VERSACE ROSENTHAL MEDUSA POTTERY.

Versace and Rosenthal :

The medusa range is the first in the Versace Rosenthal series. It is still in production (correct as of December 2006), although some of the items are being discontinued. The mini coffee pot, fruit saucer, mini candle holder, and small covered box are no longer in production.

These really are georgous items, they contain real gold leaf, balanced predominantly with regal red. Finished with a medusa gorgon in the centre, thoughnot on all items. Some have two cherubs and a dog out hunting merged into the decoration.

If you are thinking of purchasing these items please take note of the following, the advice is given in concern to the amount of fakes currently for sale on the open market.

Watch out for the following initially :

1. Versace Rosenthal Medusa does not produce a sugar bowl with a big medusa head in the centre and gold wings either side, any of this typeis fake.

2. The height of any salt and pepper shaker should be 10.5 centimetres, watch out for items that look fat and stubby, they shall be counterfeit.

3. Lids that appear to not fit onto the sugar bowls.

4. Handle on the Tea Pot, Coffee Pot. Looks too large, out of place with the item.

5. Hallmark stamp, the only letters in capitols should be VERSACE, no items should say ITALY in capitals.

6. Beware of the item description/title. "VERSACE DESIGN MEDUSA PLATE" does not mean its a Versace plate, it just means it has the design of a Versace medusa. VERSACE ROSENTHAL MEDUSA means the real item. Also, "VERSACE" plate (deliberately missing the word STYLE) is a way to deceive a buyer, the speech marks mean its not real. He mighthave a "David Bowie" haircut, or she may do a "Biance" walk, all are mimics.

7. People posting a picture of Rosenthal Pottery onto their advertisement directly from a catalogue or brochure, and not showing the real item. An advertiser should show you the base mark of any item, it is best to see it. Look at the back ground, has the room changed? Is the item suddenly in a nice garden in the next picture ? Nice fake item, but picture of the base is from a book!

I strongly suggest that anyonestarting a collection whom is not buying from a VERSACE outlet, or licensed pottery shop firstly gets hold of some brochures, or "Do not Disturb" book by Gianni Versace. These contain pictures of real items, and prime examples. A good reference point before buying.

Furthermore, even though these items are still in production, the boxes have changed. Originally, they were in a leather look, cardboard black boxwith gold greek key edging, and a Golden Medusa head stamped into the centre. They have now changed to smooth dark blue or black with a medusa (or half medusa head) stamped into the boxin the same colour.

A lot of the originals dont come with certificates, its something that was introduced later on.

I hope you have found this information useful. See also VERSACE RARE POTTERY GUIDE.

From NANDAKARANA.

Paypal THE SELLER'S NIGHTMARE

Ebay has been a great place to trade and not to scare any new sellers 99% of people are very honest

But then there are the 1% the moaner the wingers the scum of the earth

These buyers will just want to use your item or maybe even break your item then they go to Paypal and say

that you sold them something bad which of course is rubbish and it dont matter that you have doneover 1000 Paypal

deals this one person the bad ebayer can make your life hell they will get your account frozen and then you will fight

to get your money back and if your really unlucky the buyer will send back a broken item the same as you sold and you

will then have a hunk of junk and no money because Paypal will have paid back the lier when they proved they sent some rubbish back

This happened to me and Paypal said that buyers must be taken at there word

BUT what about us sellers are we a bunch of liers or just victims of FRAUD

I still take Paypal because without it our sales suffer no one wants to write a cheque anymore and we as sellers should be protected

and why cant we have our good feedback recovered when a complete airhead gives us an undeserved negitive

Ebay and Paypal need to get there act togther and earn the mega money they take from us each year

PAYPAL'S NOT BAD.. Come On 100 million can't be wrong!!

With all those guides out there giving Paypal a good slating - I would like to stick my 2 penneth in to defend this great service.

For a start, Paypal has over100 million members worldwide (and growing), and every second, it handles an average transaction volume of $823 in total payment volume. In 2004 alone, Paypal handled $18.9 billion worth of transactions, and this is growing every year! I think this is quite an achievement, even if no-one else does!! And it also shows that people do use it - and if everyone was getting stung left right and centre, Im sure they wouldnt be as successful as they are.

As with every system - there are flaws, and things do sometimes go wrong - but this is relatively rare given the volume of accounts held with the service, and there are various solution set in place to help you out. Apparently, only 0.01% of transactions, according to ebay, result in a case of fraud. And considering there are millions and millions of listings every day - You have got more chance of getting screwed over by your bank or credit card company - dont even get me started on them. In fact - the odds of winning the lottery are probably higher than you being a victain of fraud more than once!

I suppose our impression of all companies and services stems from personal experience, I have had a few dodgy transactions which, were it not for the protection policies in place by paypal, I would have lost a substantial amount of Money. If you keep proof of posting for all of your items and make sure that postal insurance is at the discression of the buyer, then you really should not go wrong - if a buyer chooses not to pay for insurance, then it is frankly their loss if you can prove the item has been posted.Likewise, if I buy an item and it goes missing in the post, i will file a dispute, and paypal immediately holds the funds until the seller can prove he has posted the item, and if so, if i havent taken out insurance, then its my loss!

An increasing amount of large business are now offering paypal as a convenient payment option. Another indicator to is relative success and security.

Oh, and a little fact im sure none of you knew, paypal is one of the very few websites (oneof 26I would say!) to have a one-letter domain name... if you type in 'x' .com you will be forwarded to the paypal page - pretty cool i thought... shame the cross symbol is synonymous with 'No' And 'Do not use' - a subliminal warning maybe?

ha ha ha

Car buying Guide part three by Dave69700

Is there fresh paint under the sill where youd normally find a brown coating from mud, tar etc.Are there any marks like vice grip marks on the bottom lip of the sill? This may be from the use of a body jig.In the engine bay or wheelarch, is there a difference from one side to the other of the paint surface, one side has stonechip paint, the other doesnt?

Remember: Car bodies are made by robots but the cars are still assembled by humans.So.It is possible that the body panel may not have seated properly on the jig in the factory before the robot welded it. .One man, on one side of the car may apply seam sealer in a different manner to his co-worker on the other side...There may be rectification to a paint fault before it left the factory

Having considered all the above a repaired car may be as good as new, only better!!

Maintenance:-.Is the engine bay absolutely spotless? Power washing can remove signs of leaks..Does the MOT certificate refer to an advisory sheet? ask for it, work may be necessary soon. .Has the car done just under 100k? Allow for the price of a catalytic converter but remember, there are expansive main dealer parts and aftermarket cheaper parts..Ideally tyres should match on the same axle some cars can have 5 different tyres!.Check the overall condition of the exhaust system you may need a new one sooner than you think!

Protect your WalletThere are many other issues which may catch out the unwary, -- well advised elsewhere on eBayIn any case make sure that the seller has the V5 and its in HIS name at HIS address. (in fact ask this in your first email) You may hear many excuses, some kosher, some not.Ask questions Do watch the sellers manner, or his avoidance tactics. Listen to what he doesnt sayMy policy?.If in doubt, -- Dont!Thank him for his time and walk away, dont bid, delete it from your bidding list Look for another one, you dont need problems

Many Thanks To Dave69700 for helping with this guide

Olymps 35 RD Rangefinder for Photographers

Introduction

This is a short guide dedicated to the much sought after Olympus 35 RD. I hope this is helpful to photography enthusiasts who are looking for a controllable compact camera with high quiality optics. The RD was the last of a number of high quality Olympus compact rangefinders. It replaced the excellent RC in the mid 1970's.

Why is the RD so special?
1. High quality optics
How many compact cameras include a fast 40mm f1:1.7 lens? True, the 35 SP lens was even sharper but the RD is a much smaller camera. With modern compacts, you'll be lucky to get a plastic f1.2.8!

2. Top notch construction
Forget champagne coloured plastic, the RD is made out of metal and glass. It is screwed together. This is definitely not a mass-market product.

3. Looks and image
The RD looks stunning. The big glass lens, chrome body and cool rangefinder windows make this camera look classy. The design is aesthetically pleasing, the lens is centred and the body dimensions beatifully proportioned. The RD gets old gracefully, it is a real classic.

4. Control
The RD is a manual focus rangefinder. It includes unmetered manual and shutter priority auto modes. Shutter speeds from 1/2 to 1/500 are available. For slow exposures, the RD has a Bulb setting and can be used with a cable release and tripod.

What to look for
Unfortunately this very special camera can be a liability in terms of servicing and maintenance. Grease from the inside of the lens barrel tends to migrate to the shutter blades. At best, this will cause an inaccurate or erratic shutter. At worst the shutter will not fire at all as the blades get bound with oil and dirt. The only solution is to have the shutter serviced by an expert. The original lens grease should be replaced with a modern alternative that won't migrate to the shutter. Sometimes the oil is hard to spot. You need to look from the front and back of the lens. If your're buying a used RD then you should budget for having the shutter cleaned and serviced.

Don't buy an RD that's been tamptered with or has parts missing. Most camera repairers will only service a complete camera. While these cameras are getting scarce, they do come up on ebay quite regularly so there's no need to buy a faulty RD.

Set neck versus bolt on

When it comes to purchasing an electric guitar there are many myths about which type to buy and what makes a good guitar.

Top manufacturers names are automatically accepted as being 'better' without any real thought about what an electric guitar actually is....it is simply a musicalinstrument.

What is the most important part of an electric guitar? Maybe it's the pickups or the machine heads (tuners) or the wood it's made of?

Well in truth it MAY be all of these but let's take things back to basics and dispel a few myths.

A musical instrument should play in tune. A rather basic thing really but often much misunderstood.

A string vibrating between two points. This is what happens when you pluck or strum your guitar.Each string's vibrating length runs between a nut near the headstock and the bridge at the body end. It is this vibrating length of string that produces the sound of your instrument. An exact half way point of this vibrating length of string is your 12th fret position. If it isn't exactly half way it wont play in tune. What can be done to rectify this problem? You can't move the nut so you have to move the bridge section over which the string runs. Once this has been altered to make the length exactly half way, it will play in tune over the whole fretboard. This is intonation adjustment. You can't be expected to measure that distance for each string using a rule, so the best way is with a tuner, preferably electronic which will show you that the octave is perfectly in tune when the string is fretted at the 12th fret and when played open. If it's sharp (too high) you lengthen the string by moving the bridge away from the nut. If it's flat (too low) you shorten the string by bringing the bridge closer to the nut. Many minoradjustments of the tuner have to be made each time to get the string back to pitch before you check the open and octave note but once done your guitar string should play in tune at all positions on the fretboard. Repeat this for each string. Job done.

