Not all mystery auctions are bad, you just have to be careful!

I recently read another guide that was about mystery boxes & envelope scams.  It said it was a "must read" guide so I of course decided to read it.  Then after some of the initial harsh words, I REREAD IT over and over again to make sure I was actually reading it correctly.

The author of that guide apparently had gotten "suckered in" to a mystery auction which is very easily done because some of them offer things that sound like fantastic deals.  I have seen some auctions regarding "estate liquidation" and "recent finds" and things.  I recently bought a fairly large box of unopened packs of baseball cards.  Now just so you understand, I am not pointing out one individual seller of unopened baseball cards because quite frankly, there are more than a dozen individual sellers out there with the same claim that they recently acquired a collection, or their boyfriend or spouse cheated and now they are going to sell of the cheaters' baseball card collections etc.  Anyway, I purchased 2 items worth of the cards for roughly 20ish bucks plus shipping, not solely based on the claim that there was probably, possibly, or potentially one or more rookie cards worth big money (ok...so that did sound inviting).  One of the main reasons for my purchase was the sellers ability to step into MY world for a minute and show me something that no amount of money could buy.  The seller made one simple statement about the cards.  Their statement was something along the lines of; Just think of how much fun the whole family will have when they sit together going through each pack and looking up each card for it's value.  That one comment made me smile and made me realize that the thought actually had to have come from the seller sitting down with his/her own childern and looking through cards.  It was the personal touch that "made" me buy not one, but TWO sets to the total of about 400 individual baseball cards.  Did I get special "rookie card"?...no.  Did I get a rare misprinted card worth big huge bucks?....No.  Did I get anything good in the whole box of cards?..... 

YES

First, I got tired of looking up baseball cards by about the 350th card,  but most importantly I gained two things.  One was a big grin from ear to ear as I got the package, gingerly opened it, took out each card pack, felt the waxy residue on my fingers from opening each pack, all while closing my eyes and remembering that I used to do this very same thing as a child.  The second thing I gained was an understanding that not everything is about money earned and money lost and that if you stop everything and have fun once in a while, even at some expense to you, you will find yourself happier, less stressful, and heck, you might even live longer too.

My advice to you on eBay Mystery Auctions?  Read them carefully, and as with EVERY item you purchase online, read all the details before you get yourself legally bound to a contractual purchase that could cost you more than you can afford to or are willing to pay.  Another good piece of advice for all you mystery item bidders out there is that just like anything else in life, it is a gamble.  Only bid what you can afford to lose, because even with some "regular" auctions here on eBay you could just as easily be ripped off.

Happy bidding to all you new bidders and even the seasoned eBayers out there!

P.S.

I have since sold a small bundle of thumbtacks for $10.50 in my own mystery auction (and the winning bidder is receiving MORE than his money's worth sent along with the package.

I am also the recent proud purchaser of 1 single standard Q-Tip for a grand total of $40.00.  I can hardly wait to see what my bonus is when she sends it.  Oh?  and Yes, I am framing the Q-tip.