The Rosary is a physical means to develop spiritually, typically used by Catholics, although Anglican versions are commonly found on eBay. The Catholic version is the one I'm considering in this guide. It is a string of 59 beads, circular with a pendant hanging, normally a Crucifix. Collecting rosaries can be fun, informative, and frustrating.

Here are some of the things to keep in mind when considering a rosary offered on eBay:

• Is there a picture of it? If you can't see the item, you're just taking someone's word. Sometimes, when the person is familiar with rosaries, there's no problem. But vague descriptions like "looks old" and "vintage" leave me looking elsewhere, unless I'm picking up very inexpensive items that I'll probably give away at church to the kids.
• Where is it coming from? If you're collecting, knowing who had it before is important. You may not get the name, but if you know it's coming from an estate in a particular location, or was owned by a nun in Belgium, you can get an idea of its age and possible material/quality. A note: the vast majority of crucifixes and centerpieces have "Italy" stamped on them. The part was made there; the rosary could have been made in Topeka.
• What's it made of? Plastic beads are usually fairly recent (within the past 40 years or so) and can vary in quality. Read descriptions carefully. The "emerald" in the title might become "emerald crystals" (typically a high-quality plastic or glass) in the description. Also some people use "silver" when "silver-tone" might be more accurate. Most people are trying to describe what they have as best they can, but if they don't handle rosaries or jewelry often they may not know what a difference the right word can make.
• How old is it? Unless the seller can tell you in general who had the rosary, they probably don't know how old it is. If the description gives the date 1830, what the seller may be going by is the date at the bottom of the centerpiece -- the Miraculous Medal, created in 1830. Brand new rosaries, if they have the MM, have that date as well.
• What's the price? Does it look worth what the seller wants? A rosary with a plastic crucifix and plastic beads strung on cord isn't going to be worth that much -- unless the seller has proof of something that makes it worthwhile. A crystal rosary with a certificate of authenticity from the Vatican that the Pope has blessed it can be worth hundreds of dollars; without the proof, maybe twenty.

Before you start collecting, get an idea of what sort of rosary you want (is crystal okay or do you only want semi-precious stones) and the basic price range you're willing to go (is 9.99 about right or do you think you need to wander in the 29.99 range). This gives you a jumping off point. Then, when something special comes along, you can decide on an individual basis.

Can you find rosaries worth collecting on eBay? YES!! Some of the ones I've found: WWI brass rosary; WWII bakelite (think of it as a pre-plastic plastic) rosary card; one that was generally blessed by Pope JP II (I just have this picture in my head of dump trucks full of items backing up to the window over the square in the Vatican, and the Pope leaning out, blessing the lot...) -- it didn't have documentation but was in the upper edges of my "range"; one made of stone from a pilgrim site in Europe; and one from Mexico, made of wood, with a little viewing hole in the center of the cross -- you hold it up to your eye and can see Mary as Our Lady of Guadalupe. And a great many others that caught my eye, because of the crucifix, or the beads.

Good luck and good hunting!