Whether you're buying for resale or to collect, a good understanding of the workings of the eBay marketplace will help you get started.  Here are a few good tips to get you started.

1.  Don't search on the popular term "lot".

Everybody else out there is searching for lots.  Therefore items with "lot" in the title are easier to find and have higher traffic.  Sellers who mistakenly didn't put the term in their listing title will find their item sells for less.  There are a few tricks to finding lots without using the term "lot" in your search.

2.  Search on commonly used terms other people don't search for

If you're searching for boys' pants for example, you can search on "pair boys pants" or "pairs boys pants" in titles only.  This will turn up all the listings that had these terms in the title.  These will sell for less than items with "lot boys pants" in the title.  Another example is if you're searching for magazines, search on "issues magazines" or "issues magazine" rather than "lot magazine".  Even a number will often turn up a lot of great listings, such as "100 postcards."

3.  Use boolean language

Boolean search language is actually very easy to learn and can make your searches much more effective.  Here are the meanings of common boolean search commands.

To search on two or more keywords that are present, place keywords with a space between them:  European postcards unused
To search on items with a specific exact phrase, place keywords in quotation marks: "The New Yorker Magazine"
To exclude a word, place a minus sign in front of it: shirts -shirt
To exclude multiple words, place a minus sign in front of the keywords in parentheses: photoshop -(training,tutorial,mastering)
To search on one term or another, place the terms in parentheses: (dvd,vhs,blu-ray)
To search on items with a term starting with a string of letters: record*
To search on items that contain only one spelling of a word: "tray"
To search on items that match exact words: "porcelain" figure

These commands are important to know, because eBay expands your search automatically to include variant spellings of terms, for example returning both the singular and the plural form of the search term.  This can result in too many search results.  If you don't want eBay to expand your search you can use the tips above to narrow your search.

4.  Search in titles and descriptions

This will expand your search significantly, so choose your terms carefully.  What we're specifically looking for here is somebody who forgot to put popular search terms in the title but did put them in the listing description.  For example, if you're looking for a Spongebob Squarepants backpack, you could search on this term in titles and descriptions.  Then look through your results for the items which do not have Spongebob Squarepants in the title.  Also search on variants such as Sponge Bob Square Pants, Spongebob Square Pants, Sponge Bob Squarepants, Sponge Bob, etc., and continue varying your search terms until you find something you like for the price you want to pay.

5.  Search in all categories

Sometimes sellers put items in the wrong category.  This essentially destroys their traffic, and their sales are much lower.  If you know how to find them, you can save a lot of money.  When searching in all categories, it's important to use very specific search terminology.  "Danielle Steel" will get you better results than romance novel.

6.  Use an auction sniper

Auction snipers are essential for keeping your final price down.  Most people bid well in advance of the end of the auction.  Then other people who also want the item come and just bid them over their maximum, driving up the price.  Most auction snipers bid in the last seven seconds of the auction, and some provide outbid alerts and other updates on how the auction is progressing.  Check our About Me page to see what we recommend.  Set your price low, and snipe on multiple similar auctions.  Keep sniping until you win one for the price you want to pay, and don't be afraid to let it go if the bidding goes too high.

7.  Search for poorly described auctions

Poorly described auctions with poor pictures generally sell for less.  You can ask the seller for more details, and better pictures toward the end of the auction, and even if the seller puts the question and answer in the listing it probably isn't going to generate more traffic or bids. 

8.  Look for sparse titles

As a general rule, people who put a single, lonely keyword in the listing title get less money for their items than people who use every keyword and character at their disposal.  Therefore the listing "Hairdryer" will sell for less than "Remington Chrome ProAir Ionic Hairdryer Pro Hair Dryer." 

9.  Look for titles with irrelevant keywords

If the seller is wasting keywords on terms like "LQQK!" "WOW!" "BUY IT NOW" "COOL!" and other terms nobody searches on, they will sell their item for less.  Consider taking a look at these listings to see if they have the product you're looking for.

10.  Look for items with shipping unspecified

Sellers who fail to specify shipping get less traffic than those who clearly state what their charges are.  This can create a boon for you.  Ask the seller what the shipping is within a couple of days of the end of the auction, and then watch it carefully.

11.  Watch items in My eBay

It's very important to watch items in My eBay to get the best prices.  Never, ever bid early on an auction.  Whether you snipe manually, or use a sniping service or software program, keeping track of your watched item list and waiting until the end of the auction is very important to getting the best price for your item.  Try letting some of the items go without bidding on them.  Then check your Watched Items for ended listings to see what the items are tending to sell for.  Is there a particular seller who's consistently selling for less?  Check out their listings or store.

12.  Check local items

Use the yellow field on the left to search on local items.  Specify how far you're willing to travel to get your item.  Then question the seller to see if they will allow local pickup. Many sellers will gladly agree, since they're making little or nothing on shipping and you're saving them a lot of trouble, too. If they state they charge shipping and handling for local pickup, drop them cold!

13.  Check the seller's other items

Check the seller's other items page or store inventory.  Always be sure to question in advance or check their policies to see what conbined shipping is.  There are lots of sellers out there who charge fair prices to combine shipping and are more than happy to give you a great deal to make a sale.

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