ONE DOLLAR * * Star Banknotes * * Prices REALISED

$1 STAR Banknote prices realisedand gradings from Auction Houses.ONE DOLLAR, Coombs/Wilson (1966) ZAA 00688* (R.71s) low serial, stains else aFine Nov07ZAA 04279* (R.71s) with 1 cm bottom edge tear, otherwise fine. $275.00 July07ZAA 08790* (R.71s) Folds and creases, otherwise original good fine. $400.00 July 07ZAA 14366* (R.71s) very good. $275.00 July 07ZAA 16416* (R.71s) Couple small cnr handling marks, virtually UNC May08ZAA 23726* (R.71s) Very Good, cleaned and flattened Aug 08 sold $394.09ZAA 41185* (R.71s) very good. $250.00 July 07ZAA 44243* (R.71s) Corner folds and crease otherwise original good very fine. $600.00 Nov 07ZAA 74181* (R.71s) first prefix. aU. Oct07ZAA 77663* (R.71s). Rust stains otherwise good very fine and crisp. $660.00ZAB 02126* (R.71s) No central fold, aEF May08ZAB 15034* (R.71s) VG Oct 07 $210.00ZAB 15692* (R.71s) aVF $500.00 Oct07ZAB 22863* (R.71s) Virtually UNC May08ZAB 45912* (R.71s) Very Good Apr08 $250.00ZAB 51100* (R.71s) gEF Oct07ZAB 51100* (R.71s) gEF May08ZAB 64226* (R.71s) Slight wrinkling over watermark else EF or better $1500ZAB 82954* (R.71s) Very good. $280.00 Nov 07 * resold on eBay $1259.00 Dec07 *ZAD 05487* (R.71s) Nearly fine. July 08ZAD 12680* (R.71s) Uncirculated $3000.00 Nov 07ZAD 28938* (R.71s) Teller's cornerfold July 08 ZAD 47704* (R.71s) Fine May08 sold $350.00ZAD 50019* (R.71s) Flattened, good extremely fine. July 08 ZAD 71863* (R.71s) Folds and creases otherwise crisp very fine or better $540.00 ZAD 71826* (R.71s) Tear in left edge otherwise very good. $150.00ZAD 85273* (R.71s) Good extremely fine $1400.00 Nov 07ZAE 05737* (R.71s) aU May08ZAE 28291* (R.71s) Creases and folds, good fine. $500.00 July 07ZAE 59166* (R.71s) aVF est $500.00 ZAE 61503* (R.71s) Creases and folds, nearly very fine.ZAE 65048* (R.71s) UNC May08ZAF 18983* (R.71s) aUNC $1700.00 Oct07 ZAF 27025* (R.71s) Very Fine $750.00 ZAF 31292* (R.71s) Soiled, creases, folds, two rust spots, very good. $260.00 ONE DOLLAR, Coombs/Randall (1968)ZAF 46928* (R.72s) Uncirculated Nov 07, Apr08 $9KZAF 69358* (R.72s) VF Oct07ZAF 69358* (R.72s) VF May08ZAF 86280* (R.72s) Very Good. cleaned and flattened Aug08 sold $566.00ZAF 90904* (R.72s) UNC May08ZAG 05068* (R.72s) Near uncirulated Apr08 $4K ZAG 15151* (R.72s) rare radar serial star replacement note. Nearly uncirculated and rare. $4500.00 July 07ZAG 36352* (R.72s) Very fine $1400.00 Nov 07ZAG 53322* (R.72s) EF Oct07ZAG 53322* (R.72s) EF May08ZAG 63298* (R.72s) Creases and folds, good fine. $1550.00 July 07 ZAG 89290* (R.72s) $800.00 Oct 07 ZAG 98461* (R.72s) Note missing corner top right side, also 3mm tear on same side, very good. $300.00 ONE DOLLAR, Phillips/Randall (1969) ZAH 17566* (R.73s) UNC May08ZAH 20530* (R.73s) Uncirculated $3000.00 Nov 07 ZAH 47364* (R.73s) gEF $1450.00 Oct07ZAH 63734* (R.73s) Original and crisp, nearly extremely fine. Apr08 $800.00ZAH 70718* (R.73s) Washed Vg - aFine $350.00 ZAH 73027* (R.73s) Fine. $320.00 ZAH 74836* (R.73s) Very good. $320.00 ZAH 77203* (R.73s) Very good $180.00ZAH 78936* (R 73s) Good extremely fine. $830.00 Nov 07ZAJ 14003* (R.73s) Very Good May08 sold $220.00ZAJ 15259* (R.73s) Flattened otherwise nearly very fine. est $800 Nov 07ZAJ 16627* (R.73s) aVF May08 est$450ZAJ 51927* (R.73s) good VF $800.00ZAJ 69556* (R.73s) Nearly fine. $340.00ZAJ 90012* (R.73s) Very good. flattened and cleaned Aug08 sold $394.09ZAK 02690* (R.73s) Very good. $500.00ZAK 39334* (R.73s) Flattened nearly uncirculated July 08 ZAK 52748* (R.73s) Very good $180.00 Nov 07ZAK 92327* (R.73s) Very fine. $650.00 July 07ZAL 00748* (R.73s) Original body, light centre fold and handling marks July 08ZAL 51545* (R.73s) Flattened, good very fine. $600.00 July 07ZAL 55579* (R.73s) Nearly fine. July 08ZAL 85872* (R.73s) Good Fine Apr08 $500.00ZAL 95223* (R.73s) Lightest centrefold otherwise good extremely fine Apr08 $1800.00ZAP 40863* (R.73s) Fine. July 08ZAP 60151* (R.73s) Tear 4 mm at top edge, very good. $550.00 July 07ZAP 69016* (R.73s) 3mm tear at bottom, otherwise nearly fine. July 08ZAP 69701* (R.73s) Creases and folds, nearly very fine. $650.00 July 07ZAP 75958/9* (R.73s) consecutive pair. Crisp flat uncirculated and rare as such. $5,500.00 ZAQ 01422* (R.73s) Nearly fine. Apr08 $300.00ZAQ 04737* (R.73s) Flts, VF. Oct 07 $190.00ZAQ 93566* (R.73s) Nearly fine. July 08ZAQ 97924* (R.73s) gEF $1400.00 Oct07ZAN 02597* (R.73s) UNC May08ZAN 03107* (R.73s) Fine. July 08ZAN 04359* (R.73s) Light vertical

Mumpreneurs mean business!

Be your own boss and work flexible hoursHi everyone, I've been trading on eBay for several years now and it is about time I shared some of the more postive experiences as a mum with a business on eBay.Firstly, the flexibility of earning an income and not missing out on my children's development would have to be the most important part for me.Running an eBay business is far cheaper than running a traditional retail business, where rental space, advertisingand insurance costs can greatly exceed your takings, especially intially.I operate from my home so I don't incur some of the traditional costs involved in running a Bricks and Mortar business.Basically I started with a computer and a digital camera and selling the odd thing around the home. Once I was confident of the listing process and accepting payments I decided to register an ABN and source stock from various wholesalers.To be honest, everything sold extremely well and before I knew it I was a PowerSeller. This was a large benefit because it gave me more exposure, access to the think tank which is the PowerSeller Boardand a degree of extra credibility with customers.Some helpful tips:Do some google searches on Women in Business in your local state to see the Mentor Programs offered, Government grants for Small Business, and don't forget to check out the regular Trade Fairs in Capital Cities!Most importantly read the Community Boards on eBay and ask questions!I believe that the most significant factors ofbeing successful are sourcing products with a difference and not items that need to be listed in highly competitivecategories. (or high risk)This is where your efforts need to be expended most, sourcing those items and using your personality and committed customer service to create a niche for yourself.The following mumpreneurs have all done this in varying ways and all of us have learned some skills and techniques from sharing with each other in an informal type of networking.I couldn't begin to describe thecompanionship and the help I have received from other sellers and from interaction on the Powerseller board (and other boards)with clever and motivated people who are always willing to give their time andadvice.I have found my time on eBay to be a profitable and highly rewarding experience.I hope and am sure thatyou will too.Mumpreneurs on eBay"I love the opportunities eBay has provided, to allow me to stay at home with my young children and still earn an income. Character Kids was born from a love of children's favouriteLicensed Characters and bedroom decor. We specialise in Quilt Covers, Table Lamps, Cushions, Fleece Throws, removable Wall Stickers, Furniture, Night Lights, Dinnerware, Cutlery and much more" Janelle, Character Kids.http://stores.ebay.com.au/Character-Kids____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jensmanchester Galleryhas been operating on eBay since 2004 and has happily supplied in excess of 10,000 customers worldwide. Her main focus is linen and bathrobes, all products are brand new and sourced within Australia. She is also a very proud grandmother!http://stores.ebay.com.au/Jens-Manchester-Gallery__________________________________________________________Margo is a character and a half and a successful "Grandmumpreneur" although she still looks 16!Margo has her own extremely successful label 'Margomeoz' that she has been offering to eBay members for the last couple of years via her eBay Store:http://stores.ebay.com.au/MARGOMEOZ__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Wendy is a gorgeous Stay at Home Mum and is celebrating her shooting star of over 10,000 feedback. She hasa beautiful store specialising in womens plus size clothing!http://stores.ebay.com.au/Libbybest-Treasure-Chest__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mother of 3 Annie, hobby that turned into a full time job, now selling internationally, and taking regular trips overseas to purchase the stock.

Foo Fighters Tickets at Opera House 3-5 October

Note For People Buying Foo Fighters Tickets to Opera HouseA quick note for anyone trying to buy Foo Fighters tickets for the Opera House Acoustic concert held in Sydney on the 3,4,5th of October. As you may have well noticed the face value of tickets for this concert are just under $150 which is slightly more than usual for this band, the reason for this is that the Foo Fighters and Ticketek have co-operated to avoid ticket scalping. As the Ticketek website itself says:"In response to ticket scalping concerns, procedures will be put in place to ensure the best seats end up in the hands of Foos fans, not in the wallets of scalpers."Part of the 'procedures' is the cancellation of tickets shown on eBay. Although in many cases Ticketek has contacted buyers instructing them to remove the auctions and that their tickets will be refunded it is then up to the buyer to comply, and for those situations where Ticketek is unable to get in touch the tickets are simply cancelled and relisted on their site. There is always a risk when buying tickets from eBay, and feedback or high volume sales are never a guarantee that a ticket is authentic or that it will get you into a concert, so be careful when buying these tickets and consider if you would usually trust the word of a few dozen people you've never met before (the equivalent of eBay feedback) when buying tickets from a stranger for several hundred dollars.As a final note, in case you're wondering why I'm writing this... I purchased 4 tickets instead of 3 for the concert and listed the spare one on eBay. I received a call from Ticketek to say that they are trialling new measures and are offering full refunds to people who purchased tickets but are unable to use them, but that any tickets purchased on eBay would be cancelled.I cannot say whether this process is in place for other concerts or venues, and hope that everyone who buys or sells tickets to this event has a successful transaction and enjoys the show. If you do have problems with your transaction please contact me and I will add the seller's name at the bottom of this post.UpdateIt seems there have been some changes in the world of Ticketek. They appear to now be saying that it's fine for people wanting a refund to sell their tickets as long as they are sold for face value. I guess that means that you can legally put them up for the face value on a Buy It Now plus probably a few dollars to cover eBay fees and Ticketek booking fees. Thank you to everyone who emailed offering their own experiences with these tickets.

