In Life we always try to look for a bargain, and most of the time the best way to get a bargain is at an auction, rumage sale, ect.  But, before you make that purchase that you believe is a true "steal"  do some research for what you are looking for.

Many place are online now with merchandise that you can buy in the stores.  If you find a shirt on Ebay or any other auction site, look at the store where it originally comes from, find out what the actual cost may be if you bought it brand new directly.  Then return back to Ebay or to the other auction site, find out if it would be worth buying at the auction or if you went to the store and bought it direct. 

This also works well for those who collect stamps, coins or any kind of rare merchandise.  Look in your area or online and research what you are looking for.  I for instance collect Silver Morgan Dollars.  I have found that depending on where you go, you might find a better deal at an auction.  But, the other thing that I have found out by doing research is that, when buying from an auction, I don't have the opportunity to visibly check for flaws.  So, depending on how many flaws are in the item upon receipt from the auction, depends on the value that it is worth.

Researching what is popular is also a great tip.  If you know what other people are looking for that tells you where to avoid.  Especially if you are like me and are looking to save money and not spend more than the actual store price. 

Back before computers became as popular as they are today, there was a saying "Let your fingers do the walking".  That still can apply to today's day and age.  Let your fingers surf the net and see if you are making a correct decision or not.  Research is a key to making the most out of your money.  Think of an auction as making a purchase of a car.  You wouldn't go into a car lot blindfolded and pick a car then pay for it without the knowledge of what the car looked like, type of mileage it gets or brand.  So don't do that at an auction either.  Go make a little effort to make sure that your money isn't being wasted.