How to Find Good Costumes and Accessories on eBay

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eBay is a goldmine when you can't find your costume accessories, props, or collectibles on Amazon or other marketplaces like Walmart.

They carry a lot more types of products than Amazon. Many more collectibles are available and they often come with certificates of authenticity and the original box.

eBay also has great-condition used products and New In Box (NIB) items in a lot of categories. Not just Star Trek items, although I found a bunch I'm drooling over.

However, eBay has a couple of issues that many shoppers aren't aware of. I'll cover them in the instructions in this post.

Example of a Star Trek Tricorder on eBay

Shopping on eBay can be a goldmine or a big disappointment. Consider our tips here to protect yourself and make your shopping less of a hassle.

Supplies Needed

While more than two items are needed going forward, we are highlighting the two most critical here. Then we will follow up with the others.

Step by Step Instructions

When you find listings to bid on, they often sell out quickly and you spend a lot of time trying to bid for a popular item, only to lose it.
Stick to Buy It Now items to prevent loss of a coveted item. Also watch the prices closely because since Buy It Nows are a Fixed Price, the seller may change it.
Some items are shipping from outside the US. This extends time to arrive and also may affect the quality of the item.
Always make sure you are buying with reasonable or free shipping costs.
Be sure to inspect any items purchased right away for damages or inconsistency with the listing, especially on Collectibles.
Be sure that the listing offers a Guaranteed Return policy.

And Finally

Hopefully, you'll find some great items to complement your costume uniform with accessories, clothing, props, replicas, and collectibles.

Happy Hunting!