eBay auctions an attractive option for many

By Tom Hintgen (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Friday, October 10, 2008

Some people, including Daily Journal employee Connie Knapp, use eBay to buy and sell items.

“I try to shop local whenever possible, but sometimes the deals online, particularly on eBay, are just too good to pass up,” she said. “I can buy an entire lot (an eBay term) of name-brand new and used clothing for my daughter for just pennies on the dollar — and all in one place. I’m not big on garage sales, either having them or shopping them. I can shop eBay anytime. And when she outgrows the clothing items, I can easily sell them again on eBay.”

All it takes, Knapp said, is a free registration on eBay.

“You can be shopping or selling items in just minutes,” she said. “Auction items have an ending day and time listed, and you can see the number of bids already placed on an item, and the current price. Sometimes, just the fun of bidding on items attracts people to eBay.”

As eBay has grown in popularity, Knapp said a person can find almost everything imaginable for sale.

Just like shopping anywhere, a person needs to be a savvy shopper, she said. People can find items on eBay that cost more than if they just walked downtown to purchase the same item.

“When I first started using eBay, I got caught up in the competition of winning an item, no matter what,” Knapp said. “You really need to know the value of what you’re bidding on, and have your highest price in mind before you start bidding.”

eBay is easy to use, even for beginners. If you want to learn to make a business out of it, there are books you can purchase that give you more ideas and specialized instructions. You can even find the books on eBay, or just spend an hour with someone who is already using eBay.

“You’ll learn the basics and be able to shop or sell your own items in no time,” Knapp said.

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