This is possibly a rant but someone may be able to help this naive stupid
female here.
I have to say I don't like the concept of e bay anyway but I have little
choice .

I want to buy a decorative plate. I tried all the charity shops and auctions
and car boots locally ( I work cant travel forever) and cant find one . I
looked on the internet and I keep being referred to e bay, so in desperation
I decided to buy there.

Now I haven't managed to get a plate yet! Thats what annoys. Ebay seems to
be a rip off full of dealers buying up things and selling them in their "
shops" at what I suspect are inflated prices. Now I might normally go to
such a " shop" but now I am miffed and wont!

Long story. I saw a plate ( there are four or five available in fact). Five
days ago I put a bid in for the asking price which was £4.99 . Most of
them are around that on e bay. This was the first to finish.
So I waited. No one else bid over me and I actually went to the site to wait
it out so I could up the bid if anyone did come. I watched it count down .
Then right at the last second literally some b u .... came and put in a bid
50p higher. I didn't have time to over bid.

Now I might have chalked that to experience except I then watched the next
three plates go down. Each time they went to this same buyer. He ( or she)
is obviously a dealer!!!!! You don't need four tatty decorative plates on
your home wall ( believe me I am female I know)

If I could buy new I would but this plate was made in the 1970's. I was too
young then to even afford the £15 a new one would have cost.

I am annoyed now. I still want a plate and it still seems e bay is the only
place I will get one but I refuse to pay a dealer now on principle.
My problem is though, how do I know what is a reasonable bid for something?
If I bought this tat in a charity shop I would pay ( probably) £5 - and I
would rather do that but there are no plates in the charity shops! If I go
to a private buyer ( someone like myself selling it off my own wall) I would
be happy to pay them a decent price but I don't know what that price is so
how can I
a) find out what a reasonable price is to put it on the goods?
b) make sure I am not being ripped off by a dealer?

If I miss the next plate I go for it will be two weeks before the next
"auction" finishes and I can see myself in this position every time beaten
by a dealer at the last second. The next one is three days time now. I have
put in a bid but I need to know how much is too much for a dealer but not a
rip off for me?

I wouldn't mind but this seems common now. I had a similar experience with
my aunts house that I have just put on the market. These dealers and
builders etc. are dishonest in that they pretend to be ordinary buyers which
looking into it they clearly are not.

Rant over. Any help on the little problem would be appreciated.