Keep IT Simple

When it comes to looking for the best bargains, my circle of friends has always considered me to be the best in the field. I am always practical about things. I always know what I want and how to get it.

Now, as somebody who spends 16 hours on the internet, I have spent a considerable time on some of the biggest and most popular e-commerce sites. For instance, I have been buying most of my books at Amazon.com and there have only been very rare instances that the book I was looking could not be found there.

And if I can not find my books at Amazon.com I go to eBay for used books. But not only that, for most other items that I like to save money on I look for slightly used items on eBay. At this site I can find almost anything from designer clothes to electronic gadgets to paintings and antique collectibles. The moment one steps into eBay, he will already get easily pulled into an auction because of the enticingly low price but one does a little extra work, he can actually spend a lot less than his intended spending.

One of the things I do when there is an auction item I find it that I search other sites or a regular store nearby and compare the prices. Some popular items during special holidays like Christmas may be auctioned at prices well above the retail price. So if I can get the item at lesser price from a store nearby, what is the point of buying it at eBay?

Here is a technique I learned through the years. When you click the “Completed listings only” option in the “Advanced Search” menu, there is the closing price. Items whose auctions have already ended will give you an idea about how much you actually want to spend.

Some items are placed with wrong spellings. Since they are not easily found, it could very well be that they have fewer bidders. And when there are fewer bidders, it means that the items could close at a lot lower price. So, when you try to search, try alternative and even wrong spellings for the item that you have in mind.

There are fewer bidders who take time to be awake during late night and early morning so you might want to monitor auctions during these hours. The chances of saving money by putting a bid during the closing minutes are high as many people don’t bother during these times.

Like an offline store where you can save money on bulk purchases, you can do the same at eBay by grouping together purchases from the same seller. It is not uncommon to find sellers offering discounted prices and shipping fee on multiple purchase done within a few days of each other.

So, there you have it. I know Christmas is fast approaching and you may by now be thinking of what presents you have in mind. You still have two months to find out where you can buy you presents – from eBay or from a regular store.