Using ebay search as a Price Guide
Online Auction Searches - Part 2 of 3 Also see:
Part 1: Online Auction Search Tips (Main)
Part 3: Bid Shadowing
One of the great advantages to ebay is you can use the search feature to turn ebay into a giant price guide, absolutely free. This is also one of the reasons ebay initially became so popular! All you have to do is check the box marked "completed items" when you enter a search term on ebay.* This will return a list of auction results that have ended within the past 30 days. From an item category results page, this will be in the far left column, under "search options". If you have trouble finding this, click "search" on any ebay page, then advanced search, enter your search terms, and click the "completed items" box. Also displayed will be the amounts bid, if any, along with the screen name of the high bidder. This gives you an idea of what other people are charging (and getting) for their auctions, and also indicates the amount of interest for an item or how rare it is. Although this method is not quite as complete as having an authorized, print version of a price guide for that antique or collectible, it will give you an idea of what the items fair market value happens to be over a recent time period. Remember, prices of collectibles and goods will change over time, so the value of an item in the year 2004 may not be the same in 2005- it may have gone up or down depending on supply & demand. *Note: You need to join ebay to use this feature- It's free, so if you are not already a member: Register at ebay now | 
