Any more ebayers out there, if so what are your techniques?

I will only bid on things that will prove to be a bargain and that I want anyway and refuse to enter into a battle with people, I will normally make just the one bid and will enter the maximum that I am prepared to pay, plus 1 or 2p. So far I have found that the odd penny will often secure the item as most people stop at a round pound amount, perhaps 2p is better in case others have the same idea.

It is possible that I will watch an item then make my maximum bid 2 minutes before bidding is due to end, I will either win or it will be over my limit so no loss.

I am sure I am the sort of ebayer that people hate.

I'm a 'meanie' ebayer as well. I use ebay for things which are unusual or difficult to find otherwise.

I usually decide what I think the article is worth and use an automatic bid-placing program to lob in my bid in the last seconds of the sale. If I win great, particularly as often I win for less than what my maximum would have been, and if I lose then it's no hardship as the price was gone above what I was willing to pay.

I then forget about the bid until I get a mail telling me I have won the article, or for the ones I lose, well unless I check my bid-placing program I don't even bother my head about them.

I have been an EBayer for 5 years, mostly buying Collectibles.
Hoping to "age" them and resell some of them , down the road.
But, I like some of them so much, that I can't bear to part with them, so, perhaps my family will end up trying to figure out what to do with them, in 40 years or so.
The most important thing to know on Ebay, in my opinion, when Buying, is to make 100% sure that you find out Exact Shipping Charges before you Bid on Any Item!
I got stung once, early on, and learned my lesson, I email any sellers who do not put Shipping Costs to Canada in their Listing. Its a shame , but most U.S.A sellers do not take an extra minute to do this.
Enjoy your time on EBay, I have to leave you now, to watch the final few minutes of an item I have bid on.

I used to bid on computer hardware... my company had webservers and if there's one thing you can guarantee about webservers it's that the manufacturer will stop making a particular, crucial, part ten days after you spend £5,000 on some kit. Ebay was a great source for parts and we would often buy two of something just so we had a spare. Naturally we ended up with cupboards full of useless junk that fits servers no one makes any more but I could always put it on eBay...

I also bid in odd amounts... I think a lot of people have cottoned on to the "add a penny" trick so I now add an odd amount, like 53p or 87p. I once overpaid for something by 34p but it was worth every penny!

I love ebay for second hand books, old movies and cds. I live a long away from retail stores and I have no problem buying second hand so its good, plus less face it its nice to get packages in the mail.

If it's something I really want and no one has bid on it I'll send an email and offer a price. Sometimes I just can't be bothered with the whole auction thing. I know it's better to wait until the last moments but I always forget so miss out. If they say no then I'll just put my highest bid in and see how it goes.

I generally will buy things I can't get here. I put in what is for me a high bid and hope. If I can I'll try to watch the last half hour to avoid getting poached.

I have emailed sellers after an auction has closed and offered to buy the article outright. It has worked sometimes. Generally if I miss out on a purchase I just let it go. I do 'snipe' for something I really want, as much to prevent myself overbidding in my enthusiasm as to have a good chance of winning the bid.

I do do my homework beforehand, and never bid over the shop price for something, even if it is rare or hard to get. Some things sell for crazy prices, way over the cost in a regular store. I remember a bikini I sold. It had come free with my kid's magazine, which cost less than 5 euros. The bikini sold for 28 euros plus postage!!! I, needless to say, was delighted to have done so well, but I did feel guilty over the buyer who had way overspent for a barbie-style bikini!

Remember, there will always be another opportunity later on!

If I do get outbid then I look at it as having done the seller a favour as I would have pushed the price up.

Last week I saw some inks (new) that I wanted to buy, they are not available here and in the UK they are very expensive. The bid was on ten bottles (all colours I didn't have) and the starting price was just £9.99, the retail for the ten from a site on the internet was about £50 plus P&P. The bidding got to £16.50 and I put in my bid and got them for £21.01 plus postage which made them about half price or just below.

I am.

I have an aunt that collects Coca Cola stuff. Most of what people get her as gifts is modern things, so I use eBay and get her antiques or other collectibles.