Neck - Glued in (set) or screwed in (bolt on)? Which is best?

The simple answer is, it depends how it's been done. Two peices of decent wood with a good contact should transfer vibration. That's all there is to it. If you have ever seen someone use a tuning fork you will notice that the sound of the tuning fork is best heard when it is pressed against a wooden surface. If that surface is a cupboard or a box, the sound is amplified by the vibrations moving air within the box. It is that transfer of vibration that makes your guitar work. The better the transfer of vibration, the more 'alive' your guitar feels. Now, bear in mind that the point of a tuning fork is about 4 square millimeters and you can see that it doesn't take much to create a good contact.

With a set neck, usually the heel sits in a 'socket' area where both sides and the bottom are in contact with the body. A thin, strong glue will not prevent a good transfer of vibration.If a bad 'set neck' joint is filled with glue, the vibrations need to travel through that glue to bridge the gap between the two pieces of wood. With a bolt on,the two pieces of wood are placed face to face and then pulled together by wood screwsso the transfer of vibration will be good. The larger the area, the better the transfer. If those two mating faces of the wood are painted or varnished or aren't well 'mated', the transfer of vibration will be reduced. So, does it matter if it's set or bolt on? You can't see either of them (don't try asking the shop assistant if you can takethe guitarapart to checkbecause I can't be held responsible if you end up sat on the pavement) so you will need to play the guitar to find out if it feels 'live'.

There is a lot more to take into consideration but I'll save that for another 'review' later on.

natwest pigs

HOW NOT TO BUY FAKESl have visited the web page through ebay this page tells you all about the fake natwest pigs, very good reading . l saw Lady Hillary being sold on ebay recentlyshe had a gold handbag but when l enquired if she was for real, the answer came back as a NO but the really helpful information is about the Wesley pigs that are selling for a lot of money . so to all piggy banks collectors ,its a good site to visit before you buy for more information contact tinatyson1

Spam eBay messages from Asian and Chinese sellers

Ebay don't appear to give a flying fig about this problem.

We get about 20 messages per day from China, and this makes it hard to find our genuine customers amongst all the ebay sponsered rubbish.

What little I have learned, I will do my best to help other sellers who are no doubt being spammed to high heaven just like we are.

When you check you ebay messages, look out for user ID's such as wersocj10239349 or 38748956956 for instance, they are not proper user names that have invloved any thought whatever.

You will soon learn to spot them, there will often be about 10 in a row.

Click on 1 or 2 just to check, then select them all and press the delete button.

Verification would sort this out and ebay could easily sort that out, but ebay is worried that it may loose out on fees from unscrupulous buyers and sellers.

PRS SE SINGLECUT REVIEW

PRS SE Singlecut

The PRS singlecut has lodged its name in electric guitar`s venerable history as a phoenix- one to disintegrate under legal coercion, only to rise from its ashes, more captivating than ever. Upon its resurgence, PRS has expanded its offerings to include a singlecut model in the Student Edition family, an affordable unit with very little compromise. Read on, please.

Construction/ fit/ finish

Unlike the secondary offerings by popular brand names of its established models, the SE Singlecut isn`t about a cost-cutting exercise by PRS, exclusively. What we have here is an immaculately constructed guitar, entrusted to South Korea`s World Music Company to manifest PRS` fine guitar philosophy. Everything about the SE here screams WELL MADE! Absent are the minor glitches, sloppy lift-off marks, hardware burrs

Fiddling feedback?

It has been my experience that sellers having higher volumes are using blackmail to get good feedback.

If they say "give me positive feedback and THEN I will give you the same" this is, in my book, cheating.

When I pay for an item immediately I have fulfilled my side of the bargain POSITIVELY.

Should the item not be as described I have three options on feedback. Positive to avoid bad feedback to myself. Negative or Neutral and get the same. Remembering that someone with a high score has their percentage reduced only a fraction whilst we "normal" Ebayers have massive lowering of our percentage.

OR ..... Don't give feedback.

THAT's how "they" get their perfect positive score. Ebay should insist on feedback happening AS WE PAY.

Oh and ...... something I forgot! ......... The very ones who are using this way to get a high positive score will term this review "unhelpful". So try to ignore the negative reaction to it.

At last Ebay has recognised this!

We CAN now use feedback properly since they can't give us neg. when we criticise a bad auction.

All about lampshades!

Lampshades are often an afterthought when it comes to decorating a room, but can actually contribute greatly to the design and feel of your interior being a flexible way of adding colour and pattern. Find a whole range of lampshades in my ebay shop hunkydory home.

There are a number of things to bear in mind when purchasing a lampshade:

FittingIs your shade for a ceiling pendant light fitting, a side/table lamp or a standing lamp - it is important to make sure the shade you buy is suitable for its purpose as fittings may vary.Do you need a lampshade with UK standard fittings or are you looking for a shade to fit a base from Ikea or similar which use wider European (ES)fittings?

SizeIf for a central ceiling pendant light bear in mind how large your room is, you don't want a tiny shade that will be lost in the space, equally a large shade will dominate the space. Don't forget that if you hang it too low some of your taller friends and family may bump their heads! (I had a beautfiul silk shade that was huge, but I hung it so low my husband used to have to walk around it!).For a lamp base, the shade should skim the top of the base with no hardware or sockets visible when you look at your lamp whilst standing in the room.

ShapeThe coolie/empire shapes are becoming less fashionable for ceiling lights being replaced by the more contemporary drum shape, but they still look great for a small beside lamp.

LightIf you want to use a glaring 100watt bulb, be sure that the shade you buy can take this high wattage, many shades advise a maximum of 60watt but some are as low as 40watt and therefore don't allow much light through. Don't opt for a dark coloured shade if you want a lot of light to shine through. I recommend using a max 60watt bulb with all of my shades.

CleaningLampshades are not the easiest things to clean and can attract dust. You can buy 'lampshade cleaners' which are basically a rubber sponge that brush the dust off. Otherwise a soft bristled paint brush should do the trick and some people even use the upholstery attachment of a vacuum cleaner, but having not tried this myself I would advise that you take care if using this method.

Don't forget to look at my range of striking lampshades at hunkydory home.

Buying remanufactured IPAQs from HP (i.e. DONT!)

Quick guide this one...If you are buying a remanufactured IPAQ (or presumably other equipment) from HP, be VERY wary and confirm in advance that they actually have the equipment. Unlike most sellers, they seem to list items on auctions without actually having the stock in hand - and don't communicate this until the purchaser has paid for the item. So, if you buy from HP, expect a VERY POOR customer experience. Communication is poor (i.e. they do not respond to queries at all).After leaving negative feedback for HP, I have been contacted directly by 3 buying in the past few days telling me of similar stories.

"Double Your eBay Sales In 30 Days!"

First, and as important to your success as anything you learn here, is clearly understanding how eBay users find things to spend their money on.

No matter what type of buyer they are, no matter where they come from, they all use the same tool to find auction ads;

"They use the search bar to type in general terms..!"

Very rarely do buyers check the "Search Title and Description" checkbox and start browsing the more specific results. Heck; the checkbox isn't even an option on the front page of eBay, you actually have to do an "Advanced Search" to even have that option. This just confirms the importance of your title keywords.

Some do browse categories rather than search, but we're mainly concerned with general majorities here, not exceptions to the rule.

In case you're unaware, this means that most searches are ONLY CHECKING YOUR TITLE, not the words in the description area of your ad!!!

Experience tells me that, since you now know this, you are actually way ahead of 70% of the other eBay sellers out there; and that's a very conservative estimate..!

Now that you have a clear understanding of the importance of your title keywords, here's a priority list for precisely picking the right ones for each of your ads:

Take these rules literally, but understand that each of these will not apply to every ad that you run. You have a maximum of 55 characters allowed for your title and just try your best to achieve as many of these as possible in this limited space.

1. Obvious keywords that are specific to the product you're selling and make sure that they are spelled correctly.

2. One or Two misspellings of the obvious keywords from the last rule. (Google says that 33% of all searches are misspelled) ...CATCH THAT? One Third! Don't Forget This Part.

3. One or Two general eBay keywords such as "nr", "n/r", "no reserve", "free shipping", or "lot". These are keywords that a lot of pro buyers search for.

4. Other general keywords like "new", "free", "excellent", "pc", "usb", "dvd", "wholesale", or "supplies". You can only use ones that are relevant to the product you're selling, but these are very powerful.

Now, take these rules and create a list on a piece of paper each time you're about to list an ad. Usually the list is way too big to fit into the title. Once your list is done, start narrowing down the list using the priority structure that I just gave you until they do fit into the 55 character limit.

If you have more than one of the item to sell and intend to list multiple copies of your ad, be certain to take the time to create different titles for each one!!! If you don't, and you just use the same title for each copy; you're just wasting money. Multiple versions of the same ad with different titles for each can really increase your traffic

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 on mega drive

I believe this is the greatest game of all time unquestionably, the replay value is simply fantastic.If you buy sonic and knuckles this game improves even more as you can open the cartridge and stick sonic 2 inside this cartridge.I first played the game way back in 1992 and it is such a good game I played it as recently as yesterday and tend to play a few times a week it is simply brilliant. There are cheats availible to enhance gameplay and the game ending changes depending on how many emeralds are collected through out the game. If all seven emeralds are collected sonic turns into super sonic but it is a real challenge getting all seven emeralds so you will need to try a few times to get all seven emeralds and replay value is high as you can keep playing until you complete game with super sonic.The game is relatively short but can be played over and over again there are 10 zones7 have two parts one has 3 parts the otherzones both only have one part so this mounts to 19 levels plus the final boss level which takes well over 5 minutes.There are 20 well designed levels totalled and there are seven special stages all of which are top class and you aim to get an emerald in each one, if you playing with sonic orsonic and his companion tails you can become super by collecting all emeralds.

HOW TO LOOK AFTER ART PRINTS, PICTURES.

Choosing the correct place

It is not easy to display a lot of fine pictures in a home. Trying to obtain balance whylst keeping them in a good condition Whether they are lithographs, prints or paintings.

