eBay is the world's largest online marketplace. Yes, you can find used junk, but you can also find collectibles, hard to locate items and even brand new items, often at significant discounts from retail.

Q: I found an item at a great price, but I don't know the shipping costs. Should I bid?

Never bid on an item until you know the true cost, including shipping. Many unscrupulous sellers will list items at very low prices and then charge very high shipping costs which are not disclosed until after you win. It is a practice that is not allowed under eBay rules, but still happens regularly. Use the 'Ask seller a question' option on the listing to find our exactly what shipping costs will be. If the seller does not disclose shipping costs upon request, look elsewhere, it's probably a scam.

Q: I found an item at a great price, but it's listed out of the country. Should I bid?

Be careful whenever you bid on an item that is located in another country. First of all, you need to know if the seller is willing to ship to another country and what the costs are. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is and the fact that the item is not within the country makes this much more likely. If you do decide to bid, make sure you have had an email exchange with the seller using the 'Ask seller a question' link on the listing page. Ask the seller for specifics about the item. If the seller is vague, or if they try to sell you the item off-eBay, it's probably a scam.

Q: I found an item at a great price, but the seller wants me to complete the sale off-eBay. Should I bid?

If a seller asks you to complete a sale off-eBay, it is almost always a scam. There is no legitimate reason for a seller to ask you to do so. Likewise, if a seller suddenly changes the terms after an auction ends be wary, especially if they suggest using an escrow service you've never heard of or if they have unusual payment method requests.

Q: It seems like there are a lot of ways to get ripped off on eBay. Is eBay safe?

It's true that there are a number of ways to get ripped off using eBay, but it doesn't happen very often. Of course if it happens to you, one time is often enough to keep you from coming back. Here are some helpful tips for avoiding eBay scams:

1. Look for items that accept PayPal. It's harder to pull off scams using PayPal, but not impossible.
2. Avoid bidding on items that are located out of the country; at least until you have more experience.
3. Ask questions about the item before bidding. Does the seller respond promptly? Can they answer specific questions about the item such as its history or any blemishes or defects? If not, the listing may be a scam.
4. Always know the shipping costs to your location before placing a bid. Shipping costs are often inflated. If the seller fails to state shipping costs in the listing, contact them.
5. If the price of the item is much lower than all other similar listings, it may be a scam. Be on the lookout for listings that contain phrases like "information on how to buy..." or "this is not...". Alternatively, you can use a smart search engine like gumshoo.com to filter out scam auctions like these automatically .
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   Things to Remember at Your Next Trade Show
   Trade Show Regulations Every trade show venue has its own unique set of regulations. Larger convention centers have extremely strict regulations to prevent large scale disasters like fires and explosions, but even smaller trade shows will usually regulate the size of your booth, your shipping crate/case, and what kind of lights you can use. Before you attend your next trade show or convention, be sure to check the regulations for the particular show that you are going to attend, and make sure your trade show display meets the guidelines.Tools Needed to Assemble your Booth Before you leave fo
   ularly. Use the 'Ask seller a question' option on the listing to find our exactly what shipping costs will be. If the seller does not disclose shipping costs upon request, look elsewhere, it's probably a scam.

   Q: I found an item at a great price, but it's listed out of the country. Should I bid?
   

   Be careful whenever you bid on an item that is located in another country. First of all, you need to know if the seller is willing to ship to another country and what the costs are. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is and the fact that the item is not within the country makes this much more likely. If you do decide to bid, make sure you have had an email exchange with the seller using the 'Ask seller a question' link on the listing page. Ask the seller for specifics about the item. If the seller is vague, or if they try to sell you the item off-eBay, it's probably a scam.

   Q: I found an item at a great price, but the seller wants me to complete the sale off-eBay. Should I bid?

   If a seller asks you to complete a sale off-eBay, it is almost always a scam. There is no legitimate reason for a seller to ask you to do so. Likewise, if a seller suddenly changes the terms after an auction ends be wary, especially if they suggest using an escrow service you've never heard of or if they have unusual payment method requests.

   Q: It seems like there are a lot of ways to get ripped off on eBay. Is eBay safe?

   It's true that there are a number of ways to get ripped off using eBay, but it doesn't happen very often. Of course if it happens to you, one time is often enough to keep you from coming back. Here are some helpful tips for avoiding eBay scams:

   1. Look for items that accept PayPal. It's harder to pull off scams using PayPal, but not impossible.
   2. Avoid bidding on items that are located out of the country; at least until you have more experience.
   3. Ask questions about the item before bidding. Does the seller respond promptly? Can they answer specific questions about the item such as its history or any blemishes or defects? If not, the listing may be a scam.
   4. Always know the shipping costs to your location before placing a bid. Shipping costs are often inflated. If the seller fails to state shipping costs in the listing, contact them.
   5. If the price of the item is much lower than all other similar listings, it may be a scam. Be on the lookout for listings that contain phrases like "information on how to buy..." or "this is not...". Alternatively, you can use a smart search engine like gumshoo.com to filter out scam auctions like these automatically .
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      Selling Niche - The Way Forward in eBay eBook Selling
      With the ever increasing competition in the eBay eBook market, sellers are forced to find new, original eBooks with very little competition.Selling eBooks with no competition is the most ideal scenario you could ever experience as an eBay eBooks seller. Why? Because you set the price!If there is more than one person selling the same item then the price is constantly being driven down. The original seller lists it for $20; the second seller lists it for $18. Is the original seller likely to get any sales at the price of $20? No, of course not. eBay buyers are constantly looking for bargains and
      d an email exchange with the seller using the 'Ask seller a question' link on the listing page. Ask the seller for specifics about the item. If the seller is vague, or if they try to sell you the item off-eBay, it's probably a scam.

