So, if you have read many of the posts on here, you will have seen the trend of things I collect. I am huge on promotional glasses. Why? I'm not sure. I think they are neat, and it is something of the past that most companies are not using today. I decided I was going to start collecting the Super Series glasses from Pepsi last year. My parents started me off by buying me several for my last birthday. While they were looking for them, they found the entire set of the Superman movie glasses from 1978. Well, that started an interest. That's why most of the posts show at least one glass.
What does this have to do with eBay? I use eBay for various things, and I feel that eBay is a great source for a lot information and opportunity to a collector. However, I feel that most people, who do not use technology often, can be ignorant about some of the risks of eBay, especially when it comes to antiques.
Know Your Product - When you are looking for antiques on eBay, know what you are looking for. There is nothing wrong with going out and browsing. I like to cruise through eBay to see what I can find. That's normal and sometimes interesting. But, when it comes to making the purchase, know what you are looking for and what you are attempting to purchase. Do a little research, so you aren't buying something you aren't expecting. For instance, with the glasses, there are a lot of reproductions out there. You can go to department stores and find superhero glasses that closely resemble the glasses from the 1970s. However, you could spend a higher amount on a 1970s glass reproduction that could have picked up at the local store for $10.
Read The Description - The description is the best way for the seller to give the buyers an idea of what is actually being sold. I remember when the XBox gaming console first came out, and there were people selling cardboard boxes cut into the shape of a X and various other scams. However, the description said exactly what it was. Make sure you read the description. I have also seen people have a picture of a complete set of something and state in the description that only one of the items pictured is for sale. It is lazy way of doing things, but you need to protect yourself against such things with all of the resources provided.
Pictures, Pictures, Pictures - The best thing about antique stores is you get to touch the merchandise. If you are shopping for glass, you can look it over for chips, cracks, or flaws. On eBay, you don't have that option. You have to rely on what the seller gives you. Some of the sellers are great sellers and honest. Others are not that great. I tend to lean towards a seller which shows several photos of the item they are trying to sell. The more photos, the better. Sometimes, a photo might unintentionally reveal something that the seller isn't mentioning. But watch for fake photos. Once, I saw an auction for Happy Birthday, Mickey glasses, and the photo showed the Pepsi logo. The issue was that the logo had Warner Brothers 1973 above it. Disney has never, and probably will never, be owned by Warner Brothers. Also, Happy Birthday, Mickey was released in 1977 and 1978. If you ever notice anything like this, walk away. It might be a good deal, but you are going into some potentially troublesome waters.
Ask - eBay gives the option to ask the seller questions about the product. Granted, nothing says that the seller will be honest with you. Usually though... you will be getting pretty straight answers. This will allow you to make sense of some of the photos. Most of the sellers, especially the ones with high ratings, are going to be honest and nice like a vendor at a store. Most of them operate as a business, so they treat you like a customer.
Shipping - Watch your shipping. You might be getting something for a dollar and paying $11 for shipping. Some sellers are notorious for supplementing their winnings by adding outrageous shipping prices since it is not commissioned to eBay for the sale.
Not everything about eBay is bad. There are a lot of good things that come from eBay.
Price Checking - Everyone has a smartphone now, and the internet is accessible almost everywhere we go. So, say you see something at your local junk store, and you have no idea what price is a decent price. What do you do? You could get a buyer's guide and attempt to find it (usually not a good method since buyer guides only list certain things and don't account for fluctuation in pricing). Or, you could search for it on eBay. Since there are people all over the world using the site, you are bound to find the item or something similar. eBay pricing is usually pretty accurate when it is the bidders who are determining the price. If it is a Buy Now option, it is what the seller is thinking it is worth (which puts you back where you started in the first place). A Buy Now option is not accurate pricing!
Hard to Find Items - eBay also allows a collector to find things that are not common in his/her area. For instance, I was looking for some glasses that were put out by 7-Eleven. In Kansas City, 7-Elevens are few and far between. I have only seen one in my life, and my parents claim they were around more in the '70s. However, they were offering Marvel glasses in the '70s, and I had never seen one in person. Through eBay, I was able to find the complete set.
Discover New Items - This ties into the previous point. While you are looking for your item on eBay, you might discover something you never knew existed. When I was looking for the Super Series glasses, I found a Supergirl glass that I wanted. I noticed that she was being sold with two other glasses. The glasses looked like ones I already had, but I noticed that the bottoms were rounded. After some research, I learned that the set was released at the exact same time and the round-bottom glasses tended to be rarer than the set I had been collecting. Without the search, I would have never known the glasses existed.
Bargain Central - Another great deal about eBay is the pricing. Most sellers start low and hope to sell high, but some of the auctions don't ever get to the high side. This makes it a buyer's heaven since the buyer will be able to get some great stuff at really cheap prices. If eBay is over saturated with an item, it is likely that people will overlook stuff. Also, are you looking for a seasonal item? Search for it off season. You would be surprised how expensive Christmas items get during Christmas but can be picked up in auctions during non-Christmas seasons for dirt-cheap prices. I have benefited from this bargain central several time. I bought a near-complete set of Happy Birthday, Mickey glasses for the price of one glass.
There are a lot of pros and cons about online auctions. Everyone has their own personal views on them as well. So, if you are nervous about it or new to it, test the waters. Don't dive in, and spend a lot of money the first time. I'm always skeptical about new things, so I started off small. Also, even though I have the world's variety at my fingertips, it is hard to beat a good antique store. Antique hunting is about discovery, and it is easier to get excited about something you found in a store than something you found while casually browsing the internet. However, there are treasures to be found online as well.
Until next time... Happy Hunting!
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