Online auction tips for the savvy bargain hunter

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

Typing "piano shawl" into eBay's search engine produced this large, flawless vintage shawl from the early 1900s from a collector in Nebraska. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser Shopping Lingo Here are some common abbreviations used on eBay: NWT: new with tags NIB: new in box MIB: mint in box NBW: never been worn NR: no reserve Dead stock: a discontinued item or something that is no longer being made

Our sources, who ranged from a 19-year-old to fiftysomethings, found a world of shopping in the cyber halls of eBay. With patience and savvy strategies, there are countless treasures and bargains to discover.

Jenifer Bossert of 'Alewa Heights wanted antique Marx wind-up tin toys for her mother, a collector. Bossert turned to eBay, and there they were. She also found missing pieces from her grandmother's china collection.

Ilene Wong of Manoa, who collects antique toys and Hawaiiana, began shopping on eBay in its early days, 1996. It was her job to check each new listing every morning. Now, she said, that would be impossible: Millions of items are added to eBay daily.

Tanya Harris, a University of Hawai'i-Manoa student, found a tongue ring for 95 cents. Even with shipping and handling, the total came to under $5 on an item she priced at $20 in a local boutique.

Cheryl Tipton of Wilhelmina Rise fell in love with Ming's jewelry after Ming's closed; eBay has become a resource to fulfill her passion.

Among the treasures Sherry Chock Wong, also of Wilhelmina Rise, has found on eBay: a never-worn Dolce & Gabbana dress, vintage peasant skirts, a crochet and gauze dress and 1970s platform shoes.

There are also a few horror stories of Hawai'i folks nearly being ripped off on eBay. We know a Manoa woman who bought a "Gucci" bag, only to find it was a fake. She did, however, return it and got her money back.

Bossert also had a glitch when it took her more than six months to receive a piece of jewelry ordered on eBay.

With all the success stories, there are still a lot of folks who are intimidated or mistrustful, of eBay. They worry about payment methods and privacy, or getting an unwanted surprise when the item arrives in the mail. Or they feel it's too complicated or confusing. So we talked to successful eBay buyers about their strategies. Here are their recommendations.

Do your homework

Although many tutorials are less than helpful, eBay's is clear, concise and user-friendly. There are audio and visual versions, each requiring less than 10 minutes to complete. It's also a good idea to buddy up with an eBay expert, either in person or online, to walk you through the first bid.

Metcalf, Bossert and Wong all do their homework before bidding.

Metcalf has researched Hawaiiana for decades, learning what features give an item added value.

Bossert goes to the library to learn more about the antiques she will shop for on eBay.

Since she can't see or touch an item when shopping online, Wong visits local boutiques to try on designer clothing. It helps her experience the fabric and silhouette, as well as to determine her size in each line. She reads fashion magazines to familiarize herself with current collections and costs.

The search is on

Kitschy Hawaiiana items are among hot sellers on eBay these days. As a result, their prices are going up.

Seller ignorance also breeds some weird misspellings and terminology. In a search for belly-dancing costumes, Willow Chang of Makiki got results by typing in "belli." "Peasant" may become "pesant" or "motorcycle boots" may be spelled "motercicle." Sometimes it's helpful to use portions of words, for example: "rcycle" or "motorc."

Since many sellers are in foreign countries, phonetic spellings may also bring additional results. Even the spacing between words can make a difference, so it's best to try it several ways.

If what you want is the original designer item, watch out for clever selling phrases such as "like Gucci" or "Gucci-inspired."

Bidding for success

Wong knows what she wants. When determined to win an auction, she employs sophisticated strategies. Her advice to anyone bidding seriously on eBay is to first decide how much the item is worth to you. Once you have set your limit, bid in the box that says "maximum bid."

If the bid increments are in even numbers, she suggests bidding an odd number. This may throw off someone's psychological threshold and discourage them from further bidding.

If the price listed under "buy it now" is equal to, or lower than, your set price, consider clicking on "buy it now." This bypasses the stress of vigilant bidding and ensures you will get the item you want.

Wong's competitive nature comes out on eBay. She likes to check up on the folks who are bidding against her. It's easy to do — once you place your bid, click "high bid" and you can learn more about your competition — what other items the bidder has bought and what was paid for them.

The past can be a predictor of what your rival bidders might be willing to pay. If the buyer often quits at $50, Wong will bid $52.50.

It's even easier to check up on the sellers' histories. By clicking on "Check seller rating," followed by "See feedback profile," you can review how many positive and negative experiences previous buyers had with the seller, as well as bid retractions. It's minutes well spent.

Believe it or not, there are eBay browsers who have nothing better to do than time their watches to bid against all last-minute bidders. If you desperately want an item, set an alarm for 1 or 2 minutes before closing time and be prepared to bid furiously. Now would be a good time to remind yourself of your bid limit. Write it in red and put it in front of your computer screen. Do not exceed it.

Ask questions

Before you get too carried away, you may need to get some basic questions answered. Remember, though: Ebay sellers are seldom experts on the stuff they are selling. There's an upside to that: They don't know what they have, so they often are willing to part with it for too little. And a downside: They can't tell you a lot about it.

Metcalf warned that "mint condition" means different things to different people. Don't hesitate to e-mail the seller with your questions, such as: Are there stains? Is there discoloration? Are there cracks?

Another important question: Does the seller have a return policy? Ask before you buy. Grant Nakashima of Makiki purchased a Palm Pilot cover on eBay but it was scratched. He returned it for a refund, but had to swallow the shipping costs — both ways.

Shipping costs

EBay is a global marketplace, so if that $6 silk scarf you bid on is from India, the shipping costs may be twice the cost of the scarf. Be sure to check before you commit.

Wayne Maeda of Manoa shops eBay for computer parts. He recently bought a power supply for his computer, but by the time FedEx costs were added (and this seller only ships via FedEx) he could have bought it just as inexpensively in Honolulu.

All in all, eBay opens up a world of treasures to those with the patience, persistence and expertise to navigate its vast cyber halls of retail.