Here are my tips :

1. Sunlight is by far the worst of all, pictures shall fade in just one season. Letting a picture recieve direct sunlight for more than an hour per week is already too much. If left for too long the browns and weaker coloursshall start to become purple. That is why we say "Ultra Violet" light.Plants do not fade because they have reflective, or absorbant surfaces. They have a high level of chloryphl too.

2.Draughts are another damaging aspect. Draughts are fine as an entity but they bring with them a certain amount of moisture, so if a draught is reaching a picture then it may be getting damp, and dust. Not good.

3. If you look at really old prints or books you shall ocasionally notice grey black circular spots on them. This is microbial, a sort of disease. It is caused by moisture, cant be reversed.

4. Pictures that have been exposed to all the above conditions shall develop bubbles or "crinkling", this is caused by the dampening of a print, followed by the drying out of it. Paper, like buildings shall change shape seasonally. But if you are not carefull you can create those seasons within one week in a single room.

5. Never get an "airtight" frame in the hope that you have beat the problem, you will just create a "double glazing" atmosphere, moisture will be attracted to the inside of the frame. This is due to temperature differentials in the room.

6. Try it out, next time you have a long shower bring a newspaper in with you, leave it on the topof a surfacewhere no direct water can reach it. Thenput it in the living room afterwards, check it the next day and notice the damage.

6. An art gallery shall have a very expensive air conditioning system, and millionaires tooof course. Be carefull when using dehumidifiers though as you dont want to dry the room out too much, it shall affect your fine wood furniture and frames.

I hope this has been a help.

from NANDAKARANA.

Buying A New Laptop

I am going to try and offer my advice on buying a new laptop because there is so much choice in the market. Should you go for budget or brand name? AMD or Intel?

There are several types of laptop processor technologies available, including the new and very good Intel Centrino Duo. This technology is basically the same as the Centrino (mobile processor, Intel motherboard and integrated Intel Wireless) but includes the new dual-core or quad-core technology. This means that your computer can do more than one task at a time much quicker. In tests and the real world, this performs extremely well and is highly recommended. The new Intel Core 2 Duo (or very new Intel Core 2 Quad Mobile) are very good at multi-tasking as well as power-saving, giving you longer mobile battery life. The majority of these new processors support 64-bit operating systems. AMD continue to go with their Turion x2, a 64-bit dual-core mobile processor, that is very similar to the offering from Intel. This is also doing nicely and is quite future proof. I would personally buy Intel because they seem to be producing some really top quality processors. When looking to buy a processor, the clock speed is no longer the single most important thing. Processor speed along with bus speed and L2 Cache should also be taken into account when rating a processors power.

Should you buy a budget laptop or spend a bit more? From personal experience, the brand-name laptops are always better. They have better build-quality, warranties and support. They do not necissarily offer the same good specifications but you will be pleased with the build-quality and support offered by brand-name manufacturers. I purchased a laptop manufactured by a small company and the specification was, and still is, extremely good, but it does suffer from build quality and the design is quite poor and dull.

You should try and get as much RAM as you can. Windows Vista is very taxing on your computer, making 2048MB or more of RAM essential. Microsoft say that 512MB will suffice but you will suffer incredibly. On the Windows Vista note, it is important not to get confused between all of the different versions, but either go with Home Premium or Business. Basic is useless and Ultimate is a rip off! When choosing a laptop with 4096MB of RAM (4GB) you should be careful with the choice of operating system. Due to the physical addressing of memory space in 32-bit operating systems, they simply cannot see 4GB of RAM, making anything above 3.25GB useless. If you have 4GB of RAM, you really need to be using a 64-bit operating system to make any use of it. Beware though, 64-bit operating systems can have driver support problems (getting much better though) so check with your system manufacturer to see if they offer 64-bit drivers for your hardware if you plan on upgrading (if you buy the laptop with 64-bit pre-installed then you do not need to worry!).

Most new laptops have built-in Wireless networking capabilities. This does require you to have a router at home. If you do not at the moment, I cannot recommend it highly enough but if you're still unsure get a laptop with it anyway to future-proof yourself.

Most laptops have the new generation bright screens. Sony call them "X-Bright" and HP call them "BrightView" but they are basically the same technology from a third-party company. Get the biggest screen you can because then you will benefit in the future from High-Definition video. Some of the latest HP Pavilion laptops have 17" High Definition screens and they look absolutly beautiful. But remember, if portability is key for you, look at the overall dimensions and weight of the machine and try to balance them against screen size. Some chassis designs incorporate a larger screen into similar size chassis as smaller screened laptops.

So, why buy a laptop against a desktop? Well I would hope that the answer was obvious. There is no longer much difference in price, they are portable (surf the Internet wirelessly anywhere in your home with a WLAN), they look much nicer and are just as good (if not better) than a desktop. If you're limited to space, a laptop is the obvious choice.

Art Prints - A simple Guide

This is a simple guide to let you know a bit about prints. Many sellers on Ebay try to say that thier prints are of a higher quality and its not just paper, ect.

One thing you must remember that all Licensed Prints sold in the UK come directly from the distributors who hold the license. Hence Jack Vettrianno Prints come from "The Art Group", Brent Lynch and Breight Heighton comes for "Art in Motion". They print it and they distribute it. Hence there is no difference in quality.

Hence if this is a licensed print than you can simply ignore all the other hype the seller writes... He/She is simply hoping that you will fall for it and buy their more expensive print.

Dont fall for that.

Signed books

When buying a signed 1st edition check when and where signed plus the seller

unfortunately now many signed books can be misleading check out from the seller when they got the book signed - which bookstore can they provide proof - a photo of the author signing the book - can the signing be checked on the stores website

There are a few dealers who sell regularly on ebay - these are easily recognized by the items they have for sale and the type of listings

Unfortunately now you find with a high profile signing people will copy others listing and photographs declaring they were there - ask questions - sellers of authentic goods are happy to answer buyers questions and many will have additional photos they can provide - and check out the history of the seller

Be wary of someone who suddenly has several highly unobtainable signed 1st editions on 1 day only auctions with photos that match other sellers - always ask if you are unsure

Certificate of authenticity is unfortunately not worth the paper it is printed on - their is no official worlwide body - many are issued by groups who members have to pay to join - to get a dealer registration - whilst these are helpful as you know the body concerned has verified the member it is not a 100% guarantee

If you are offered one - ask where it is issued from - recognized issuers are easily checked out - but some are just issued by the seller themselves made on their home computer - in law a COA has no worth

the best advice is to get to know the seller - never be afraid to ask questions and if not happy DO NOT BID

DISNEY PIRATES - Beauty And The Beast

DISNEY PIRATE GUIDE TO BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

Disney classic released in 1992. Plenty of poor pirate versions around. If you're buying, make sure you purchase an authentic version, as displayed below, that has the Disney hologram.

UK Specification R2 Versions available:
1 Disc Special Edition 2 Disc Collectors Ed Enchanted Chritmas Ed


Belles Magical World Boxset Belles SE Boxset Enchanted SE

Release Dates:

1 Disc Special Edition, 2 Disc Collector's Edition, Boxset with Enchanted Christmas: Nov 2002

Boxset - Special Edition Belle's Magical World: Jun 2003

Current status : DELETED. Rerelease planned Oct 2009.

Review:

Beast: [to Belle] You'll come out or I'll... I'll... I'll break down the door!

Lumiere: Master, I could be wrong, but that may not be the best way to win the girl's affections.

This is a fantastic movie that is watchable time and time again. The animation is superb and Disney's remakable talent of bringing life and characteristics to inanimate object shines through. This film has emotion, incredible music

beware buying phones advertised as 'new'

Iwanted to share an experience I had when buying a mobile phone on ebay, just to warn others to be careful or they may lose their money asI did.

I bought a mobile adverised as 'brand new' for my daughter for her 18th birthday. It was a specific phone that she wanted and a specific colour and hard to find in the shops. However when the phone arrived the day before her birthday it was obviously not new! It had scratches on the casing, downloaded songs and pictures on it, as well as photographs of the seller and her family. It was not in a fit state to give as a present so i contacted the seller to ask for a refund. SHe refused and said the phone had only been used for a few weeks and i must have scratched it myself.

Eventually I tried through paypal to get my money back and they investigated by taking a statement from me and the seller. They then gave me 10 days to take the phone to a repairer and get a written statement about its condition and the cost to make it 'like new'. If I failed to provide them with this in the 10 days then they would 'find'in favour ofthe seller andI would losethe claim.

There was nowhere within travelling distance of my home that could provide this service and the 10 days lapsed so the case was closed and the seller made personal comments about me on her feedback to the effect thatI was a liar and not to be trusted and that the investigation had cleared her.

I find it very unfair that the onus was put on me, in very difficult circumstances to prove that the phone was not as described in the sellers advert, when she had admitted in subsequent emails, copies of which were sent to the investigation, that the phone had been used. This is a gross infingement of the trade descriptions act and wasnot dealt with fairly by ebay or paypal. New is 'new' and not used for a few weeks............. buyers please beware. you may not get your money back even if the fault is obviously with the seller.

Tips on Listing an Antique Doll in eBay

There are certain bits of information that collectors look for in Antique Doll listings, this guide will explain what is needed and how to get it. A well presented doll will attract more bidders.

What is the doll made of ? check my guide on this subject. Head and body may well be made of different materials - list in the category of the material of the head.

IDENTIFYING MARKS this is very important ; if the doll is a bisque socket head on a composition body check the back of the head and there may also be words stamped on the body so check that (usually around the hip, sometimes the shoulder or even on the soles of the feet). If at all possible take photos of the marks and use in your listing.
It is highly likely that the marks on the back of the head are obscured by the wig see my guide on how to remove a wig from an antique doll. Do not be tempted just to pull you risk damaging both the wig and the head.
With a bisque shoulderhead it is likely that there will be a marking under the leather at the bottom edge of the back shoulderplate. Do not pull the leather away from the bisque it is likely to tear. See my guide on how to remove the leather from the shoulderplate. You may need to clean the glue from the bisque in order to see the marks. Take photographs or a scan if at all possible, otherwise try and make a good copy by hand of the marks. Unless the head is needed off the body (for repairs or packing) you can re-moisten the glue and pull the leather back up tightly and allow to dry. This should leave no visible signs that the leather has been removed.
Check the marks in Reference books for the Maker and other information; the maker will usually be indicated by the full name, initials or a logo, there may well be a mould number or name, DEP stands for deponiert and means registered, there is often a number indicating the height of the doll in centimetres or a size number, in the 1890s it became law that goods exported to the USA had to have the Country of Origin on them and so you find Made in Germany or France or Nippon as well.

