Hello again to all in the thrift store, antique shoppe, and estate sale realm!!

Ebay is easy if you know what you are doing and can be profitiable for many who are collectors of a wide variety of treasures!!  There are two ways to shop on eBay and each is unique in their own way.  The first is, of course, the auctions.  Which are wonderful and exciting to watch, but can be hard to win because some people who really want the items are able to place their highest maximum bid for the item and leave you placing bids at the last moment which never reach their high bid and frustrating if you lose the auction at the last moment.  And as the Queen of the Thrift Stores I can tell you that you might win, but somehow in the auction fever you realize you have won your item for a much greater amount than you ever intended to bid.  I, myself, have been caught up in the auction fever and paid more than I would have for my treasure than if I had been shopping in a store.  You have your cherished item, but you didn't get a bargain.  Frustrating, isn't it??!!  There is another way that eBay works that is sometimes overlooked, yet is really the best way to shop on-line.  It is buying directly from eBay stores!!

The reason that I love buying directly from the eBay store sellers, of which I am one, is simple.  The items that you find in the eBay stores have generally been the non-selling auction items that get placed in the seller's store.  Some of them haven't reached the seller's hidden reserve price or simply didn't get the exposure to the right buyers.  Simply put, it costs more to send items to auction than having them in your eBay store.  Thus, a huge quantity of wonderful treasures are simply in a holding pattern and can be easily found by visiting eBay stores!! 

Another reason that I enjoy shopping in eBay stores is the feeling of freedom and not the pressure of auction bidding.  You can peruse the seller's entire store without having to watch the clock on the auction that is ending.  Each seller who has a store on eBay is given the option of setting up their stores into categories of their choosing.  This is much like searching on eBay auctions and store categories are located on the left hand side of the store's homepage.  You can simply scroll down to a category that peaks your interest.  By clicking on the store category you will be taken directly to that store's selection of all their items for sale in that category. 

And the absolute best part of shopping in eBay stores is the fact that the price is set.  And from my experience the prices are usually lower than hidden reserve prices that the items have been listed for on their time at auction.  And getting a bargain is my favorite part of buying.  I usually list my store items at much lower prices than I would when placing them on the auction block.  It is like any brick and mortar store in that the seller needs to put some sale prices on items in order to move them out and bring in their new additions to their inventory.  Also, with the price being a fixed price you know exactly how much you are going to pay and not have the worry of losing your item to a higher bid.  Another benefit is not having to wait until the end of the auction to pay for your item and get it packaged and shipped quickly. 

I began buying and selling on eBay via the auction bidding only and it took me about six months to realize that I was overlooking a vast and mostly untapped way to shop on eBay...the eBay stores!!  Since I found the eBay stores, I rarely bid on the auctions at all anymore.  It is also a great way to get involved with other buyers and and sellers in the eBay community. 

Well, that is all for today for those in the bargain realm.  And HAPPY SHOPPING to all!! 

Welcome to my store!!