I’ve been a keen ebayer for all this century. I’ve bought hundreds of items ranging from fantastic bargains to total crap. Over all the positives have very much outweighed the negatives. In fact I would say ebay has saved me loads and loads of money over the years. I’ve bought everything from leather couches and fur coats (both awesome bargains) to cheap little household items I just couldn’t be arsed shopping for.

BUT you have to be very careful. Here are my top tips for beginners.Don’t break these rules till you have bought at least ten items on ebay.

1. Don’t buy anything from a seller with a feedback rating of less than 99.9% or a feedback score of less than about 500. No matter how tempted you are. Remember the bargain of a lifetime comes around ever week on ebay. The feedback system is there to help you.

2. Do not buy from an overseas seller. International postage and transactions can be problematic for a novice. Stay local at first.

3. Don’t buy anything that doesn’t clearly state the EXACT cost of shipping. This can be a BIG trap for newbies.

4. Don’t buy anything antique or rare or claiming to be a genuine designer label. Assume everything on ebay is fake. It’s not, of course, but if you are new to this pool don’t dive in the deep end.

5. Don’t pay more than a modest amount for anything. Then it wont hurt if you do get burned.

6. Check how the seller wants you to pay. Paypal is quick and easy, but not all sellers accept it. Money orders cost extra. And I would never send cash through the mail.

7. Read every word of the listing. Now read it again. What are they saying? What are they NOT saying? Don’t assume anything. Is there too much information to plow through? Don’t bid.. Is the description very short and tells you very little? Don’t bid.

8. Ask the seller questions if you’re not sure about anything. When in doubt - don’t bid.

9. Read through the feedback comments. And actually look at the items they have sold before. This can tell you a lot about the seller.

10. Decide the absolute maximum price you would be HAPPY to pay for the item. Wait till one minute before the end of the auction and bid your highest amount. Actually 30 seconds is a better time, but that can be nerve wracking. It’s called ’sniping’ and it’s really the only way to win ebay auctions. Its quite thrilling. Even more thrilling when you win that bargain!

11. Are there no other bids? Hmmm. What does that tell you? If the millions of experienced bidders and professional dealers trawling ebay at any given time are staying away then maybe you should too. Until you have your first yellow star don’t assume you can spot a bargain others can’t. This is especially important for things like stamps, coins, antiques and collectibles. The ebay markets for these things are huge. There is no way a genuine, well priced item ever gets overlooked. The good thing about this is you can be pretty sure you’re getting something thats worth the price if 6 other people are bidding on it as well.

Remember the best fun to be had on ebay is just looking. Do lots of looking and very selective buying. Fools rush in where tight arsed angels fear to tread.