LENGTH or height of complete doll (self explanatory).

EYES sleep eyes or stationary eyes, colour etc.

CONDITION check closely for any damage, if there is some then take photos and either include in the listing or offer to send to interested bidders.
To check a bisque head; look closely outside all over and remark hairline cracks, cracks, chips and breaks, then light the head from within with a bright torch and check outside if you can see any further cracks or unexplained dark areas which might be areas of restoration (which may be otherwise invisible), then check all over the head, inside and out, with UV light glue and other synthetic substances are likely to fluoresce and become obvious, ingrained dirt may also be picked up.
If you see a hairline DO NOT rub dirt or pencil into it to make it visible in a photo it will be almost impossible to remove.
Check the eyes, the body and any hair, clothes and shoes note any problems.
DO NOT WASH composition parts or scrub dirty faces unless you really know what you are doing you could seriously damage the doll. Most parts of antique dolls need specialist cleaning. Most collectors would rather buy an originally dirty doll than a badly cleaned one.

ORIGINALITY IS WORTH MONEY keep all old clothes, wigs, shoes, broken heads etc. together with the rest of the doll no matter how dirty/smelly/damaged you might think them a collector will find a doll more valuable if it is original. At the very worst the parts can be noted and photographed before being binned, at the best, they can be cleaned and mended and the doll will be as new.

CLOTHES - it is probably best to leave well alone unless you are experienced at cleaning and mending antique textiles, just make sure you list all the clothes that come with the doll including shoes and socks if necessary and include a photograph, preferably of the doll wearing the clothes as well as off the doll if there are many layers. I find it can be economical to lay the clothes out and place the doll on top for the photo of the doll body.

PHOTOGRAPHS take lots ! In particular you will need photos of: Face, back of head including marks, unclothed body (if possible) and any damage. A good photograph makes a huge difference to a doll listing, but one good one of each point is best rather than half a dozen of the doll from slightly different angles. Make sure they are in focus and not over or under lit daylight is often best. If you cannot focus close up then take the best quality photo from further away where it is in focus it is then possible to blow up (or zoom in to) the image for close up detail.

HISTORY Any history of the doll; who owned it, where did it come from etc. A photograph of the doll with its first owner always adds value to a doll.

GOOD POINTS is there anything especially nice you notice about the doll (colour of eyes, sweet expression, beautiful clothes etc.), if so mention it.

I think thats about it you should have all the information needed. Remember to write your listing using paragraphs and line breaks to make it easy to read and offer to send more photos to interested buyers. If you have missed something you will probably be asked for the information, or you may well be given more information by more knowledgeable eBayers, in which case you can revise or add to the listing.

Please contact me for more information or to let me know if you think I've missed something.

APPLYING WATER SLIDE DECALS

APPLYING WATER SLIDE DECALS

Many pre-built models now come with customising decals. Fortunately, the decals are usually excellent, high quality and delicate with good adhesive.I thought it might be helpful to new modellers / collectors to have some tips on how to apply water solubledecals.

Essential Tools: Small sharp scissors; shallow gently sloping saucer; warm water; 2 sheets of toilet tissue per model; a No 3 size artistspaint brush; good lighting.

Optional Tools: Clear gloss varnish; decal adhesive; matt varnish.

A) PRE-TREATMENT

Whenany decal is applied onto amatsurfaces, air will be trapped beneath the decal. This imparts an unsightly sheen across the decal, and especially the transparent area surrounding them. Unattractive larger air bubbles may also be visible.

Toprevent trapped air, it is necessary to pre-treat any mat surface with gloss varnish, then, after placing the decals, post-treating with mat varnish. The use of decal adhesive (whichalso helpstosoften decals), further reducesthe risk of trapped air.

Examine the transfers and identify each area of the model where a decal is to be applied andextending comfortably beyond the limits of each decal, apply a thin coat of clear acrylic gloss varnish to the model. Advanced modellers and purists may elect to pre-gloss varnish the entire model's surface area to ensure maximum uniformity of final overall finish.

When the gloss varnish is dry, cut all the decals out and holding each one at a shallow angle against a good light source, examine them for any large excess areas ofcleardecla filmextending beyond the printed body of the decal. If there is, cut it off now! If you forget, its possible, albeit risky, to do so when you begin to slide the decal off the saturated backing paper - this is when any excess unwanted decal filmbecomes shockingly obvious!

B) APPLYING THE DECALS

1. Start by selecting a decal thats the least critical / easiest to apply; for example, under a wing, where it may rarely be seen; or on an upper wing where a large, easy to handle decal is to be placed.

2. Half-fill the saucer with warm water.Keep continually topped up with warm water during the decal operation.

3. Lay the selected pre-cut decal into the saucer, and, using the small sable brush, push the decal under the water, immersing it completely to ensure uniform saturation with time.

4. Dip the paint brush in water and moisten / pre-wash the area of the model where youre going to apply the decal. (Alternatively, for maximum effect, use decal adhesive, but avoid getting it onto unglossed mat areas, which it can stain / discolour.)

5. After the decal has been immersed for 20 to 30 seconds (depends on the water temperature), when the backing paper is fully saturated (it changes to a slightly darker tone), using the brush, lift the decal (still on itsbacking paper) out of the water. The decal should be really mobile on the backing paper but not so saturated that it floats off.

6. Holding one corner of the backing paper in your left hand (assuming you're right handed), lift off any excess water using the brush 'dry' -- first touch the brush onto tissue paper (or the back of your hand) to remove excess moisture, then lightly touch the brush to the decal to 'soak up' any excessive water; repeat asas necessary.

7. Using your free hand, and holding the paint brush at a slight angle, lay the brush onto the decal and 'push' it off the backing paper. The uopper non-sticky side of the decal will adhere to the brush! This is the preferred way to handle and apply small transfers. And it's the ideal way for applying and aligning small transfers in awkward spaces, for example, insignia at the root of the tail plane. With larger decals you might prefer to gently slide them half way over the edge of the backing paper with your finger before lifting them off using the brush. Although it's also possible to apply larger decals conventionally -- i.e. by simply sliding the decal half off the backing paper then laying it directly onto the model, holding it in place with one hand then sliding away the backing paper -- this is really only advisable with the largest of mini decals.

CAUTION! Do not lean heavily on the decal at any point in the initial transfer or subsequent manipulation. Only ever use the paint brush for manipulating the decals: never use fingers; they apply too much pressure and can distort the decals!

8. If you haven't applied any pressure to the decal, ideally it should be almost 'floating' on the model. If there's too much moisture and the decals too mobile, use a 'dry' brush to lift off excess moisture.

9. Now that the decals still mobile but not adrift on a sea of water, holding the brush normal with the surface you're applying the decal to, manipulate the decal into its proper place by gently pushing and 'nudging' around the edges of the decal using the paint brush. If it all gets too dry, add moisture (more decla fixative) using the brush. If it gets too wet, lift off excess moisture using the dry brush. If the decal gets hopelessly out of alignment and won't move, don't stress; gently work away under one edge of the decal with the brush until the brush slips under it, then carefully lift off the decal and start again. (This is where decal adhesive can be of further benefit.)

10. When you're fully satisfied that the decals where it needs to be (hold the model at arms length and visually check), gently place dry tissue over the decal, being careful to lay it down vertically without any lateral movement that could shift the decal,then apply gentle vertical pressure with one finger. (Dont rub or scrub or wiggle; simple downward pressure only.) Peel back the tissue and check the decal hasn't drifted. If it has, lay on more water and lift the decal off using the brush method described above. When youre satisfied that the decals secured in its proper place, replace the tissue over the decal carefully and begin applying firm pressure to the remainder of the decal, working from the centre out to displace all air. (With long thin decals it may be easier to work from one end to the other.)

C) POST TREATMENT

Using the paint brush dipped in warm water, gently wash off any surface decal adhesive. When completely dry, apply a light single coat of mat varnish to the decals and surrounding areas thatwere gloss varnished during pre-treatment. Viola! Perfection.

There are more advanced methods of applying decals which require the use of specialist decal solvents and adhesives, but these are not readily available to every collector and require more time and attention to detail. One of these days I hope to make up an information sheet on these advanced solvent methods.

D) 'FULL FILM' DECALS

In addition to the common type of decals in which the ink is laid beneatha closely cropped, tailor madeprotective film, there are now many custom decalsbeing produced on 'full film' sheets.Unlike conventional decals, these are notpre-tailored to the decal sizeand shape, and, furthermore, the ink design isprinted directly onto the upper surface of thetransparentfilm. Decals produced on these full film sheetsprovide immense flexibility andcan beprinted inlimited produxction runs makingthem comparatively inexpensive.Thereare several ponts to note in the use of these. As the ink is printed directly onto the upper surafce of thefilm and notsealed in any way, theupper surface ofthe decals should not be handled.Careless finger presssure when handlingcandistort / smear the printed decal. Also, as they are printed on full film sheets, the excess film surrounding each decalmust be removed.This should be done using very sharp fine scissors (ora craft knife, clear straight edgeandcutting board). To avoid handling and fingering the required decal during this operation,make your scissor cuts as close to the decal as possible when removing it from the master sheet. This prevents the need of handling during subsequent trimming of any excess decalfilm.After saturaion,to avoid finger pressure, full filmdecals should always be handled and applied using a small brush as described in B-7 above.

Mehusla of 1/144 Direct

Im proud to wear second hand/used clothes! Reason why..

I buy most of my clothes off ebay, brand new or second hand and have got many great bargains! However, my boyfriend thinks its 'minging' (his words...lol) to buy and wear clothes that someone else has worn-until I managed to stump him down by saying:

"Even if you buy new items direct from the high street, chances are 10, 20 or even 30 people have tried that item on before you......most of them sticky and sweaty from trailing round the shops all day trying things on........"

Needless to say, he no longer finds second hand clothes 'minging' and now, will even wear clothes bought from a charity shop-providing they are designer labels and he doesnt have to actually enter the shop with me that is!!

