ask the seller a question".  Do this!!  Don't be afraid to use this option.  I can't tell you how many times I have been so thankful that I asked before I bid. I think that once a seller is confronted with a question that pinpoints specifics, they KNOW they must answer completely and honestly, because of the FEEDBACK option, and because they realize they just can't simply lie or hide faults. I think E-bay made a great opportunity for us to "ask before you buy" option with the "ask the seller a question" option.

You can find GREAT deals on E-bay on Beanie Babies, better deals than ANYWHERE else.  Be sure to check out the E-Bay stores too.  That is usually where I find my best Beanie deals.

In using E-bay as your source for collecting Beanies, you will soon discover what I have.  There are lots of nice people out there collecting Beanies. Almost everyday, I get an email from another seller or buyer. They share information, give me great tips on selling and buying, and watch for particular Beanies I am looking for. So many have become friends through E-bay. What I love most is the group of people I've met on E-bay that love collecting Beanies like I do. We've not only become customers and sellers, some of us have actually become friends.  That is a benefit I never dreamed of!