Collecting on the Internet

        The Internet may be known as the information superhighway, but for many collectors, it has become another method to search for specific items for their collections. Granted, it doesn't have the charm of digging around at your local flea market or the rush brought on by flashing your buyers number at a farm auction, but if you really want to find that certain something, there's bound to be one for sale on the Internet.
        Think of the various collections you've seen -- Uncle Bob's collection of barbed wire, Aunt Gertie's Brown Betty teapots or your mother's collection of the jokers from playing card decks -- you name it, people collect it.
        In the past collectors had to travel. Now they can search the world from their computer. They may choose to buy from antique "shops" online or bid in online auctions to find their items. And they can do so safely.

What's out there
        There are many web sites where collectors can get a sense of what's available online and what price collectibles bring. One excellent site is www.collectit.net. Operated by Krause Publications, a publisher of antique and collectible periodicals, this site is easy to navigate and boasts a 20,000-item list of classifieds items.
        At www.collectoronline.com, you'll feel like you're walking through a flea market with hundreds of vendors as you search for your favorite goodies. The site has a news release section which tells you what's happening in the world of collectors, a club section with links to places such as Steiff bears or even milk bottle collectors clubs. Even those rowdy toothpick holder collectors have a site.
        Collector Online has more than 800 contacts for specific collectibles. You may browse through the photo antique mall or look through their entire inventory. You can even send the dealers request so they can contact you when they have an item in your line of interest. Keep in mind theses prices are set by the dealers who offer them, so there's no bidding like on online auctions.
        To keep up with what collectors are buying, check out www.tias.com. Each month this site posts the top 20 most popular antiques and collectibles. Last month cooking jars, Avon bottles, Roseville glassware, lamps and Noritake china topped the list. Tias, like Collector Online, is a site where those who want to shop without bidding in auctions can go. They offer more than 220 reputable online antique and collectible shops for your hunting pleasure and carry nearly 161,000 items for sale. Tias also offers you a free online price guide.
        "What's it worth?" is the most common question asked by collectors and www.kovels.com has 250,000 items listed. They also offer a free electronic newsletter which keeps you posted on what's hot on their site.

Online auction sites
        If you're a collector who doesn't mind taking chances, then www.ebay.com is the site for you. After you register on Ebay, you search for specific items, and if you find one you're interested in, you place a bid. Most sellers post a photograph of their item on the page so you can see what you're bidding on. Remember, read carefully and ask the seller any questions you have before you bid on an item.
        An auction usually lasts three to seven days and at its close, both the highest bidder and seller are notified by e-mail. If you win the bid, you'll be sending your payment directly to the seller. Each seller specifies what type of payment they accept and how much you need to add for shipping and handling.
        Now all you need is the patience to wait for the item to arrive in your mailbox.
        If you want, you can leave a high bid for the item you're trying to win. Bids usually go up increments of 25 cents to a dollar, although that amount is set by the seller. If someone bids on the same item, but your high bid beats their current bid, you still stand a chance of winning the item you want. Ebay will alert you by e-mail if your bid has been topped, giving you chance to counter the offer.
        Ebay says it averages 375,000 auctions daily, with nearly half a million items for sale in more than 840 categories. The world seems very small when bidding on Ebay, since you might buy your collectible from someone in Scotland, Japan or some other distant locale.

Online safety
        So now that you know where to hunt down that old fishing reel or doll to add to your collection, how do you go about purchasing that item safely online?
        When making any purchase whether online or off, it's still caveat emptor, let the buyer beware. Do your homework. However you shop in real life is how you should buy online. The National Consumers League offers a myriad of tips on being a wise e-shopper:
                -- Understand how the auction works. Read the details of each auction before jumping in and bidding blindly.
                -- Check the seller out. Look at the auction site's feedback section for comments about the seller. But also be aware that simply because that seller might have a glowing report doesn't mean they are trustworthy.
                -- Be wary of claims about collectibles. Since you can't examine the item or have it appraised until after the sale, you can't assume that claims made about it are valid. Insist, when needed, on getting a written statement describing the item and its value before you pay.
                -- Pay the safest way. Requests for cash are a clear sign of fraud. If possible, pay by credit card because you can dispute the charges if the goods are misrepresented or never arrive. You may also choose to pay by check made out directly to a specific person or store so you can stop payment if necessary. (For a fee, Ebay offers an escrow service, holding your payment until you receive and accept the item from the seller. Details are available on the site.)
                -- Let the auction site know if you have a problem. Some sites investigate problems like "shills" (people who bid prices up without planning to buy the item) or other abuses of the auction system. They may also want to know about sellers who don't deliver or misrepresent their wares. A bad record may result in a seller being barred from using the site.
You can be safe and still have fun as you search for that elusive collectible item for your collection. If you pay attention to the details and ask questions, you won't end up receiving a once collectible but now patched guitar because you didn't take time to read the description carefully.
        For more online auction safety tips, check out the Internet Fraud Watch site at www.fraud.org/ifw.htm or call 1-800-876-7060 for a copy of the brochure "Be E-Wise: How to Shop Safely Online."

-- by Heather Berry, Rural Missouri, January 2000