So you love the look of homemade jewelry but don't make it yourself?  eBay is definitely a resource for you!

You have to be careful when ordering jewelry from an unknown source, however.  What if you get it and it breaks a week later?  Are you going to ship it back, wait for it to be fixed and wait for it to be shipped again?  Do you want that hassle?

There are a few steps you can take to ensure a happy purchase.

1.  READ THE SELLER'S FEEDBACK - You can garner a lot of information from this feature of eBay.  Does the seller take a long time to ship?  Does the seller have an issue with broken clasps or shoddy craftsmanship?  Make sure and do your homework before committing.

2. REVIEW THE ENTIRE LISTING - Some folks have a picture of one item, but the description reads, "The bracelet up for auction looks exactly like this... but it is BLACK instead of the PINK item shown."  Take the time to ensure you are getting what you pay for.

3. RESEARCH SHIPPING COSTS - Its a shame that you have to do this, but some folks try to pass off a $10 shipping cost for a 3 oz. piece of jewelry.  For those of you who haven't ever shipped a package (THIS IS A SCAM.  YUK.)

4. ONCE YOU FIND A SELLER YOU LOVE, ADD THEM TO FAVORITES - If you know you can trust someone, do business with them again.  You have already established a working relationship and it will be easier to alleviate a problem in case one does occur.

5. SEARCHING FOR PRODUCTS - Utilize the search bar at the top of your screen.  Do you like seed beads and Swarovski crystal?  Type that in the search engine and go looking!  Sometimes sellers place a great find under a category you might never have thought to look!