Want to know how to get great deals on Ebay? Check out these tips on how to buy things on Ebay, and use the free printable to help you get a great deal!
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can save you money. I recently saved a $100 with Ebay! But, Ebay can be a little confusing sometimes. Without some kind of system, It can be hard to tell if you are really getting a good deal. Plus, you probably want to get a good deal without spending too much time on Ebay.I created a cheat sheet for Ebay shopping so that you can maximize savings and save time. The Ebay Shopping Cheat Sheet can help you to get what you want for a really great price.
Click here to get the Ebay Shopping Cheat Sheet.
The Ebay Shopping Cheat Sheet and Ebay Tips
The Ebay Shopping Cheat Sheet has everything laid out for you on one page. This is much easier than trying to rely solely on your memory-especially after you have browsed a lot of items!
Let me break down the printable for you so that it is super easy to use. There are 6 sections. The first one is the item section (top left square). Here is how to use that section:
Item Specifics
The first box on the cheat sheet is to help you brainstorm what kind of item you really want. Once you get on Ebay, it can be overwhelming if you don’t know exactly what you are looking for. Even worse, you could bid on something that wasn’t exactly what you wanted. (Once you bid on Ebay, you are committed to buying if you win the auction.)
Here are a few things to consider when you are deciding what you would like to buy:
- What kind of condition is acceptable to you-new, like new, used etc.
- Do I need the latest version?
- Do I need all the extras that come with it or could I buy them somewhere else or sometime else? Do I want it to come in the original box?
- What is the highest price I am willing to pay for the item?
Other Retailer’s Prices
It is a smart idea to first check out what other retailer’s selling are selling your item for. When I am looking to buy something, I often check prices at quite a few different places. I like to check out retailers that I know usually have good prices-like Walmart or Amazon. Or places that have good sales-like Kohl’s.
The second box on the cheat sheet is for listing all the different prices that you find. Sometimes other retailers do have better prices than Ebay. But sometimes I find that Ebay can beat them. I recently saved $100 on a purchase by going through Ebay.
Current Ebay Listings
After I have done some research on other retailer’s prices, then I go to Ebay and type in the item in the description box (or copy and paste the same search that I did on Google or Amazon). Once you type in the item in the description box and press enter a list of items will come up.
Pro tip: Check the little box that says “include description”. (This box is right under the search button.) This tells Ebay to search the descriptions as well as the title of the item. You will often find more choices for the item that you want (and maybe a lower price!).
You will notice on the Ebay Shopping Cheat Sheet that there is a place for the price + shipping. I made sure to add “+ shipping” to the printable because you will definitely need to take note of the shipping prices. Sometimes they are quite a bit. I always add the shipping price to the item price, so that I can get an idea of what the item is really selling for.
One thing to keep in mind is that if it is an auction item, it may sell for more than the current price. However, it can give you an idea of what the prices are looking like for the item you want.
Recently Sold Items
Once the item sells you can record the selling price in the recently sold items. This will give you an idea of what the going price on Ebay is. I recently bought a camera on Ebay, and because I kept up with the going prices, I knew when I saw a good deal!
The heading on the cheat sheet that says “criteria” is for you to have a place to record notes about the item. If the item meets all your criteria perfectly, than you can just put a check mark there.
But, you may need to write down some specifics to help you remember more about the item. For instance, if you were watching some new items and some used ones, you may want to write down the condition of the item. That way, you will have records of prices for both new and used.
There is also a place on the printable that says “seller”. Sellers vary widely on Ebay. Some sellers have sold a lot of things. Some have sold only a few. Some have 100% positive feedback. Others don’t.
If you feel comfortable with a seller, just put a checkmark in that space. This is so that you won’t forget to check out the seller. Most seller’s on Ebay keep the rules and are safe to buy from, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
Thoughts on Sellers
I like to buy from seller’s that have 99% or 100% positive feedback. I also click on the seller so that I can get detailed information on the types of negative and positive feedback that other customers have given the seller.
I also check out the feedback score (that is the number beside the seller name). Those with better feedback scores can be more reliable. Though there are some small sellers on Ebay who are just as reliable.
The bottom line is to make sure that you feel comfortable with the seller before you buy. If you have questions for the seller, you can also click on the words “contact seller” under the seller’s name. The answer they give for your question will either help you to feel even more comfortable buying from them or make you feel more uncomfortable with them!
Auction Ending Times
If you want to check on your bid to see if it is holding, it is a good idea to write down when the auction ends and put the paper somewhere where it reminds you to check on your item before the bidding ends. (I included a space for that on the cheat sheet).
Sometimes, people will wait to bid until the auction is about to end.
You don’t have to check on your item if you don’t want to. You can just let Ebay bid for you by bidding whatever your highest bid would be, instead of the minimum bid. Ebay will bid for you if someone tries to outbid you.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes, I do find a better deal somewhere other than Ebay. If you are filling out the cheat sheet and notice that you can get the item for a better price somewhere else, you still haven’t wasted your time by taking a few minutes to check prices and write them down.
But, I have found that Ebay sometimes beats the prices of all the other places that I check. I definitely think Ebay can be worth the time it takes to find a good deal. If you save $30 and it takes you an hour, then you have essentially made $30 an hour! That is pretty good since you can “work” from the comfort of your couch if you want to.
Ready to get started saving?
Click here to download the Ebay Shopping Cheat Sheet!
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