What I love best is that you can really grab a bargain or two or erm…. plenty more. You can get new stuff at cost price or less sometimes! Obviously you can also buy unwanted second hand stuff for next to nothing also. And you can sell all your unwanted stuff to pay for it too! And all your unwanted stuff. Honestly everything sells. Ipods, Dancewear, PC’s, Accessories, Games, Books, Baby Stuff, Mobiles, TV’s, Fireplaces, Toys, Beds & Sheets, Sofas, Clothes, Costumes, Nursery Products, Coupons, Photography Stuff, Gadgets, Travel items, Gifts and all sorts of stuff. You name it, you can Buy It or Sell It on EBay.

EBay – Buy It, Sell It, Love It! Confusing logo but its true enough!

Bet you heard about eBay before today. Bet you heard some bad things and good. As always … you get good sides and bad. For your protection eBay has worked on safety systems. The first is FEEDBACK. Everyone who signs up has feedback. You start off with a Nil Feedback rating and as you buy and sell, you build up feedback. Feedback is very important. This is especially important for you to look into the Seller’s Feedback when buying anything of substantial value. As a base rule most people have well over 90% positive feedback. Less than that should set warning bells ringing. Read their feedback before bidding. Remember that by bidding you re committing to buy if you win the auction. I recommend you build your first few feedback by purchasing a few small items as people are obviously hesitant to buy from sellers with less than 10 feedback ratings.

The other is Paypal. People who work with Paypal tend to be safer sellers and more frequent too. They also have a feedback system, but read our Paypal opinion for more information.

Some recommendations when buying:-

• Read the auction well. Make sure you understand what is being sold. Ask questions if you are unsure. Most people will respond very quickly. A quick response tends to be a good sign.
• Read Peoples Feedback before bidding. See how happy other people were with their purchases.
• Take P&P into consideration as the costs can build up.
• Avoid paying money directly into bank accounts. You have NO safety net. You lose all right to your money and eBay can do nothing more than close down their account. You will not see your money again. Pay by cheque, credit card, postal order or Paypal. You will be protected.
• Decide on a price and place that bid. It will only increase as high as the other person who also wants it is ready to go or your maximum. Do not get caught up in a last minute bidding war as you may ed up paying more than you bargained for!

If you are selling: -

• Respond fast to questions.
• Once the item closes and you have received payment, send out items as soon as possible.
• Have reasonable P&P rates.
• List a picture and list in the gallery. This increases sales and prices.
• Be honest in your write up and be very detailed.
• Start your auction low and if necessary put a reserve price. Low starting prices attract more people and sell for better prices!

Good Luck and Happy Selling, Bidding and Buying!

They have some of the most competitive prices on dance wear and products that I have ever seen. Even beating eBay? prices! To top it off they will ship Free if you are based in Malta. However, as most of us are not based there – they will ship to the rest of the world too for a nominal charge. To anywhere in Europe it is just 3.5 Euros ( approx £2.30 ) or just 6 Euros ( £3.99 ) to the rest of the world. The charge remains the same regardless of the size of the order. The more you order the cheaper the shipping cost is per item. When you consider that most places ask for £3.95 + per order just to the UK, you know you are on to a winner.

Now The Ballet Shop is not just about sales. They even have articles and information. And their customer service is second to none.

So what do The Ballet Shop actually sell. They have a wide range of stock covering Leotards, Tights, Exercise clothes, Bags, Jewellery, Castanettes, Make-up, Accessories, Character Shoes, Dance Sneakers, Flamenco Shoes, Jazz Slippers, Latin, Ballroom & Salsa Style Shoes, Pointe Shoes, Soft Traditional Ballet Shoes, Ribbon, Insoles, Toe Caps, Soles, Socks, Gifts, Character Wear, Skirts, Cardigans, Uniforms*, Hair Bands, Scrunchies, Bun Holders, Jazz Pants, Leg Warmers, Hot Pants and even Cycling shorts! They come in both Children and Adult sizes, and you should see the colours. They have a whole range of colours. They work with a wide range of well known suppliers such as SoDanca, Sansha, Yebra, Roch Valley, Début, Arcancil, Anastasia and many more.

And my favourite of all their products simply has to be their mini ballet shoe keyring. They are so adorable. They even come in a wide range of colours. They make them by both SoDanca (who have a wider range of colours) and Sansha (slightly more petite if you do not want much bulk on your keychain). They also do other miniatures such as jazz shoes and mini sets. But why don’t you just go there and see for yourself. And if you get tempted, their products arrive really quickly too. Enjoy!