When looking through items to purchase, it is often confusing, especially when there are multiple people selling the item you are looking for.  So, how can we, as consumers, choose which seller to make our purchase from?  From Feedback to Pictures to Communication and Shipping, there are a lot of things which will help you to differentiate between one seller and another.   Hopefully, some of my suggestions that I've used myself will help you to decide.

1. FEEDBACK:   See how long it took between the time an item of your seller's sold and the time the buyer received it through their feedback (give some leeway for buyers who don't give feedback quickly, or ever)  Was the buyer satisfied?  Did they mention the seller directly as in saying, "prompt shipment," "quality product," etc.?  Sometimes a seller can "load" his/her feedback with purchases they've made and 'look" good in their numbers, but haven't really sold a lot of the merchandise like the kind you're looking at.  Private Feedback is a key that you didn't want to read it or you would never buy from this person, in most cases.  Don't just read the comments, but check out the merchandise that was bought/sold.  What was it that they were happy about.  If you are wanting to buy an authentic GUCCI bag and all of your seller's feedback is about Super Nintendo, you may want to ask some questions.

2. THE AD:   Look at the advertisement itself carefully.  Did the seller take good pictures, write a clear description, and put EFFORT into the selling of the merchandise?  Did they spell things correctly?  Does the ad demonstrate the seller's knowledge of the product?  If so, you are more likely to receive a quality product and have good customer service because the seller cares about what he/she does, has pride in his/her merchandise, and wants to represent it clearly and effectively for you, the buyer. Sellers pay a LOT of money to place ads, and each extra thing they do in their ad adds to the cost to them and takes away from their profit.  However, a good seller will want to take the time and spend a little more if what they have is authentic, in great condition, etc.  You always have a choice in whether you want to shop at a 'Thrifty's' or a high-end retailer.  However, don't expect high-end quality merchandise from 'Thrifty's." 

3.  PHOTOGRAPHS:  Photographs can be stolen, unfortunately, and if you see one photograph of an item used 5, 10, 20 times and it is exactly the same and their price is lower than everyone else, I can almost guarantee that 'someone' has stolen the photograph and is selling something you don't want.  The old adage, "you get what you pay for" will ring true here.  Ask that seller a question:  "Is the item I'm receiving the one in the photograph?"  If you get a response, judge how it sounds.  A one word answer?  Odd word placement?  No response?  When the seller  has several photographs in their listing, it has cost them more money to do that.  Each photo adds to their cost.  Some items, of course, only need one photo.  You only need to see one photograph of a box of detergent to know what it is.  But, most items, need more detail.  The underside, the back side, the inside.  Don't you want to see the item fully before purchasing?  Therefore, if a seller just has one, or often none, they are more about profit than providing service, clear description, and quality merchandise.  In fact, if your seller has a good product, they will WANT to show it off, represent it beautifully, and write all they can about it. If you WANT to pay $50.00 or $90.00 for a fake Coach bag, then buy from sellers whose feedback is private or inflated, whose location is China or the Far East, and whose listings have minimal photos and misspellings. 

4. COMMUNICATION is KEY to success on ebay from the buyer AND the seller.  It is YOUR responsibility as a buyer to communicate your needs, your intentions, and to ask the questions you need to ask so that you are happy with what you've purchased.  There are outstanding opportunities on ebay to purchase incredibly beautiful, useful, and hard-to-find items and many of the sellers are hard working people doing what they love and sharing that with you.  It is up to you, the buyer, to seek quality, service, communication, and value in your purchases.

5.  THE LITTLE EXTRAS (Random Acts of Kindness):  How much does it cost to be kind and thoughtful?  Look for sellers who 'speak' to you in writing in a pleasant way, who return e-mails, and who communicate with you respectfully.  You will end up having a pleasant experience on ebay and will, more than likely, tell others about your good experience, instead of the horror stories we've all heard.  Be nice back, too.  Sellers love to hear your wonderful comments and that you are happy with what they've sold to you.  They are busy typing, photographing, packaging, and waiting...when your little kind thought comes through to them...well, it just makes this entire experience so much better!