Cut throat razor / strop and Shaving brush tips.

A basic introduction to cut throat razor and shaving brush care.The Razor.Stainless steel razors do not need a special treatment but all razors should be washed with clean water after use and then carefully dried. If you do not intend to use the razor for a long time, it is recommended to lightly oil it.The Shave.When using a razor for the first time, start with the easy and soft parts of the face. Hold the opened razor with thumb and three fingers so that the opened handle shows away from the face.Prepare the skin with a good shaving soap. With an angle of approximately 30 degrees, first shave down with the razor then shave up. If you hold the razor too flat it will tear the stubble.Always shave in the direction of the cutting edge, never laterally.If the razor is damaged by falling on a hard surface, it should be professionally attended to before using again as the fine edge may need regrinding.Shaving brushes.Once you have finished shaving, rinse your shaving brush thoroughly and gently flick the brush to rid excess water to avoid rot and mildew.Placing your brush on a stand is the best way for water to drip away.Agood quality brush should have been sterilised in the manufacturing process. A common mistake is to sit a brush in boiling water which over time will cause the brush to fall apart.Itrust this is helpful, I've recently been forwarded some fantastic tips belowbaskerville2004for Wahl clipper information, see my Guarantee pagePlease note, I have no control over eBay'sselection oflistings associated with this pageIf this page has not been helpful, please let me know why so I can change it.~~~~~A Cutthroat BusinessBy James WhittallPractice Makes PerfectLearning to shave with a straight razor. Create safe zones and expand your territory. Start by trimming your sideburns on the first day of practice. Just the sideburns. That's it. Shave the rest of your face with your favorite safety razor.Each consecutive morning, expand your safe zones to include more of the face. In this way, you'll quickly develop a technique with the blade that's least likely to draw blood.PrepLather is everything when shaving with a straight razor. The cardinal rule is to never let the lather dry or become too thin, or your razor won't work.Dip a badger hair shave brush in warm, not hot, water and use it to apply emulsified shave cream and water as a thick lather to your beard. Allow the lather two or three full minutes before shaving to soften the hairs.During that time, sharpen your razor with a leather strop. Stropping isn't exactly rocket surgery but does involve a marginal level of skill. To strop the blade, fix one end of the strop to some immovable object like a bedpost or mother-in-law, hold the other end of the strop in whichever hand you don't use for writing, and run the blade horizontally in rapid back-and-forth strokes along the leather surface.The blade should always be turned away from you when pulling it toward your body. Flip the blade over to face you when stropping in the opposite direction. Strop-flip-strop-flip-strop. Get it?Once stropping is complete, apply another layer of emulsified cream and you're ready to rock and roll.The Straight Razor ShaveHold the razor securely by placing the pads of your index and second fingers on the shank, your thumb under the shank and against the shoulder, the handle raised vertically between your middle and ring fingers, and your ring and pinky fingers resting inside the crescent-shaped tang.Using the fingers of your free hand, stretch the skin until it is as taught as possible. Hold the razor at a 30 degree angle to the surface of your skin and shave your first even stroke in the direction of hair growth. Apply lather over the freshly shaven area and shave a second even stroke against the direction of hair growth. Only two strokes are necessary. You can skip the second stroke, if it seems too tricky to attempt.The ''angle of the dangle'' is your key to error-free shaving. Fewer than 30 degrees and you'll rip the hair out by its root. More than 30 degrees and you'll very likely slice yourself to ribbons. The only areas for which this rule doesn't apply are the chin and upper lip. For these two trouble spots only, angle the back of the blade a little closer to your skin and proceed with caution.Care and MaintenanceMost contemporary straight razors are made of stainless steel. Not so with the blade in our collection. Stainless steel is difficult to sharpen, so many of the better straight razors are still composed of high-carbon steel. High-carbon steel sharpens with relative ease. It also rusts and changes color over time.Ergo, high-carbon straight razors require a lot of TLC. But the extra attention is worth it. A properly maintained blade will last the rest of your life and probably outlive your kids.At the end of your shave, thoroughly clean the razor by running it under water. Dab it dry (never rub) with a cloth. Give the blade one final stropping and lightly grease it with mineral oil. Allow the blade to dry for 10 minutes, then dab away the excess oil and store your razor in a dry, dark, well-ventilated spot away from the reach of children. Use a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol to remove the mineral oil before your next shave.Should you (horror of horrors) discover rust on your blade, remove it at once with one of those white 3M scrub pads or a handful of ''0000 Grade'' (extremely fine) steel wool. Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and clean the entire surface of the blade, then grease with mineral oil and store.Never use metal or silver polishes to clean your razor. Never immerse or expose your razor to bleach, ammonia, or harsh detergents. Never leave your razor near an open flame or heat source. Never (and this one's a double-never) drop or otherwise damage your blade. A severely damaged blade should be discarded.If your razor becomes nicked or so dull it actually rivals my last job, whip out your sharpening stone and give the blade a good hone. You'll only need to do this once a year, perhaps twice. Strop after honing and you're done. Nothing, absolutely nothing, shaves as closely as a straight razor.And when it comes to scoring points on the Macho Scale, one cutthroat beats a dozen 10-inch compound mitre saws any day of the week.~~~~~What brand do I recommend in a shave brush?In my honest opinion, the best brushes and value for moneyare made by Vulfix (Progress Vulfix Ltd, Isle of Man, British Isles) which is why I offer them and have been usingVulfix for most of my adult life. There are obviously many other brands on the market and some are definitely more expensive but I will only offer what I am willing to use myself (excluding the Eterna bristle brushes. I offer them occassionally because they are popular). My personal preference is definitely a badger brush.Vulfix'scream coloured handle provides excellent balance and a firm grip.Most handlesare lathe turned and polished by hand to a brilliant lustre. The excellent water holding capacity assists with a better shave.Pricing is guided by quality and quantity of the bristles (I call it hair).A good badger brushwill last a very long time if cared for. Vulfix claim you can pay up to 3 times more to buy the same quality in other brands.Badger bristles might feel firm when dry but once wet they become soft and gently massage the lather onto your face.As always... questions welcomefor Wahl clipper information, see my Guarantee page

Important Tips For New eBay Buyers

Hi guys and welcome to eBay, I hope you have lots of fun here and find some great things to buy.From reading the threads on the Round Table chat board I have found some very sad posts from buyers who have been ripped off.Either not getting the item they purchased and not receiving a refund from the seller, or getting the item and it being damaged and the selling not willing to replace or refund.Or just the total rip off seller who lists things like ipods, mp3 players, LCD Tv's and other high risk items, that just take your money and then run.Its not fair on us good sellers to have the shonky sellers do this to you buyers and it certainly isn't fair on you buyers who trust us sellers with your money and trust that we will do the right thing.BUT there is a way you can protect yourself, and I cannot emphasise this enough, its so vitally important that you look at the sellers feedback, you can do this by clicking on the number next to their ID in brackets (359), once you click on this number you get taken into their profile page, on the right hand side there is a box and it sais "Period", this has a little drop down menu, click on the drop down and select Past 12 months, then click go, this will then bring up all the feedback for that seller for the past 12 months.Then on the left, you will find:Show All, Positive(2000), Negative (140), Neutral (23), Withdrawn (1)You can then click on Neutral or Negative and read what the comments say about this seller, this will give you a very good idea of what sort of a seller they are, its important for your own safety to read what these say, also how many Neutrals and Negatives they have had in the past 12 months.The example above is just made up numbers. I personally am VERY wary about buying from a seller who has had 3 negatives in the past 12 months and I will read what those negatives say before I decide to buy from them.Its up to you as to how many negatives in a 12 month period you feel safe with and still buy, but the less the better for keeping you safe.Another thing to keep you safe is to pay with paypal, as of September 2007 ALL new sellers have to sell offering paypal, so if you come accross a seller who has joined from September 2007 and they don't offer paypal then do NOT buy from them. Some will say they have paypal but its not set up, or they are unable to use it for some reason etc, this is all just lies.Others might list their items with paypal and then have in the listing somewhere "Paypal is not accepted from Australian bidders." OR "Paypal is only for items over $10" etc, this is also NOT allowed, if paypal is offered it MUST be accepted from ALL buyers for ALL amounts, even if you win an auction at 99c.IF you ever feel a bit wary of paying for something or bidding on something, DONT do it yet, always please come to the Round Table and ask us ok, its easy to post a topic, right hand side of the page, Post a topic, then just put in your title and write what your concern is and then click on "Post message" and someone will be along to help you very soon.But please never pay for something or bid on something if your not sure, or if it sounds to good to be true.Oh another thing to be careful of, emails, sometimes these might look like they come from ebay but they are not, they are whats called as phishing emails, and they normally have a link in them asking you to click on this link, eBay emails will never have links to click, they will always ask you to log into ebay and do anything from there, the same as paypal emails, they will ask you to log into paypal, NEVER to click on a link, once you click on this link it will ask you for your ebay or paypal ID and password, then the hijacker has your password and can access your account, this is VERY bad news, so if you do get an email that your not sure about, again please DONT click links, come and ask about it on the Round Table.Umm what else can I warn you about? second chance offers on items you have bid on but not won, most of the time they are on the high risk items mentioned above, ipods etc, but not always, it will usually be from a scammer sent from a different email addy, he will try to get you to take up the second chance offer and then when you pay thats it, you have done your money, he won't send you anything.The best thing to do if you do get a second chance offer is to email the seller via the item not won page and ask if in fact they did offer you a second chance offer, then you will know if its legitimate or not, but again, if your not sure come and ask us at the Round Table :-)I'm sure there are lots more things for me to tell you but at the moment I cannot think of them, the most important are:1. Feedback, check negatives and neutrals and withdrawn.2. Paypal, ALWAYS pay using paypal if its offered on an item, and especially if the seller is registered from September 2007, do not let them tell you they don't accept paypal when they display the logo, they MUST.3. Fake emails, NEVER click on links.4. Fake second chance offers, always email the seller to ask if its sent from them.5. If ever your not sure about anything, or you get an uneasy feeling about an item you want to bid on, an item you have bid on, a payment method from a seller, ALWAYS come and ask at the Round Table FIRST before you either pay or bid, this can save you a lot of heartache.Best of all have fun, but be very cautious also.Welcome to all of you,Di :-)

