Five items to always buy on eBay – and three to avoid
FANS of eBay know there are countless bargains to be had, but are some worth more of your money than others?
The secondhand site is a great tool for shoppers looking to find bargain discounts on unwanted items.
Since its launch in the UK in 1999 many people have used it to make a bit of extra cash.
But what should you always be searching for on eBay and what should you leave on the shelf? We reveal all.
Coins
One thing eBay is great for is buying and selling unique and old coins – and there are thousands to choose from.
Sellers often put rare coins online and then people can bid for them.
Earlier this year one seller revealed he was selling a 50p Brexit coin for £15,000.
The mint listing reads: “50p Very Rare Brexit Coin, Peace, Prosperity And Friendship With All Nations.”
The seller is flogging the “Queen Elizabeth II 50p: UK Withdrawal from European Union” on eBay’s buy-it-now option for £14,999.
Of course, keep in mind that it may not be worth that much.
And following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, there were many Royal coins going on eBay.
Price range from literally 50p to thousands of pounds, depending on what one you’re after.
If you’re a keen collector too, there are tons of other coins to choose from including the Kew Gardens and Peter Rabbit coins.
To check what coins are generally worth, filter your eBay search by “sold listings”.
Clothes
There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of items of clothing to buy on eBay.
If you’re after something in particular, you can search for what it is you’re looking for and more often than not someone will be selling it.
And more often than not, you should be able to find what you’re looking for at a fraction of the price.
Many people are turning to secondhand shopping to try and save some cash during the cost of living crisis.
eBay even has its own outlet which has items from a selection of retailers like Argos, Boden, Boohoo, Debenhams, Sports Direct and more.
These are either end of the line or refurbished items.
Most of the items are sold in a “buy it now” format so you won’t need to worry about starting a bidding war.
For example, at the time of writing, we saw a River Island coral summer shirt going for £7 down from its original price of £30.
Shoes
Another great way to shop at eBay is if you’re looking for shoes.
There’s always usually someone selling a pair after they’ve bought the wrong size or because they’ve worn them once and can no longer return them.
For example, we’ve previously found a pair of brand new New Balance 530 trainers for just £40 down from their original price of £99.
They were in mint conditioning and had literally been used once.
Of course, people will sell shoes that have been used more than once so just make sure you know what condition they are in before buying – it’s usually easy to tell with the photos though.
Tech
Some of the top-selling products on eBay are technology items such as headphones and speakers, according to Synder which helps businesses manage their finances.
Closely following the top two are laptops and accessories.
Many people buy secondhand or refurbished products on eBay.
For example, someone was selling a Dell Latitude laptop for £89.99 but a brand new one could cost anywhere up to £724.79 – that’s a massive saving for people trying to budget.
Before you buy secondhand products, make sure to do your research and find out about the condition.
Shoppers were recently rushing to buy a refurbished iPhone going for over £300 less than its original price.
It’s a big hitter with eBay shoppers too, at the time of writing it’s trending on the site, with 978 already sold – so grab yours while you still can.
Garden equipment
As we’re now pretty much into the swing of summer, many of us might be thinking of ways to spruce up our gardens.
Buying brand new equipment, whether it be a new lawnmower or furniture set, can be an expensive job, but eBay is a great option.
Look out for smaller things like rakes and seeds – you can find these for as little as 50p.
But eBay is also selling a famous hanging egg chair which has been a popular choice for people wanting to add some sparkle to their outdoors.
What to avoid on eBay
This is probably obvious but never buy concert tickets or tickets for other events on eBay, as it’s difficult to know if they’re legit.
Instead, buy these through official event websites.
During summer there has been a surge of people selling tickets, including ones for festivals.
While some may genuinely be selling old ones for those wanting memorabilia, others may be scammers wanting to make a buck or two.
In addition, another likely obvious product group that we’d recommend avoiding on eBay is food.
You don’t know what sort of condition it’ll be in.
When an item is shipped too, there’s a risk of damage or contamination.
eBay also has rules around exactly what food items you can buy and sell.
You may also want to avoid perfume as you could be conned into buying what you think is a full bottle.
Sellers are also discouraged from having liquid items on their accounts.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk