There are many different options when choosing craft wire.  Here's a brief overview of wire options and how to buy craft wire on eBay.

Wire Hardness

There are three different forms of wire hardness.  These are dead soft, half-hard, and full-hard.

• Dead soft wire is extremely soft and pliable.  It can be bent with your hands. Dead soft wire is great for wire-sculpted jewelry but shouldn’t be used with large or heavy stones.  Also, remember that dead soft wire is significantly more fragile than a harder wire. 
• Half-hard wire is slightly harder than dead soft wire.  This is because it has been pulled through a draw plate.  A draw plate is a tool.  The draw plate has holes the same size and shape of the wire.
• Full-hard wire is pulled through the draw plate more times than the half-hard wire making it stiffer and sturdier.  The harder the wire, the more tools you will need to manipulate it.

Wire Shape

Wire comes in a variety of shapes.  These include round, square, and half-round. Although round wire tends to be more versatile, square and half-round wire is wonderful too. Half round wire is often wrapped around other pieces of wire to connect them whereas square wire is great for wire-wrapping projects.

Wire Size

There are many different wire sizes.  The higher the gauge number, the smaller the wire is in diameter.  For example, a 20 gauge piece of wire thicker than a 24 gauge piece of wire.  In the United States, wire is measured in gauge while wire size is measured in millimeters in most European countries.  Below is just a basic list.

• 26 – 24 gauge (.40mm - .50mm)
  This size wire is great for beads with tiny holes. An ounce of 26 gauge wire gives you about 76 feet of wire whereas an ounce of 24 gauge wire gives you about 48 feet of wire.
• 22 – 21 gauge (.65mm - .71mm)
  22 and 21 gauge wire is a necessity to have around as they are pretty thick and can be used with most beads.  One ounce of 22 gauge wire gives you about 31 feet whereas one ounce of 21 gauge wire is about 24 feet of wire.
• 20 gauge (.80mm)
  This is a thick wire. 20 gauge wire is great for making clasps and other pieces of jewelry which need to be strong but still easy to work with. One ounce of 20 gauge wire gives you about 19 feet.

Find Craft Wire on eBay

Once you know the craft wire you want, start searching under the eBay crafts category.

• Categories: The primary Categories list gives links to related listings. For example, if you search for crafts, you'll find links to metalworking, scrapbooking and other categories. There are also subcategory lists.
• Product Finder: The drop-down menus on a Product Finder allow you to search listings based on specific criteria.
• Keyword search: Search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find 20 gauge craft wire, type "20 gauge craft wire" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. eBay also has a  Search Tips page to help you choose keywords.
• If you can't find the craft wire you want, try shopping eBay Stores for craft wire.  You can also creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay.  eBay will email you when a match is made.  

Buy Craft Wire with Confidence

Before purchasing your craft wire, make sure you know exactly what you're buying. Always research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know Your Craft Wire

• Read the item details carefully when looking for craft wire.
• Figure delivery costs into the final purchase price. If you’re spending a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the craft wire when it ships.
• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.
• Always complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). If you buy outside of eBay it won’t be covered by eBay protection programs.
• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram.

Know Your Seller

• Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about buying.
• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?
• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?
• Most top eBay sellers have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are their terms and conditions?

Buyer Protection

• ebay and PayPal are there for you if a problem arises while purchasing your craft wire.
• When you buy through PayPal, the seller never sees your bank account or credit card numbers.  PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments. PayPal Buyer Protection covers your purchase for up to $1,000.
• eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.