One of the first places to start you search has got to be the online auction and the most established and popular of all these is eBay.

Don't be fooled into thinking that these are only for antiques or second hand goods since eBay has turned itself into an entire online market place where new goods are almost more commonly sold than used ones. If you are looking to bid on an item, the best practise is to bid in the last few minutes, keep in mind the maximum amount you want to spend and do not be tempted to spend anymore than that.

As you have already heard, eBay is about more than just auctions. Many new items now are sold at a set price (termed 'buy it now'). Search solely for those items that have a 'buy it now' price and this will give a good indication of price and possibly you very first bargain.

Pages and pages could be written on eBay alone, so please, do yourself a favour, go to eBay and spend time looking and understanding its functions (the site has a great help facility).

Other People's Typos Save You Money:

Thousands of items on eBay are listed with descriptions containing spelling mistakes. These items often expire with no bids on them as no-one can find them. Type in a keyword below and click the Find button. Then click the link and uncover those hidden gems...