BAM eBay Blog

Posts for eBay buyers about buying on eBay

Light Up Your Life With Lamps From eBay

Lamps can accent your house

Some of the most beautiful settings in a home, like a sun room, a bedroom or even a recreation room, are accented by choosing the right lamp. Swag lamps can be hung in a corner to give a retro glow, porcelain table lamps are perfect accompaniments on end tables, parlor lamps will radiate warmth in a living room or a family room, and a chandelier is the perfect lighting effect for a dining room.

Inevitably, the highest winning bid on any lamp will be for the ones that work. Plug them in, turn them on and you have light. For that, you'll pay a premium, but here is the secret to winning with a low bid.

Parts that make lamps work

Did you know that a lamp, any lamp, has only three parts that will make it work or not work? The plug, the cord and the socket. That's it. All lamps are simple circuits. The power from the wall plug flows into the cord and exits at the socket which lights up the bulb. No computers, no motors, no magic. Just basic electricity at it simplest. Now, we aren't talking florescent lighting here, we are talking the standard and common Edison sockets that will accept incandescent, florescent energy saving bulbs and the new LED bulbs.

So what are you going to do when you win a lamp that doesn't work? Well, here's the deal.

Fixing lamp plug

If the plug is bad, cut it off with a scissors and get a new light-duty plug at the hardware store. Unscrew the screw that holds the cover down, flip the cover of the new plug open, insert the cut end of the cord inside, push the cover back into place and screw it down. That's all there is and you have just changed the plug.

Fixing lamp socket

The socket is just as easy. Every socket has a “Push to Open” tab on the side. Push the tab and pull the socket apart while leaving the socket base in place. Unscrew the terminals that hold the wires on. Get a new socket exactly like the one you had from any hardware store. Screw the wires back onto the new terminals and remember that the white wire goes to the silver terminal, the black goes to the copper terminal, and any green wire goes to a green terminal. Push the new cover back onto the socket base until it “snaps” shut, and you are done.

Fixing lamp cord

The cord is the easiest yet. Unscrew the wires from the socket, as detailed above, and pull the cord from the lamp. Cut the receptacle end off of a common household extension cord and push the wires back into the lamp. Wire them up to the socket and you are good to go, since the plug is already attached.

Fix it and score killer deal on eBay

If you are willing to do this, you will find some killer deals on lamps and lighting that doesn't work. In most cases, all you will need is a screwdriver and some time, but virtually anyone can do this. Plus, you win two ways, The first is on the low price bid you'll pay, and the second is the satisfaction you'll have when you turn the switch and the light goes on after you have repaired it. It just doesn't get any better than that except knowing, as always, that BAM's got your back!

All Computer Deals On eBay Begin With Feedback

Usually when looking for a computer on eBay, besides the price, the first thing everyone thinks about is performance. What type of processor does it have? How much memory? What kind of motherboard is it equipped with? Does it come with accessories? Although this is all fine and good, when you want to bid and win a computer on eBay, the reality is that the first thing to look at is the feedback.

Yes, looking at feedback is an important thing to do on anything you choose to bid on, but when looking for a computer, feedback is the MOST important thing to look at.

Why? Well, even though we think of computers as being rugged and tough, especially the modern laptops that are available, they are still made of sensitive electronic parts. These parts, no matter how hardy they are made, do not like to be roughed up, jostled, thrown or banged around. Countless amounts of laptops have died because they fell off a desk and dropped on the floor.

You may now be asking what this has to do with feedback? OK, consider this. Feedback also means packaging. Lousy packaging means lousy feedback. An item, no matter what it is that the seller has sold, will garner a neutral or negative feedback response from a buyer if it has been packaged badly. If a person can't adequately package a regular item safely, do you really want to trust them with a computer? Beware the person listing a computer for bid that has bad feedback or comments about inadequate packaging.

On the other side of the coin, a person with impeccable feedback that specializes in selling computers is the safest bet. You may win the comp with a slightly higher bid, but the peace of mind knowing the computer will show up at your door packaged well, which means in working condition, may be the best deal you could ever get when placing a successful bid.

So think feedback first when bidding on a computer off of eBay, because if the packaging is not worth its weight in terrabytes, then the RAM, ROM and megahertz you paid for, will mean nothing when it gets to your front door. And as always, no matter what you bid on at eBay, BAM's got your back!

Learn The Ropes, Then Bid To Win on eBay

Bid on smaller items to learn

learn the ropesIf you are either new to eBay or you are having trouble winning items you are bidding on, consider first learning the ropes and then using that knowledge to bid and win.

Learn about bidding and winning by bidding on small inexpensive items just to get the feel of it. You can adapt the way you bid by winning these items, because the habits you form here will carry over when you are going for more meaningful or more expensive items. This is the time to try and perfect any sniping program you are using. If you make mistakes here, you can correct them now before you bid on more valuable items. Plus, winning smaller item boosts your positive feedback, and that's always a good thing.

