• Lesson Index:
• Overview
• PayPal
• Signing Up for PayPal
• Donate Button
• Sending Money Request
• Buying on eBay
• Signing Up for eBay
• eBay Messages
• Finding Items on eBay
• Bidding on Auctions
• Bidding Endgame
• Selling
• Auction
• Review Revise
• Checking Status
• Item Sold
• Money Request
• Done Deal
• Advanced Topic
• Encrypting PayPal Buttons

Finding Items

In the previous lesson, we had signed up for an eBay account. And before that we had signed up for PayPal. Now let's try to find items on eBay and learn how to find ourselves around eBay.

1. Go to http://www.ebay.com, sign in, and click the Buy tab.

2. Let's say that I am looking for some Marvel comic trading cards. I enter "marvel comic cards" in the search and click the Search button. Alternatively, I can "Browse".

3. In the search results, you will see a list of item with prices and shipping cost. You can also see at a glace whether the seller accepts PayPal by noting whether there is a P icon. Click on the item's link to see more details of the item.

4. You can compare two items side-by-side. Checkmark both items and click the Compare button.

4. After taking a look at it side-by-side, I decided that I like the 1991 Marvel Hologram Comic Traiding Cards better. So I click on its link to go to the details page.

5. The detailed view shows that there is one person willing to pay $5.94 or higher for it. $5.94 is only his/her starting bid, eBay will automatically up his/her bid to his/her maximum as other bidders join in. We are unable to know his/her maximum bid. If we did, what would be the fun of auctions. Now if no other person bids before the auction ends, then the sole bidder will win and get the item for $5.94 (assuming that this is a traditional auction).

It is also a good idea to look at the feedback percentage of the seller. Also click to see a larger view of the item.

6. Make sure you scroll down to view the sellers description and instructions.

7. Scroll further down to see shipping information and what types of payment the buyer accepts.

8. Since there are three more days till the auction ends, I'll keep my eyes on it by clicking the "Watch this item" link. The item is now being watched in My eBay.

9. Click on the My eBay tab and the Watching link and will see the list of items being watched.

10. Because we are watching the item, eBay will email us as the auction nears its completion to remind us to bid.

11. In the detailed page for the item, you will also see a Seller Information box. There you will find a link to ask the seller a question about the item.

12. Sign out of eBay when done.

In the next lesson, we will bid on the item.