Warhammer40k and other collectables..

To whom it may concern. This guide is here to help educate serious collectors and hopfully hep unite people with the items that they have been searching the E-bay channel for. I hate to admit it, but the internet is the best place in the world to go shopping, and e-bay has not only the best deals around but the best way to search for them quickly and efficently. There are a few key things to be aware of when you want to shop through the e-bay jungle. These are rules I live by, and use everytime I place a bid. I have neve gotten a bad deal from the system, and you won't either. -Rule number 1: If your going to go shopping, Have a good idea what you want. It's not like going to the grocery store and browsing until somthing tickles your fancy. You can do that, but I find it will waste alot of time and occasionally money. When I shop, I know what I'm looking for. I go to the search engine and type a description. e.g. "Space Marine army." That may give me a whole list to start with. and is pretty general. I like to think more specificlly. I like to play a certain space marine chapter known as grey knights, but they also are called daemon hunters. Two different lists for one item. So first I search "grey knight army", if that does not prdoce the desired resaults, I simply try their other name. "daemon hunter army" if there is still nothing of note, I will often times play with the spelling of an item. e.g. gray knights, or demon hunters. It's remarkable what a little bad spelling can do. -Rule number 2: Know your limit.If buying an antique coin collection is going to tax the old bank account, keep you bidding low. This might not sound important, but if you want to keep shopping responcibly you're going to need to manage your resources wisely. -Rule number 3: Always check an items description. Alot of times you will looks for shipping and handling cost and you won't see one listed in the items shipping and handling sections. Thats because alot of e-bay sellers include the shipping cost somewhere else on their page, and simply add a note to see the description. You can really hurt your self shopping if you bid too much for an item that need to go over seas. -Rule number 4: Contact the person selling the item. Ask them questions about the item, about the shipping, about themselves. Check the sellers past feedback, you can learn alot about a dealer by how they are talked about. Alot of times sellers will have repeat shoppers, because of how well they deal. Other times, there will be private feedback. Private feed back is a turn off for me, because I wonder why the seller needs to keep what others say about them quiet? -Rule number 5: Never Give Up. I know that sounds silly. But seriously, just don't give up. Once I litterally lost a bid in the last 3 seconds. It was mindblowing. I lost it to a nice lady in vermont who was hoping to win and reauction the item. Which she inevitably did. But I was the only bidder the first time around, and needless to say the second time was no change. I won the item, for less then she had sniped it from me. And even with her increased shipping fee, I still ened up saving almost $5. Nothing amazing but I didn't give up, and you shouldn't either. There is always another toy, or sword, or what ever else you might be looking for. no matter how rare, it's out there. If you can follow these simple rules for okay shopping you will find yourself having a much more enjoyable shopping experience. I would go as far to say that even if you don't win the item you've been bidding on for the last four days you'll be let down yes, but you won't be ready to give up. I hope this has been informative, and help provide encouragement to all readers/shoppers. Good luck, and good shopping. -David Faulkner.