BUY YOU'RE SKY FREEVIEW CARDS , DIRECT FROM SKY

TO ALL THE PEOPLE OUT THERE BUYING SKY FREEVIEW CARDS ON E- BAY.

PLEASE BUY THESE CARDS DIRECT FROM SKY, BECAUSE YOU ONLY PAY 29.99ORLESS

BUYING A KATANA FROM CHINA O.K.

FIRST THING TO REMEMBER WHEN BUYING A KATANA ON EBAY,YOU CAN BUY VERY GOOD QUALITY,PRACTICAL,FUNCTIONAL BLADES AT VERY REASONABLE PRICES ON EBAY.I AM WRITING THIS GUIDE MAINLY TO DISSPELL THE MYTH THAT KATANAS MADE ANYWHERE BUT JAPAN ARE RUBBISH.THE JAPANESE KATANAS ARE WITHOUT A DOUBT FANTASTIC AND CONSTRUCTED TRADITIONALLY WHICH IS WHY YOU WILL NOT FIND THEM ON EBAY AND IF YOU DO EXPECT A FOUR FIGURE STARTING PRICE,ANYTHING LESS AND IT ISNOT JAPANESE.I FEEL THAT THE TERM JAPANESE COULD FAIRLY BE USED TO DESCRIBE THE STYLE BUTNOT THEORIGIN.ABOUT 99% OF KATANAS ON EBAY ARE MANUFACTURED IN CHINA,HANWEI,ONI FORGE,CHENESS,COLD STEEL TO NAME A FEW.REMEMBER THE CHINESE WERE MAKING BLADES LONG BEFORE THE JAPANESE SO THE HISTORY IS THERE,SADLY ABOUT 10% OF THESE ARE ANY GOOD,THE REST ARE VERY GOOD DISPLAY SWORDS AND THATS IT.

GOOD KATANAS ARE NOT AVAILABLE UNDER 100. BLADE SHOULD BE FULL TANG,IF NOT SURE THEN ASK,A TANG THAT IS ONLY HALF THE LENGTH OF THE HANDLE IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE TANG SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE A MAKERS MARK AND IDEALLY THE MARK OF THE SMITH AND THE POLISHER,ASK FORPHOTOS BEFORE BUYING.THE BLADE SHOULD BE HAND POLISHED AND NOT MACHINED SHARPENED WITH A SECONDARY EDGE,RATHER LIKE A CHEAP KITCHEN KNIFE,YOU CANT EASILY SHARPEN A TRUE FORGED BLADE YOURSELF.AS FOR SHARPNESS REMEMBER,IT IS EASY TO MAKE ANY BLADE SHARP,THE TROUBLE IS,WILL IT STAY SHARP? CHEAP STEEL WILL BLUNT VERY QUICKLY.THE BLADE SHOULD BE HAND FORGED,NOT PRESSED OR ROLLED,THE TANG MUST BE DOUBLE PEGGED IF YOU WANT TO USE THE KATANA FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN HANGING ON YOUR WALL. THE WEIGHT OF THE BLADE DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU WILL USE THE KATANA FOR,A SLIGHTLY HEAVIER BLADE OF ABOUT 2lbs 8oz WILL BE IDEAL FOR TAMESHIGIRI BUT FOR KATA YOU MAY WANT A SLIGHTLY LIGHTER BLADE,BUT AS WITH ANYTHING THIS IS A PERSONNAL THING.THE STEEL USED TO CONSTRUCT THE BLADE IS VERY IMPORTANT AS MANY KATANAS CLAIM TO USE VARIOUS SUITABLE STEELS BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY AND UNFORTUNATELY SOMETHING YOU CAN NOT TEST IS THE TEMPERING AND,OR THE HARDENING PROCESS USED WHICH BASICALLY WILL DERTERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YOUR KATANA WILL BE SUITABLE FOR TAMESHIGIRI OR JUST DISPLAY.WITH REGARDS TO THE HAMMON THIS IS PRODUCED BY CLAY TEMPERING OR EXPOSURE OF THE INNER CORE ON A SAN MAI TYPE BLADE,I DO NOT KNOW OF ANY KATANA THAT RETAILS FOR LESS THAN 150 THAT HAS A TRUE HAMMON AND SADLY IT IS A FACT THAT THESE HAMMONS WILL BE EITHER WIRE BRUSHED OR ACID ETCHED,IT JUST IS NOT VIABLE TO PRODUCE A TRUE HAMMON CHEAPLY,EVEN IN CHINA.YOU MUST ALSO REMEMBER THAT DEPENDING ON THE STEEL USED A TRUE HAMMON WILL NOT MAKE THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE KATANA ANY MORE DURABLE AND OFTEN THE HARDER EDGE PRODUCED BY A CLAYED HAMMON WILL BE MORE BRITTLE THAN A PROPERLY TREATED CARBON STEEL BLADE USING SAY 9260 CARBON STEEL.THE PRESENCE OF A "NATURAL" HAMMON IS OFTEN USED AS NOTHING MORE THAN A SALES GIMMICK AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT IS A FAKE.THE MOST COMMON GIVEWAY IS THE UNIFORM WAVY LINE WITH FINE VERTICAL BRUSH MARKS,SEE BELOW,REMEMBER THAT TRUE HAMMONS DO NOT COME CHEAP.AS FOR THE FITTINGS ON THE KATANA THESE REALLY ARE A MATTER OF YOUR OWN TASTE BUT ALLWAYS REMEMBER THAT LOOKS CAN BE VERY DECEIVING AND WHEN BUYING A KATANA THE CONSTRUCTION SHOULD BE YOUR FIRST CONSIDERATION,MANY KATANAS AVAILABLE WILL USE TSUBAS THAT ARE THE SAME AS THE MORE REPUTABLE COMPANYS USE AND TRY TO PASS THEM OFF AS SUCH,EVEN CALLING THEM THE SAME NAME,AS THE SAYING GOES,YOU CANNOT MAKE A SILK PURSE OUT OF A SOWS EAR.ALSO BE VERY AWARE THAT REPUTABLE FORGES SELL OFF BLADES THAT HAVE MINOR FAULTS AS FACTORY SECONDS,WHICH BASICALLY MEANS THEY ARE NOT SAFE,SO IF YOU FIND A KNOWN KATANA CHEAP BE VERY AWARE,A FAULTY BLADE IS A DANGEROUS BLADE,CHECK THE ONLINE STORES FIRST TO GET A PRICE GUIDE,AND ALLWAYS CHECK THE SELLERS FEEDBACK,THAT IS WHY ITS THERE.ANOTHER SIGN OF A QUALITY BUILT KATANA IS THE TSUKA,THIS SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTED OF WOOD,HAVE A SLIGHT TAPERING IN ITS LENGTH AWAY FROM THE TSUBA AND I FEEL SHOULD BE WRAPPED IN A GOOD QUALITY COTTON.THE PICTURE BELOW IS OF A CHEAP KATANA AND SHOWS THE WIRE BRUSHED HAMMON AND SECONDARY EDGE,!!AVOID!!

Lacoste polo's REAL or FAKE????

I am going to tell you how to spot the fake lacoste polo's from the real this will save you a lot of money and time!

Many Lacoste shirts on Ebay are fakes, but there are the few that are authentic.

Authentic Lacoste Polo Shirts:

Have a Devanlay Care Tag inside the bottom left corner of the shirt.
Have a Crocodile on the left breast of the shirt, facing outward.
Have a placket with 2 buttons and the buttons have 2 holes, rather than four.
Are designed in France and made in Peru by Devanlay.
Have a European size number, for example: 4 (small), 5 (medium), etc.
Run small to fit.
For men, polos are 100% cotton.
Do NOT say Lacoste on the buttons of the polo shirts.
Have anopen hem at the bottom of the shirt, unlike Ralph Lauren polos that have vented hems.
Tags for short sleeve solid color shirtsare listed as $72 and $85 for striped shirts (unlike many fakes that are listed at $79).

For the record, when buying authentic Lacoste Polo Shirts make sure the Crocodiles are sewn on straight, are bought from a US or European citizen (do not trust shirts that come from China, etc. They are most likely fakes), and follow all of the guidelines I listed above.

Thanks from Tarletonrugbyboy

HOW TO BUY THE RIGHT TENNIS RACKET FOR YOU ON EBAY!!!

When buying a tennis racket, do not simply buy the best looking or most expensive off of the net. The best way to choose is to go to a sports shop and ask if they allow temporary trials. See how the grip and strings feel. Decide whether you need a racket for power or accuracy, or need a thick or thin frameand read plenty of online reviews. Then consider buying online with a brand or model in mind. Personally I have always got on with fischer rackets, and not so well with slazengers and yonex rackets.

SPV M600 - Beware of scammers!

As a fairly new user of ebay I had only sold a couple of things up to the point of putting the afore mentioned phone onto ebay as an unwanted upgrade.

I answered a number of questions, mostly turning down offers of cash payment and collection to see the auction run its full term and along way have witnessed something alarming. It has been picked up before, but it seems NIGERIAN SCAMMERS are having abit of a field day, particularly on at least 2 auctions on the SPV M600 handset.

They usually enter the bidding within the last half hour and steam in with strangely high bids - at least 2 of them competing. These idiots raised the price on one occation from a respectable 230-260 to over 600.

What's the point? Everyone can see (hopefully) that they haverubbish feedback, new profiles and are obviouslyworking in small groups so all they do is end up annoying bidders and sellers alike when the bidder gets outbid by something wholely unrealistic and the seller has to put the item back online.

So,i'd advise you to sit in on your bid as it ends and get ready to dump anyone who does not adhere to your conditions and/or has 0 or - feedback and has a penchant for bidding massively inflated prices.

Until ebay address this issue, the seller seems to lose out through having to relist the itewhile these idiots get to browse around bugging everyone else - surely there's a way to get their ISP address and bar the blighters.

My 2pence!

Morris Minor Traveller - how to keep your wood looking

Morris Minor Traveller- how to keep your wood looking good.

The Morris Minor Traveller, a classic icon of British motoring, but how do you keep your lovely woodwork from fading, greying, going black and eventually rotting?!!!!

The woodwork on your Morris Minotr Traveller is an intergral part of the intergrity of your car and so it is importantto keep it in good condition not only so it looks good but also because it is part of your cars frame.

