Tips for finding and buying pottery

By Tina Howard and Paul Howard

By asking questions, reading the category listings, and doing other research, you will learn which words are used most often by sellers to describe the item you are looking for. These are "keywords" which you can use in a general title search, title and description search, and searches within a category to locate listings you want to investigate. When using the Search box that is on the category listings pages, it is a good idea to check both the "Search only In..." and "Search Titles and Descriptions" boxes to bring up a list of all the items in which you might be interested.

On eBay, sellers set their own policies for the details of their transactions, including whether they allow returns for refund, how much refund they will give (if any), what types and methods of payment they will accept (it is not a good idea to send cash through the mail), how long they can wait for payment to arrive, whether the buyer has to pay for insurance (it is wise to always request insurance), whether they accept international transactions, and the type of shipping they do. Each buyer and seller must deal directly with each other in all these matters - eBay is only a listing agent, and does not get involved in the transaction. Therefore, you should learn as much about your seller as possible before bidding on an item.

One of the best ways to do this is to read the seller's Feedback (click on the number next to a User ID to see the comments other eBay users have made about this person). Although even the best sellers can have some negative comments, the overall rating should lead you to believe that the seller is professional and a good person with which to transact business. Read all the comments (or read several comments if the person has more than 50). Look for comments mentioning things that most concern you. If you have concerns, ask the seller for an explanation, and, if necessary, email some of the users who have posted comments for the seller to ask about their experiences. You may exchange user contact information with the seller and verify that the person you are planning on sending money to is a person you feel safe dealing with.

In addition to this, it's very important to read the listing carefully. Ask the Seller ANY questions BEFORE bidding, since placing a bid obligates you to purchase the item if you are the winning bidder at the end of the auction. When asked a question, most sellers will respond quickly; however, be sure to ask questions as soon as you have them (rather than waiting until the auction nears its end) so that a seller will have a chance to respond in time for you to place a bid. If you do not receive a response to your question, then you should assume that the answers are NOT what you might hope them to be and decide accordingly whether to bid or not, and how much you are willing to risk.

Become familiar with the eBay rules and how the system works by reading the User Agreement, the Guidelines, and the FAQ. Referring to these areas first when you don't understand something. You can also get answers from the eBay staff by asking questions on the Live Support for New Users Board, and the Support Q&A Board.

To learn about community practices, policies, and the general "unwritten rules" of eBay life, read the Pottery Chat Board and the Q&A Board regularly, and feel free to jump in and ask questions!

The preceding material was written by Tina Howard and Paul Howard. These are the opinions of the authors, not the opinions of eBay, and therefore eBay does not validate the accuracy of or endorse these opinions.