So a few years ago, I discovered Amazon (even though it has existed for much longer), and found that most books (since I was in school) were way cheaper than buying at retail stores. As long as I ordered more than $25, the shipping was free. Since then, I haven’t bought books in stores. I haven’t really bought other products from them, though they have a huge variety of items ranging from home decor, electronics, fashionable accessories and so on. I must admit that the variety is much larger in the US. (Amazon.com)

Anyways, an year ago, I needed inkjet cartridges for my printer. I was tired of paying $50-60 for ink…at times, it seemed like it was way cheaper to buy an entire new inkjet – totally not eco-friendly.Anyways, I thought I’d check out eBay. I was surprised to find so many items, and most shockingly, at really ridiculously cheap prices. I found my ink cartridge for $15, shipping included.

I’ve bought SLR camera lens/body cover for only $1.50 (shipping included)…uh…isn’t the postage the cost of that? especially since it’s coming all the way from China? I honestly don’t know how they make any profit. One guy wouldn’t believe me. He kept thinking it was some scam. That eBay was full of fraud. I reassured him that I had ordered from many different sellers through eBay, and so far, no problems.

The great thing about eBay is that there’s a lot of competition (well, good from the consumer point of view), so the prices are competitive. I can find a lot of items with free shipping which is always bonus. You also get a whole different range of choices to choose from. Recently I wanted to buy a notebook cover. Futureshop and Bestbuy sold them for about $50, and they were all really boring. Grey or black, seemed bulky and masculine. Nothing cute, targeted for females it seemed. I was able to get a brand new one for $10 ($2 shipping) with simple sakura flowers. I simply love it.

Another great thing is the auction method. Now there are pros and cons to this. Many items are sold as ‘buy now’ price, meaning that if the seller list the item for $5, then you buy it for $5 – no delays. Some other items may have the option for auction or only auction purchase. In this case, the seller set the minimum amount they would sell it for. Interested buyers will bid for how much they’d be willing to pay for that particular item. If no one else wants the item, and you are the highest bidder, you get to buy the product for the price you bid for. If you got it for really cheap, that’s a bargain. However, sometimes, bidders can get competitive, becoming blind to the fact that in the end, they may be bidding higher than what you can get as ‘buy now’ or even in retail. Also, there is a time limit, so you’d have to wait till the time period is over until you can purchase it. It may take up to a month. You’d also have to keep checking to see if you’re on top of every other bidder, so it can get time consuming and frustrating.

I recently bought a SLR camera, which came with a camera bag. It was too big and bulky for my purpose, so I sold it, and ordered a red stylish one for about $22. I can use it as a purse too.

Over Christmas, I received a new Samsung Galaxy Nexus as a gift. The cell phone covers are sold for $12-20 at cell phone providers’ stores. Outrageous. I bought a pink/red one for $1.70 (shipping included). Ok, so it takes 2-3 weeks, but since I had another cover for backup, I wasn’t in a hurry. The guy who was suspisious of eBay also ordered one too, even though he had just bought one from the store. However, the store only sold rigid plastic covers and we wanted the flexible ones. All I can say is that he’s also into eBay buying too. LOL

Phone cover for only $1.70!!! Shipping included!!!

The white shoulder bag was a bit of a disappointment… it came wrapped in a black garbage bag, and it had already left black marks on the strap. It easily got rubbed, and after a few uses, the back side is black from rubbing against my clothes. But it was around $10, so some things, you I guess you get what you paid for.

So if you haven’t already, check out eBay. It’ll save you a lot of money. Shipping usually takes 3-4 weeks if they’re coming in from Asia – which a lot of items are…so if you’re planning to get something for a friend, order early! Be warned, if you’re like one of my other friend who’s gotten a bit addicted to it, and has become somewhat of a eBay shopaholic…oh oh…otherwise, have fun and enjoy shopping!