I've found some really neat stuff.

Other things I eBay: clothes, books, knives, small appliances, pet items...

If you find yourself in a bidding war, let the other guy win. When the same thing comes up next time, they've already bought that item and you can pick it up cheaper minus the competition.

Oh my goodness!

When I was looking through some of my craft items I realised that I had two of one item and it was something of which you really only need one. I decided to check ebay and it is the type of item where many are available BNIP, brand new in packet, and I had opened the packet with scissors before realising that it was a duplicate.

I decided to gamble on getting a really low price if it sold at all and started the bidding at 99p but decided to invest 10p in putting it as Buy It Now too, at a very good price but one which was higher than I thought the bids would go. It was sold and I was paid within much less than half an hour!

It will be posted on Monday.

Now I will have to look to see what else I can get rid of!

That's an inspiration, Sue. Once I get some of my VHS tapes burned to DVD, I just may put some up on e-Bay to get rid of clutter in my closet and also put myself in the black (slightly) and more organized (slightly).

I have started to "recycle" some books I don't read often, and DVDs I don't have time to watch any more. Even if I make only a little money, better than nothing!

I have bought and sold a few items over the last couple of years. I have multiple pairs of Levi jeans because I found a style I liked and bid on several pairs in different colours. Well worth it because they cost a fraction of the new price and are now not made any more. I make use of the search notification facility to inform me when particular items are listed (I am currently after a particular pair of shoes - bought a pair in the shop which were too big, sold them, and am now waiting for the same one to come up in my size. It will, one day...

I first began selling to get rid of some fabrics which I had collected (I don't sew). They all sold like the proverbial hotcakes and I found I enjoyed the experience of selling. I had a surplus of knitting yarn (I do knit but am over-enthusiastic and overestimate my ability to finish things). All the yarn went, even if offered in mid-summer!

I have sold many items which are surplus to my household. Husband says it is not worth the time taken for a few dollars, but I reckon it adds amusement value!

Recycle Books?!

Does not compute

I've looked at ebay a few times but it seems far too complicated for a simpleton like me!

I came across a box of old dress patterns in a cupboard some months ago and attempted to sell them at a carboot sale without success and put them in the garage, then last week I was wanting to use the plastic container they were in so thought I would offer them on ebay. The patterns date from the 1960s and early 1970s, none cost as much as £1. I put some as singles and then a whole load in one bumper lot of 31 patterns as most of those were well used. Altogether there are thirteen 'lots' and they all finish today, one has finished and the rest finish in the next few hours.

The one which has finished sold for £6 plus P&P and the big batch finishes shortly and is currently at £16.99 which is more than they cost me in total and that one has 17 people watching so it could move shortly before finishing, the other item even had a bid in the last 30 seconds before closing.

Of the eleven lots 10 have bids and all have watchers.

Guess what I am doing this afternoon, yes, constantly refreshing the page!

Blinkin' 'eck, the whole lot are going to be sold this afternoon, every single item! People are now competing which is great fun.

So pleased you have sold them all Sue.

I sold them for far more than they cost me, mind you that was a very long time ago.

Still it's way nicer to see them go for money than go for nothing or into the dump, isn't it? I love the thrill of seeing a sale suddenly take off and get people bidding on it

It was quite exciting, I know, I don't get out much! When the first item went for £6 I was amazed especially as the second lot (a bulk one) was already showing at £16.99 then eventually went at £23.13 - bearing in mind that when I bought them they cost me about £11 so more than doubled my money and had use out of them. One pattern will be heading for France, it sold for £9.49 and probably cost me in the region of 49p!

Only two sold at the 99p starting price, a couple for under £2 but most went between £3 and £6. In total it was £76.47 which is not to be sneezed at even after ebay and PayPal take their slices. Postage is on top of that, not part of it.

Out of curiosity just how big a slice do they take?

As far as I can see ebay charge 10% of sale total, I can't see what PayPal charge. I will have to wait until PayPal send me a statement then I can tell you what they charge. As I see it when selling things that I would have thrown or given away then I don't mind paying whatever the fees.