Here is my guide to EBay.ca. This guide will have tips that will make you more aware & getting better bargains. Plus, general knowledge of bidding an item, tips to avoid bootlegged items & not getting ripped off. This apply for any auction sites, though EBay.ca is the only one I used & the most popular.

I do note that this is a summary & a small guide from my experience. If you want to know more about being careful of the Anime items you buy, check out Anime Digital: The Pirate Anime FAQ.

Before you start, always make a list of what you want to get. Then, try to shop around. You got to check out the retail price from your local & online stores, including any discount, along with the price for S&H. This is for that you will get an idea how much it is "new", so when you start bidding on your item, "new" or "used", you won't go over, because it's not worth it & you're not saving! Doing this, you can know what is a good bargain. There is no point getting up at there if you can get it at your local Anime shop for the same price & "new".

Always, always, check who are you dealing with. EBay.ca have a system that their clients can leave a feedback on the dealer. The system works that the dealer's EBay ID is displayed with a number next to it. The number indicated how many positive feedback he have received. The more, the better. Though, you should check his negative feedback as well. Even the dealer got lots of positive feedback doesn't mean the dealer is honest. Check the most recent negative feedbacks & you can get a general idea how the dealer handle problems. If the dealer got lots of negative feedback on file, your chances of having problems are greater.

Also, check how the dealer can received payment. I find PayPal is the best & safest way. Plus, it just been inquired by EBay.ca. Though, do not use BillPoint Money Order service. They might be fast, but very expensive. You rather make your own Money Order from your local Post Office.

Check the dealer's S&H. It may varies, depending where you are on the world's map. You should try to avoid UPS or any privately own delivery service, only if you you live in another country. The custom tax & their high brokage fees will kill your savings that you might have gain up on your bidding. Always, at the most, try to put an insurance to one-of-a-kind item, including rares, Anime Cels & limited editions items.

You should try to contact the dealer if you have any questions. If the dealer doesn't reply to you, if the auction isn't ending any time soon, within 24-48 hours. If not, move on. The most important thing to do, READ THE FINE PRINT!

It's time to bid. First of all, set yourself a maximum amount that you're willing to pay for the item. For common things, like DVD, don't worry if you lose the bid, there is always a next time. Rare or collectible, like Anime cels, only come around once, so be prepare to set your amount pretty high. Like most peoples does, bid at the last moment, where there is like 5-10 minutes left before the auction is over. For this, you can easily win the bid, except if someone else is doing the same thing at the same time. Just don't go over board. Your goal is to get a bargain.

The main problem that plague auction sites you see constant numbers of bootlegged items on there. You can't really do much, except by avoiding it. Bidding of these type of items not only you support these kind of activities, you will get a crappy product. You should try to aim to support the companies that brought Anime here in North America by getting the official releases.

For DVDs, check out the The Boot List.

Music CD made by Son May & EverAnime are bootlegged from Taiwan, usually, you can find them at your local Chinatown. Original CD are highly collectible, due to it limited prints out of the market. A very popular series music CD can go up to 75$US. Maybe that is the reason why most fans get those copies CD. You can actually find original copies on EBay.ca at good price, depending on the condition. You got to look hard for it. Though, my suggestion is to find an original CD at most, it will gain value over time. At the last resort, only if you can't find an original copy, them go ahead, but you should not pay more then 7-12$US for it. Any more then that is a ripped off. I don't really support it, but it's better then notbing at all.

Other items, like trading cards, t-shirts, posters & wallscrolls, varies. You can also find them at your local Chinatown. Original trading cards are pretty easy to find & you can tell if they are just original or copies. Original is easier to tell, brand new sealed in its original package is one hint, "Made in Japan", the quality is excellent on good solid paper. Copies are usually laser photo copies, stickers, holo-like colors, cheap paper material or just really bad quality. T-shirts are harder to determined on pictures, but you can tell. First, check out the color. Copies usually screw up on the color. If your favorite character doesn't look at all the same, it's a copy version. Posters & wallscrolls are the hardest to avoid. Almost all of them are just copies. You should totally avoid them at auctions & just get them at Chinatown, where you can check it yourself. Quality varies.