Fishing for a deal on EBay?
EBay can be a great place to find many deals when it comes to fishing, hunting and camping equipment. I have bought and sold tons of things on eBay and I’m happy to say I have had only one or two bummers in 5 years. Is everything a bargain? Absolutely not!
First off, a PayPal account is a must if you’re going to use eBay. PayPal is a super safe connection that allows you to have a bank account on- line that you can use about anywhere. Many online stores now are taking PayPal because Millions are using it and they don’t want to give up valuable sales. The most popular lure parts companies are taking PayPal so Its really the future in online sales.Would I keep thousands of dollars in a PayPal account ? No, but that’s just me.
Feedback score is the next important thing as a buyer that I look at. It has to be flawless or I don’t buy from that seller. There are way too many sellers out there to risk buying something from a bad Ebayer. Chances are if you look around someone else has the same thing.
Shipping is not free and don’t think it is. Sellers will add the cost of shipping to the product and call it free. BUT, You can adjust your search setting to list all products with the lowest cost and lowest shipping first. That way you can see if shipping is way out of hand. Many times, if I think it’s too high, I will ask if the seller will ship it any other way. Some will and some won’t but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Another great feature of the advanced search on eBay is you can buy close to home. There is a section that asks about a radius from your zip code. Adjust it for within 20 miles of your zip and see who is selling near you. I have bought some really great stuff right down the block.
High ticket items such as bamboo fly rods and antique baits can go for thousands of dollars on-line. I don’t feel comfortable buying something like that unless I can actually touch it. You might receive it and the product won’t meet your expectations and then you’re stuck. Ebayers will return your money sometimes but many times they will exchange it for equal value products in their own store. I’m not trying to scare you from shopping but I just want to make you aware it is still a buyer beware type of sale. Other things like rubber worms, ,finesse plastics,jigs and spinners are super buys on eBay.
Black Foot Trader is one place I shop and you can find some great deals for anything outdoor related.
http://stores.ebay.com/Blackfoot-Trader
Crosslake sales is another great spot I have found many great buys.
http://stores.ebay.com/Crosslake-Sales/_i.html?_fsub=13313974
One more I have bought from.
http://stores.ebay.com/Juniors-Warehouse
I have no affiliation with the stores above but I have bought many things from each of them . For me they have all sent quality items .I really think with the price of gas today and the convenience of shopping for someone who lives in the sticks, eBay can help you become a frugal fisherman.
Good Fishin
John
As a veteran of the eBay wars, I can second your tips for a successful transaction. I've bought a lot of stuff and the only bad deals I've made (two out of hundreds)are the one's that I took a risk against my own advice. For a vintage tackle buyer, I'd be no where without eBay.
ReplyDeleteI use eBay for 95%+ of the purchases I make on supplies for building my rigs. Line, spinner blades, beads, hooks, etc. The only problem I've had is postal delivery failures (three in one year) and the Sellers always made it right.
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