Please never and I mean never varnish your woodwork ( if your Traveller has varnished woodwork get that varnish off right now!). Varnish looks good for a short time but it cracks and blisters, water gets under it and the wood cannot breath, then the rot sets in, uck!.

Right, that was the horror story, now for the good news. You can keep your woodwork looking good for years by applying Danish Oil to your woodwork once a month. Danish Oil is a furniture/woodworking finishing oil that is used to give wood a lovely protective coating, bringing out the colour and beauty of your wood while protecting it from the weather. It is available from hardware shops and here on Ebay.

On new untreated woodwork, if you have just replaced your woodwork as part of a restoration project, make sure that your wood is dust and grease free - wipe it over with white spirt and let dry to make sure. The apply three coats of Danish Oil either with a lint free rag or a small brush. I use a rag, just wiping the Danish Oil onto the woodwork.Use a small amount and wipe up any that spills onto your paint work or smears on your windows as it is really hard to get off when it has dried. A good tip is to keep a rag soaked in white spirit handy, then if you do get some danish oil where you shouldn't you can remove it easily. The oil will soak in, leave afew hours and apply the next coat so that you have three in all.

If you have varnished woodwork, remove the varnish by sanding back to the wood to remove all varnish and then carry on as above.

To maintain your now lovely woodwork apply a coat of Danish Oil about once a month. If you don't oil your wood for a while don't panic just give the wood a good scrub with a pan scourer and apply Danish Oil when dry.If it has been a while since you applied any Danish Oil apply several coats.

I had the woodwork on my 1966 Almond Green Traveller Gwen replaced in 1998 and have used Danish Oil on her woodwork since then.She still looks as gorgeous as the day I collected her from the workshop and is often complemented on her good looks.

Happy motoring to all Morris Minor Owners :-)

Clanger-Em and Gwen.

P.S. Danish Oil is also really good for your wooden garden furniture, but thats just not as cool as Morris Minors now is it?

Samsung D600 lens repair

CHANGING THE SCRATCHED LENS PLASTIC COVERThis is a very easy thing to do on these phones. So when you've scratched the plastic lens, it's simply a matter of buying one from ebay (I paid 5 inc postage for my one on ebay)

Press the centre of the screenlens cover with a reasonable amount of pressure. Get a very small screwdriver or a dress making pin. With the centre of the screen pressed, push the screwdriver gently under the corner just above theMENU button. This will lift the corner of the lens, enabling you to gently slide the screwdriver around the edges. Starting at the bottom by the menu keys and working your way upto the ear piece.

The new onecan now be replaced with some double sided tape, cut into thin strips. Blow away any dust on the screen before fitting it

IRISH I.R.A. VOLUNTEER CAP BADGES

There are a number of Irish Volunteer cap badges appearing for sale here on ebay. As a collector of thirty years I have only ever seen a handful of original cap badges to the volunteers. Reproduction volunteer cap badges are currently for sale in Dublin. The guy selling them has his badges clearly marked in his shop REPRODUCTION IRISH VOLUNTEER BADGES. Some people are buying the badges and belt buckles from him and selling them on ebay as originals. The ones he produces are Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Mayo, Clare and Tipperary. He also produces badges to the I.C.A. and female wing of the Volunteers. If you wish to pay more than 20 pounds sterling for a badge that will turn out to be a copy that's a matter for yourself. If an original Irish Volunteer cap badge will ever turn up on ebay the chances are 1000 to 1.

New 1/72 Scale Plastic Figures - A Buyers Guide

This is a brief beginners guide tothe 1/72 scaleplastic toy soldier sets that are currently in production. It details the leading manufacturers, the figures they produce and the historical periods they cover. Figure painters, wargamers, diorama builders and collectors are the intended audience. My interest is both personal and professional as I enjoy painting and wargaming with 1/72 plasticfiguresand I also sell them through my eBay toy soldier shop: Drum

FIFA 2006 World Cup Germany ADIDAS Arena Match tickets

Hi all

It is merely an observation that brings me to write this review, as i am sure most of you would agree with the arrival of the world cup football fever has swept the nation and indeed the globe yet again.

I am a football fan and would love to see a match with my son live in Germany, However on searching for "world cup tickets 2006" i foundmyself wading through an endless amount of listings forunused tickets that had already been played.

This however is not the reason i write it is simply because i found what i believed to be "Match Tickets" for quarter and semi final games with auction and "Buy it now" prices in the region of 600 for either two of four tickets.

When you compare this to what the touts in Germany are charging this is cheap extremely cheap, But before you pack your bags and head of for the father land check the small print because on all the listing i found the tickets were actually for the ADIDAS Arena and not the actual stadium.

On research i found that the Adidas arena was not the venue of any the games it is simply a stadium showing the match on large screens.

My advice would be to save your cash and your air fair and do the same thing in many of the large citys that are doing the same thing.

If you are still seeking "Match Tickets" good luck and read the small print and as ever if it looks to good to be true it probably is

Buying A Laptop No Big Words, No Jargon Plain Simple

So Many Online Sellers - Why?

You will notice there are 1000's of ebayers selling laptops - why is that? Most commendable ebayers are actual company's be it self employed or fully Ltd, therefore they can take advantage of distribution company's (the guys that buy in bulk direct from the manufacturer), who only sell to business and not the end user / buyer.

Be sure to fully research your seller, not only their ebay feedback but other areas too. Do they have their own website?, Do they trade locally?, Have theyany testimonials fromnon ebay buyers? Secondly how easy is it to get in touch with these people should yo have a question. Sellers that only advertise'ask seller a question feature' are to be suspected. If you can't email or phone them they probably don't want you to get in touch with them and they haven't the resources to deal with ebay callers. If they are that difficult to get hold of what are they going to be like afer the sale?

Baffled By Specifications?

The easiest way to explain how the speed of a PC works is this. Imagine a warehouse and outside is the lorry waiting to take away an order. The Shelving and Racking in the warehouse is your hard disk, how fast the warehouse workers can pick the order and take it to the lorry is the processor, how much they can carry in one trip from shelving to lorry is the RAM or Memory. From this little example you can see that having a fast processor and next to no RAM isn't efficient, it means your warehouse guys have to keep going backwards and forwards to fullfil the order (run a program).

But I Don't Know What Is Fast And What Is Slow

Okay their are 2 main suppliers of mobile (laptop) Processors, Intel and AMD. Intel Centrino processors tend to be the bottom of the market, with AMD Sempron / Athlon in the middle and Pentium Mobile processors probably the top end of the market. With a processor you may (or may not) know that processors come in many different speeds from 1.4GHz up to around 2.2GHz. This is one way to ascertain speed, there are two othe features of a processor that contribute to speed, the first being the BUS speed. The BUSdetermines how fast it cantransfer info to the RAMand speeds of this tend to be around 266MHz to 800MHz with the norm being around 333MHz to400MHz. The last factor of a processor speed is called Level 2 Cache (L2 Cache) this a a 'holding' area of the processor that keeps info for quick access later, andspeed ranges of this can be from 128Kb to 2Mb with thenorm around 512Kb to 1Mb.

RAM workssimilar to the Level 2 Cache as described above, but the beauty about it is, it can be upgraded for very little cost. Upgrading your RAM is the cheapest easiest and best way of increasing thespeed of your laptop and this will be more noticeable the more you put in.RAM in new laptops range from 256Mb up to 1Gb.As described above the BUS speedalso must be included andis important to the speed of the RAM. For examplea 256Mb333MHz RAM will be slower than 256Mb 400MHz RAM.A laptop willmostly only have 2 slots insideto put RAM so if you have 2 x 256Mb RAM (or 512Mb in total) you will need to ditch one of them ifyou wanted to upgrade, also to watch out for is what's the maximumyou can upgrade to if need be? The norm is around 2Gb so each slot will takeno more than a 1Gb stick (as there are two slot to put your RAM in).

Graphics are importantwhether you are gamer or not, all laptopsneed some degree of graphics capability, usually measured in RAM Mb with the bottom end around 32Mb Graphicsup to 256Mb Graphics and the norm being around 64Mb to 128Mb.The higher the number the more capable it is of grpahics intensive games and using intricate graphics (pictures / movies) developmentsoftware.The main thing to look out for is 'is it shared' or does it have its own graphics card. The 'shared' or 'integrated' typepinchMb's from the Laptop RAM or memory. So for example a laptop with 'integrated' graphics of 64Mb, will reduce the Laptop RAM from 256Mb for example down to 192Mb RAM it is also less effective than a graphics card that has its own RAM. Suppliers of Graphics Cards that have their own RAM and aren't shared tend to be ATI and nVidia and are best advised for gamers, shared graphics is ok for gamers as long as there's plenty of RAM memory and defintely recommend for poeple only using laptops for work / internet etc.

Other Considerations

Does a laptop have a CDRW (CD Copier) or DVDRW (DVD Copier)?

Is the Screen Widescreen or XGA (better quality for gaming, watchin DVD's etc), or is it a normal TFT Screen?

Has the laptop got wireless broadband integrated (Wi-Fi)?

How Long Does The Batery Last For?

How Many USB Ports does the Laptop have?

Does the Laptop Have a Memory Card Reader (popular for digital cameras)

Does theLaptop have digital TV integrated or a connection to allow you to plug in your Sky / Cable ariel?

And Finally

Obviously the moreof the above features, coupled with the 'Speed Specifications' of your Laptop will determine how expensive your laptop is. Not only that ALL laptops should be covered by manufacture Warranty for at least 1 Year, and totally recommended that throughout the life of your laptop you always have a Warranty to fall back on should the worse happen. After around 12 months, nobody will be able to fix your laptop, the parts will be virtually impossible to find, and should you find someone it will probably cost more than its worth. So after your 1 year runs out make sure you renew it with an extended warranty (typically 3 year collect an return)

Computers and Laptops if looked after properly should last many years and not 2-3 before you are resigned to getting a new one. But just like a car, they need maintaining, servicing and good house keeping will keep your laptop running smooth. The best way to do this is to source a PC company who provide such a maintainance service (for example we offer the NewLife Service), and back this up using software on your laptop and making sure you regularly do a disk clean, delete temporary internet files (found in control panel and internet options)and defrag.

Home Network Solutions Store

MP4 players - read b4 u buy!

