The Many Wonders of eBay

Martha Stewart's brother is hawking her personal mementos on eBay and the question on many people's minds is: What the heck is eBay? At least it was on the minds of two elderly women sitting in the Staten Island Ferry terminal on Sunday. One woman was reading the headline about Stewart's be-trayal and couldn't understand how the auction site worked. Her friend said she had no idea but she was getting sick and tired of reading papers that assume everyone knows what's happening on the Internet. I've been a member of eBay for nearly six years and know all the ins and outs of this wonderful innovation, which I'll gladly share with the uninitiated. If you are a compulsive shopper, stop right here. Do not read any further although you probably already know all there is to know about the best auction site on the Internet. First, the no-brainer part. You must have access to the Internet, which, if you do not own a computer (highly unlikely in the year 2004), can be accessed at local libraries. You also have to have an e-mail address. This can be obtained free of charge at many Web sites such asyahoo.comoriwon.com. The auction site's Web address ishttp://www.ebay.com. To register you fill out the online form and create an eBay identification along with a six-letter password. You also then have to provide a credit card or bank information to be billed for any auction charges. It is always wise to maintain a separate credit card with a small credit limit to use specifically for Internet expenses. While most sites have encrypted security measures in place, it's better to be safe than sorry. Once you have created your ID and confirmed your e-mail address to eBay, you're set to bid on anything and, believe me, everything is up for sale. Many years ago, there was a wonderful Broadway show, "I Can Get It For You Wholesale," which marked Barbra Streisand's debut. EBay is even better. While many eBayers use the site as a giant yard sale and sell junk and treasures alike, there are also bona fide companies that do business online and sell new brand-name products with company guarantees. My husband bought a Yamaha guitar, which retails for $900, for $399. He received the brand-new beauty in three days and had the same option to return it as if he had purchased it in a store. I've bought 100 pairs of toddler socks for $15, 100 brand-name AA batteries for less than $20, and just about anything I need at half price. Prada, Gucci, and Rolex watches are still way over my price range, but they're available along with genuine jewels from famed stores like Tiffany and Harry Winston. This is how the system works. Once you have searched and found an item you're interested in bidding on, you need to look carefully at the page. First, make sure that the seller has a good feedback number. This is a rating system that fellow eBayers use to report their transaction experience. If an item you have purchased is delivered in good condition and on time, you leave good feedback by clicking the feedback link on the item's page. If you have any problems, you leave a negative feedback with an explanation of what occurred. I only do business with sellers of excellent records. If, as a buyer, you pay promptly, then the seller leaves good feedback for you and that is how you build your own record. The next thing to look for is the time left for bidding on the items. Auction items can be left up for sale for a period of three to 10 days. Savvy bidders do not bid on items until the absolute last minute so their bid has a chance of being the winning one. The page will tell you how much time is left and if there is a great bargain up for grabs, set your alarm clock for one minute before it ends. Many sellers also offer a "Buy it now" price for those who can't wait for an auction to end. These are still bargain-basement prices but as soon as you select it, you're stuck with buying it, so use this option with caution. Payment for the items has been made super easy with a service called Paypal. This is another site, which acts as the middleman to expedite payments for completed auctions. You register for this service with either a credit card or a checking account. Paypal verifies your bank reference by depositing small amounts of change into your account. You then confirm the deposited amounts to Paypal and your Paypal ID is marked verified. Both eBay and Paypal also offer low-cost insurance for your purchases. If you want to sell an item on eBay, it helps to have a digital camera to take photos of articles for sale. The process is easy. Just follow the available instructions. If an item is extremely precious, you can set a reserve price, which means you don't have to accept a low final bid. The latest news is that Martha Stewart's mother has given her approval to her son's actions, which many view as the result of a greedy gene in the family. But for eBay - and eBayers - that's a good thing!