Using one of the tools on this website, you can
seek out what I call '99p auctions'. These are auctions that are currently at
less than 99p or less and, usually, have no bidders.
Sounds great, but there are advantages and
disadvantages to searching for 99p auctions. Here are a few off the top of my
head...
Disadvantages
There is a lot of tat to sift through. Some
things are 99p, quite simply, because that's all they are worth.
Postage costs may be high. Look out for postage
costs. It may be that the item is large, the seller has upped the postage cost
to try to avoid eBay fees, or that the item has to be posted from abroad.
Advantage:
There are some mega bargains!
The simple answer to the question above is that
99p auctions ARE worth looking through, IF you have your wits about you.
Many eBay sellers start their items at 99p. A lot
of the time, this is because it's usually regarded as better to start low to
attract bidders. However, eBay also occasionally offer incentives to private and
business sellers to list more items and, quite often, these incentives involve
the seller having to start their items at 99p.
The result is that there are a lot of cheap items
listed on eBay. I'm certain that if I was to list a Nintendo Wii for 99p, it
would attract bids pretty quickly and would soon be well over the 99p mark!
However, some items don't attract so much attention, and this can be for a
variety of reasons...
Poor Title
If I was selling the Nintendo Wii mentioned above, but described it as a 'TV
Computer Game', not many people would even look at it.
Poor Description
It's not unusual to see items with poor descriptions that barely stretch to a
sentence. I often see items with no description at all. These items will feature
poorly in eBay search results!
Misspelt Title
The item may be good, but the seller has made a typo. The result is that the
item ranks poorly in searches and can be overlooked.
Excessive Postage
There may be a genuine reason for this (i.e. the item is heavy), but if the
seller happens to live three doors down from you, then drop then use the 'Ask
The Seller A Question' Feature to see if you can collect it.
Auction Ends At An Unsociable Time
I often work through the night and find items that finish at 3am. There aren't
that many people around to bid at that time, so I grab some serious bargains.
Many people list at a lot more sociable time, but even this doesn't always work.
Time your listing for your prized Signed England Football Shirt to end right on
the stroke of full time as England are winning the World Cup Final 2-1 (I can
dream!), then the chances are that many England football fans will miss it!
There are other countless reasons why 99p auctions
are worth looking at. If you've got time, are the sort of person who doesn't
rush in and are motivated, take a look at some of them using the 99p Auction
tool below and grab yourself a bargain.
Happy searching!
Another great way of finding cheap eBay bargains is to look for items that haven't had many bids. Just because they haven't received bids, it doesn't mean they aren't any good! Quite often, the item will be poorly described, have a bad photo or just finish at an unsociable time. Use the drop down box below to find items in each category that finish soon and have had 3 bids or less:
And here's a favourite for many....the good old 99p auctions! A lot of people start their auctions at 99p or less, partly because they believe that they'll attract more attention if they do and partly because there are often promotional incentives to do so. The result is a LOT of items sell for a pound or less! Select a section below to see what I mean:
And here's one more trick to use. Type your search term into the box below. Select your postcode and distance you'll travel and get the results. If any of them take your fancy, check the descriptions and if it doesn't say that they'll accept collection in person, ASK THEM.
Not everybody does accept collection, but there is no harm in asking. I've bought plenty of stuff like this and you'll often find you can save a lot by cutting out the postage.
There Are Other Ways Of Finding Cheap Bargains. Try
This For Size - Enter Your Search Term And Then Click
The Link That Is Supplied:
A few buying tips:
Only fools rush in - don't grab the first bargain you see...however tempting!
Don't avoid Ebay - if a seller asks you to buy direct, avoid them. You lose all your protection from Ebay.
Pay with PayPal - again, you get extra protection this way.
Read the small print - be SURE that you know what you're buying!
Make sure you can pick the item up - bulky items often need a van and some muscle!
Make sure you can store it - bulk deals sound great, but ever tried fitting a million widgets in your hallway?
Have fun - buying a cheap bargain can be great fun. Enjoy it!
Please bookmark this page and share it with your friends. The button below will help....
And don't forget your local GumTree website - a great source of cheap classifieds
