How to Find Cheap eBay Bargains

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By 02SmithA
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Keep that piggy bank fall by finding bargains on eBay

eBay is an extremely popular auction site that has auctions running 24/7 365 days a year in every category imaginable. The truth is the same item doesn't always sell for the same amount. Be wise about bidding on eBay and you can find some cheap prices and great bargains.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Online at off peak times
Attention to details
Paypal Account

Step 1

The biggest key to finding good deals on eBay is try to think outside the box. You need to be able to pay close attention to details that other people won't think of when they are bidding on their favorite item on the popular auction site.
Step 2

Could you get 50% off? Maybe!

One of the most important things you can do is to always try to bid on an auction that is ending at an unusual time of the day. For example, an auction that ends at 7 am eastern time (4am pacific time) will likely not get as many views at the end of the auction. These auctions typically finish a little cheaper since there are no bidding wars.
Step 3

Look for items that are spelled incorrectly or that are placed in the wrong category. Misspelled auctions get less viewers and those auctions that are accidentally placed in the wrong area get a lot of traffic that could care less about that item, which will obviously drive down the final price.
Step 4

Be open to different payment options

Be open to buying from all types of auctions, including those who offer money order payments only, or those who offer Paypal only as a payment method. If the seller is more restrictive on the types of payment you can make the item might be a bargain.
Step 5

Do a little auction sniping at the end of eBay auctions. I don't like using auction sniping software, but I do believe that bidding in the last few seconds is a smart way to win an item. It is all about getting the best deal possible in your auction bidding.

Comments

timmytoo said

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on 11/14/2009 Great tips, eBay is a great place to pick up a bargain if you know what you're looking for and can exploit the searches a little. I use lots of different web tools to get the best last minute deals from ebay. The two main sites that i find give me the best bargains are http:/www.bargainchecker.com and http://www.honestjohnny.co.uk/ebaybargains - they both let you search various parameters such as max bid 99p, or specific categories, or locations.