Try bidding in the final seconds

Practice putting in bids at the last second and see how fast your computer reacts. There may be a lag time between when a bid is entered and when it actually shows up on eBay. This knowledge will be extremely valuable when waiting for the last few seconds to make a bid. If you know, for example, that once you press the “Bid” button that it takes 5 seconds before it registers on the site, you will know that your final bid must be placed a minimum of 5 seconds---at the very least---before the auction ends.

Learn about shipping and handling

Understand how to use any shipping calculator that is placed on the site, and inquire about handling charges. You may think that you have just won a valuable item for a great price, but if you don't calculate the shipping charges and find out about the handling charges, you may be in for a rude surprise. Many people bump shipping charges up and will also add in handling charges for one reason or another. You may end up paying more for shipping and handling than the item is worth. Learn how to apply shipping and handling charges to smaller purchases, and ask questions if you are unsure.  See this blog post for more information about shipping, handling and taxes: Know total price of eBay item before you bid.

Practice and save

Using these principles will get you the best deals for the money, and by understanding how the whole eBay experience works, you'll always win an item and pay for it with the best price possible.

Start out small, learn the ropes and then bid to win, because as always, no matter what you bid on at eBay, BAM's got your back!

Bidding With Knowledge About Dishes (China)-Chips, Cracks and Crazing

Classification of China

set of china dishesChina is classified in several different ways when placed up for auction. A description of mint or near mint means the China will exhibit no chips or cracks, and all of the gold leaf paint, glazing or designs will be wholly or almost completely intact. If you are looking for China that is mint or near mint, expect to bid high and win it paying a premium.

Yet if you are willing to live with some cracks or chips, the bid price may plummet, depending on the maker.

Small Chips

Small chips, in innocuous places will always bring down the bidding price of the China, but they won't necessarily detract from the beauty. A chip on the bottom rim of a tea cup or a small chip on the underside of a serving platter rim will ensure that the item will not get top dollar, but no one, in real life,  may even notice it is there. That means, you'll get that cup or platter for a far less final bid, and it will still look terrific.

Cracks

A crack is a different matter altogether. If the crack is too deep, which means it will go through one side of the piece to the other, it may actually compromise the structure of the item. Deep and long cracks may actually break in two after being used only a short time. Cracks will enlarge when subjected to a repeated hot and cold wash cycle, no matter how gently you handle the piece. So realistically, unless you are willing to live with the fact that a crack may eventually cause a failure, it might be wise to pass up a bid on an item with a deep crack, no matter how inexpensive it may be.

Crazing

Crazing, on the other hand, are small spiderweb-like cracks in the glaze finish. These cracks do not go into the structure of the China and are therefore relatively harmless. Some people even value crazing because it shows the dish has personality. If you can live with crazing on China, you may score a serious bargain on any that you bid for.

What are your needs?

Ultimately, think about your needs here. Mint or near mint China is almost flawless and it is the most highly coveted and perfect choice for the most special of occasions. But for everyday use, a few chips, shallow cracks or some crazing is not all that bad. If you are willing to live with those flaws, you can still present to people the best China service out there, while not breaking the bank on your final bid price.

Knowledge about what to look for when bidding on China is the key, and as always, no matter what you bid on at eBay, BAM's got your back!

When Bidding to Win, Temper Your Emotions for the Best eBay Deals

Temper your emotions for best deals on eBay

temper your emotionsThere are going to be times when you find something you really want on eBay, where the excitement becomes so overwhelming that you'll throw caution to the wind and bid to the sky. If you were the seller of that item, you'll hope that everything you sell garners that same type of emotional excitement.

However, in almost every case where you allow your emotions to get the best of you, you'll pay more, and in some cases much more, than the item may even be worth. To get the best deal possible on eBay, make sure you keep your emotions in check.

There is always another item to bid on

Virtually every item that is listed on an eBay auction will be listed again by someone else. That means there will be other opportunities to bid on an exact same or a similar item. Get an idea about how much your item sells for by looking in the “completed” auctions tab. This will give you a baseline figure about how much that item is usually selling for.

Once you know that price, temper your emotions and set your own price that you won't over bid. For example, let's say your favorite Beanie Baby usually sells for around $20 dollars. Use that figure as the highest figure you'll bid, then add on $2.00 in case someone punches in $20.00 ahead of you. This means that the absolute maximum you'll bid for that particular Beanie Bay is $22.00. No matter what, don't bid more than this, even if you are sniping at the end. If you lose it this time, try again next time. You will eventually get it at your price, or less, if you stick to this strategy.

Avoid bidding wars

Consider the alternative. If you let your emotions run wild, you may end up in a bidding war with someone else who is doing the same thing. Yes, you could eventually win the item, but the cost might be so high that it may not be worth it. And then, like so many bidders before you after winning, you'll be asking yourself, “Why did I bid so high?”

So remember, find out how much the item sold for, set the highest price that you want to bid on that item, and don't waver from your set price no matter what. To help you keep within your limits, you can use sniping software so you don't have enough time to increase your bid. If you lose the item this time, down the line you'll find it listed again, and then there is always that chance you'll get it for far less than even you could have imagined.