Tips on How to Bid for Beads on eBay
First, know your beads. Make sure you know what the weight of the particular bead you are thinking of bidding on should be. Sometimes less-than-honest sellers will present a man-made stone or gem as real. If information regarding the materials in the beads or what their weight is, make sure you email the seller with questions. Try to always keep these transactions within the eBay system, otherwise you may have no recourse through eBay. Also have an idea what the beads you are bidding on are really worth. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of a bidding war and pay far too much.
Second, know you seller. Read the seller's comments and ratings. If you see several neutrals, beware. Exchange a few questions with the seller to see what kind of service it seems they will give you and to see if the seller really is who they say they are.
Third, read the fine print. The seller has given you fair warning if the auction says something to the effect of "actual item may differ from picture". It is very easy to touch up digital images, and if you are dealing with a shady seller, anything is possible. The fine print should also contain the shipping information, which should not be more than a few dollars to ship a small amount of beads or something the size or weight of a small necklace. If it is, think twice.
Fourth, know what you want. Keep a ruler or some kind of chart nearby where you can check the size of the beads you are considering. Nothing is more disappointing than tearing into your purchase to find that lovely string of amethyst beads is tiny and won't work in your design at all.
Finally, buyer beware. The internet is full of people who, either through ignorance or actual malicious intent, falsely advertise their beads as something they aren't, even sometimes as something they don't even vaguely resemble! Do your homework.
Beading is a fun, creative hobby and eBay is a great way to "window shop" or find inexpensive treasures to add to your collection. Keeping these tips in mind should make your own Ebay bead-hunting more fun and much more satisfying.
Published by Thea Mann
Thea is the mother of 2, and a middle school Language Arts teacher. She spends her time in her container garden when she doesn't have her nose in a book or fingers on a keyboard. Sometimes she even sleeps. View profile
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1 Comments
Post a CommentGood suggestions! Especially the part about keeping a ruler handy. I own a bead store and have been disappointed in some of the merchandise we've ordered because of size discrepancies. Thanks for your article. :-)