Caravan antennas - useful or not

Are caravan antennas useful or not? An impartial review of one carried out over 3 months of 2007.I own a campervan, and have a television on board. I was eagre to see if one of the popular omni directional television antennas that were around would help bring in the television signal. I purchased one over a year ago. It is one of the round ones that has a moulded 6 section flat shape. As shown in the picture below. They are almost always sold with a powered signal booster. I mounted it on a raisable pole on the back of the campervan then connected up all of the cables. I then conducted a number of tests to see how effective it was. In comparison I tested it against my conventional rabbit ears antenna which comes with a dial in resistor to adjust the picture.Without the signal booster the caravan antenna performed woefully. The picture and sound quality were poor on all three televisions I plugged it into, including my new LCD digital television. The rabbit ears antenna performed much better. These tests were carried out over a period of three months in a variety of weather conditions, and at a variety of locations. Only when within ten kilometres of the transmitting site with a direct line of sight to the transmitter did the antenna provide a good picture. In all cases the rabbit ears provided a better picture quality than the unboosted caravan antenna.Switching on the signal booster provided an instant gain in picture and sound quality. However it quickly became apparent that using the signal booster with the rabbit ears produced an even better picture and sound quality on any of the three televisions I tested.These tests tended to bear out what I had heard from other campervan owners, and from qualified engineer, Collyn Rivers, who writes books on solar power and has published articles about these antennas. His opinion of these antennas is that they are not worth purchasing. Their omni directional design pulls in signal from all direction, but not very well.My conclusion is to forget about buying one of these, and either use an adjustable rabbit ears type antenna, or buy a signal booster and use that with a rabbit ears antenna. You can at least adjust the rabbit ears antenna and there will be no extra drag due to the externally mounted caravan antenna.

Giving bank account details to receive payments

There have been postings about sellers stating concerns in providing their banking account details to receive payments. Some sellers do not or prefer not to provide those details as they do not feel safe to do so.What tends to be forgotten is often those who will not or prefer not to provide their banking account details to get payments often use cheques to pay for purchases or services.Is there any difference in providing someone with your bank account details to receive payment(s) or paying someone with one of your cheques? A cheque contains the following information:name of the bank account - John Doeaccount number - 111-0000bank bsb - 123name of the bank and the suburb of the bank branch - Westpac Sydney Shoppers Malla specimen of the bank account holder - account holder(s) have to sign the chequesProviding a buyer with ones bank account details to get payment for a sale:name of the bank account - John Doeaccount number - 111-0000bank bsb - 123A cheque contains more personal information than giving ones bank account details to a buyer to receive payment.Have a lovely day - sunflowercastle

Emjoi ungently? Epilators, the facts.

I recently bought an expensive epilator.I wanted the best there was on the market so i bought the emjoi Ultimate AP-98R Epilator for $139.I used an epilator ages ago when i was younger and it hurt like hell, but i thought with the changes in technology that there would be minimal pain this time around.It did hurt a little at first, but after a while you get used to the pain and you dont feel it as much anymore. The more you use it, the less painfull it is. However... I would not use it on my underarms and bikini line~!! thats just too painful... even for me! (i'vegot three piercings and a tatt)I was wrapt with the results, my skin felt smooth and i didn't have to shave the next day. Most Epilators claim that hair doesnt grow back for six weeks. WRONG! I know hair growth goes through three cycles, But i swear i have been shaving off the same hairs! The other problem i have encountered is infected folicles (caused by the hair becoming trapped under the skin and becoming inflamed, producing red 'pimple like' lumps.) And im not talking about a few... they are all over my legs in patches. Also i have found hair growing sideways under the skin, so i have had to use tweezers to 'dig' into my skin and pull them out.I thought that perhaps over time my skin would get used to the epilator and these issues would go away... but they havent.So here are your positives : Hair doesnt grow back for at least 4 days. Its not all that painful. Its fast and convieniant (no water required). One time payment (save on razors). hair regrowth is a little finerAnd the negatives: Not for the squemish of pain. Infected folicles and hair regrowing sideways under the skin. Need power outlet for cord, or constant recharging of battery required.Im not saying dont buy one. This is onlymy Experience with epilators, yours may be different. However i do have another friend who suffers the same 'symptoms' as myself after using an epilator.

Rock 'n Serve Hints and Tips

Are you getting the most from your Tupperware Rock 'n Serve products? Could you be exposing yourself to some risks? Look at these handy hints and tips.There is a special line on the side of your Rock 'n Serve in one corner; it's called the Fill Line. When you fill the container prior to freezing, only fill it to the Fill Line. When products freeze, they expand, so if you over fill your Rock 'n Serve, it may damage your container while freezing, damage the lid while reheating, or create a spill in your freezer.Before placing a full Rock 'n Serve into your freezer, pop the button open and allow it to cool to room temperature first. Air contracts when cooled, so cooling a warm container with the button closed will colapse the lid or crack the container. The added benefit of doing this is you'll also lower your power bill and make your freezer last much longer. See my guide on fridges.Always place a Rock 'n Serve in contact with the floor of the freezer and stack your other Rock 'n Serves on top. It is very important that your containers are placed on a known flat surface. What often happens is people put their Rock 'n Serve on an uneven surface, such as a packet of peas; when the peas and the Rock 'n Serve contents freeze, the Rock 'n Serve acts like a toboggan - next time you open the freezer door it comes skating out onto the hard floor below, and shatters. Unfortunately,shattering isnot covered by any Tupperware guarantees.Rock 'n Serves are made out of super high quality polycarbonate which lets through 100% of microwaves, so they only need to be reheated on 50% power in your microwave. Keep in mind that reheating food on 100% will damage the food, alter the taste of the food, and will give you hot spots through the food.After reheating your food on 50% power, it's really important to let your food stand for HALF the original cooking time. This enables the heat to transfer evenly through the food while the food continues to cook while standing. If you've ever burnt yourself, doctor's advice is to immediately apply ice to the burn to stop your skin from continuing to cook. Retained heat in your skin will continue to burn you in the same way that food left to stand will continue to cook.Although Rock 'n Serves are plastic, they still retain heat, so use an oven mitt to remove them from the microwave.Once your food is ready to eat, don't pop the button back down; as it cools it could suck your lid back down and damage your seals. Also, if you have a container with corners, such as a square or oblong, release all 4 corners before removing the lid; this will make the lid easier to take off and will reduce the risk of covering yourself in hot food if the lid releases suddenly.Lastly, peel the lid off by the side facing away from your body, this will reduce any chance of steam burns to your forearms.Enjoy your Tupperware :)If you appreciated the time and effort I took in writing this guide, please take the time and effort to vote.

PayPal payments from your bank are NOT instant. eCheque

I wish PayPal wouldbreak the mythand let buyers know.....PayPalpayments by eCheque areNOT instant.PayPal funded payments from credit cards and PayPal funds should be instant.PayPal payments funded from your bank accountare called eCheque (some spell it eCheck, eChk, eChq). An eCheque is PayPal's alternative toAustralia's direct deposit/ online banking.(Without PayPal's involvement, Australian direct deposits normally process in 24 to 48hrs)Although the buyer believes payment is made immediately with PayPal's eCheque, the seller has not received the funds. Quite the opposite. The seller has a payment pending notice only.PayPalinstructs the seller to NOT ship until thepayment has cleared.PayPal eCheques.......are NOT instant....generally take 4 to 10 days to clear....on occassion can take 3 weeks to clear....can be sent without you realising it if you don't pay attention.Many websitesdiscuss and warn of potential PayPal problemsfrom fraud to simple misunderstandings. Eg. Check your shipping address before paying a seller. According to PayPal policies,a seller must send to a buyer's shipping address provided to them by PayPal. (Not the address shown on eBay).Sellers can't change PayPal's (eCheque) policies and procedures.Before ripping into a seller, give PayPal a call.PayPal personal accounts: 02 8223 9500PayPal premier/business accounts: 1800 073 263I'm happy to help too if I can.Please rate thisguide to keep it alive, with thanksbaskerville2004

Pointers to buying dvd's on eBay

Ok, im not going to bore youtoo muchi will keep it quick and simple it will take you about5-10 minutes to read and could save you some heartache and grey hairs in the future, there are many key points you want to make sure of before buying a DVD on ebay, though these would be the most important.1. READ COMPLETE LISTING - thisis the biggest thingread the entire listing and if you don't understand something ask. I put what i think is the most important right at the top of my listing but others won't so be sure to read it all..2.CHECK REGION- many sellers out there myself included sell dvd's from all parts of the world. so check the region Australia is Region 4, what that means is it plays dvd released for the Aussie market, to play any other region dvd's you need a multi-region, multi-zone or region free dvd player (all those mean the same) most new players on the market now are multi-region or can be made multi-region via a code which you can findon the net or even sometimes the manufacturer will tell you. The colour systemdoesn't matter as99% of allplayers and TV's are PAL/NTSC compatible its extremely rare for a dvd player or TVnot to be Pal/NTSC as tv'smade in the last 8-10 years arespecifically made for DVD players in mind, even 10-15% of dvd's bought in Aussie shops are NTSC colour. DVD's are coded so movie studio's can control distribution for instance current movies in/yet to be released inAussie cinema's1408, Death Proof, Evan Almighty, Vacancyetc, these moviesare currently available on DVD in the US so to preserve box-office revenue (why go to the cinema when u can watch it at home?, studio's want 2 slices of the pie the money u pay to watch it at the cinema and the money u pay to buy the DVD)that's y DVD's are coded, though as mentioned before alot ofplayers now are multi-region and bypass coding. If your unsure if your player is compatible read the instructions, ask the manufacturer or message the seller and ask before buying or bidding.3. AUTHENTIC DVD's - many people on eBay have been stung by buying a fake mainly Asian produced copy, these DVDs are also pressed like studio released dvds they are just not up to standards in regards to production and content, also these dvd's are not region coded they are ALL region dvd's even though the cover artwork will specify a region 1,4 etc, movie studio's also produce ALL region dvd's though you can spot the difference by cover etc. I'm not going to preach and say don't buy them the decision is yours and you can spend your money as you wish, bootlegs, fakes will always be around no matter what we do.If you care about buying fakes read on. Alot of these bootleg, fake, whatever you want to call them DVDs are inferior alot tend to skip andfreeze even though there are no scratches or marks, the discs and artwork also deteriorates after timeand how much its played.. due to poor production 1 in10 tend to do this, this occasionally happens on studio produced dvds though it is very rare a 1 in 100,000 pretty much. How to tell the difference a few pointers if it says Digital Surround Sound at the top most likely its a fake, if it has a silver or gold 9, DVD-9 or D9 or similar on the cover usually close to the top on the left or right side, its fake. I recommendfor you toget the seller to take a picture and send it to you get them to include your usernameetc so you can verify they just didn't steal the picture elsewhere then compare this picture with what the big stores like Amazon, Buy.com etc in the US or if its an Aus dvd check Aussie stores even still that can be decieving as users just copy an authentic dvd to get the cover. Also read the listing and ask questions like.. Is this a genuine studio released DVD the exact same as i would buy in any video shop or retail store? Of course they can lie but check there feedback (although manybuyers will not leave negative feedback from fear of getting negative back themselves)and your gut instincts,ask them for a pic if your worried, or stick with trusted sellers ask the seller they might be able to get in the movie you want if they don't have it. there are alot of sellers out there selling fakes and they are even not aware of it they seem to think they are genuine just because they are marked with a region on the back and also be careful of sellers saying genuine DVD, yes its a genuine DVD discbut is it a genuine DVD made by the movie studio, alot of sellers will use a play on words to get away with things so be careful!!4. DVD IN STOCK - alot of sellers post from Australia alot send from the US via drop-shippers, alot sell the dvd's pre-order so make sure you know what's going on as i know myself as a buyer we worry when something isn't here after a week or so. Ask questions is this in Australia, do you have it in stockand is itready to be sent? etc if sent from the US it would take an extra 1-2 weeks, sometimes longer if customs gets a hold of them, if its a pre-order check the release date etc. 5. FEEDBACK - if you have any probs email the seller before leaving feedback so they can rectify it or tell you otherwise. If you leave negative feedback alot of sellers are less inclined to help, so ALWAYS email if there is a prob before leaving feedbackThat's bout it, hope that helped in some way. Happy Buying!! Paulie

item never recieved(ripped off)