MP4 Players

When searching for MP4 players on eBay, you will be presented with a surprisingly large number of items; a closer look however, shows that most are modelled on Apple's IPod. Furthermore, the vast majority of the sellers are located in Hong Kong.

Thus, before you contemplate buying a Chinese/HK MP4 player, consider the following:

why is the item selling for less than 30 when you can't get a decent MP3 player for that price?
does the (generally) high feedback of the seller reflect the quality of the product?
are the MP4 players as described?
My Experience

I purchased a 4GB MP4 player from mp3_exp (item 110027049639). It arrived three days later which was impressive considering that it was shipped from Hong Kong. I was initially pleased with the product but as a habit, I do not leave feedback until after several weeks in case any complications arise; in the case of this MP4 player, they were many:

Firstly, I found (on the second day of receipt) that despite claims by mp3_exp that the item was 4GB, it could only hold 2GB of information. A quick search on the internet revealed that this is not uncommon with Chinese/HK MP4 players.
Secondly, I found to my disappointment that the voice recording facility did not work properly. I contacted the seller but recieved no response.
Finally, after one week, the glue holding the MP4 player together (I'm not kidding) was starting to come out. The MP4 player hereafter stopped working all together.

Dispute with Seller

After ignoring my emails, I filed a dispute and mp3_exp agreed to refund after I sent back the faulty MP4 player at a cost of 7. I provided him with a tracking number as requested. I repeatedly asked him if he recieved the item but he avoided answering. After initially agreeing to refund, he heavily hinted that he would only replace the item. I declined and reminded him that he promised to refund;I also agreed to his request to have the dispute closed. The dispute was closed automatically and I waited duly for my refund but as you will have guessed by now, it never came. mp3_exp's contact information was incorrect (probably deliberately) and so I could not get in touch with him.

Ebay's Response

I contacted eBay but their response was predictable: I'm sorry to hear that despite returning the item, you did not recieve a refund. Unfortunately, we can not do anything.

I probably wasn't the first to complain about the practices of the particular seller and I probably won't be the last, yet this seller can get away with scamming the public which brings me to another point: Due to the general indifference of eBay, one could envisage a situation whereby a seller defrauds hundreds of people of thousands of pounds and faces little if any consequences. As a buyer, I represent much less capital to eBay than a large scale commercial seller and so my concerns may be pushed aside - after all, eBay makes money on all transactions.

Note that I am in no way encouraging illlicit activities but merely pointing out (what is to me) the obvious.

Final Points to Consider

If you do decide to purchase one of these MP4 players, consider that the memory may be less than stated.
Does feedback acurately reflect a seller's trustworthiness? Generally yes, but in this case, I would suggest waiting a few weeks before you post feedback, in case your MP4 player decids to stop working.
A lot of these MP4 players do not support MP4 files but only AMV, DMV, MTV and MPV formats. As such, they are not true MP4 players, but S1 MP3 players that can play limited video files.
The instruction manual : " please do yes and ok when inset in darking file. Press to sparkle"
Frommy experience, the video and audio capacities are lacking. The maximum volume is annoyingly very low.
Finally, if this guide has had little effect on you and you do decide to procure on of these travesties, consider buying from a UK-based seller but be weary that many foreign sellers (including mp3_exp) falsely claim that the location of the item is in London etc...
If you think this guide is helpful, please acknowledge this by clicking on 'yes' below. Thank you

Disclaimer: My opinions of and comments on eBay and the seller are based on my personal experiences and will not hold true for everyone.

Beware of fake Irmscher interior parts

This guide relates to my experiences with fake Irmscher inteior parts which are supposed to brighten up you dashboard layout.

It has come to light that many of these fakes are simply original GM parts that have been spray painted in different colours to look like the silver or titanium Irmscher equivalents.

I spotted one that I was going to buy not so long ago worded IRMSCHER STYLE TITANIUM COIN TRAY AND MATCHING GEARSTICK SURROUND, and thought that he word STYLE was a little indefinate, so I emailed the seller to confim if they were genuine Irmscher items, to be told that they were not advertised as genuine Irmscher items and were in fact advertised as Irmscher Style.

Not very misleading is it ? Needless to say, I deleted it from my watch list and didn't bother bidding.

How to spot a fake.

Your first defence is to check the wording of the auction. If it says Vauxhall rather than Irmscher, or says the word STYLE then presume they are fakes.

Painted ones have a rippled effect just like the black Vauxhall ones. See if you can get a close look at the picture.

Some fakes also come with coloured electric window switch inserts, which is a dead giveaway as Irmscher never made coloured electric window switch inserts.

If in any doubt, contact the seller and ask them outright.

How to spot a genuine Irmscher item.

ALL genuine Irmscher part have an Irmscher stamp imprinted into them, usually at the bottom out of site.

Genuine Irmscher interior parts have a smooth finish and are finished on both sides.

Again, ask the seller. If they are genuine then it's in the sellers own interest to tell you in order to help increase the selling price.

MAKING PISTON RINGS FOR OLD MODEL ENGINES

You will need a Metalworking Lathe for this Parts are not always available for old model engines, getting parts for the early discontinued Laser engines can be a problemI made a new piston ring for a very old "LASER" engine owned by a friend. The previous owner had broken a quarter of an inch section off the original ring, the engine still ran, but not very well

furry handcuffs

if you look at handcuffs on e bay you will see pink handcuffs with a black covering they are plastic but the seller does not mention this allso 99% 0f the handcuffs on sale on e bay are just tin If they break you will get cut arms if you buying then buy metal ask the seller if theres are metal a

The Components of a Solar Energy System

This guidewill help you design and determine what components you need ina solar energy system that meets your needs.

Direct Charging or Charging Via a Battery

There are two main ways to design a solar energy system:

1) For charging small electrical devices (such as mobile phones, iPods / mp3 players, digital cameras, PSPs / gaming stations, etc), you can connect your devices directly to your solar panel via a car cigarette lighter adaptor.

Solar Panel

Selling Diecast On eBay, Dinky, Corgi, Code 3, etc.

Hello there. I've been buying, and sellingDiecast on ebay for a while now, and just as with any other item you can find on this huge site, there are a few points worth thinking about. This is not intended to be an absolute guide, but as I've had a little experience now,I thought it might be worth passing some of it on ...

Where to place your item.

Diecast collectors come from many camps. There are those who collect a particular theme, or scale, or manufacturer, and there are those who like a certain era or make of model. In short, it's hard to know when selling just who your customer would be, and so which catagory to place your listing. If you have a known manufacturer, such as Dinky or Corgi, thats shown in the choices when you go to list, stick with that. Some popular makes will have sub catagories such as 'car' or 'commercial'. Naturally a car is a car, but if it has the logo's of a company on it, it would be best to place it in the commercial listings. there are generally more collectors of commercial vehicles, and so you have more chance of getting bids. Placing it in the 'other' catagory is pretty much a no no, as this is just a general anything else area, and is unlikely to get as much attention.

What To Mention In The Listing.

Most old Diecasts will have picked up the odd scratch or scrape, most were toys after all, and the general term used for these models is 'playworn'. There is a huge market for most discontinued models in whatever condition, and collectors are very particular about the models they obtain, and you really need to mention anything worse, such as a bent or damaged fender, or any dents. Missing parts should also be mentioned. I know it's not always possible to know if there should be more to a model, butif it only has one headlight, or holes on the roof, it's not rocket science to realize that there should be more to it.

Pictures.

As with any item, a picture can speak a thousand words. The best way to show off your item is to have two pictures, which between them show all four corners of the item. I have often seen folks put up two pictures, both of the same side but from different angles, and my first thought is what are they hiding on the other side. Also, try and make your pictures as light as possible, especially if you are selling a 'playworn' item. I tend to use natural light in all my pictures as I find it works for me, other sellers I know use light tents or mirrors under the model to boost the available light. You may think showingthe faded or chipped paint off putting, but a collector will accept this. What a collector won't accept is a siloette of the model with just a hint of it's colour. I've picked up many a bargain from these 'guess the model' pictures, but the seller has lost out, and paid extra to put the loss making picture in.

Extra's.

Diecast collectors can be very generous buyers, and will pay what seems very good money for an old toy, but if you really want them to pick your particular old toy, make sure you have covered all the bases. By this I mean, make it clear that you offer reduced postage for multiple wins. I personally always look for this, as a diecast model doesn't take up to much room in a package, and if a seller is selling something I want and offering reduced postage, I'll check the rest of the listings they have, and sometimes buy items I normally wouldn't on their ownas a result. Fair postage is another must, and Paypal, love it or hate it, is a great attraction in a collecting area where many buy and sell. Lastly, offer to sell worldwide. There has been some debate about the closeing of visibility to the USA market, but diecast collecting is a truley international hobby, and an average 50% of my sales end up going abroad.

At the end of the day, dealing in diecast on eBay can be a lot of fun and very profitable. It is a large market and has a good honest and regular international set of buyers. Your old toys from the loft could honestly surprise you. I hope these few brief pointers have been of help.

Don't overspend on that Camera! Full buyers guide here.

What do you want from your photographs?

This is the first question we always ask our customers!

The answer to this question is top of the tree and will often lead to many of the answers youre looking for.

Less than 2 Megapixels is ideal for emailing photographs, or for using them on websites, including eBay item pictures.
2 to 3 Megapixels as above, but also great for standard 6 x 4 prints.
3 to 4 Megapixels, as above, plus enlargements up to 10 x 8.
4 to 6 Megapixels, as above, plus enlargements up to around 24 x 18 ....... thats a pretty big print!
Over 6 Megapixels, as above, plus big big enlargements up to poster size. Also great for stretch canvasses.

Notice how the camera you need is determined by what you want it for?

Not all digital cameras can produce prints of the same quality. If you plan to enlarge photos or print them, be sure to buy a camera that can provide the image quality you will need.

Image quality depends on the resolution of the digital camera.

Resolution is a measure of image sharpness based on the number of pixels that make up the image. More pixels produce sharper, more detailed images.

Digital camera resolution is measured in pixels. One million pixels equals one megapixel. Deciding how many megapixels you need is the first important step in finding the right digital camera for you.

I know what Im using it for, now what?

