Research Before You Buy
Smart eBay buyers don’t bid blind, and they don’t bid on the first item they see. Before you make a bid, make sure you know the true value of an item, which you can do by researching similar eBay auctions. The key is to search completed auctions to find out what similar items actually sold for—so you don’t overpay!
Enter a description of the item in the search box at the top of the eBay home page.
Click the Search button.
When the search results page appears, check the Completed Listings option.
Click the Show Items button.
Examine the final price for those items that actually sold (prices are in green). Don’t pay more than this for similar items.