I bought an item from usa,i am in australia.it was a car top for a convertible capri(ford in australia mercury in usa)item never arrived although my check was cashed,payment included insurance . Being a first time ebayer i didnt know how things worked so i left it too long before contacting seller (12 weeks) i was told it had been sent,many emails and 2 phone calls later the guy tells me he sent item and because it had been so long could not provide a tracking number and basically told me to bugger off,when i asked about insurance i paid he ignored the question.after contacting ebay they told me all i could do was contact authorities(police)which all seemed too hard as im in aus and hes in usa.so what im saying is beware especially if buying a top from "softtopguy"as i am out of pocket au$405 because of his slack book keepinghad 76 perfect transactions out of 76 since then so dont be put off using ebay by my story ,worst part is it was over 6 months before i finally realised i wasnt getting top so i couldnt even leave :SOFTTOPGUY bad feedback!cheers grantHave since heard from 3 other users with very similar stories all capri tops and all softtopguy!!!!!!

Alarm Filters with ADSL Broadband

The ProblemAlarm systems present a particular problem.For a start, the alarm panel must have an ADSL filter, but more of this later.The general method of installation in Australia is what is called Mode 3.With this, when the alarm is activated, or the system makes a back to base check call, all telephone devices, including the ADSL, are disconnected. This is so that the security of the system is not compromised.Most ISPs recommend installing a Central filter if you have an alarm system. This is however not a satisfactory method. The main problem being that one of two things can happen.For the ADSL not to be disconnected when the alarm is activated, or the system makes a back to base check call, it is necessary to connect the incoming ADSL line directly to the Modem, thus the security of the alarm system is compromised since any fault, or even an off hook telephone on this line will prevent the alarm system from dialing out.Thus a method must be devised whereby, when the alarm is activated, or the alarm system makes abase check call, the ADSL is not interrupted, but interference, or a fault, with the line to themodemdoes not prevent the alarm from dialling out.The SolutionIf the ADSL line is connected after the alarm panel, in the event of the alarm activatation, or the system making a back to base check call, the ADSL will be disconnected.There is one way to overcome this problem, and it is an international solution which is not generally installed in Australia, since most alarm systems use the old Telecom 611 plug for Mode3 installation.Instead of using the old 611 socket, the international standard RJ31X socket should be used. This simply replaces the 611 and still conforms to Telstra specifications, in that it is an8 pin 8 Connector (8P8C) andaccepts the RJ45 plug for the alarm panel connection.The RJ31x socket will "normal through" the telephone line connections to the in house telephone circuits if the plug to the Alarm Panel is removed for service etc.In the above picture, the normal telephone line from the exchange is installed on the left or right hand side and the normal in-house telephone cabling is installed on the opposite side. Connection is by screw terminals.The cable plugs into the socket and the spade terminals are connected to the appropriate terminals on the Alarm Panel.You can see the RJ31X socket connections here.medicash2.c om/RJ31/RJ31XX.htm (Remove the space in com and put www in front)Installation of the RJ31X socket in no way affects the normal operation of the alarm panel system, or the telephones, of your existing set-up.The ADSL Alarm FilterThere is only one specialized ADSL Alarm Filter made. This is the Z-A431PJ31X-A made by Excelsus. This alarm filter is simply installed by unplugging the plug which goes into the RJ31X socket, plugging in the filter to this and plugging the disconnected cable into the socket on the filter.Here is some info on the alarm Filter:medicash2.c om/RJ31/AlarmFilter.wmv (Remove the space in com and put www in front)Completion.Afterthe Alarm filter is installedit is up to you as to whether you install a Central Filter, orin-line filters and Splitters. Remember that all telephone devices must befitted with a filter.Either way, the alarm system security is not compromised, the ADSL to your modem is not disconnected in the event of an alarm or back-to base check, the alarm panel is filtered and it conforms to international specifications.Important NoteIf a Central filter is installed, it must be installed after the RJ31X socket. That is the in-house wiring side, not the exchange side.If it installed before the RJ31X socket the same situation as explained above can occur, the alarm is compromised becausethe alarm panel may be disabled via the modem line.IF YOU FOUND THISHELPFUL , PLEASE VOTE "YES" BELOW ......THE MORE " YES " VOTES THE HIGHER UP THE LIST THIS GOES AND MORE PEOPLE GET TO SEE IT . THANK YOU .

~ How to Sell on eBay ~

If you have ever needed to no how to "SELL" your item on eBay, here is a step by step guide to help you on your way...Log onto your eBay accountOn the top of the page click on "SELL"You will then be asked "HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SELL YOUR ITEM", you can then either "SELL AT AUCTION" whichmeans; you may require $50.00 dollars for youritem, and you may start your bid at $10.00, to attract more buyers, but if all bids only reach $15.00, and the acution has ended youmust sell your item for this price, unless your item is taken of eBayauction before the 12 hours prior to auction ending regardless if you have bids or not on your item, this is aloud, but you must give a reason in which eBay will give you five answer to choose from so this can be displayed on the closed auction page for other eBayers to see. It would not be recommended to end your auctions early as a habit as other users will notice this and it may have an effect on eBayers bidding on your items.Or you can sell your item at a "FIXED PRICE" which if you wanted $50.00 dollars for your item, other users would not be able to bid, they could only click BUY IT NOW and purchase your item that way.Once you have decided which way you would like to sell your item click on "SELL YOUR ITEM".You can now select a category in which your item will appear for e.g. to sell car parts for a Holden HQ you would click on "CARS, BIKES

CHILD BOOSTER SEATS between 18kgs to 26 kgs

Booster Seats For children weighing from around 18 kgs to 26kgs approx 7 year old childA rigid booster seat with back and side wings is recommended by Kidsafe for children when they outgrow their forward facing child seat at around 18 kgs.Never use a booster seat with a lap belt only.When using a booster seat with a child harness remember to tightly adjust the lap seat belt over the hips then fit the harness snugly to child's upper body.Children should be secured in a booster seat untilthey reach 26kgsapprox 7 years old. When the child's head reaches just inside the top of the booster seat they are now too tall to be using that particular booster seat, you will need get another taller booster seat for use until the child reaches the 26kg - 7 yearlimit.Once your child has outgrown their booster seatThey should still be usinga Child Harness on the car back seat from 26kgs to 32 kgs approx 10 years old as shown below.Protection of support over both shoulder, evens out impact over chest.Never use an adult seat belt until child reaches 33 kgs in body weight.Safe in the car, every trip.

Nokia N95 - The Ins

Since the purchase of my latest phone the Nokia N95, i have been very well pleased with the phone.But Before buying you should check these things:1. Fake Nokia N95s on ebay, these have a extra row of icons below the screen, they are touch screen, only slide up one way, have a lot less quality camera (VGA-2MP), extra keys on the keypad, different type of menu, the front facing camera wont work.These pics show the difference's of these copy's (replicas), they are usualy in very similar box's to the real N95s, but they arnt the real ones.they sell for around the same price as the real ones (unbelievable), most will come with 2 batterys, a chinese charger. So be careful when looking at the pics the sellers show. Many of the copys are much thinner then the real one (copy = 13mm real=21mm) 2. Should my N95 be a Aussie Or Overseas Model?The Truth, the difference is a sticker on the box and inside the phone, as i always get my Nokia phones from o/s, i never worry about the warranty as Nokia AUS has never had a issue fixing my o/s phones. So don't let the sellers tell you they are better, newer, better quality etc.On the N95, the only downside i saw that it was from o/s it didn't have the AUS maps, didn't worry me, only took like 6 hours to download (61mb file) from the N95 Maploader Program (it is Nokia's fault its so slow).3. DO I REALLY NEED IT??Yes i did think do i really need all those features and why should i upgrade from my E65?When i did decide i already has a 7.1MP Dig cam, so i didnt worry about the camera, but after using the camera it rivals my old 5MP dig cam, its just AWESOME!!The GPS is good too, although i like using the "old skool" map, i do open it and wait for it to connect to the satellite, it takes from 30secs to 5 minutes (depending on weather and conditions above the phone), the gps receiver is over the "0" key so make sure you hold the phone in the middle or put it down when wanting to get a fast connection.While in the car the gps slides along quite well, but it is a massive battery killer, about 1-2 hours of gps will make the battery go fully flat.4. A new tips about the phone, the screen is crystal clear, the call quality is great. ONLY 2 downsides i saw where that the slide needs to be pushed all the way so it clicks into place (my previous e65 was spring assisted so that i would slide it a small distance and it would go up all the way automatically)the second is the keys on the side of the phone, when i usually text, i rest my palm on the side of the phone, as the n95 has a key there which direct to the gallery, i had to move my hand fully to text.Anyways i hope this has helped you decide on your purchase of the New Nokia N95Dont forget to click "yes" if this has helped you, i know it has. hehe [=- seXyeurobOi

Costumes Fancy Dress Wigs Accessories How To Buy Guide

Costumes Fancy Dress Costume Makeup Wigs Tights Stockings AccessoriesWHO DO YOU WANT TO BE TODAY?? Costumes Fancy Dress Costume Makeup Wigs Tights Stockings AccessoriesAt one stage or more in our life we are all going to be faced with a Fancy Dress Party, or a Dance Recital , or a modelling assignment or a school function or even just for a fun photo This means Costumes and more Costumes and Accessories to go with the CostumeSo what do you do?

