Dear Dr. Genoways: I have been purchasing objects on eBay for several years now. So far, I have had little problems. We use it to fill in gaps in collections for certain makes and models of antique automobiles. Sometimes it is much easier, not to mention sometimes a great deal less expensive, to find items on eBay than having to travel long distances. I usually look very carefully at the item description and the pictures and send the item to our director. If we have any questions we contact the seller and hopefully get a satisfactory response. He either will place a maximum bid or has me watch the item and place the bid depending on the item. Sometimes we have to watch the item carefully depending on if the seller has placed a reserve price. Usually the only problem I have had is that sometimes the pictures sent are a little grainy or fuzzy and do not always show all the conditions features. But I usually find that the sellers are mostly very honest about the items they are selling and upfront with condition factors. When the seller finds out that I purchased the object for a museum, they are usually surprised and flattered that we thought highly enough of their item to place a bid on it. Usually they keep us in mind if they have something else they want to sell and are asking a reasonable price for. They often would like their item go to a museum where they know it will be in good hands and well appreciated. Believe it or not, I have also had other museums contact me after seeing us bid or win an auction. This has led to being able to exchange information with other institutions and making new contacts. I have also had other people contact me for information for research projects, which we are always willing to help with. We have also built a rapport with certain sellers that offer materials. They know our interests and we know the quality that they sell so sometimes they contact us directly with items to sell. And if we are bidding on more than one item from the same seller, they will usually let us combine the shipping and handling for one price or even wait until the auctions end if there is quite a lag time between items. Very rarely do people contact me with other items to buy that are not offered on eBay. When this does happen, I ask them to send pictures of the items for sale with a description and price before forwarding them on. My director then makes the final decision. Sometimes I have had sellers contact me if a reserve has not been met and ask me if I am still interested. We then enter into discussion of what we're willing to pay and what they are willing to sell for. Usually not always, we are able to reach some type of agreement. I do identify myself with my screen name on eBay as a museum. It is actually kind of interesting to watch what happens next. Sometimes people don't like to bid against a museum so the bidding will stay relatively low. Or depending on the rarity of the item, people will definitely bid against you. I have never encountered a problem with using Paypal, either. Since eBay purchased the Omaha based group, they have heightened the security features and are willing to work with you about setting up an account with them. We have the museum account under the director's name as it saves a lot of confusion when paying for an auction. I hope this helps, Cynthia A. Edwards Museum Curator Merrick Auto Museum PO Box 188 Alda, NE 68810 Telephone: (308) 384-1780 X358 Fax: 1-877-308-2277 Email: [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Hugh H. Genoways [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 3:30 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Use of e-bay Does anyone have experience with buying items on e-bay for your museum's collections? Has it been successful? Did you encounter any problems? What were they? Any recommendations for other museums looking to fill specific needs for the collection in this manner? We are particularly interested in any attempts to purchase Civil War related artifacts in this manner. Thanks for your insights. Sincerely, Hugh Hugh H. Genoways University of Nebraska State Museum W436 Nebraska Hall University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE 68588-0514 Telephone: 402-472-2012 FAX: 402-472-8949 E-mail: <[log in to unmask]> Professor University of Nebraska State Museum School of Natural Resource Sciences Museum Studies Program Chair Museum Studies Program Visit our website at <http://www.unl.edu/museumstudies> ******** ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . 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