# Share your very first eBay purchase. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 18, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171 "2005-09-18T01:44:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dare\_devil007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@dare\_devil007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dare_devil007)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/1 "2005-09-18T01:44:22Z")
I don’t have a credit card I could use (asked my parents; they wouldn’t let me). So, I don’t have a PayPal account. But, I saw this item I really wanted on eBay and it’s custom-made, so I don’t think you can get it anywhere else. Anyways, I asked my friend (who’s bought things online before, but not on eBay) to get it for me. Even though he did the snipe-bidding thing, another user tried to outbid him, but in the end, he outbid her (at least, I think it’s a girl) and he won the item!! Of course, I’m very happy and I’m paying him back in cash on Monday at school. The item is expected to arrive in four to six days (USPS Global Priority Mail). It was actually quite fun, even though I was really nervous that the other eBayer would get the item. But, I’ve decided that in the future, I will try to stay away from auctions and look for Buy-It-Now items. Anyways, I’d like to know about your first eBay purchases. Was there a fierce bidding war? How much did shipping cost and how long did it take to get to you? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/2 "2005-09-18T01:47:55Z")
1950s GE AM tube clock-radio in ugly brown bakelite case. Purchased in 1998 for about $12. Still have it. ---
**Author:** ![caligynephobia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7feea3/32.png) [@caligynephobia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligynephobia)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/3 "2005-09-18T02:55:06Z")
Two Australian Boomerangs. They were real and they do work, but there’s a lot of fake ones on Ebay. The bidding doesn’t get very high for boomerangs because there’s so many fake ones, and also because serious boomerang collectors and throwers use online boomerang-only auctions that some guy in Michigan runs every quarter. The Ebay boomerangs only took a few days to arrive, and shipping was around 5 dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/4 "2005-09-18T02:57:04Z")
I replaced a big chunk of lost childhood nostalgia by scoring a last minute bid on Superman versus Muhammad Ali in the sports memorabilia section for $12.00. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/5 "2005-09-18T02:57:58Z")
Silent Hill 2 Soundtrack - $12 AU. It was a BIN, so I didn’t have to outbid anyone. I love that CD. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/6 "2005-09-18T03:14:34Z")
Grateful Dead hockey jersey. I got so many comments at the games I wore it to. My husband bought me a **beautiful** sapphire, emerald, ruby and diamond ring on e-bay. I’ve never seen anything like it - it’s very medieval looking- and I love it very much. I’m really not the “precious stone” type of girl - I wear mostly turquoise - so it was a big suprise. Heeheehee. Married almost 16 years - I’ve known him for 27 years - and that was the biggest suprise of my marriage. Ain’t love grand? ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/7 "2005-09-18T03:26:04Z")
A never used Spirograph, the one with the real pins. It looked like it was from the 1960’s and it still had a $2.38 K Mart price sticker on it. I paid $14.00. No, the pens didn’t work. A BIC four color pen, however, works perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/8 "2005-09-18T03:53:22Z")
It was a CD I really thought I wanted but when I got it, I didn’t like it much. It’s still here, somewhere. There were a few last-minute bids, but I had entered my max bid beforehand to help ensure a win. I’ve bought (and sold) several things on eBay since then. ---
**Author:** ![MrJackboots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MrJackboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJackboots)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/9 "2005-09-18T04:09:11Z")
A black leather collar with a locking buckle. It was a birthday gift for a friend with a very posessive girlfriend. He knew it was coming; I gave her a leash for hers. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/10 "2005-09-18T04:18:28Z")
A pair of Doc Martens for my wife, in a style that they don’t make anymore. She still wears them. I can’t buy anything off eBay anymore; I refuse to give PayPal access to my bank account. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/11 "2005-09-18T04:40:04Z")
A 2300 year old Greek coin back in 1999. Just to try it out. I haven’t bought anything since a laserdisc player back in 2002. My main hobby has really put a dibs on all my free money since then. ---
**Author:** ![Kitchen\_Wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kitchen\_Wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitchen_Wench)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/12 "2005-09-18T04:59:04Z")
2001: A print of a lovely Vargas [brunette](http://www.art.com/asp/sp-asp/_/PD--10226040/SP--A/IGID--679236/Varga_Girl_oversized_postcard).htm?sOrig=CRT&sOrigId=25854&ui=3B75022839F94FB9AAF9732D02BADBB5#), followed by many more pinup art prints. They’re still waiting to be framed and hung. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/13 "2005-09-18T05:02:52Z")
