Buying rare toys and other collectable items for that matter from a total stranger can be risky.  From my experience of buying and collecting, I can share with you some important steps that can help protect yourself from being scammed out of your money from fraudulent sellers.

YOUR FIRST STEPS!

On eBay, each item for sale includes a section that tells you the seller's total number of feedbacks and what percentage of them are positive (+ve).  It also discloses how long they've been a member.  This is a basic step that MUST BE DONE, but dig deeper:

• Click on the number to the seller's user ID to go to the feedback summary page.

• Read the comments and view the timeline to find out if the member has been a regular participant.

• Where most of the feedbacks the results of sales transactions ... with comments from buyers? (it's more difficult to get a feel for the person's performance as a seller if the majority of the feedback is for buying transactions.)

• Are the feedback comments from numerous buyers and sellers?  The more the better, since you want to make sure you are not reading the opinions of a small group of people (who could be friends.)

PAYING FOR YOUR PURCHASES!

• Pay-Pal which is owned by eBay is the most popular payment method that is used.  Pay-Pal transfers funds to sellers without revealing your credit card or bank account numbers to them.  Pay-Pal offers a degree of fraud protection ... read the details on their website.

• Most Credit Cards offer fraud protection by allowing you to dispute when goods are not received or not as  advertised.  

• Avoid sending personal cheques to unknown sellers ... you don't want your checking account numbers in the hands of someone you don't know.  A money order/cashier cheque is a better payment method for sellers who do not accept electronic funding (but funds using either methods are very difficult to recover if you encounter fraud.)

• Escrow services are sometimes used for high ticket items. You pay for the escrow service and they will hold the funds until the item is received.  Upon your OK, they then release the funds to the seller.  There are however, fraudulent escrow services out there, so make sure you use the one that is recommended and endorsed by eBay ... escrow.com 

• eBay recommends that you NEVER send cash or instant wire transfers such as Western Union to a seller.  Neither of these methods offers enough or any tracking information to locate a fraudulent seller.

MORE SAFETY TIPS!

• Make sure to check the shipping charges before you bid, because some sellers inflate or gouge shipping fees to increase their profit.  If the shipping cost is not listed, do not assume ... contact the seller and ask.

• Always contact the seller to ask questions about the item, it won't hurt.  Did the response come quickly?  Did the seller answer your question completely? 

• Read the sellers return policy, ask if the policy is not listed. 

• Check the seller's physical location and remember that international, overseas transactions are the most difficult to police.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!

Caveat emptor or better known as buyer beware! Sight unseen purchases from individuals are risky, no matter what precautions you take ... always keep that in mind when you are bidding.  Even with the popularity of eBay they are still millions of millions of people who would not purchase from on-line auctions because of the risks.  Always use common sense and try to verify what the seller is promising by doing some research by using the details provided below:

• Compare photos of the item with other simular items

• Are there other simular items for sale by other sellers?  If so, how do prices compare?  Are bidders shying away from certain sellers?

• When asked did the seller provided any additional photos to help verify authenticity?

• Does the seller seem knowledgable about the item?  Some people resell items they've bought without even verifying what they are advertising.

• It's always a good idea to cross check the items with online search engines such as Google or Yahoo!   

• For more great tips, read eBay's advice for Buyers as well as their helpful info under their Guides & Reviews sections.

Remember, if you don't feel comfortable about a listed item, don't bid.  If it's too good to be true, it usually is.  You can probably find the same item from a trusted eBay Power Seller,  maybe even perhaps locally, or through a reputable online merchant.  Be sure to have fun what ever you enjoy collecting, but don't take unnecessary risks unless you're prepared to deal with the frustrations of a poor transaction. 

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Thank you for your time, best of luck and God bless to all.