eBay Bargain Hunting Secrets - Tips and Tricks for the Budding eBay Detective

From humble beginnings in the mid-nineties, eBay has grown into the world's largest and most sophisticated online auction site. With localised sites operating in thirty countries, eBay has revolutionised the world's shopping habits, making everything from prized collectibles and antiques to household essentials easily available through your computer, phone or even your games console!

This incredible scope makes for some incredible deals - items that were once offered for sale only in niche shops can now be purchased easily from sellers all over the world. However, a massive customer base can also make it difficult to nab the deal you've been aiming for - nothing is more frustrating than the bargain of a lifetime being swiped from your grip by a crafty last minute bidder.
But help is at hand - there are methods to sniff out the deals that less scrupulous users might miss altogether.

Misspelt Auctions

With so many new items appearing every day (and since we're not all spelling bee champions) it's inevitable that some auctions will slip through the net with less-than-accurate spelling intact. If competition is rife for the items you're watching, try searching for commonly misspelt variations of its name. For example ‘telivision' may bring results with fewer bids than the correct spelling, ‘television'. All you have to do is make your bid and hope that nobody else finds your misspelt marvel.

99p Bargains

eBay recommends starting auctions at 99p to attract potential buyers - after all, we all love a bargain, and the potential for bagging a great deal at such a low price is often enough to open the floodgates and bring the bids pouring in. Much of the time these 99p auctions do end up selling for a substantially higher value than the carrot-on-a-stick starting price. Sometimes, though, they are missed by the hoards of bidders and are destined to languish unsold at the bottom of the eBay bargain bin.
Seek out these 99p auctions by setting your search options to display the cheapest auctions first and looking for items that are ending soon. It happens more often than you might think, and it's a great feeling to have got hold of a bargain for less than a pound.
A few words of caution: Watch out for p&p charges, which may be higher than the selling price, and be aware that though items may be appear to be available for less than a pound, the seller may still have set a reserve price. As ever, the old saying rings true: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Stay Local, Get it Cheap

Buying from local sellers could mean saving a small fortune on p&p costs, especially with larger items that may otherwise have to be sent with an expensive carriage company. Contact the seller before bidding to make sure that they're willing to accept a local pickup (many larger items will mention this on the auction page anyway).
Under no circumstances leave contacting the seller till after you've won the auction, as this could result in complaints being made against you.

Broaden Your Search

This may appear obvious, but wider search settings are essential for proper eBay detective work. eBay defaults your search settings to look in auction titles only - by including the item description, you're giving it a lot more information to sift through. Click the ‘Include Description' checkbox when you search, and let those missing results roll in.

Miscategorised Items

eBay organises itself into many categories and subcategories such as ‘Home & Garden', ‘Clothing', ‘Cameras & Photography' and many more. When you enter a search query, the site will display a list of categories in which relevant auctions have been found. Amongst the common categories, there may be items categorised into uncommon, irrelevant or completely bizarre categories, and these categories may conceal bargains.
Say, for example, you're looking for a DVD. You search for ‘Children's DVDs', and amongst the categories of ‘DVD, Film & TV' and ‘Toys & Games' you also see a result listed in the ‘Antiques' section. It's much more likely that this is a miscategorised and unnoticed item than an historic relic from the 1800s, so get bidding!
By following the tips above you'll soon find those bargains that are sometimes buried deep in eBay's auction maze. Why not try some of these out on eBay today?