Does Your Weight Control You? Diet Do's

This guide is part of a series of guides taken from my free ebook DoesYour Weight Control You? You can get your free ebook by going to the bottom of my About Mepage. What is so different about this ebook? It is the only availablesource that I know of, that looks at spiritual,mental, emotionaland physical aspectsof weight control. Having come from a rather large family, (no-not lots of siblings), I have struggled with weight issues most of my life. The following are some useful tips I have discovered during my dieting trials and tribulations. Notice the word diet has just 1 more letter than die, so I prefer to think of the following points as lifestyle tips. Do eat 3 protein and vegetable meals every day. You must eat or you willslow down your metabolic rate, not to mention getting sick. Eat protein and veggies even for breakfast e.g. scrambled eggs with mushrooms. Cooked breakfasts are often more satisfying than raw food. You won't feel weak or get hungry until much later on a cooked breakfast. There is something comforting about hot food in the morning to start your day. Proteins are things like chicken, fish, nuts, eggs, tofu and red meat (small amounts only). For veggies, up your intake of green leafy types and have moderate quantities of yellow/orange vegetables only.Decrease carbohydrates, alcohol, sugar, salt , tea, coffee all diary products, bad fats (trans fatty acides), processed foodsand red meat. Carbs exist in many foods including vegetables. Peas, bananas and avocados have a higher carb content than most other vegtables, so have these only occasionally. You need carbs every day, but you need to be careful not to overdo it. As they are in so many foods already, often we don't know that we are actually eating them. Then we add copious quantities of processed foods and then we have really overdone it. Don't go shopping on an empty stomach.

Save Money On Postage

Stamps Australia OnlineIf you are anything like me and you seem to buy just about as much as you sell then this is a great tip for you!!Don't throw away those postbags that arrive on your door step. Instead, open them carefully and keep them for when you need to pack something up that you sold. Over time, I found I accumulated quite a big pile of all different shapes and sizes (and a lot of bubble wrap too!). Buyers really appreciate it when you don't over charge on postage and handling and by recycling the postpaks they will save a lot of money on handling. That way you just charge them for the postage and you aren't out of pocket yourself. Buyers will be more attracted to your items if you have a lower priced postage and handling fees.You will be suprised just how many bags you can recycle! Another way to save on packaging is to use garbage bags. They are great for items that won't get damaged in transit and particularly big, boxed items. But remember the more obscure the shape of the package the cheaper it is! Australia Post 'cube' boxes and parcel that are shaped anything like a box. But they can't 'cube' an obscure shape - so this is where using garbage bags comes in handy! Wrap your item in plenty of bubble wrap first and you have a very safe way to send items. This way, the parcel goes on weight alone and not the weight plus the cubing. Where possible I try to avoid using boxes, especially for things like shoes etc that don't fit in a 3kg satchel. Also use Pre Paid satchels either for regular post or express alot of the time you will find it cheaper sending your items using a pre paid satchel rather than paying the postage on your item packet in a postpak. re-use those postpaks that you receive in your mailbox save all your bubble wrap that you come across recycle packaging containers / bags try to avoid using boxes for heavier, bulky item package the items in obscure shapes to avoid being charged extra fees for 'cubing'.Ask your local post office for a pricing guide to posting parcels, this way if possible you can check your parcels weight and compare the postage charge to that of using a pre paid satchel.In time you will get to know all kinds of ways in reducing your postage charges while still being able to send your items safe and securely, as well as being able toroughly know how much each of your item will cost before you leave home.

Buying Ray Ban / RayBan Sunglasses! Picking the fakes!

Picking Fake Ray Bans from the Real Ones!!!Ok... so I have just bought my 3rd pair of Ray Ban sunglasses and generally Ill buy a new pair about every 5 years. But the exception this time... I bought off eBay. Now in itself... theres nothing wrong with that... or is there?! So heres where I should fill you in on my background. Im a goldsmith working for a well known jeweller in high-end jewellery so its my job to have an eye for detail. So I knew exactly what I wanted! A pair of Ray Ban RB3269 004. There were plenty of auctions with this particular model and I decided to bid on a pair from a local Melbourne seller. (I figured if they were fakes I could get refunded through PayPal anyway.) I paid $70.99 which is quite a bit off retail. I knew exactly what they were supposed to look like as Id seen them in person at local shops. My older pair were also a little similar too. They arrived and the packaging all looked good... in fact it was excellent. Exactly as you would expect from Ray Ban. On opening the glasses case I noticed the little toggle thing attached which Id seen in the auction pics. It seemed odd in the auction and no different here. To my knowledge no Ray Bans are packaged with this. (I could be wrong though?) Actually it was only after looking at the real packaging that you could see the quality difference. I doubt you'd notice without seeing the two side by side. Fake Packaging Genuine Ray Ban PackagingNow the glasses themselves! They were good. In fact they really were quite good. But there were things that didnt sit right and after a moment looking at them... realised they were fakes!!! Good fakes... but fakes nonetheless. Actually, I should be using the word counterfeit because that is exactly what is being sold. They are basically criminals preying on unsuspecting buyers.Anyhow, I confronted the seller and they did not even question it. They offered a full refund if I returned the glasses but I demanded extra money for return postage. I wasnt going to be out of pocket for someone committing a crime. The following day I got a good deal at Sunglass Hut and purchased a genuine pair there. On comparison, there are indeed differences but it was also scary at how good the counterfeiting industry has become. So here are the differences:1) Overall quality: Remember... Ray Ban has a fascinating history. They were basically the first brand name sunglasses around the 1940s and thats because they were such high quality. Ray Ban is still about as good as you can buy so inspect the overall look and quality of the glasses. Are there joins not quite meeting properly? Maybe a slightly rough or unfinished/unpolished surface? How are the hinges? Do they move cleanly and do the arms feel completely secure and strong? Does the plastic look like decent quality? Are the glasses nicely put together and refined? Look at the hinges below for example. The inside of the fakes on the left are a matte fininsh which is an easier, cheaper way of finishing a large inside surface while the real Ray Bans on the right are nicely polished and the hinges are much more refined and smaller. FAKE REAL2) Look at the printing on the arms and lenses. On the counterfeits I purchased the Ray Ban at the top right of the right lens was not quite where you would expect and was a little heavier. The originals always have this printing right near the top of the lens so it is completely out of view when wearing the glasses. The printing on the inside of the arms was virtually the same and there were no real quality differences. Below the fakes on the left have the printing further down the lens and it is a little heavier. Another major difference with these counterfeits is that they don't have the partial contrasting matte finish on the top of the arms. It's a lot more work to mask out different parts (i.e. top of arm and sqaure Ray Ban logo) on each arm than to just polish the lot. FAKE REAL3) An interesting point is that the originals weigh in at 36grams and the dodgy pair at 37.7grams. Given the dimensions are virtually identical of both pairs this would indicate that they are made from different materials.4) Across the inside of the bridge the fakes had the glasses size printed while the originals had nothing. Now I could be wrong here but I actually thought that only Ray Bans with a double bridge have anything stamped on them. These are a single bridge which would explain the lack of printing on the originals. The genuine Ray Bans also have smaller more refined mounts and screws holding the nose pads in place. The plastic nose pads also appear to be a softer and higher quality plastic. FAKE REAL5) You've probably already noticed this in the pics above but the lenses on the fakes are actually darker and greener than the originals too. Half the reason I bought the glasses I did were for the G-15 lenses that Ray Ban is known for. Interestingly enough the fakes had the G-15 lens sticker while the real ones didn't!!!Fake on the bottom... Real on the top!!!6) Just a point in note... the photo in the auction appeared to be agenuine pair of Ray Bans.When subtituted counterfeits are sent to you, there's little chance that you would notice the difference. Looking for the small details in the auction photosto see if they were fakes didn't work for me because the pics were a genuine pair. They also seem to be the same photo as several other sellers so watch out for that too. So maybe you are saying so what after all the above. Why spend so much more for a pair that the fakes copy pretty well. Ask yourself this. Do you value your eyesight? Products sold in Australia must meet strict quality assurance regulations. They cant be sold here otherwise. These counterfeits are cheap imports from Asia and illegally imported. Did you know that if sunglasses arent properly UV protective then they can actually damage your eyes? The darkening of the light causes pupil dilation and allows more light in therefore more UV. (i.e tinted lenses provide no UV protection.) UV damage to eyes causes many different types of eye problems. According to the Optometrists Association Australia, Ultraviolet radiation may play a contributory role in the development of various ocular disorders including cataract, pterygium, ocular cancers, photokeratitis (flash burns) and corneal degenerative changes. It may contribute to age-related macular degeneration. So there you have it. Still think the dodgy pair are worth the savings? Theres a saying that comes to mind here actually Caveat emptor Let the buyer beware!

eBay Alternatives - eBay of Fee-Bay?

Market Intel!Our Aussie eBay got picked as the gennie pig of being the 'Pilot group' of rolling out the new FEE-bay era. Why? Coz we are small and easy going?! Bugga!Having discussed with a few long standing eBay sellers, there will be a significant number of honest everyday average Joe prepared to pull out of this 'God of War - Fee collecting'.Paypal is going to be the only acceptable payment methods, beyond that, pick up is the only way to go. But with the skyrocketing petrol price, who's gonna travel a fair distance just to pick up something that's supposedly to be a saving?Sellers will be backed up or sellers will increase the price tag. - Alternative oneIs this the right way? Customers will not be happy, but who doesn t shop at Westfield and pay a premium for what they bought? On average, to set up a Westfield store, it's a upfront 50k shop fitting bill, on top of that, monthly rental is approx 5k - 10k. Did I mention that Westfield also charge a percentage on your turnover as the 'Profit sharing'? My point is Westfield = Expensive , but people likes to visit Westfield while bargain on postage with sellers on eBay. Logic? I have no clues!Seller will offer alternative sales channel - Alternative TwoeBay is the Big Bro virtually internationally, but in Australia, there are couple of really good alternative online auction site, namely as per below.1. Oztion - current ranking in Australia # 176! That's a fairly good traffic, compares to myshopping-com-au is only #258. The beauty about oztion is that, you only pay for what you've sold, listings are completely free! Although it takes three or four times longer than eBay to sell the same product, you won't mind generate an additional income from probably doing nothing. Set up cost = $10 rego fee2. Myshopping - Still significant volume, however you need to have your store set up first and pay them per a click rate. Set Up Cost = Charge on click rate3. Forums - Depends on which industry you are in, participant in the right forum can lead to a good pump up to your own website. Set up Cost = Nil4. Website - It's your business card to the world, make sure it's pretty enough but easy on eyes. Set up cost? Depends, try Zen-cart for free, it's good for a starter, or hire someone for under $1000 to do it properly.5. Community weekend markets - Good family fun, lots of pet lovers, search 'Market affairs australia ' and you'll end up at a pinky website that's full of information. Set up cost? 30 bucks, I tried once, had heaps of fun, but considering the 4am wake up call, I have to give up ( I sleep around 3am normally)Start changing fellows, before the Assassins from paypal tearing eBay sellers apart!Like this one? Then pleasevote for me :)Thanks for looking and always welcome for any comments. eBay message me if you like. And good luck to you all!

