(After reading this and you find it was interesting and or helpful, let me know by voting! Thanks so much!!)

  I am writing this guide for the simple reason I hope to help someone. I have received lots of advice when I first came to Ebay, but also learned alot the hard way, on  my own. So, I hope by sharing this little bit of advice I can do some good.

Buying:
My advice for anyone buying on Ebay is to always look at feedback and shipping costs "before" bidding. But with the new feedback rules, percentage scores can be deceiving.  I used to never buy from anyone under 99% but with the new way feedback is scored, I really encourage you to look into their feedback and read it. I have changed my thoughts on how low a score needs to be because it  may simply be 1 neutral or 1 negative in 12 months. And if the seller's score is high thats really not bad at all. So give the sellers a break, read their feedbacks! Also, I would recommend reading the full description and all the sellers info throughout the page, and what payment types they take. I also like to buy several auctions from the same buyer. You can save tons in shipping this way!  I buy and sell only with Paypal myself, as this is convient and protective for me. And in the past I've had difficulty getting buyers to send their moneyorders on time. Sometimes it takes them weeks to mail them. So, I personally no longer take them. But alot of sellers do, and this may be a better option for you. (And there has been counterfeiting of moneyorders my bank informed me recently.  Therefore it can take up to 10 days for one to clear, and I need my money sooner than that.) I sell alot on Ebay to help with bills. But, also to buy with. I actually got started selling on Ebay when I started buying clothes for my children and realized, Hey! I can sell their clothes they've outgrown to help pay for the new clothes I'm buying! Then it just became an addiction. But in todays economy I can't say I can drive around with fuel prices sky rocketing and find bargains like the ones I find on Ebay. And yes, postage has gone up, but if you read the auctions shipping costs, you will soon realize which buyers are charging reasonable fees and which are outrageous. I like to go through many auctions and save them in my "watching auctions" area so I can go back later and decide which are the best deals and which ones I like the most. Then I bid. Also you can do a search and save it. You will then receive emails  on those types of auctions as soon as they are listed. This gives you the upside to them before others get to them. One more thing, if you find a seller you seem to like alot, or have had a good experience with, save them to your "favorite sellers" areas and you can also receive emails on their auctions as soon as they're posted too! My favorite sellers page is completely full! I love getting packages in the mail! Recently I lost my job due to the economy so Ebay has become full time for me. And let me tell you, it's ALOT of work. So, please keep that in my when shopping. Sellers go to alot of effort to sell to you. There is a large majority of stay at home moms trying to help at best they can. I am one of them. Just use common sense when shopping and have a great time! Good luck bidding!

Selling:
My advice on selling. Common sense plays a big factor. Anything you sell absolutey must have good clear pictures. On my clothing lots I provide tons of pictures. Buyers wanna see what they're getting. Wouldn't you? I hate it when I see an auction title that draws me in to big pile of "something", or a picture that is so blurry no one an make it out. What is it? I might've bid on it if I could've seen what I was getting. And then there's the sideways pictures. You can turn your pictures and crop them on your computer when you upload them. I have not seen a camera software yet that doesn't provide this option, and I own 3 digital cameras.  It just makes the buyer have more confidence in you as a seller. I like to use a image host. This enables me to put up lots of pictures for free, and use really awesome templates. I use sellersourcebook.com. It cost $8 a month. Use as many pictures as you want and it costs nothing to list them on Ebay. Also, I think a well written description says it all. Spellcheck! State your do's and don'ts. Brand! Very important. New or used. Combined shipping, on not.  Stained or torn? Excellent Used Condition, or more commonly abbreviated, EUC. New with, or without tags. Alot of people have animal allergies. So, I  list that I do have animals in my home. Packaging is also something to be looking at when mailing an auction to someone. I almost always use Priority Mail packaging which you can order FREE online at USPS.COM. They come right to your front door with the mail! Priority is a little higher in cost, but here's my point of view on that....If I ship parcel (which is cheaper) I have to find a box,  (hopefully a free one or I wind up buying one for about $3.00) buy packing tape, markers for writing on box with, and then drive it to the post office. Now you can see this adds up. But I do use parcel when my lots are large, and priority I feel is gonna be ALOT higher in shipping costs for my buyer. Priority flat rate boxes are my favorite. I can go online to the auction I sold and print out a shipping label for free! And the mailperson will pick them up for free. I also get free tracking through Paypal (which is .50 cents extra at the post office) and if you get a buyer who says they  never received their package, well Paypal will request a tracking number for their dispute. You'll have it, or else the buyer could walk away with a refund for no proof of shipping/delivery. Good good idea.  Priority takes 2-3 days and if it's a flat rate box, it's the same cost regardless what part of the country it goes to, or how much it weighs. Parcel takes 2-9 days and costs vary according to zone your shipping to, and weight.  Now, I  must address another issue-the new feedback rules. Ugh. I'm not pleased with this one bit as a seller, or even as buyer. Buyers can leave you neutral or negative, but as a seller you can no longer leave anything but positive. There are some buyers, in my opinion, who just simply need to be alerted to other sellers that they are very difficult to please, or want a refund plus get to keep the clothes, or just hateful rude nonpaying bidders. Believe me, I've dealt with some doozies. But, I must say over 99% of my buyers are beautiful, happy, pleasant, polite people with good common sense. But then I get one or two every couple years who........Oh my! I'm not even gonna address the rudeness.  So, don't let anyone discourage you, this can be a great experience. Just please, beware as a seller! And forgive and forget. I do have a few past customers I chat with online who have become very good friends and I enjoy this so much! And I am also a Christian so with each package I mail out, I send a personal prayer for the individual who receives it and their families. I can't do much but this I can do for people in this hard time we're having. God bless you all! Good luck selling!