The Means of Book Trading That Dares Not Speak Its Name: eBay
HOW TO GET THERE:
Go to your computer and type in eBay’s URL: http://ebay.com/
HOW TO REGISTER AS A NEW EBAY USER:
Click on New Users/Register Now Icon to Top Right of eBay Home Page Fill out Registration Form. New user tip: remember your eBay User ID and eBay password – you will need it every time you want to use eBay.
WHY TO REGISTER AS A NEW EBAY USER:
So that you can bid on items up for auction, and/or post items for sale. Also so that you can watch items, submit proxy bids, give or get feedback, or avail yourself of many more of eBay’s services.
HOW TO FIND YOUR CATEGORY ON EBAY:
To find the Category by type of material (books, crafts; pottery & glass, etc.), see the list on the body of eBay’s home page. Click on Category you’re interested in to view sub-categories.
HOW TO SEARCH WITHIN CATEGORY FOR SUB-CATEGORY ON EBAY:
The category AE Monthly readers are likely to want to search under is Books. Under Books, eBay offers an overall sub-category, Antiquarian & Collectible, which you can click on. Or you can click on any of the sub-sub-categories: Antiquarian Books; First Editions; or All Antiquarian & Collectible [Books]. Once you click on one of these sub-sub-categories, you get taken to a menu of even more specific antiquarian book types. You can search by category as narrowly, or as broadly, as you wish, depending on your end goals.
HOW TO SEARCH WITHIN A CATEGORY OR SUB-CATEGORY FOR AN ITEM OR GROUP OF ITEMS ON EBAY:
Click on the “Search” tab on the top toolbar to get to a simple search screen (which eBay calls “Basic Search”). From this screen you’ll be able to execute the simplest search possible on eBay; but see top of the “Basic Search” screen for a variety of more complex search options, each of which you can (& should) click on to try. Also pay attention to the “Sort By” options as these are integral to your searching methodology.
HOW TO RESEARCH ITEMS YOU SEE ON EBAY TO HELP YOU DECIDE HOW MUCH TO BID AND EVEN WHETHER TO BID:
Open another window on your computer. Go to AE’s homepage and log into AE’s bibliographic database and also into its auction records databases. Look to see if your prospective eBay item appears here and if so how often and for how much. Use these results to analyze how rare your prospective item is and how much it is plausibly worth in good to fine condition.