Electric Shavers - better than manual? Foil or Rotary?.

Electric Shavers better than manual shaving?The modern electric shaver is a massive improvement from years ago and has come a long way since the original patent by Col. Jacob Schick in 1928. There is still a great divide between those shavers unwilling to change and continue to cut up there face using a traditional blade and then you have the smarter users who choose to shave with an electric with less mess, less skin irritation, less water wastage and less expensive for ongoing costs such as frequent blade replacement. Manual shavers such as Gillette Mach3 and Fusion will give you a slightly closer shave than an electric but bear in mind a Fusion shaver that features 5 blades actually means you are removing 5 small layers of skin with each swipe so yes it will be closer but you will certainly be more prone to shaving rash, redness, irritation and ingrown hairs especially when shaving every day or every few days. An electric shaver does not remove much skin at all meaning a lot less irritation and a more comfortable and enjoyable shave. A cost benefit analysis also proves that using a new Gillette Fusion, Mach3 Turbo, or Schick Quattro shaver is actually more expensive in the long run than a premium electric shaver up to $400 as the costs of the manual blades are so expensive and require large amounts of creams and lotions as well as these items always being on the rise!In the current market the main manufacturers are Braun, Panasonic, Philips and Remington. At the highest level, the choice in choosing an electric shaver comes down to rotary or foil type.Choose the Right Electric ShaverChoosing the right Electric Shaver can seem daunting as there are so many on the market today. With so many models on offer we hopefully have something to suit all needs. We have some great prices on the very latest shavers as well as some excellent specific model promotions.Consider the Intended UserConsider what you or the person you are buying for has been using in the past. If there is a particular brand of electric shaver that is familiar and gives good results then this is often a good indicator of where to start looking. For example if a person is happy with the shave they get from a rotary based Philishave then changing to a foil based shaver like a Braun or Panasonic isn't always the best option. Obviously this works both ways foil to rotary and vice versa.This is not to say that it is never worth changing shaver style, modern shavers offer excellent results with most people given the time to adjust and bed the shaver in. If you feel you may benefit from switching or maybe have tried different styles in the past then go for it!Decide Mains, Rechargeable or BothDecide whether you want a mains, rechargeable or more commonly both features in your shaver. Never buy a battery shaver for everyday use. They are only really designed to be used for occasional convenience. A rechargeable shaver will do a much better job and be more cost effective in the long term.Price Point RecommendationsWe have arranged a series of price points between which we display the electric shavers that we feel represent excellent buys within that range. These entries are based on special price promotions and excellent overall shaver performance. Before we range any shaver we actually test one on several people first including the director to ensure that it is a value for money product.Rotary ShaversRotary based electric shavers are those originally produced by Philips (previously under the Philishave brand) and now also Remington. These typically feature three round cutting heads. Each cutting head consists of an outer guard featuring a number of slots, sometimes in combination with round holes. A rotary cutter then spins beneath the guard to cut the hair as it enters.When using a rotary shaver you usually use it in circular motions around the face in combination with a back and forth stroking action. For best results you shave against the grain of the beard. You can also use your free hand to stretch or hold the skin tight as it is being shaved. This helps flat lying hairs stand up from the skin and be more easily cut.Foil ShaversFoil based electric shavers feature a fine metal foil with many holes wrapped over an oscillating cutter block. The foil stays still while the cutter block moves from side to side and cuts the hair as it enters the holes in the foil.The main manufacturers of foil shavers are Braun, Remington and Panasonic. Braun manufacturer the widest range and in our opinion are the more popular, with a solid reputation for quality and innovation. Remington also make wide range and offer excellent mid-level pricing while Panasonic offer a more specialised range, often focusing on the waterproof and wet and dry shaver.

Things to consider when buying toys on eBay

Hi there,Experience on ebay has taught me a few valuable lessons and things to look out for when purchasing toys on ebay. My first toy purchase on ebay was a Fisher Price work bench, I won it for $5.50 !! Great I thought but unfortunately I did a silly thing a didn't ask what the cost was to send the item....not so great. So, here are a few tips I have learnt along the way:1)

The Complete Christine Feehan Book List

Christine Feehan has a strong following with her award winning books.

