4 Tips to Become an Expert eBay Shopper

I'm a firm believer in making room for new things, which is why every two months, I send an email to my good friend Linda requesting a shipping label.

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Fourteen years ago, Linda Lightman found herself sick of her son's old video games. Pleasantly surprised by the ease of selling stuff on eBay, she began putting his old games up and turning a profit. It was no time before she began selling her own designer dresses and bags, and eventually, all of ours! Today, as the CEO of Linda's Stuff, her now famous eBay site is filled with Louis Vuitton bags, Prada dresses, and just about every designer brand you could ask for. She is proof that selling and shopping on eBay is easy, fun, and quite lucrative.

Here, Linda herself shares four tips to take you from eBay browser to shopping extraordinaire.

1. Search smart.

There is an art to finding those hidden treasures and bargains, and there are lots of tools to help buyers. Try to search by "time ending"—sometimes items ending in the middle of the night have the best deals. And don't forget to save your popular searches and get alerted when an item is listed. Using the "save search" feature also helps keep watch on items you're obsessing over.

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2. Think about timing.

I am a believer in waiting until the end of the auction to bid. Make sure the item is in your "watch page" so that you can monitor it. Another trick? Go on eBay on holidays like July 4th, Christmas and Easter, I would suggest in the morning. While people are enjoying their families you can be enjoying some great bargains.

3. Use eBay's research tools.

Ebay has an advanced search feature which allows you to check to see what a similar item or what the exact item sold for. It is good to see what all sellers are asking for a particular item but at the end of the day the pertinent information is: did the item sell and if so for what price.

4. Look for rare finds.

Especially designer collaborations, discontinued items, or lightly used items that, if bought new, in stores, would otherwise be out of your budget. These diffusion lines that sell out immediately can always be found on eBay.
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