I've learned quite a bit the hard way in the last two months making numerous deals for merchandise labeled as "Made In," or shipped from China. I wouldn't begin to suggest that EVERYTHING made in China is junk - far from it - but I've learned to be wary, and I hope my misfortunes prevent you from having the same experiences.

First and foremost, if there is a sudden flood of any specific type of merchandise, BE WARY! If you see ten different sellers all showing the same product image, you know for a fact you're seeing what is - at best - a "representative" product shot - not an image of the actual item you would be buying. A dead giveaway that the products are junk is when you do a search for the item and find the above with auctions based out of the US, Australia, the UK, and China. Maybe all from the same seller offering the same item - but often just an overflow of junk product someone or several someones need to get rid of.

NOBODY is going to sell AUTHENTIC cultural antiques or antiquities for one penny (and no reserve price). To even risk this, you immediately know that either (a) a penny is precisely what the item is worth, (b) the seller will make their profit from outrageous shipping charges, and/or (c) the product description is inaccurate or a flat-out lie.

EXAMPLE: Looking for a pretty room divider screen made of wood, I found an amazing "Authentic Antique Chinese Room Divider", which I won for one penny, and was then charged nearly $200 in shipping! Worst of all, when it arrived, it was NOT a ROOM divider - it was only about 14" tall! It wasn't even a DESK divider! The "Genuine Chinese Jade Sphere" was cheap green glass - obvious upon first sight, but not looking at the auction images. "Pure Silver Pendant with Genuine Pearl" was, in fact, silver-plated with a cheap paste fake of a pearl.

It's embarrassing! After all the years I've been on eBay - after the advice I have given others NEVER to get carried away on an auction and fail to get a FIRM shipping price before bidding and thoroughly check out the seller before buying... I got excited LIKE A SUCKER and bid on a mountain of garbage. Every bit of it turned out to be from the exact same source, though the auctions were listed under different seller names and locations. Everything I purchased came in one box that would cost US$40 to ship. All told, I paid well in excess of $300 for shipping. Should have taken my own advice!

DO NOT fall for the "I don't speak English very well, so I give you friend price of $XX" The bottom line is no matter how vague, misleading, or just plain dishonest  the listing language was, once you win the auction, you are legally bound to pay up. In my case, every single item arrived either broken beyond repair, or nothing like the "genuine, authentic" item it was purported to be. File a complaint? Get a refund?  Sure! For the full ten cents I paid winning all 10 one-penny auctions. The $300 shipping charges I had overlooked in my haste? NON-REFUNDABLE! It's a brilliant way to assure that no matter how crappy the junk you sell is, you won't ever lose on complaints or refunds. I'm $300 poorer and have a nice little collection of garbage that is worth the penny I paid for each item.

Live and learn ... and NEVER let yourself get so anxious to snag a good deal that you fail to read the fine print.

One more thing ... I've purchased a couple thousand dollars-worth of leather also labeled "Made in China". Every piece of it is flawed or damaged in some significant way, and I can't sell it. If you have to go overseas for your leather goods, try Pakistan. They put out a surprisingly good product. (Harley Davidson leathers are all also "Made in China", and are of excellent quality ... but you will pay dearly for that name.)