Susan Ryan

Special from Joplin Herald

It’s not just an auction site any more. You can buy and sell with the traditional bidding format, but another option is the eBay store. This realm is one of the best kept secrets around — not because eBay is trying to keep it secret, but because buyers just aren’t familiar with the eBay store shopping experience.

So let’s check it out.

An eBay store is more or less an online flea market booth. The seller pays a monthly rental fee plus a very small monthly fee for each item, and a commission when the item sells. Enough about selling. I want to explore the concept of SHOPPING in eBay stores.

All items in eBay stores are “buy it now,” with the prices fixed by the seller so there’s no question about final value and no anxious nail biting as you wait for auctions to end. You have no competition with other bidders, can purchase your items immediately, and can often combine postage costs if you are buying more than one item from the same seller. Most sellers will combine postage on store and auction purchases, so if you’ve bought something through an auction, visit the seller’s store for more bargains.

Also, if you find an auction listing for a popular item and that seller also has a store, look in the store for the same item. It may be the same price or just a little higher, and you won’t have the bother of waiting for the auction to end.

Price still too high? Some sellers accept bids on their store items. There is no obligation for them to accept your bid, and they may receive multiple bids on the same fixed-price merchandise. So be reasonable in your offer. Do some price comparison.

How do you find items in a store, anyway? The most basic way is to go to the eBay home page, and select “eBay Stores” under the Specialty Sites menu, at the left of the page. This brings up a directory of store categories on the left, which you’d use like the normal eBay category listings.

If you are looking for a store that specializes in vintage toys, for example, you would click on “Toys & Hobbies,” which brings up a listing of subcategories. You might then choose “Vintage, Antique Toys” to get you closer to your goal. Just work your way through the menu to reach a listing of stores with items listed in that category. The stores with the most related listings are at the top, in descending order. You can also sort the lists by store name. If you know the name, then just select the starting letter and go from there.

Another way to get to the stores is to use eBay’s regular SEARCH feature. Enter “antique toys” into the search window, and a list of regular auction listings comes up. To reach the same items in the stores, go to the box just below the listings. There will be a link to related items in eBay stores. You can also reach the stores in the link within the left hand column, under “Search Options.” Check the box for “All Items Including Store Inventory Items” and then click on the “Show Items” button. This feature combines auction listings with store listings, giving you the full range of available items.

One more way to reach a store is by the seller’s store link within his listing page. If a seller has an active auction listing, there will be a link to his eBay store in the “Meet the Seller” section on the upper right corner of the listing page. This is nice because you may already be acquainted with that seller and his merchandise. You also learn the name of his store and can bookmark his home page for easy access later.

Now that you know how to get to the stores, how do you purchase items from them? This is the easy part. Most sellers have their merchandise categorized in a menu at the left, and almost all items have a gallery picture, so it’s simple to shop by sight. If you find something you want, just click on the “Buy It Now” button and follow the instructions from there.

Don’t be afraid to shop in the eBay stores. It can save you time and money. And you just might find that special item which everyone else is busy bidding on.