+1000 Do not hesitate! I routinely get messages from people who were watching my item: "Hey, what happened to your listing, I can't find it!" Uh, wake up there buddy, it SOLD. If you want it, don't wait for an even better deal, as someone else will be buying. I can't get over the number of messages I get like this, people wanted to buy my item, but were waiting to see if they could find an even better deal. They will ask "do you have another one?" "No."
+10 Know values, so you are comfortable pouncing.
Sort by price, lowest first. There are always people asking sky high prices.
Buy handlebars with controls. I bought a handlebar with stem, brake levers and bar end shifters. Price was less than what the bar end shifters sell for. I sold the stem for more than I paid for the entire setup. There are sellers out there that are unwilling or unable to disassemble handlebar/controls/stem assembly. I am there to help them out! Do the same with derailleurs. Sometimes you can find shift levers, FD and RD for less than the RDs are selling for. Buyers tend to look for ONE thing, like the RD, and skip right by a listing that has more. Ditto brake calipers and levers. You can sometimes find a complete set for what the levers alone are selling for.
I am OK buying extra stuff in a package I don't need, if the price is right. Then you can resell the extra stuff, and offset some of the $$, sometimes you can offset the entire price paid. Nothing better than FREE vintage parts!!
The typical buyer out there has NO IMAGINATION! Use your imagination and you will get a better deal.
Local pickup only, if it is within driving distance of you, can be a great deal. Picked up a nice bike for $15 that way.
Search the entirety of Ebay, not a category. I bought a nice Trek 620, it was in Transportation Collectibles category, and they didn't list the model in the listing either. Even funnier, it was a listing from a storefront Ebay outfit, so some fool paid them to do a lousy job of selling his bike.
If its a bike or frame that will be shipped, I check the seller's feedback first. If they don't have multiple positives on prior bike shipments, I avoid.
But all in all, my best deals tend to be items I buy on road trips: C/L, FB marketplace, thrift stores, whatever.
Last edited by wrk101; 05-16-20 at 07:12 AM.