When conducting searches on eBay listings, you may find items in a purple box found at the top of the search listings. Usually these items are ignored as these items are usually more expensive than other items.

However in some high traffic areas, with the help of this featured option, your item gets the attention it deserves. Just ensure that the location you place this featured option is one where potential customers will see it.

Also ensure that you sell the product at a good rate, so that it covers the additional expenses you pay for a featured option listing. However avoid placing featured options in listings that have many featured options as this way your featured option tactic will not be beneficial to you.

Buying and Selling on ebay can save you money. It can also make you money if you learn to understand the concept.

Steps

1. Learn to do productive searches for items of interest.

2. Mark those items to watch on your My eBay.

3. Watch items of interest until the last 5-10 minutes of auction.

4. Go to auction page and prepare proxy bid. Be cheap. Don’t set proxy higher than you are willing to go. REMEMBER you will also pay shipping when you win the auction. Consider this as part of your total investment.

5. As late as you dare, click bid.

6. If you lose, try again on the next watched auction.

7. If you win, pay promptly.

8. Make sure you don’t enter the wrong amount

Tips

* Never overbid on an item there are a lot of - if there’s another item identically priced, bid only a little on the first, and push them both up at the same rate, until you are the winning bidder.

* If you aren’t available during the end of the auction, consider using a third-party bidder, such as eSnipe or PhantomBidder. These tools also allow you to bid at the last minute so you can avoid getting into bidding wars.

* Many auctions finish without any bids because the seller has made spelling mistakes in their auction eg Britanny Spears. These are potential bargains. Tools like Invisible-Auctions.com, Missing-Auctions.com or Typozay can help you find these auctions and save money.

* Bid during the summer or other holiday periods as many bidders are not in front of their computer so less competition.

* Look for auctions that are finishing early in morning or late at night.

* Bid odd values - eg $10.23 rather $10 - as most people bid in round numbers.

* If you are paying by PayPal - do a quick search in Google for Paypal codes. Often you can get sizable discounts on your final purchase cost or free postage.

* Watch out for postage. Many sellers compensate for low prices (and avoid fees!) by charging high postage.

* Look out for free or cheap listing days. There are usually a lot more auctions chasing the same amount of bidders in the week after these so great potential for bargains.

* REMEMBER: people will buy anything and every thing so if you think that something is outrageous chances aer tha tpoeple will want it somewhere.

Warnings

* Don’t spend more than you’ve got, muppet.