Buying Subway Stamps

Before you bid on Subway stamps for use in Australia here are a few things you should know, 1. Sub Club does not work in Queensland or South Australia stores. 2. Subway is getting rid of Sub Club here in Australia after 6 months they will stop accpeting the stamps. 3. Most of the people you may buy them of a aware of this and have dealings with the stores. Now if you are wondering why they are going to get rid of the Sub Club system ask your local Subway owner why the voting to get rid of it, It was them you wanted to get rid of it. Now for the question I know you are asking "how do I know all of this" I have very good friends who work in the world HQ in Milford USA.

How to Start an Online Business on eBay

THERE IS A WAY TO START A SUCCESSFUL ONLINE BUSINESS EVEN IF YOU ARE A COMPLETE NEWBIE!I think that it is safe to assume that if you are reading an article under this heading that you are more than likely looking to open an online store for the first time...If so you are probably looking for a way to start an online business - perhaps you are looking for a way to make money from home. An online business is an excellent way to start making money online and start a home business. And if you don't have a lot of experience in computer programming or online sales and marketing then you will need to find a method of opening an online store that is cheap, easy and won't cause you too much frustration while you learn about the ins and outs of online business and maybe even business itself.A QUICK WARNING...Starting an online business can be a difficult and daunting project for the uninitiated home business entrepreneur. There are a lot of people making money out of newbies like you (and I used to be one of those people too - and they made some money out of me, so I know!) by offering so called COMPLETE PACKAGE online stores that come complete with stock and support so that all you have to do is make a monthly fee and they will take care of the rest. You get your own site and your own customers - but beware - there is a reason that someone would be willing to let you stock a store with their goods for a fee when they could be selling their stuff themselves and that is that it is more profitable for them to collect a monthly fee from you and hundreds if not thousands of people like you who want to make a start in online business and make money at home, but don't know where to go to do is successfully. These people make a lot of money from the websites that they create and you will probably not make much from the stock that you sell - and if you do you can be sure that the people who stock your site are making money on that sold stock aswell. Better to start your own site from scratch and keep all the money for yourself. But how to do that with little or no experience?EBAY - THE WORLD'S ONLINE MARKETPLACEStart on eBay! Seriously, the eBay market is huge - imagine your local mall. It is packed with all sorts of stores, cafes, department stores, boutiques etc etc and because there are so many different stores all operating together in one place there are thousands of people who go there daily to browse around and have a good time. Well, eBay is just such a place. If you haven't yet been there (and I bet you have!) then go and check it out for yourself. There are thousands if not millions of items for sale from ebooks to antiques to fashion and cars. AND there are MILLIONS and BILLIONS of people looking at these items every day! If you were selling something - then wouldn't you want to sell it in a mall where there were millions of people browsing around looking? Of course because out of those million people you would get hundreds and thousands browsing in your store. If you want to go online with your home business or extend your existing business online then eBay is the best place to start because you WILL get customers! GUARANTEED!HOW TO GET STARTEDOpening an eBay account is quick, easy and FREE. You can get started in minutes and all you need is a valid email address. Once you have started then familiarize yourself with the site and buy stuff! eBay has very strict policies about what they allow people to sell on their site and so you should expect that what is for sale is genuine and in good working order. If you are not sure and if the seller doesn't give a good enough description of anything to satisfy you then move on to his/her competition - there is plenty of it - or ask questions. eBay is an environment where communication is easy and encouraged. If you have not bought or sold anything on eBay then go and get started! GETTING AN ONLINE BUSINESS RUNNINGYou have probably bought on eBay before and may have even sold a few things, but setting up an online business on eBay to make money from home is something that you should plan and carefully consider. It is not easy to go from selling bits and pieces from around the house to selling regularly and profitably. There are three things that you should consider: 1. You, 2. Your Customers,

The Complete Dean Koontz Book List

After a troubled childhood, Dean Ray Koontz went on to become a bestselling author, who has used his experiences to create remarkable characters and fantastic storylines. At least seven of his novels have hit number one on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list (Lightning, Midnight, Cold Fire, Hideaway, Dragon Tears, Intensity, and Sole Survivor), and hes one of only ten writers ever to have achieved that milestone.Mr Koontz is on the right. Trixie the Dog only writes romance ;-)Mr Koontz writes under many pseudonyms, the ones I found are listed below. I hope you find this list helpful, Ive tried to keep it as simple as possible! Please let me know if anything is incorrect Thank you.To Search, please use Cntrl FI spend hours compiling and checking each of my guides before publication. It is my goal to be one of the top 25 reviewers in Australia. If you do find this guide helpful in any way, please recognise my hard work by voting yes. I appreciate every helpful vote I receive.PseudonymsLeigh Nichols Anthony North Owen West David Axton Aaron Wolfe Brian Coffey Richard Paige John Hill K.R. Dwyer Deanna Dwyer Bill MunsterJoe LansdaleI have deliberately omitted the secret pen name that Mr Koontz apparently wishes to keep private.Novels as Dean KoontzStar Quest (1968) Dragon in the Land (1969)The Fall of the Dream Machine (1969) Fear That Man (1969) Anti-Man (1970) Beastchild (1970) Bounce Girl (with Gerda Koontz) (1970)The Dark Symphony (1970) Hell's Gate (1970) Dark of the Woods (1970) The Crimson Witch (1971) The Dark of Summer (1972)A Darkness in My Soul (1972) The Flesh in the Furnace (1972) Starblood (1972) Warlock (1972) Time Thieves (1972) Demon Seed (1973) Hanging On (1973) The Haunted Earth (1973) A Werewolf Among Us (1973) Aphrodisiac Girl (1973) Blood Risk (1973)After the Last Race (1974) Surrounded (1974)Dragonfly (1975)Nightmare Journey (1975) The Wall of Masks (1975)Night Chills (1976)Prison of Ice (1976)The Face of Fear (1977)The Vision (1977) The Key to Midnight (1979)The Funhouse (1980) originally by Owen WestWhispers (1980) The Voice of the Night (1980) The Eyes of Darkness (1981) How to Write Best-selling Fiction (1981)The House of Thunder (1982)Phantoms (1983) Darkfall (1984) Darkness Comes (1984) The Door to December (1985) originally by Richard PaigeShattered (1985)Twilight Eyes (1985) Strangers (1986) Watchers (1987)Shadowfires (1987) originally by Leigh NicholsLightning (1988) The Servants of Twilight (1988) was Twilight by Leigh NicholsThe Mask (1988) originally by Owen WestThe Bad Place (1989) Midnight (1989) The Bad Place (1990) Cold Fire (1991) Hideaway (1992) The Voice of the Night (1992)Dragon Tears (1993) Mr. Murder (1993) Shadow Fires (1993)Dark Rivers of the Heart (1994) Winter Moon (1994) was Invasion by Aaron WolfIcebound (1995) Intensity (1996) Tick Tock (1996) Sole Survivor (1997) Fear Nothing (1997) Seize the Night (1998) False Memory (1999) From the Corner of His Eye (2000) One Door Away from Heaven (2001) By the Light of the Moon (2002) The Face (2003) The Taking (2004) Life Expectancy (2004) Velocity (2005)The Husband (2006)SeriesMoonlight Bay1 : Fear Nothing (1997)2 : Seize the Night (1998) Odd Thomas1 : Odd Thomas (2003)2 : Forever Odd (2005)3 : Brother Odd (2006)Frankenstein Series1 : Prodigal Son (2005) with Kevin Anderson2 : City of Night (2005) with Ed GormanTucker (writing as Brian Coffey)1 : Blood Risk (1973)2 : Surrounded (1974)3 : The Wall of Masks (1975)AnthologiesAgain, Dangerous Visions (1977) The Architecture of Fear (1987) Stalkers (1989) Under the Gun (1990) Obsessions (1991) Predators (1993) David Copperfield's Tales of the Impossible (1995) Cyber-Killers (1997) CollectionsSoft Come the Dragons (Dark of the Woods) (1970) contains:To Behold the Sun A Darkness in My Soul Dragon in the Land The Psychedelic Children The Season for Freedom Soft Come the Dragons A Third Hand The Twelfth Bed Strange Highways (1991) contains:Strange Highways The Black Pumpkin Miss Attila the Hun Down in the Darkness Ollie's Hands Snatcher Trapped Bruno We Three Hardshell Kittens Night of the Storm Twilight of the DawnThree Complete Novels (1991)WatchersWhispers ShatteredKoontz III (1993)The Bad PlaceMr MurderCold FireKoontz I (1996)The House of ThunderCold FireDragon Tears Three Complete Novels (1998)Key to MidnightShatteredHouse of ThunderThree Complete Novels (2001) Cold FireHideawayKey to Midnight Short Stories / Novellas"The Kittens" Atlantic Monthly 1966 "To Behold The Sun" Fantasy

TRUTH ABOUT EGYPTIAN COTTON: SHEETS,DOONA COVER,BED SET

JUST WHAT IS EGYPTIAN COTTON?For the best, mostin-depthEgyptian Cotton Bedding and Sheets andDuvetSetsinformation available,view TRUTH ABOUT THREAD COUNT: EGYPTIAN COTTON SHEETS, DUVET COVERS

Is Your 1966 Barbie REALLY Vintage? Probably Not!

As anAustralian Barbie collector and a regular user of both eBay US and eBay Australia.I can't help but notice many Aussie eBayers lack understanding when it comes to identifying the place and manufacture of Barbie dolls. Hopefully, with this guide, we can clear up some of these misunderstandings!All too often I see sellers offering "Vintage Barbies" from 1966. It is understandable why this mistake occurs- the world of Barbie doll collecting is a detailed and comprehensive one! Unfortunately, Barbies are not marked the same way that other dolls are marked.The 1966 date that you often see on the back of the doll, is in fact, the patent/copyright registration date of Barbie's body mould. This date appears on Barbies made form 1966 to modern Barbies of the late 1990s. This date is NOT the date of the doll's manufacture!All too often, friends of mine come across Barbies in garage sales with these 1966 dates and think they've hit the jackpot! Usually, these dolls are modern, played-with Barbies (junk dolls). Sadly, they are not worth very much and prove impossible to sell to the vintage Barbie collector.As you can imagine, incorrectly identifying these dolls as "vintage/1966" is risky for the seller (for falsely advertising) and frustrating for buyers, who must sift through the "riff-raff" to find GENUINE vintage dolls on eBay.So, how do you correctly identify a Barbie? The easiest way is to check the country of manufacture. These details can be found either: on the back of the head, on the back of the torso, or on the inside rim of the head (please bewaryif you decide tocheck this one- if you're not careful, you're likely to damage the head or head knob and this will significantlylessen theworth of your potentially valuable doll!)The following chart can help you narrow down what year your Barbie doll was made, according to what country the doll was made in:BARBIE DATES AND PLACES OF MANUFACTURE:1959-1972: JAPAN1968-1970: MEXICO1970-1987: HONG KONG and TAIWAN1973-1978: KOREA1978-1988: PHILIPPINES1986-Present: CHINA and MALAYSIA1989-1990: MEXICO1992-Present: INDONESIAI hope this guide has proved useful to those of you who were unsure whether "That Doll" was a vintage Barbie or merely a modern, pre-loved toy. Similarly, I hope it has increased your awareness of the complex world of barbie collecting and Barbie identification- it's not as simple as it first seems!

