This guide is just some tips/hints that I've learned from being on ebay in the last 5-6 years when it comes to buying basketball cards.  I first learned of ebay and gathered some hints/tips from an article in Yahoo magazine.  Since than I have learned a ton of different things that affect the price of auctions, from the day of the week, time of the day, the description, pictures, the Title, S&H, etc.  These are some of the main things to look for in an auction when you are buying:

1. What is the date of the auction?  The date and time of an auction is very important.  Most auctions go for more on weekends than mid-week, evenings command higher premiums than mid-day or very early in the morning auctions.  A lot of the auctions I win are ones that are from 1-4:30 in the afternoon central time, when lots of people are at work.  You will decide which times will work best for you to try and win auctions and this may be influenced by work, family, hobbies, etc.  However this may not apply to winning auctions with rare or premium valued cards, you may have to try and take what you can get.
2. What is the seller's feedback rating?  I'd feel a lot safer buying from someone who has 99-100% positive feedback and lots of it than someone who just joined ebay or has only a few feedbacks.  I have still won auctions from low feedback sellers, but it's sometimes risky, which is why it is also nice to read the seller's About Me page (although they can lie as it is over the internet, so be careful).  Also check to make sure they have some activity for sure in the last 6 months, hopefully some in the last month.  If the seller hasn't sold anything in 6 months and they have a card worth more than gold on ebay it could easily be a trap.  But it could also be a college kid like me who has had a busy summer and can't take the time to sell until they get back into school.  Check to see if any of the feedbacks are from trusted, returning buyers as that may be a good sign that the seller is trustworthy.
3. How much is the seller charging for shipping?  The usual amount of shipping I've found is about $2-$3 for a single card, some charge $4-$5 to make sure they pay for their card and fees.  The higher the amount of shipping the lower the bid is usually how it goes.  Auctions with FREE shipping seem to go for a lot more than the other auctions, as FREE causes people to overbid.  For instance, I have bought cards serial #'d to 75 or more that go for $10 + $3 S&H while the same card may get up to $18 in bids with FREE S&H.  So I look for the auctions with decent to high shipping costs as I can sometimes win them for a lower overall cost.  Also check for auctions that include or have the option for delivery confirmation, a helpful thing to track items in the mail to make sure the seller actually shipped the card and gets delivered.
4. What kind of description is there?  Which auction description would you rather bid on?  "This auction is for a 04-05 Topps Chrome Ben Gordon RC.  Shipping is $3.00."  or  "This auctions is for a 04-05 Topps Chrome Ben Gordon RC in mint condition!  Card went directly from pack into a soft sleeve and into a top loader.  This RC is centered very nicely, check out the scan.  Shipping is $3.00 for First Class in the US in a bubble mailer."  They may very well be the exact same cards in almost exactly the same condition and shipped exactly the same.  But the auction with the great description will get the most bids because of how well written it is.  Bidding on the auction with the lesser description might get you your card for less cost, but it might also be a card in only near mint condition while the other is in mint.
5. Are their any features that make the auction stand out?  Is the auction title bolded or highlighted or outlined?  Does it have a picture (increases sales 11-17% on average)?  How about a sub title?  All of these will usually raise the amount of the bid because of the exposure it receives compared to other cards offered without these features.  Sometimes there will be one of these 10 minutes after the same card without features and will go for 10-30% more because of this.  I stay away from these auctions if I can help it because I know that almost everyone else will have seen the auction that want to bid on the card.  This does not always hold true as there are many variables, so you will have to see what works best for you.

I hope some of these hints have been helpful to you.  If you have some hints/tips you'd like me to add to this guide let me know through email.  Best of luck,

Kyle Gosline

ebay user: kylegosline

updated: 7-17-06