Mr. Thrifty's Guide to eBay buying without getting Taken

Have you always wanted that Mickey Mantle rookie card? Interested in purchasing a genuine, concert used, guitar pick from Eric Clapton? Desperately want the first couple of seasons of “Saved By the Bell” on DVD?

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions or just want to save money on lots of items, buying via eBay may be the thing to you. Mr. Thrifty has been a card-carrying member of eBay since 1999 and has bought a bunch of stuff there. Some of the stuff Mr. Thrifty bought on eBay was awesome (four foot high Dogg Digital monster club stereo speakers that Mrs. Thrifty now wants to get rid of) while other stuff he bought on eBay was bogus (the HP laser printer that never arrived). Along the way, Mr. Thrifty has learned a lot.