I don’t quite remember, but it was definitely some action figure, bought over the summer of 1999 when I first discovered eBay. **dare\_devil007\_** , the key to winning auctions on eBay is to watch them over the course of the week (you can monitor interesting auctions using “My eBay”), and then bid in the final moments. Seriously, don’t bother bidding until there are two minutes left. By then you’ll know if something has rocketed out of your price range already, or if it seems unnoticed by others and you have a good chance of winning it for the minimum bid. ---
**Author:** ![dare\_devil007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@dare\_devil007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dare_devil007)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/14 "2005-09-18T05:11:31Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > I don’t quite remember, but it was definitely some action figure, bought over the summer of 1999 when I first discovered eBay. > > **dare\_devil007\_** , the key to winning auctions on eBay is to watch them over the course of the week (you can monitor interesting auctions using “My eBay”), and then bid in the final moments. Seriously, don’t bother bidding until there are two minutes left. By then you’ll know if something has rocketed out of your price range already, or if it seems unnoticed by others and you have a good chance of winning it for the minimum bid. Yup, my friend waited until there was 40 seconds left. And then at 20 seconds, this other user outbid us. At 3 seconds, my friend put a bid in and it got through, so he won. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/15 "2005-09-18T05:46:39Z")
A Roland SH-101 analogue synthesizer, circa '83. $300. Great deal. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/16 "2005-09-18T23:02:08Z")
In April 2001, I bought _Now That’s What I Call Music, Vol. 2_ (the double cassette from the UK). Shortly thereafter I bought _Now That’s What I Call Music, Vol. 3_, but from a different seller. I’d gotten volumes 1-5 while living in England in the mid-80s, but vols 2 & 3 got lost in the move back. The tapes are out of print, but 16 years later I was able to replace them via the miracle of eBay. 🙂 I’ve only ever bought 5 things on eBay, and have sold one thing. My last purchase was nearly 3 years ago. (If it weren’t for feedback records, I wouldn’t be able to remember any of this! :D) > [@fishbicycle](#): > > I can’t buy anything off eBay anymore; I refuse to give PayPal access to my bank account. Aren’t there still sellers who take checks and/or money orders? ---
**Author:** ![dare\_devil007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@dare\_devil007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dare_devil007)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/17 "2005-09-18T23:17:57Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > In April 2001, I bought _Now That’s What I Call Music, Vol. 2_ (the double cassette from the UK). Shortly thereafter I bought _Now That’s What I Call Music, Vol. 3_, but from a different seller. I’d gotten volumes 1-5 while living in England in the mid-80s, but vols 2 & 3 got lost in the move back. The tapes are out of print, but 16 years later I was able to replace them via the miracle of eBay. 🙂 > > I’ve only ever bought 5 things on eBay, and have sold one thing. My last purchase was nearly 3 years ago. > > (If it weren’t for feedback records, I wouldn’t be able to remember any of this! :D) > > Aren’t there still sellers who take checks and/or money orders? I think there are, but all the sellers whose items that I’ve looked at only accept Paypal. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/18 "2005-09-18T23:57:06Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Aren’t there still sellers who take checks and/or money orders? Yes, there are. But most of the sellers that are selling things I’d be interested to buy only take PayPal, and many of those only take PayPal that’s from an exisitng balance and not your credit card. Considering the horror stories I’ve read about PayPal freezing peoples’ bank accounts over a dispute or some such crap, I’m not going there. At all! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/19 "2005-09-19T00:02:09Z")
I had an Ebay account for years before I ever actually used it. I made my first and only purchase a few months ago. A near mint Type II [Curta Calculator](http://curta.org/) for about $800.00. I love it. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171/20 "2005-09-19T06:40:19Z")
My first item was many years ago and I believe it was some kind of toy. My first few attempts at bidding were unsuccessful. Other bidders were sniping me. Losing those first few times were kind of shocking at the time. Then I got with the program and only bid via sniping. I almost always win now. My feedback is 500+. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-very-first-ebay-purchase/322171.md?page=2)