Genealogy is more than a hobby.  It is the preservation of history, and more importantly the preservation of your family's history and heritage. 

Ebay can be a powerful tool in searching and compiling family history.  A quick search of "genealogy" on ebay will provide you with genealogy software, antiquated maps, research charts and forms,  census records, reference books, organizational tools, and you can even purchase your family coat of arms personalized with your family name.    

This guide will teach you how to use ebay to research your family history and will prove beneficial to the beginning genealogist as well to the most advanced historian. 

Genealogy starts at home.  Grab a notebook and write down as much family history as you can remember.  Where did your Grandmother say she grew up?   When did your Grandfather come to America?   Secondly, visit relatives.  Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, and even your parents will hold the key to unlocking your family history.  Write down the questions you feel are important to your research so you never forget to ask any questions.  Most families have marriages, births, and deaths recorded in Bibles so do not forget to ask when you are interviewing relatives.

Your next step is to purchase charts and research forms.  These can easily be found on ebay.  These charts are extremely useful when visiting the Latter Day Saints Research Center, libraries, or courthouses.  Believe it or not, your Grandmother, Minerva Tuttenhousen, most likely had a cousin, a Grandmother or an Aunt with the same name.  Dates are very important when organizing your data. 

Another important tool that should be purchased in the start of your research is genealogy software.  As genealogy has grown in popularity, family tree software has advanced and should be used by every genealogist.  Software such as Family Tree Maker and Legacy Family Tree are excellent programs that can be purchased on ebay for a great price. 

Once you have information on immediate family members, examine their stories and information as a detective searching for clues.  If your Great Grandmother grew up in Two Egg, Florida, a trip to a family history center or library for a census record look up will provide you with her parents names and the names of her siblings.  Listed on census records are more clues.  It lists parents place of birth, their parents place of birth, occupation, heritage, property values, etc.   

However, if you cannot access a library, or as we all know libraries are under funded and the reference department usually is not high on the list of priorities, you can purchase census records from ebay as well.  There are websites with access to online census records such as ancestry.com or genealogy.com.  However, these are subscription services and the average cost is $25.00-$55.00 monthly. 

When researching your family history, you will find the proverbial "brick wall".  This happens to all family researchers and is to be expected.  Don't be dismayed, there are many websites available for research and are free to utilize.  Genforum.com allows the genealogist to post or review messages relating to family history based on the surname.  Many times family history was started by another family member and their descendents are researching as well.  

If you are fortunate enough to have a reference room at your library with an abundance of reference material, the books cannot be taken from the library, only copied at about $.25 a copy.  Want to get your hands on the book that mentions your 5th great grandfather?  Look on ebay.  The reference books for sale on ebay are endless.  It's always wonderful to start your own family history library and ebay makes that possible.

Another great source of information when researching family trees is to know your geography.  State boundaries changed as well as counties and townships evolved during the formation of the United States.  Just because you have a deed from the courthouse that gives the legal description for your 4th Great Grandfathers property, what was once New York, now may possibly be in New Jersey.  That would explain why you can't find him on a census record based on his address.  Maps show an evolution of the United States.  A map of Georgia from 1830 may show 14 counties but a map in 1910 may show 31.  Never underestimate the power of a map from the era of an ancestor you are researching.  Ebay is a great resource for maps, current and antique.  They are also beautiful for framing!   

Now that you have your information how should it be preserved?  There are many books on preserving and recording family history that can be purchased from ebay.  One tip is to always make sure that you store your information in waterproof, low humidity environments and above all always use acid free and linen free supplies.  Your future generations will appreciate it.

Another quickly growing hobby is scrapbooking!  Why not scrapbook your family tree?  "How to" books can be found as well as scrapbooking supplies by typing the word "scrapbooking" under the category of crafts.  This would truely leave a legacy of love for future generations to enjoy.