      Q: I found an item at a great price, but the seller wants me to complete the sale off-eBay. Should I bid?

      If a seller asks you to complete a sale off-eBay, it is almost always a scam. There is no legitimate reason for a seller to ask you to do so. Likewise, if a seller suddenly changes the terms after an auction ends be wary, especially if they suggest using an escrow service you've never heard of or if they have unusual payment method requests.

      Q: It seems like there are a lot of ways to get ripped off on eBay. Is eBay safe?

      It's true that there are a number of ways to get ripped off using eBay, but it doesn't happen very often. Of course if it happens to you, one time is often enough to keep you from coming back. Here are some helpful tips for avoiding eBay scams:

      1. Look for items that accept PayPal. It's harder to pull off scams using PayPal, but not impossible.
      2. Avoid bidding on items that are located out of the country; at least until you have more experience.
      3. Ask questions about the item before bidding. Does the seller respond promptly? Can they answer specific questions about the item such as its history or any blemishes or defects? If not, the listing may be a scam.
      4. Always know the shipping costs to your location before placing a bid. Shipping costs are often inflated. If the seller fails to state shipping costs in the listing, contact them.
      5. If the price of the item is much lower than all other similar listings, it may be a scam. Be on the lookout for listings that contain phrases like "information on how to buy..." or "this is not...". Alternatively, you can use a smart search engine like gumshoo.com to filter out scam auctions like these automatically .
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         Small Business Budgeting - How to Balance Your Money
         Balancing the budget in a small business is no easy feat. Depending on the type of business you have and the type of clients you service can make or break your business.Sales of products or services must be priced right to make a profit for your small business. You have to factor in your cost, time to produce, shipping and then multiply that by 100% (keystoning) to come up with a profit. This also will allow you to discount to close a sale if you need to.Offering terms to your clients is a nice gesture but it can put you out of business quickly. Unless you can afford to wait 60 days for your mo
         ve unusual payment method requests.

         Q: It seems like there are a lot of ways to get ripped off on eBay. Is eBay safe?

         It's true that there are a number of ways to get ripped off using eBay, but it doesn't happen very often. Of course if it happens to you, one time is often enough to keep you from coming back. Here are some helpful tips for avoiding eBay scams:

         1. Look for items that accept PayPal. It's harder to pull off scams using PayPal, but not impossible.
         2. Avoid bidding on items that are located out of the country; at least until you have more experience.
         3. Ask questions about the item before bidding. Does the seller respond promptly? Can they answer specific questions about the item such as its history or any blemishes or defects? If not, the listing may be a scam.
         4. Always know the shipping costs to your location before placing a bid. Shipping costs are often inflated. If the seller fails to state shipping costs in the listing, contact them.
         5. If the price of the item is much lower than all other similar listings, it may be a scam. Be on the lookout for listings that contain phrases like "information on how to buy..." or "this is not...". Alternatively, you can use a smart search engine like gumshoo.com to filter out scam auctions like these automatically .
         6. Check fee
            Guarantees: Why You Should Offer Them
            There are many questions that often come up for new small business owners around offering guarantees - what kind, how long, am I risking too much by doing so, and even if they should offer them at all.In my business, I offer a guarantee on everything I sell. The guarantees for my products are slightly different than the guarantees I give for my 1:1 coaching and consulting services, but the one thing they have in common is this:Guarantees remove the risk from your buyer.And yes, that means that then the "risk" is on your shoulders, but that's exactly where it should be. After all, if you'
            nd promptly? Can they answer specific questions about the item such as its history or any blemishes or defects? If not, the listing may be a scam.
         7. Always know the shipping costs to your location before placing a bid. Shipping costs are often inflated. If the seller fails to state shipping costs in the listing, contact them.
         8. If the price of the item is much lower than all other similar listings, it may be a scam. Be on the lookout for listings that contain phrases like "information on how to buy..." or "this is not...". Alternatively, you can use a smart search engine like gumshoo.com to filter out scam auctions like these automatically .
         9. Check feedback. Feedback that is less than 100% doesn't mean you have a bad seller, but if a seller's feedback is less than 100% look for patterns. A recent string of negatives may indicate an account takeover. Also check to see if the negatives have a common theme such as the seller changing terms or never shipping an item.
         10. Use commom sense. As always, if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

         Q: Is it still possible to find great deals on eBay?

         Absolutely! Finding a good deal on eBay is often a factor of how 'saturated' the market for that item is. In other words, if everyone and their mother is looking for an Apple iPod, you are probably not going to find a great deal. In fact, iPods are so popular that even used ones sell for very near full retail price. You'll probably find that many items you're searching for seem to be in this category, but you can still find the occasional deal. One great way to find deals on eBay is to search for misspelled auction titles. For example, searching for 'Aple iPod' might return some results that many other people are not finding because Apple has been misspelled. Of course, coming up with all of the possible misspellings of an item you are looking for is tedious. That's where a smart search engine like gumshoo.com comes in. gumshoo.com automatically looks for common misspellings of all of your search terms. You just type in Apple iPod and it finds Aple iPod, Apple iPos, Aplle iPod, etc.