General Online Tips for Collectors

If you’re just starting out on eBay, chances are you like to shop and you also collect items that interest you. You’ll find out pretty early in your eBay adventures that a lot of people online know as much about collecting as they do about bidding — and some are serious contenders.

How can you compete? Well, in addition to having a well-planned buying strategy (covered in Chapter 7), knowing your stuff gives you a winning edge. I’ve gathered the opinions of two collecting experts to get the info you need about online collecting basics. (If you’re already an expert collector but want help finding that perfect something on eBay so you can get ready to bid, you’ve got it. See “Looking to Find an Item? Start Your eBay Search Engine,” later in this chapter.) I also show you how one of those experts puts the information into practice, and I give you a crash course on how items for sale are (or should be) graded.