List of FAKE Pokemon Games

BE WARNED!- Chaos Black- Quartz- Jade/Diamond: BE WARNED, THERE IS A LEGITIMATE RELEASE OF POKEMON DIAMOND, BUT IT IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR THE DS. The fake Diamond is for GBC. - Naranja (what the hell is that supposed to be anyway)- Pearl: BE WARNED, THERE IS A LEGITIMATE RELEASE OF POKEMON PEARL, BUT IT IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR THE DS. The fake Pearl is for GBA.More info on fakes: http://www.trsrockin.com/fakegames.htmlWhat I have been doing recently is trolling eBay and REPORTING auctions which list any of these fakes. Because of a recent report, Chaos Black has thankfully been eradicated off the face of eBay Australia. No need to thank me, just doing my civic duty...If you have any further games to add to this list, DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME! Everything must be done to stop gullible parents and children from buying these fakes and wasting their hard earned money. THESE PIRATES MUST BE STOPPED! And the best way to do that is to STOP BUYING FROM THEM!Legitimate releases:-Pokemon Red/Blue-Pokemon Yellow-Pokemon Pinball-Pokemon TCG-Pokemon Gold/Silver-Pokemon Crystal-Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire-Pokemon Emerald-Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green-Pokemon Ranger-Pokemon Diamond/Pearl BASK in the glory that is Diaruga and Parukia... :P

How to make a live bait trap

palmfishingThere are many commercially available bait traps on the market, but my advice is hang onto your cash and make your own. About 10 minutes in the kitchen is all that is needed to make the best bait trap money can't buy. I have used several, from commercially available clear plastic traps to folding net style, and all cost good moneyand none work as well as the one described here. Here are the steps to make your own,works really well, and is basically free and environmentally friendly, as the plastic bottle that is used is not thrown away, but reused.Materials1 Plastic Juice Bottle (the 2 litre variety with a handle, not a cloudy bottle but clear plastic)1 Old Wire Coat Hanger1 Heavy Snapper Lead (or similar weight)1 Pair if sharp scissors.MethodCut a circular hole in the front of the juice bottle, (about 4cm diameter) not on the label side, but the other side. You can remove the label if you wish but this is not necessary.Cut your coat hanger wire to desired length, (about 25cm is fine) bend at about 10cm to form a hook. This wire is used to anchor the trap to the sand, by placing it through the handle of the juice bottle.Keep the lid to the bottle in place. This is used to remove the bait when the trap is full and must be left in place, so that bait cannot escape when in the water.Finished!Now to catch the bait.Fresh sliced bread is best, so that a slice can be folded in half without breaking. Once folded tear a circular piece of bread to form a hole of about 4cm or the same size as the hole in the bottle. The slice is now carefully placed into the hole and the slice opened out so that the hole in the bread and the bottle line up. Don't allow any bread to hang over the sides of the hole in the bottle,as this will slow the process of capture down.Place a few handfulls of sand into the bottle with the snapper lead and anchor the bottle to the sand with the coat hanger, obviously the bottle will fill up with water. Water depth need be no more than 30cm.Step back and wait. Once panicked flashing is observed or a lot of movement inside the bottle, retrieve the bottle, take out your live bait, and place in a bucket of fresh water. If more baits are required use a new piece of bread, and repeat the process.Please check your states max live bait numbers, as it varies. This trap is legal and free.The rest of the bread can be used for burley or for your lunch! Good luck.My Store

How to Cleanse your Crystals

How to Cleanse Your CrystalsCleansing your crystals is very important. When you first recieve a new crystal you must cleanse it of any energy it has absorbed before. You also need to cleanse a crystal after each use such as healing, meditation or just holding onto it for the day. You can tell that a crystal needs to be cleansed by holding the crystal in your hand (if you are energy sensitive) or by the 'spark' the crystal has. If your crystal has become dull, or darker in colour its likely that it needs a cleanse. When you see a cleansed crystal it is full of light, shiny and sparkly. It looks clear and has an aura. This is how you know your crystal has been cleansed properly. Below is many different methods of cleansing your crystals. You may use a few methods together or just one. Go with what you feel is right for you and the crystal. Following your intuition is best.Mother EarthMother earth is a powerful cleanser of our human body as well as our mineral friends. Crystal come from the earth so they love to be placed on the earth to absorb the healing energies. You may bury the stone pointing down for deep cleansing. Make sure you know where you have put it by marking the area or placing it in a natural fiber sock before burying it with the top sticking out. MoonlightEach full moon is a wonderful ritual you can do for yourself and your crystals. Take some time placing your crystals on the earth (i normally make a medicine wheel out of them). Let them bath in the moonlight all night and take them in again in the early morning. I usually like to leave them long enough to get some early morning sunlight as well. Don't leave them in the sun for long as this may fade the colours of the stones. I do this with all of my crystals each full moon if they are cleansed or not. Its wonderful for recharging.WaterPlacing your crystals under cool running water is a simple, quick method of cleansing. I usually imagine that the crystals are under a white light waterfall and i watch the light penetrate the crystals on its way down. They sparkle and shine after this. Please be aware that porous crystals such as selenite, angelite, celestite and many natural unpolished mineral specimens must not be wet as they will crumble or loose their luster and shine. Other methods are best for these types of stone.Sea SaltPlacing your crystals in dry sea salt will negate the crystals of all energies. It is a powerful way of cleansing your crystals. Place some dry fine sea salt into a glass or crystal bowl and cover your crystals completely, taking care not to have them touching each other. Depending on the humidity the more porous crystals will not like this method.Crystal Clearing Gem ElixirThe Crystal Clearing Essence is a gem elixir in my newest batch of gem elixirs available. It is made from very clear and clean stones which are a representative of cleansed crystals and cleansing. They were all individually programmed especially for cleansing crystals. Spray your crystals with the mist making sure it falls over all surfaces of the crystal. I have used this essence extensively, and the clearing is immediate, the crystals love it. FireFire is a great cleanser of our soul as with the crystals. You may place your crystals next to or near a fire (making sure they dont get too hot or they will crack) to cleanse or pass them through a flame. ReikiReiki is a powerful pure healing energy. It is one of my favourite cleansing methods opf crystals as the energies are so beautiful. Hold the crystal in your hand if you are attuned and enjoy the meditation. You may also use symbols over them. The crystal will not only cleanse but will also take on the healing energy of reiki.White Sage SmudgeSmudging with Organic White Sage to cleanse your crystals is an enjoyable way. Using a feather fan first of all smudge yourself making sure the smoke goes over your whole aura. Once you have been done you may now fan the smoke over the crystals. Alternatively you can just pass the stone through the smoke. Make sure you breath deeply as sage is a fantastic herb for the lungs. Another way to use the herbs is to place the crystals directly on the dry herb. Only use organic herbs.Amethyst and Citrine ClustersPlacing your crystals on clusters is a 'set and forget' way to cleanse. Amethyst and Citrine Clustersare the most popular. Pop them on for a few days or so and you will know when they are ready. AngelsSimply find a quite space, breath deeply, hold the crystal in your right hand and ask the angels to cleanse your crystal.Love, Light

New eBay Buyer's Tips - Do's

Are you new to eBay?Not sure how to go about making a purchase and successful completion of your transaction?Here are a few Tips which will hopefullymake your buying experience a happy one.Once you've registered with eBay, you're ready to begin buying lots of wonderful bargains and hard to find items.Firstly ... if the item you're looking at has a Buy It Now (BIN) price, that means that you can buy the item straight away, without the need to bid against other eBayers.Sometimes an item with a Starting Price will also offer you the alternative of Buy It Now as well. Once a bid has been placed using the Starting Price, the BIN option disappears. It is then open for others to bid against you.Ok, so now you've placed a bid ... and lets assume that you've been successful and won your item.You'llreceive an email from the seller advising you of the final price including the cost of postage

THe China MP4 Scam Buyer Beware You Have No Protection

I am not an expert Ebayer but I have been doing this for a while and I have bought and sold a lot of items being a regular user of Ebay I thought the system would protect me if anything went wrong, well what can I say I am to trustinf. I made the mistake of buying a 4gb MP4 player from China when it arrived I was a little upset it never came with a box and seemed a bit cheapish as I had only paid approx Aus$45 it was not real surprise though. I tried it out and put some music on and gave it ago everything seemed to work fine so as a good Ebayer I went and posted positive feedback. Later that day I started to realise I may have jumped the gun the first sign came when I went to put a movie onto the MP4 player, Movies have to be converted into .ASF format not a problem the seller being a nice guy, so I thought, had supplied a disk with software on it one being to convert movies to .ASF luckly I always scan anything before I install it to my computer it was full of viruses that would of given access to my computer had I installed it, which of course I did not. I went to a trusted download site and purchased a program to convert movies. Then I came across my next problem as I added movies to the MP4 player things started going wrong they where not playing I was having problem loading them onto the MP4 player and other problems. I did a search to find out what I was doing wrong while searching I came across information about hacked MP4 players. After reading for a bit I realised that is what I had purchased. I found a site that showed you how to sort of fix the problem basically remove the hack and sure enough what I had was a 1gb MP4 Hacked player not a 4gb player as I payed for. My first step was to contact the seller and ask what is going on.His reply was sorry it must have been the manufactures his spiel was word for word what the many sites and forums I had read said he would say they had also warned not to expect any help from Ebay or Paypal on this matter. I, at that time, still have faith that the system was set up to protect me the buyer and everything would be ok. My first step was to file a dispute with Ebay for recieving goods not as described, my first shock I was not allowed to put in a dispute with Ebay as I had paid with Paypal and I had to put the dispute in with them not Ebay. Well I was not happy with that so I jumped onto Live Help for 20 minutes all I got was there is nothing we can do you need to put in a dispute with PayPal. Well I can be stubborn and annoying, which I was, after about 30 minutes of insisting something be done about this seller and it should be Ebays responsiblity to protect its buyers the operator let it slip that this seller was already under investigation and had been for a while, they are still trading of course.Phase 2 of to paypal with the information that this seller is selling hacked MP4 players and Ebay know about I had list of people who had given negative feedback after recieving hacked MP4 players links to sites about this and the seller in question. I was sure I was going to see justice I believed I was going to single handedly bring down a scammer who had scammed thousands of people I felt good. I put the dispute in the first problem Paypal insist you communicate with the seller first and they do not get involved until you have so for a few days I communicated with the scammer. Getting more and more surprised that his communication was word for word what the site/forums trying to fight against these scammers had said he would said. After 2 days I escalated the dispute to a claim now we should have some fun Paypal will come in guns blazing and rid the world of this scammer, or so I thought. The scammers response was to offer a full refund if I returned the item at my cost still Paypal had not got involved it was clear now the scammer knew how the system worked and how it was set up to protect the scammer not the buyer.At the end of the day the only results you can expect if you get ripped of by one of these scammers is:Seek help from Ebay, you will find none Scammer winsSeek help from Paypal the scammers know how the system is set up and hide behind it the best result you can hope for is to return the item at your cost and hope you get a refund, this means paying for a postage that gives tracking approx Aus$20. This means the honest buyer is out of pocket $20 at least the scammer laughing he just resells the hacked MP4 player to anther unsuspecting Ebayer Result scammer wins.Basically the system is set up to protect the scammers why? money of course this scam will be racking in millions of dollars for Ebay and Paypal. The seller I got scammed by sells 150 items a day each one incurs both Ebay and Paypal fees thats a lot of money and also a lot of disappointed Ebayers but that is ok they will get over it.I use to be a advocate of Ebay and really believed it was set up to give me some protection if the time came but this has taught my Ebay and Paypal is there for one reason only to take my money any way they can. Will I use Ebay yes but I know anything I do I have to stand alone will I use paypal I have no chioce but I now realise any money I pay through paypal is taking a risk and I will be offer no protection. Will I buy from China never again which is sad I have bought other items from other sellers that have been good but my trust is gone. Would I buy a MP4 player on Ebay no way I would pay a few dollars more and go to a shop and know I will not get ripped of.So buyer beware and do not get caught like I did money is not important but it is important to keep it out of the hands of scammers and thiefs as much as possible.

