Late Shoppers Turning to eBay for Hard to Find Popular Toys

Finding the latest "must-have" popular and hard to find toys can be frustrating for parents and grandparents this time of year. Shortages often occur since it can be difficult for retail stores to anticipate demand, especially when the latest fads that dictate demand, occur late in the Christmas shopping season.

This explains the recent increase in popularity Internet shopping has experienced. Clever parents are quickly turning to online resources like eBay to find those "must have" toys this holiday season but reliability of sellers and avoiding scam artists is often a major concern.

Tracy Rowell, owner of http://www.rock-a-roo-zoo.com and a professional eBay Power Seller comments that, "We have certainly seen a considerable increase in traffic and feedback from our customers this holiday season. Especially concerning hard to find toys. The top concern parents have expressed is whether or not we can confidently get their items to them before Christmas day. They can't find these toys anywhere locally so now they're in "panic" mode."

The downside is that where there's opportunity, there are usually those willing to take advantage of unknowing shoppers.

Here are some tips to help last minute shoppers find those hard to find toys on eBay, shop with confidence and avoid potential scams.

1. Only bid on or buy items with photos - NO EXCEPTIONS. This is to ensure the seller actually has the item on hand and ready to ship quickly.

2. Be sure the photos being used are of the actual item(s) and not stock photos from the product manufacturers website. It's usually pretty easy to tell the difference by looking at the background in the photo. This is for the same reason as #1.

3. Be cautious if the shipping costs aren't clearly stated and laid out in easy to understand terms. Scammers may attempt to wait until after you've won or purchased an item to surprise you with an outrageous and unfair shipping price.

4. Check the sellers "Feedback Rating" to insure they are trustworthy. This will also let you know if they are young sellers or if they have a proven track record of providing excellent service like quick shipping and etc.

5. And last but not least, don't ever hesitate to email the seller and ask any questions you may have. If they are a legitimate seller they will gladly respond as quickly as possible.

Finding the perfect "must have" toy this season isn't impossible – even if your local retailers are sold out. Millions are turning to eBay to find what they’ve been unable to find locally. Anyone can shop via the Internet with confidence, just be sure to exercise caution and don't let your emotions take over.