You've all seen the Community heading at the top of every Ebay page before. But have you really explored what lies beneath that elusive clickable link?

Well, if you haven't then you definately should! Whether you are a buyer or seller, Ebay's community is a cornerstone of this great marketplace. Today I am going to write about just one aspect of the Community. And that is the Ebay GROUP.  To find your way there all you need to do is click on the Community link. From there, about halfway down the page, in Blue lettering, you will find a link to the groups.

Once you enter the world of groups, you could easily become overwhelmed. Don't let that stop you! All you need to do is figure which category best describes the type of interaction you are looking for. There are groups designated for:

                     Collectors              Sellers                Buying and Selling Help

                     Ebay News and Announcements    Groups of Ebayers in Your State

                                                       Personal Interest Groups

If there is a topic of interest for an Ebayer, there is a group for it! And new groups form everyday.

Ok, so now you know they exist. Great, but how does one join a group? Well, there are a couple of ways for this to happen. The first is to simply sign in the goup and the second is to be invited. Now groups are categorized in two other ways- Public and Private. A public group, is just that, open to anyone. Just sign in to this kind. Then there are private groups. These require an invitation, which will be sent to your email. The invitation will include a link to the group. So, how do you know if a group is private or public? In parenthesis after the groups name it will say!

Which group you choose depends entirely upon what you hope to get out of it. For instance, if you just want to know what's new with Ebay with up to the minute news, then you will want to browse here Search News . Now if you are an avid crafter, then this is where you would click Special Interests.

Once you have decided on a group, how can you make it work for you? First things first, always introduce yourself. There is always a Welcome New Members page in every group. You will see just how friendly people can be! As you look around the group, you will notice various Discussions - these are called threads. Find a thread that sounds interesting and jump right on in! Now you are on your way to making some on-line buddies. Great job!

Most groups have many similar threads available. There is usually a help thread, where members share their knowledge. You may be able to help or just learn. Either way is fun! There are also many games and just chat threads. As a buyer or seller, you can benefit from a thread that is common to most groups called Share Your Wares. What can be gained by this thread? Sellers can showcase their items and maybe add to their sales. And a buyer can buy from a seller they now feel they can trust!

Remember, these groups all consist of Ebayer's, like yourself! So, joining any group is a great way to get your Ebay questions answered.

These groups can lead to great friendships! I know because this how I have made so many wonderful friends! So what are you waiting for???? Click Here Now to find your perfect group!

I hope I have encouraged you to start looking into a group for yourself. Ebay can be so much more than just buying and selling. Ebay certainly is a community in itself!