A Note On Sterling Silver Jewellery-Hallmarks/Fakes/925

Ancient civilisations believed that gold represented the sun whilst silver represented the moon. And, like today they were two of the most important precious metals.Sterling silver is made up of 92.5% pure silver and a mix of alloys. This is done because pure silver, like gold is a soft metal and damages easily. Sterling silver is the most common form of silver used in jewellery. It is hallmarked 925. An example of silver hallmarkingA lot of jewellery falsely bears the name silver. What is known as Alpaca silver, German silver, and Tibet silver are not made up of silver at all but of a mix of alloys created to look like silver. The only sort of silver you should buy is silver that bears a hallmark of 925, 999, or 800. This will differ for antique silver items and the hallmark will need to be individually researched.Silver jewellery will tarnish if not used regularily. It is easily cleaned with a polishing cloth or cleaner. Many modern jewellery pieces use the natural process of oxidisation to help create a 3D effect on silver. Be careful polishing these items as you will loose the effect if you polish the black off.An example of deliberate oxidisation. Most modern silver items come from Thailand, India and Mexico. Thai pieces are largely made using the lost wax technique producing many identical pieces. Indian jewellery is largely handmade so each piece comes out unique. They use a lot of natural gemstones such as onyx, amethyst and tigers eye. Whilst Mexican jewellery takes on a more tribal look. An example of Indian Sterling silver set with a Lapis Lazuli stoneEnglish: SilverFrench: ArgentGerman: SilberItalian: ArgentoLatin: ArgentumSpanish: Plata

Let's Start Selling on EBay - But WHAT?!

WHAT TO SELL?!Let us assume that you're unsure of what to sell - many sellers start off in exactly the same situation - Some readers will already have an idea, but for others, this is one of the subjects which can make them twist and turn for days or even longer, thinking 'what is the right thing to sell to make big money?' I've even been asked many times this exact question but potential EBay traders...My answer is always the same!WRONG QUESTION!Wrong thought already ... to only be involved in the business of online trading for the sole purpose of making 'big money' could easily result in disappointment.Those who think of 'big money' may well also expect 'quick money' forgetting that 'long hours' and 'lots of work' are also vital ingredients.YOU KNOW WHAT TO SELL?Terrific, let's just jump to deal with the subject of NOT knowing what product to sell, because lots of what is in this section, will also make interesting reading (I hope!)Do you have a hobby?Often responses such as Horses, Cars, Racing, Football, Sports, Stamp Collecting, Sewing, Reading, Scrapbooking, Photography are quick to come to mind.OK, so you can sellbooks and cars online, but in reality, how many do YOU have of those available to sell, and consider the delivery of those items.When considering what to sell, it's important to think of the postage/freight costs. It's what I think of now before anything else, when I assess any new item I consider may be a potential new line. Consider the cost which needs to be added, does it make the overall cost of the item, too high for the majority of buyers? Put yourself in their position! Would YOU pay your asking price plus the required postage for THAT item?ANSWER: Very possibly NOT.BUT you have made a step in the right direction.You've considered your alternatives and options and weighed up the pros and cons.Let's assume here, that you enjoy Horses and horseriding. Perhaps selling accessories maybe an alternative for you. You already obviously have an interest and knowledge of the industry, so use your knowledge and start researching with the intention of selling. Are there already many traders online selling items such as horse rugs, brushes, bits, bridles, worming pastes, etc?Are the prices competitive with retail prices?Also, research the number of bidders ... are there many on a consistent basis?Perhaps its worth placing one or two items for sale (we'll deal with how in another Guide) just to research the reaction of the market. Remember it can be a new or used item.If you do that and find it works, then you're on your way.But what if it doesn't?TIME TO DO MORE RESEARCHOne thing Obemine (the author of this Guide) has found with any of the products sold over many years of working within a sales environemtn, is that having the passion for the product is imperative.Without it, your sales will always only be mediocre, at best.It becomes evident in the way you write your item description and the way in which you transact with your customers.EVEN ONLINE."If the shoe doesn't fit, don't wear it!"translates to ...If you don't love the product you're going to sell, or even feel it's a great value for money item, or that it has something fabulous going for it, don't sell it! (Find something else)With a strong background in business, Obemine aka Lindy's Goodies has owned retail businesses, and held Senior Management positions within a variety of industries includingAdvertising Agencies, Newspaper, Radio, and Recruitmentover the last 20 years.Furthermore, Obemine has also spent many years writing for a local newspaper (and still contributeswhen time permits!),enjoyed a stintas an on air radio presenter, and is often called upon for advice on business principles including strategies, marketing, sales, importing and advertising.More Guides will be availableand it is hoped that in some way, they will offer some assistance and useful information to all readers.May all your EBay experiences be good ones!

buying second hand tupperware

Everyone knows how good this product is...it sells itself.. and they don't make some of the good stuff anymore!....want to add to your collection?..YES...you still want more!...Here are a few quick tips to think about.You have seen the piece you have been looking for years. 1. Check out the description although you probably already know what it is like.make sure it is the right size, height etc.2. ASK the seller questions especially about the lids...does it have any splits, cracks and are the lids still 100%..this is the crunch as Tupperware no longer makes certain lids and you CANNOT buy them any more so it is no good having a terrific base with an unreplaceable lid that is split and doesn't work.3. Be prepared to pay a bit more for it as there are a lot of people out there all wanting the same, not made any more pieces! and it may or may not come on ebay again for a long time!4. If you want it...GO FOR IT

How to spot a fake watch on ebay? Watch out for them!!!

There are many people trying to make $$$ from selling fake watches, here are some ways to avoid them:1. the watch should comes with Box, COA(paperworks), tax invoice, if they say they don't come with anything but the watch itself, trust me, they're 100% fake.2. Try to pick up the item.3. Never buy these things outside of Australia.Fake watchs are produced in black markets in asia.4. if the needle isalittle shaking when it moves, fake.5. Get it checked up in a watch shop straight away when you recieved it.6. Check the photo carefully, make sure the photo doesn't come from the rolex or omega website or from google image search.I hope this info has helped you, if so, please at least vote a yes for me, thanks and have a nice day!!!

FAKE

Acomprehensive guideto collecting post warGermanWW2 1957De-NazifiedMilitary Decorations, their manufacturing techniques and detecting the fakes, valuations of originalTYPE 1 and TYPE 2 German decorations.The year of 1945 brought an absolute destruction to Germany and especially to the industrial military medal making center in Berlin, Hamburg and Dresden. Germans needed food, houses, clothes - the last thing they needed were medals and badges.The nucleus of the newly formed West GermanBundeswehr(Federal Defence Force)was created from those who had served in Hitler's legions during WW2. The West German government passed a new federal law in 1957 that specific Third Reich orderswere now permitted for wear without theSwastika. These are known as " German 1957 Award Pieces " these 1957 awards are official and genuine and are now becoming quite collectable.The main government contract to manufacture and supply these new de-nazified WW2 1957 official decorations went to the world famous German firm Steinhauer

Earphones - Originals or Copies?

Earphones - Originals or Copies?When buying earphones, it has become more difficult in just getting a decent set. There are now many brands and different qualities.Many "copies" are now being made, for example apple ipod earphones and cheap Sennheiser look-a-likes. Alot come from china and hong kong, and although may appear very cheap in price, the quality is poor and they will not sound as good or last as long as original earphone brands. It is very difficult to tell a copy from an original as originals can be repackaged from genuine factories and resold.When buying a new set of earphones make sure you double check with the seller if they are original genuine earphones just to be sure.Happy bidding and good luck!Examples Of Non-Genuine: Ipod 2nd GenerationSennheiser CX300Examples Of Genuine:Ipod 2nd GenerationSennheiser CX300

Cleaning a Fishing Reel

PalmfishingThere is no worse feeling than to have a big fish hooked, to be enjoying the feeling of reeling it in, then, having your equipment fail and the fish getting away. Sometimes equipment failure cannot be helped, but with good maintanance you'll be confident that any failure it may have could not have been prevented.By keeping your fishing reel clean, it will work smoother and last longer. This is a basic "how to" on cleaning and maintaining fishing reels.Find a clean, flat, hard surface, such as a bench top to clean your reel on. Laying down a clean, white sheet over the bench can make finding small parts easier.Begin by wiping the outside of the reel over with a moist soapy rag, this will remove any of the contaminants such as, oils and salts (paricularly if it has been used in salt water). Remove the spool and wash it and underneath with mild soapy water.Carefully remove the winding handle; this is usualy done by unscrewing the nut on the opposite side of the reel. Take the handle out and carefully remove the side plate with a small screwdriver. You will be able to inspect all of the gears inside and add special fishing reel grease onto the gears. Each year you should clean out the old grease and lubricate the internals with fresh grease.Using fishing reel oil, lubricate any external moving parts such as the bail and anti reverse lever.Remember that fishing in salt water requires more maintanance than fresh water fishing. Make sure you clean your gear after each trip to keep it in perfect working order and extend it's life for many more fishing trips.Palmfishing(Sourced Kumyang Fishing)