Buying and Selling Antiques and Collectibles on eBay

by Wiggins, Pamela Y.

• ISBN13: 9781592004997
• ISBN10: 1592004997
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-09-01
• Publisher: Cengage Learning Ptr

Summary

If you’re searching for one-of-a-kind collectibles, eBay offers a wealth of resources—right at your fingertips. "Buying & Selling Antiques and Collectibles on eBay" is the guide you need for conducting in-depth research, finding antiques online, and making intelligent bids, and for avoiding bad buys with insider tips on savvy bidding strategies. Are you interested in selling a rare antique on eBay? Find out how you can set up shop as you learn about taking and posting photos, writing catchy descriptions, setting your starting price, and standing out in the competitive eBay marketplace. Whether you’re searching for the buy of a lifetime or looking for the highest offer on the items you’ve listed, "Buying & Selling Antiques and Collectibles on eBay" gives you the skills you need to meet your goals quickly and hassle-free.

Author Biography

Pamela Y. Wiggins is a freelance writer and public relations professional

Table of Contents

Introduction	xiii
PART 1 An Introduction to eBay for Buyers and Sellers	1	(46)
Chapter 1 Getting Started	3	(24)
Life before eBay	3	(3)
eBay Today	6	(1)
Live versus eBay	7	(1)
Registering with eBay	8	(4)
Setting Up a PayPal Account	12	(15)
Adding a Credit or Debit Card to Your PayPal Account	19	(1)
Associating a Bank Account with Your PayPal Account	20	(1)
Transferring Funds to Your PayPal Account	21	(6)
Chapter 2 Research: Don't Buy or Sell Without It	27	(20)
What Exactly Is an Antique?	27	(3)
How Does an Antique Differ from a Collectible?	30	(1)
Making Informed Buying Decisions	31	(8)
Don't Miss the Mark (Other Important Research Tips)	32	(3)
Detecting Reproductions	35	(3)
Condition Issues	38	(1)
Developing an Eye for Quality	39	(1)
Online Resources for Researching Antiques	40	(7)
PART II Buying Antiques and Collectibles on eBay
Chapter 3 Finding Antiques and Collectibles on eBay	47	(18)
Browsing eBay by Category	47	(5)
Bookmarking Categories on eBay	48	(3)
Running a Category Search	51	(1)
Browsing the New Today and Ending First Listings	51	(1)
Making the Most of eBay's Search Features	52	(13)
eBay's Search Feature	54	(1)
eBay's Additional Search Options	55	(3)
Assessing eBay's Search Options	58	(3)
Searching by Seller, Searching by Bidder	61	(3)
Saving a Search	64	(1)
Chapter 4 Buyer Be Aware: What to Know Before You Bid	65	(24)
Do Your Research before You Bid	65	(1)
Assessing a Listing	66	(9)
Deciphering Listing Descriptions	66	(5)
Freeze Frame: Assessing Photos	71	(3)
Questions, Questions, and Yet More Questions	74	(1)
Conducting Completed Listings Searches:
Is It Really a Bargain on eBay?	75	(4)
Assessing the Seller	79	(10)
Using Feedback to Gauge a Seller's Integrity	80	(3)
Viewing the Seller's ID History	83	(6)
Chapter 5 Bidding Strategies	89	(20)
Using the Watch List	89	(1)
Placing the Traditional Proxy Bid	90	(5)
Reserve-Price Auctions	93	(1)
Dutch Auctions	94	(1)
To Snipe or Not to Snipe	95	(6)
Manual Sniping at No Cost	97	(1)
Using a Sniping Service	98	(3)
Retracting a Bid	101	(1)
Shopping with Buy It Now	102	(2)
Enjoying eBay Live Auctions	104	(2)
Tracking Your Auctions with the My eBay Page	106	(3)
Chapter 6 I Won an Auction! Now What?	109	(18)
Stepping through the Buy	109	(1)
Buyer/Seller Communication	110	(2)
