Auctions
Online
Sun Review October 7, 2000
If you enjoy garage sales, auctions and generally getting a good deal anywhere you go, you might want to give online auctions a try. Online auction sites establish a relationship between a seller and a buyer, regardless of geographical location. You can access the website, browse the product descriptions, view photos, see what you like, register to bid and you're off and running. In real time, you can participate in a dynamic selling environment. After placing your bid, you can monitor the competition just like you would in a traditional auction setting.
If you just want to browse, click on the categories to find the items you need. If you want to try a more advanced search, you may also be able to enter words such as "Beatles poster" or "mountain bike" into a Search box, which then returns a list with items that match your keywords. If you want to bid, you'll need to register first.
When you register as a buyer, you will have to provide a username and password - it's a good idea to store this information somewhere for future reference. You will need to enter this username (also called a "handle") and password each time you re-visit the auction site. You may also need to provide your name, e-mail address, phone number and mailing address so that the auction site can confirm you are an actual person with a working e-mail address.
If you want to register as a seller, you will need to provide more information such as which payment methods you accept, what type of shipping you plan to do, etc.
Now that you've registered, the fun can begin! Once you've found an item of interest, carefully review what you're bidding on. Note the item's asking price, number of bids, the seller's name and closing date of the sale. If you want to learn more about bidding and the auction process, most sites have a bidding tutorial or Help section that will explain the details of the process. You can also find out more about the seller and his/her reputation, what payment methods they accept and whether they can ship the item to you.
In the most familiar type of auction the highest bid is on display and as higher bids are placed by competing bidders, the buy price is gradually increased. Most auction sites offer you several bidding options. For example, Yahoo! Auctions offers "Automatic Bidding" as well as "Straight Bidding". You can tell Yahoo! Auctions the maximum amount you are willing to bid for an item, and the system will then automatically increase your bid by increments. The advantage is that you don't need to repeatedly bid for an item, and you can increase your bid while spending the least amount. You can also place a "straight bid" by entering the amount you are willing to pay. The system will immediately place your bid at the exact amount you entered. This is a useful strategy to discourage competitors when you're committed to winning an auction.
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