BAM eBay Blog

Most BIN items are not bargains

In many cases, using the Buy It Now feature won't get you a bargain. Sure, you'll get the item you want quickly, but it may be overpriced or worse, under-priced with a huge shipping and handling total tacked on. Of course, when using BIN, there won't be any bidding wars, you won't have to worry about using sniping software, and you'll know exactly what you'll be paying for the item up front.

However, there are bargains to be had with Buy It Now purchases, if you can get in on them before someone else. Sometimes people are looking for some fast money, so they'll use the BIN feature for a quick sale. Sometimes a person may just want to get rid of an item quickly, so they'll put it on a BIN auction. And sometimes a seller would rather liquidate their item because listing something with a Buy It Now price is far easier than listing it as an auction. In all of these cases, the item listed might have a BIN price that is considerably less expensive than the going rate.

Finding great deals with Buy It Now

The trick to finding these auctions is by looking in the "Categories" section at the immediate left of the screen. The next section will be labeled "Format", and here is a little box that you will check-off that says "Buy It Now". Once checked off, only the BIN sales will pop up for the item you are searching for.

From there, look around until you see something you like. Or, keep looking day after day, or even hour after hour if it is something really popular, until the item you want pops up at a price you want to pay. Sometimes you'll get lucky and it will show up on the first search. Most often, however, you'll need to remain diligent and do several searches before what you want comes up at a price you want to pay.

The key in all of this is to remain diligent. If you do not remain diligent, you are going to lose. However, remaining diligent in your BIN searches is going to mean spending a lot of time sitting in front of the computer and then refreshing the page time after time after time. Now, if you have nothing else better to do, if you are a computer junkie and you have no other life except for eBay, then this will be easy. But for the rest of us, with spouses, kids, recreation and jobs, social functions and family, being this kind of diligent is virtually impossible.

Find and win best BIN deals

To get the best BIN deals on eBay and still have a life, there is only one real solution available. Get the BAM or Buyer Auction Manager software. The software searches eBay for you, alerts you to the newly listed BIN item that you want searched, and you'll get the best deals ever.

This is a no hassle easy to use software that you subscribe to. You just set up to search for the items you are looking for, hit the "Win It Now" search button, and it will show you all of the newly listed BIN items. You see them, you find the deals, and you WIN IT NOW! That's all there is to it.

The software is actually a full service program that comes with an ending time search and a sniping tool too, but we will get into more of that at a later date. The bottom line here is that you cannot go wrong with the BAM eBay software program. It is simple to set up, easy to use and you are going to be getting killer bargains as soon as you use it.

Of course, never stop checking out regular auctions, because on eBay, you just never know what you might find. But if you search in the Buy It Now category, many times that's where the best bargains are to be found. And for the best bargains when it comes to eBay buying, the BAM software is the way to go! Like I have been saying all along, for the best advice and the best way to buy on eBay, BAM and the Buyer Auction Manager software has got your back! You can count on it!

Local pick-up deals

In most cases, people are happy to box up and ship the item you won. Usually that's no problem, but for bigger ticket items, many people list them for local pick-up. And when listed like that, you can get some fabulous deals with low winning bids.

The reason is that, in most cases, only a few people within driving distance will bid on an item that advertises local pick-up only. That makes sense because no matter how beautiful or gorgeous or even though an item that is listed at a low price, people are not going to want to drive more than a hundred miles or so, and you can't hardly blame them. However, that cuts down on the available people that will place a bid, and the less people that bid, the greater the potential that leaves for an absolute steal.

Drive and save

But distance works in both ways. If you are willing to drive that extra few miles or so, you can save a bundle on both the final bid price and the cost of shipping. Granted, this won't work out very well if you are using a gas guzzling truck or a large passenger car. But if you can get your winning purchase into your back seat, and if you get some decent miles per gallon with your vehicle, you could easily get a great bargain as well as save on the cost of shipping.

To search for items local to you, choose "More refinements" in the left navigation on eBay search page, "Item Location" tab, check Within certain distance from your zip code and press Go:

Double up and save even more

Of course if you can double up on a trip, that's even better. Take a ride out to Grandmas or take in the State Fair, and while you're at it, take a little detour and pick up the item that you've won. This way you can do two things at once, save money in the process, and make Grandma happy!

So go local when you go eBay, because sometimes the best deals are right in your own neck of the woods. And remember, BAM's got your back, no matter what you bid on and win at eBay!

Cell phones are great but take lousy video

Almost everyone has a cell phone, and many newer models have the capability to take video. Granted, using a cell phone like this is incredibly convenient, no doubt. However, if you like the fuzzy picture quality, pixelation, lousy low light capabilities, questionable sound quality and a video that looks like it was taken with a potato, than a cell phone video camera is perfect for you!

Camcorders are cheap now days

New camcorders have drastically fallen in price for a couple of reasons. The technology is getting less expensive to manufacture, and cell phones are being equipped with video cameras. Some top of the line camcorders are selling new for less than the price of a 4G cell phone. With that in mind, imagine what camcorders are going for on eBay!

