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Auctions Revisited

© Reginald Vickers

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The second article I wrote was on Auctions. Since then I realize that some of the sites have come and gone and therefore the article needs to be updated. So for the next 5 weeks, we're going to look at auctions. I believe that this will be the most extensive links to auctions on the Internet (at least that is my goal). This week I will list general auction sites- where you can sell and buy anything. Next week, we will look at sites that mainly deal with computers, electronics, and office equipment. The week after that we will look at sites that cater to the arts, collectors, and memorabilia buffs. On the fourth week, we will look at specialty auctions. Then the last in this series will deal with auction resources.

One thing I have learned over my "Internet shopping years" is that you can not assume that you get a good deal just because you bought it on an auction. I know this does not apply to you who don't care about price as much as availability. But whether you are purchasing items on auctions because it is a hard to find or because it's a good price, you still have to deal with the same issues. Whatever item you are bidding on, make sure you have done your homework. Know if this price plus shipping is the best price in your area. Know what your top price is and don't go over it. Know whom you can trust and only purchase from those people. Know the quality of the item. If it is an antique, know if there is any chance for it to be a forgery. In other words ,know who you're dealing with, what you're getting, when it will arrive, where it came from, why it is being sold, and how much it is worth. Many of these issues are dealt with in my previous articles: Part I- Bidding & Winning Auctions (or how not to get Camel Hair Seat Covers for a 55 Chevy I Don't Own); Part II- Searching and Bidding on Auctions (My Personal Secrets); PART III- THE ALMOST COMPLETE LIST OF AUCTIONS (OR AT LEAST BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE'S). .

Below is a list of sites where you can buy and sell almost anything. Some of these sites may only have a few items for sale like (at this time) Golden Deals. The pro for a buyer is that there may not be many people looking at the site and therefore there may be fewer bids on an item. The con is that there isn't much from which to choose. The pro for the seller at a small site is that there is less competition. The con is that there are fewer buyers. This is just an alphabetical list of sites that have a variety of items for sale. Most of these sites have computer and antique items and much more. They will not be included in the upcoming articles that are exclusively for "computers" or "antiques".