TFT SCREEN Lets start with the screen on the back, your window to a quality photograph! As youve probably noticed, theres all different sizes out there, anything from 0.8 to 3. This measurement relates to the size of the screen from corner to corner, much in the same way youd measure a TV. Big screens are great, but ask yourself if you REALLY need the latest 3 touchscreen, or if a more standard size 1.5 non-touchscreen will suffice? If you do need the 3 then fair enough, but if you dont and youre not really going to maximise it, youre better off putting the extra money youre about to spend towards an accessory or a different feature.

ZOOM The next key factor in many peoples minds is the zoom. This is also one of the more confusing areas Optical Zoom? Digital Zoom? Whats the difference?!

Let me explain. Lets presume the camera youre considering has a quoted Optical Zoom of 3x and a quoted Digital Zoom of 5x.

Most people who have used a 35mm camera or an APS camera are aware of only optical zoom. Optical zoom uses the optics (lens) of the camera to bring your subject closer. Its a true zoom, so if its quoted at 3x and youre stood 30m away from your subject, employ the zoom to get the effect of standing 10m away.

A Digital Zoom is not really a true zoom. It uses the technology within the camera to enlarge the image, hence giving the effect of an Optical Zoom. A Digitally Zoomed image will not produce the same quality as Optical Zoom, so if youve been wondering why your pictures have been lacking that crystal clear sharpness, now you know why!

So should you avoid cameras that have only a Digital Zoom? No, not at all, especially if youre not interested in or have no idea how to use photo editing software (example Photoshop) instead of retrospectively zooming in on a shot on your PC, your simply doing it beforehand on your camera.

To use an analogy, Optical Zoom vs Digital Zoom is much like having air conditioning in your car vs not having it ..its nice to have but not essential, youll still get from A to B!

MEMORY CARDS xD, SD, MMC, CF, MS and so the list goes on! But what are they? What do they do and do you need one? The above are all different types of 'digital memory'. The easiest way to think of them is that these are the camera films of today! The bigger the capacity, the more photographs you can store on your camera until you download them to your PC, and then you just erase them off your card and start over!

Again, dont over spend here. Bear in mind that a card with a 512mb capacity is able to hold approximately 300 photographs in the highest resolution on a 7 megapixel camera! So if youre thinking of buying a 4 megapixel camera, thats around 500 images.

BATTERIES Theres 3 different types of batteries the manufacturers bundle with their cameras.

Standard batteries. The benefits to these are that if youre spending a lot of time out and about with your camera, and your batteries run down, you can always carry a spare set with you. The disadvantages are that they dont always last as long as rechargeable lithium ions, and are an ongoing expense.
Rechargeable batteries. The same as the above, only rechargeable. The benefit here is that you dont have the expense (or inconvenience) of having to purchase batteries on an ongoing basis. The disadvantage is of course that you have to be able to charge them before you can use them.
Lithium ion. The same as the battery in your mobile phone. The benefits being long life and a smaller, lighter battery. The disadvantage being the same as the rechargeable batteries above.

Bear in mind that almost all cameras that accept standard batteries will also accept rechargeable (non lithium ion) batteries.

MOVIES The first thing we always point out when were asked about whether or not a camera does movies or not is to remember youre buying a camera, not a camcorder!

The quality of a movie taken with a Digital Camera is pretty good, but not as good as a camcorder, so please dont think youre buying an all in one device. Youre not. The movie function is nothing more than a useful add on. You wouldnt want to use it for that once in a lifetime trip to the Grand Canyon youve been saving up for years for, but you might want to use it to capture spontaneous everyday moments.

Be aware that some cameras have a silent movie mode only, whilst others will capture movies with sound.

Again, dont pay extra for something you might never use!

CAMERA TO PC One of the biggest fears our first time buyers have is how hard is it to transfer photos from your camera to the PC. In short, its really easy. If your camera hasnt been supplied with photo management software, dont worry. Although this software can make things easier, its still very easy! You know how when you click on My Computer and you can see your PCs hard drive, almost always known as the C drive? Well, when your cameras plugged in, youll see this appear as a drive too, often the E or the F drive. You can just copy and paste your pictures from the camera to the C drive!

Of course, not everyone wants their pictures on their PC, they just want to get them printed in the old fashioned way. This is really easy, with most supermarkets and photo shops now able to print directly from your memory card. Infact, if youre lucky enough to have a main post office near you, youll almost certainly find theyve got a vending style machine that lets you insert your card and print on the spot while you wait!

SCENE MODES Nice to have, but not essential. Some cameras have 20+, some have none. So what are they? Basically, its an automatic setting designed to bring out the best in your photograph, depending on the setting. So, if youre taking a photo in the snow and your camera has a Snow scene mode this will automatically adjust the settings to make sure there isnt too much glare on the white.

In our opinion, you would only know a photograph had a scene mode applied to it if you put it next to the same photo without the scene mode. Its a bit like the Pepsi challenge, you only know its Pepsi when theres a Coke next to it. (Or vice versa if youre a Coke fan).

So thats the fundamentals covered in what we think youre most likely to look for in a camera, and what we most think you should be considering.

Of course, youve still got some other choices to make. Should you save a few quid and purchase from Hong Kong or America?

We wont tell you what to do or what not to do here, but what we will do is point out a few facts:

Duty charges. Beware that the price you pay on screen may be subject to duty, anything up to 12% for the import duty, 17.5% VAT and a Courier charge of around 10 flat fee. So your 100 camera could end up costing you in excess of 140, plus an inflated delivery charge.
Warranty. A 1 year warranty is great, if you dont have to send your item back halfway across the world if something goes wrong with it. Check that its serviceable within the UK.
Documentation. Check that the manual included is in a language you understand.
Mains Cable. If youre buying a camera that has a lithium ion battery and a charger included, make sure the charger is UK compatible and that youre not going to be left with a camera you cant use because you cant charge it.

We hope weve helped to make things a little clearer for you in your decision as to what youre going to purchase. If there is anything else youd like to ask us, please do not hesitate, were here to help!

The eBay Question and Answer Board, and how to use it.

If you are fairly new to eBay, even if your not, from time to time we all can come up with a problem. It could be a seller who hasn't provided the expected service, a buyer who is proving to be beyond your means to deal with. There are processes such as filing a Non Paying Bidder or Non Providing Seller report, or you could try the eBay help pages or Live help. Alternatively there are community boards that you can go and ask the advice of fellow eBayers on, and one of the most popular is found under Community / Discussion Boards / Help Boards, and is the Community Question

Dari Meya dresses

Love the Dari Meya dresses that celebs such as Kate Moss, Peaches Geldof, and Keisha from Sugababes have been coveting? Why pay over 100 for a factory second on eBay when you can have the real thing. This guides explains.

Try not to fall for the Buy It Now option, I'm not saying these are all fakes but the majority are. Make sure the seller has actual pictures of the item, rather than just a small picture of Kate Moss in it.

Do not fall for the claim that Topshop has sold out, because I bought the one that Kate Moss wears, aswell as the one that Peaches wore, from Topshop in Oxford Circus last week, and there was a few left aswell as other ranges. If you can get to London, its probs for the best, it just takes an effort rummaging through them.

Also the website ASOS has them for the exactly the same price as Topshop sell them. Go to the Branded Dresses tab or simply type Darimeya (one word) through the search tab.

How do you know which are fakes, even if the pictures are close up?

This is my version. Although its hard to tell on other pictures, the material should be quite thick and should have tiny flower patterns below the rimming on the neck.

This is the detail on the bottom of the dress/tunic. It could be a creamy pale yellowish colour, which the places that replicate the factory seconds are finding it hard to achieve. The fakes one are generally white.

The label on the neck, should be a cream colour yet again, which pink hearts and a simple letter stating S, M or L. A lot of replica's I've seen have tried to make the tag more fancy or let it off. The background pattern of the cuffs and necklace should be of the same cream colour, not white. The label on the inside of the dress, just states the washing instructions, nothing else. Fake's either do not have a label or have tried to state where it was made, and have inputed a barcode number. Even if the seller claims to have bought it from topshop, the dress does not come with a topshop label or tag because it is a concession. Dari Meya price tags are blue and pink, which fakes often do not have but this is not always the case. It is hard to see from this picture, but it shows the date I bought my dresses (26th January 07) when sellers are claiming they have been sold out since December. Fake receipts from topshop have been going around eBay and they should state, the address and store number, with the date, transaction numbers, and the concession number (i used to work in topshop for a bit)

Im only writing this, because I was going to buy mine from Ebay, but ending saving myself about 220, when I bought mine from Topshop at 54 each. Hate to see people getting ripped out.

Hope this helps

Modern UK Silver Hallmarks in Current Use

There are several ebay guides about old silver hallmarks, but little about hallmarks currently in use so I thought I'd fill the gap...

UK hallmarks are assigned by the Assay Offices, of which there are currently four: London, Sheffield, Birmingham and Edinburgh. Modifications to the 1973 Hallmarking Act in 1999 changed the way articles made of precious metals are hallmarked. The UK hallmark now comprises a minimum of three compulsory symbols: a makers (or sponsors) mark; a purity mark; and the assay office mark.

The compulsory Assay Office marks appear as follows:

London: A leopard's head

Sheffield: A rose

Birmingham: An anchor

Edinburgh: A castle with 3 turrets

The compulsory purity marks appear as follows:

An oval disc with one of the following numbers inside:

800 for 80% silver content (often called Continental Silver)

925 for 92.5% silver content (often called Sterling Silver)

958 for 95.8% silver content (often called Britannia Silver)

999 for 99.9% silver content (often called Fine Silver)

The compulsory maker's or sponsor's mark vary and appear as one more letters within a shield.

There are other marks (known as Voluntary Marks) that can be applied to the item. The following list explains some of them:

Date mark: Curently a single letter within an octagonal shape. The letter for 2007 is a lower-case 'h'

Common Control Mark: A set of scales with a purity number (eg 925) set in the middle. This is an international mark.

Commemorative Marks: These vary, depending on the occasion (eg Queen's Head for her Golden Jubilee)

Hope this was helpful! If so, please vote below!

Fake Shure SM57

Here are some tips to prevent you buying a fake Shure SM57.

Firstly, the mic should weigh 284g. The one I had weighed 240g.

Secondly, if you have a multi-meter check the resistancebetween pins 2 and 3. It should be no more than 400 ohms. The fake tested came in at 553 ohms.

If you are in any doubt, you can contact

Phil Spurling,Technical Support ManagerShure Distribution UK167-171 Willoughby LaneLondon N17 0SBTel: 020 8808 2222