Buy used and save

Used camcorders with HD quality picture, low light characteristics, stabilization, that print to flash media can be won for pennies on the dollar. These are high quality units from brand name makers that you'll win for far less than the newest feature packed cell phone. Camcorders have gotten so common that if you miss a low bid on the first one, chances are you get the second one, possibly for even less!

Now, these are not the bulky camcorders that you need two hands to hold. These are state of the art Hi-Def units that are sometimes no bigger than a modern key pad cell phone. They can be slipped in a shirt pocket, strapped to a hat, aimed with one hand and in all instances, will give crisp, clear and outstanding video. Many are even equipped with stereo microphones for quality audio. They all take flash media that inserts into a receptacle, and many come with built-in memory so you can shoot video right out of the box. This is truly one of the most outstanding deals on eBay right now.

Just remember, when bidding and winning a camcorder, make sure the shipping price is calculated in, and also check the feedback to see if there are any issues with the seller not packaging correctly.

Conclusion

So, if you are looking for high quality video and think that your cell phone can deliver, forget it! Your Smartphone isn't quite that smart. Win a camcorder off of eBay, get HD picture quality, smile at how little your final bid price was, and remember that when it comes to finding deals on eBay, BAM's got your back!

Different spellings and slang terms

Sometimes items are listed using the vernacular of the specific area where they are being sold from, they are listed under a slang name or are listed under a popular term instead of using the formal name. In those cases, if you can learn the different spelling or the slang term, you'll have the potential to win an item with a lower bid.

For example, if someone lists an item as a Mountain Bike instead of a Mountain Bicycle, you will need two different searches to find both of them. Most people use the common name of “Bike” when speaking, but the correct term of “Bicycle” is used by manufacturers. You may find the exact same bicycle listed from two different sellers, with one listed under the heading of “bicycle,” and one listed as a “bike.” If the majority of the people are searching for a bicycle, you will have a far better chance of having a winning lower bid if you are searching for a bike.

Some items have more than one spelling

Consider that any item with the color “gray” in the title may also be found with the optional spelling of “grey.” They are both listed correctly and spelled right, but some people might only search for a “gray” item and not punch the word “grey” into the eBay search engine. If you don't punch in the right word, you may be missing out on a bargain.

Another example is a juicer. However, the correct name is a juice machine or a juice extractor. But, they are also known as a juicing machines too. These are four separate, and legitimate, names for one item, and all of them must be searched to get the best deal. If you search only one or two, you may be missing out big-time.

Both the terms “lamp” and “light” are interchangeable. A table lamp can just as well be listed as a table light, or a swag lamp can be listed as a swag light. For any lamp that you may be looking for, also look for it using the word light in place of lamp.

Find different spellings using search engine

An easy way to find different spellings, meanings and slang terms for a specific item is to type the name of the item in question, followed by the word synonym. As an example, type in “lamp synonym” into a search engine, and a host of sites will come up with different terms for the word “lamp.” You can then search each of these alternate words on eBay, and never miss out on the opportunity to win an item with a lower bid.

By using different spellings and slang terms when searching on eBay, you maximize your chances of finding an item that few others are searching for, and that gives you a chance at winning that item with a lower bid. And remember, no matter what you bid on at eBay, BAM's got your back!

Consider items needing basic repairs

Almost everyone who buys on eBay wants to bid and win an item, and then when it gets to their home, they want to be able to use it right away. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that way of thinking, but if you want to win items at a lower price, consider those items that need basic repairs.

When bidding on appliances, for example, if a few knobs are missing, it's not a big deal. Sure, it looks bad on the pictures, and that's why you'll win it with a smaller bid.

Appliance knobs can be found almost everywhere: from searching on the Internet, going to your local appliance dealer and even going to hardware stores. They are inexpensive too, and well worth your while to win an auction for a far lesser price, and then purchase a knob for less than a dollar.

All knobs can be replaced, and if you are willing to search out a knob for your appliance, you'll win it for far less when the auction ends.

Glue can sometimes easily fix broken pieces

Don't let broken plastic pieces stop you from bidding either. As long as the pieces are there, you will be able to find a plastic glue or cement that will literally, weld the piece back into place. Now, we aren't talking about Elmers glue here, we are talking modern made epoxies and polyurethane adhesives. These can be found at hardware stores everywhere, and they will attach any piece of plastic back together that will last a lifetime.

You can do much the same with wood and ceramics. These items can easily be glued back together with modern wood and/or ceramic adhesives. Even veneer that is peeling off that gorgeous piece of antique furniture can be reattached permanently, and no one will ever know. Yet during the auction, many people will balk at putting in a bid, because they either want the piece to be complete or they don't want to take the time to make an easy repair.

Consider incomplete or broken items for best deals

So next time you are looking for an item, don't look past the ones that are not complete or all in one piece. The chances are that they are easily repairable, even if you have to locate a part or two. And by just doing that, you'll be bidding and winning for far less money every time. And remember, no matter what you bid on at eBay, BAM's got your back!