Payment Details	112	(5)
Clicking the Pay Now Button	112	(5)
After the Merchandise Arrives	117	(1)
Filing a Claim with the USPS	117	(1)
Addressing Condition Issues	118	(1)
Leaving Feedback	118	(6)
Managing Your Buys	124	(1)
Managing Your eBay and PayPal Accounts	125	(2)
Chapter 7 Working Through the Bad Buy	127	(26)
What If Your Package Never Arrives?	127	(3)
Your Merchandise Arrived, But It's Not Up to Snuff: Stepping through Dispute Resolution	130	(20)
Step 1: Review the Item Description	131	(1)
Step 2: E-mail the Seller	131	(2)
Step 3: Phone the Seller	133	(2)
Step 4: File a Suspicious Activity Report	135	(2)
Step 5: Use SquareTrade to Mediate the Dispute	137	(2)
Step 6: Contact Your Payment Provider	139	(6)
Step 7: Petition eBay's Standard Protection Program	145	(4)
Step 8: Issue Negative or Neutral Feedback	149	(1)
When the Mistake Is Yours	150	(3)
PART III Selling Antiques and Collectibles on eBay	153	(134)
Chapter 8 Setting Up Shop on eBay: Getting Started Selling	155	(34)
The Hunt Is On: Finding Items for Resale	156	(6)
Research Redux	162	(9)
Determining Market Value	162	(2)
Making a Glutted Market Work for You	164	(3)
Tapping into Trends	167	(4)
Setting Up Your Seller's Account	171	(3)
Setting Up an About Me Page	174	(6)
Selling Tips and Tools from eBay	180	(7)
Exploring Seller Central	181	(3)
Finding Answers with the Seller Guide	184	(3)
Managing Your eBay and PayPal Accounts	187	(2)
Chapter 9 Titles, Descriptions, Photos, and More	189	(20)
Constructing Listing Titles: The Importance of Keywords	190	(6)
Listing Title Pitfalls	193	(2)
Adding a Subtitle	195	(1)
What Bidders Really Look for in Item Descriptions	196	(13)
The Importance of Accurately Grading Condition	201	(3)
Photos: A Valuable Part of Your Item Listing	204	(5)
Chapter 10 Setting Your Starting Price, Understanding eBay's Fees, and Creating a Basic Listing	209	(42)
Setting Your Starting Price	209	(5)
Selling at a Fixed Price with Buy It Now	211	(1)
Setting a Reserve Price	212	(2)
Fees, Fees, and More Fees	214	(4)
Listing Your Item on eBay	218	(28)
Revising Your Item Listing	233	(8)
Ending a Listing Early	241	(3)
Relisting an Item	244	(2)
Listing-Management Tools	246	(5)
Chapter 11 Managing and Completing the Sale	251	(22)
Answering Bidders' Questions	251	(2)
Communicating with the High Bidder after the Auction Ends: Using eBay's Checkout System	253	(2)
Shipping Tips to Ensure a Smooth Transaction	255	(4)
Special Packing Considerations for Antiques and Collectibles	256	(3)
Dealing with Non-Paying Bidders	259	(7)
Sending Payment Reminders and
Filing Non-Paying Bidder Alerts	261	(4)
Requesting a Final Value Fee Credit	265	(1)
The Importance of Feedback	266	(4)
Remedies for Negative Feedback	268	(2)
Fraud Information Important to Sellers	270	(3)
Chapter 12 Standing Out in a Competitive Market: Building a Good Reputation	273	(14)
Promoting Your Listings	274	(5)
Promoting Your Items on eBay	274	(4)
Promoting Your Business on Other Venues	278	(1)
Building a Customer Mailing List	279	(3)
Chatting It Up with Other Collectors	282	(5)
PART IV Appendix
Appendix A More Helpful Resources	287	(6)
Exploring eBay's Help Resources	287	(1)
eBay Live Chat	288	(1)
Other Online Resources	288	(5)
Collecting Supplies	288	(1)
Jewelry Supplies	289	(1)
Identifying Materials	289	(1)
Shipping Materials	289	(1)
Magnifiers	290	(1)
Black Lights	290	(1)
Booksellers	290	(1)
Magazines and Newsletters	291	(1)
Other Helpful Web Sites	292	(1)
Index	293