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!