What to watch out for when shopping for antiques & collectibles online TIAS, the Webs oldest and largest online antique mall gives some tips for On-line Holiday shoppers.
News-Antique.com - Nov 30,-0001 - Shopping for antiques and vintage collectibles is not like shopping for an iPod. With antiques and collectibles, it's first come, first served. These items are in limited supply and other than reproductions, they just don't make them anymore. To track down that hard to find item, spend some time on your favorite search engine. If you find more than one seller with the item you are looking for, keep in mind that the lowest price may not always be the best value. Price is important, but so is the condition of the piece, the return policy, shipping cost and the reputation of the seller. Here are a few more tips.
Make sure you have all the information you need so that you can make an informed decision on which item to purchase. Asking questions is important. Don't assume anything. If you need more information about the item you are considering purchasing, then ask for it. If it takes days to get a response from the seller, that may be a tip to how quickly the seller will process and ship your order. If the Web site has it's own domain name (Like MyStore.com), you can check with a site like http://whois.domaintools.com/ and find out how long they have been online and who owns the site. If they have been around for a while that's a plus. If there is no public information on the owner of the site or if the site just came online a few weeks ago, then proceed with caution. Some Web sites like TIAS.com and eBay display information about their sellers, showing completed transactions and other information about the seller. Use this info to help with your purchase decision.
When buying online, use a credit card. Some online buyers have a credit card just for online transactions or purchase a single use credit card number, so that if the credit card number is stolen, the thief can't do anything with it or in the case of a credit card that is only used for online purchases, canceling the card is not going to be a huge problem and in most cases, you have limited or no liability for purchases made with the stolen number. Your credit card provider probably offers many security features in the event that the number is stolen. This is not the case with cash or checks. If you pay for an online purchase with cash or a check, and the transaction goes bad, you are stuck. It may seem odd, but paying with a credit card is the safest way to make online purchases. Check with your credit card provider for more information on the services they offer for online purchases.
When using your credit card online make sure that you only enter it into a secure Web page. How can you tell if a Web page is secure? The Web address for the site that you are entering your credit card number into will begin with https. That "s" after the