A brief guide when buying a Fish Tank

Okay, you are here for one of two reasons:a.) You'd like to know some recommendations on buying a fish tank.b.) It's 2AM, you're bored out of your mind, and looking to pass the time while you wait for your coffee to wear off.Either way, read on! This guide is meant more for buying a fish tank from an aquarium rather than eBay.-The Boring Stuff-Okay, just to make things clear. Fill out this little checklist:a.) Do I have a space for a fish tank? Yes/Nob.) Is it worth the money it will cost? (Bear in mind, fish tanks have a habit of getting expensive after purchase) Yes/Noc.) Will I be able to feed my fish, turn on the light at one time, then be home to turn the light off, feed them again, 9 hours later? Yes/Nod.) Do I have the time to clean out the fish tank (A 1 hour job roughly, every 2-4 weeks)? Yes/NoThat's just a rough guide, but if you ticked "No" somewhere, you might want to reconsider it. When I first went to buy my fishtank, I expected to pick up the tank, a filter and gravel, plus fish. I couldn't have been more wrong. I went to the checkout, armed with my gear, only to find out that I needed additionally: Light Cover, Light Bulb, Plants (recommended), neutraliser, gravel cleaner (recommended), thermometer heater. That was my first taste of how expensive it gets, very quickly. The second thing is that once you buy all this, you shouldn't put the fish in for roughly 7 days. Fill it with water, put in the gravel, and let the filter run for the full 7 days, to pick out as much gunk as possible. So that meant I didn't have my pretty fish for a long, boring week. People searching for immediate gratification, give up now!On top of this, after the feeling of joy wore down after purchasing my fish (There is a limit to how many fish per tank, ask the salesman on this), I began to realise my tank was quite sparse, and thus, required an ornament. (Original Price before reaching Checkout: $219. Price after Checkout: $390. Ornament: $50. (Filter changes every month are required, they cost little, but continue to add to the price). On top of this, realise that dearest pet Nemo, doesn't have the best life span, and is prone to dying for no reason. Gloves for the weak minded (And quick burials for those with children!) are recommended. Basically, what you should get from this is:a.) Fish tanks are actually a time-consuming, financially-consuming process.b.)

Guide to Prescription Options for Sunglass Wearers.

If you're a prescription wearer there's good news. The eyewear industry has adapted to your needs and you can now easily wear sunglasses and sports eyewear that is precisely matched to your prescription needs!

Cheap Ebay Pit/Quad bikes: BAD

Do NOT buy the cheap pit and quad bikes off ebay. My family has owned a motorbike business for well over 10 years now, and in the last couple of years, we have had ENDLESS amounts of people that have bought cheap, inferior quality bikes off ebay and come in asking for parts. Dealers CANNOT get parts for 99% of these bikes.

Buying a Mobile phone on Ebay/Feature guide

Buying A Mobile Phone on EbayA mobile phone is an extremly personal possesion, one that you will have with you almost all the time. Because of this choice of phone is extremly important. This guide aims to inform the reader about some factors in choosing a phone.ContentsJargon Phone Features/What will the phone be used for? Check Before Purchase What form factor? / Size/ Weight Accessories Transfering items from your old phone. Smartphone or Dumb Phone. Where should i keep my phone? Some Mobile Phone JargonGSM - Global System for Mobile Communication, a widely used digital mobile phone standard. Also called 2G. Operates at following frequencies 900Mhz/1800 Mhz. CDMA - Another standard for mobile communication. There are only two operaters in Australia. This kind of phone is not worth buying as the networks are closing in the next few years. 3G - 3rd Generation. This offers many more features then GSM, including video calling and high speed Internet Access. GPRS - General Packet Radio Service. This is a method for 2G for to connect to the mobile internet. GPRS does not have a constant connection. WAP - Wireless Application Protocol. Another method of connection, uses i-Mode - Service offered by Telstra, allows access to web sites especially made for it. SIM Card - Subscriber Idenity Module. A card that fits inside a phone and identifes you to the network. Depending on the phone it contains your phone book and text messages. Bluetooth - Wireless communication for phones. Most often used for cordless hands free. Infrared/IRDA - a way for the phone to communicate wirelessy as a modem or to transfer data. Data Cable - A way to connect the phone to the computer to transfer data/images/ use as a modem. SMS - Text messages up to 160 characters between phones. Push to Talk - Allows your phone to function like a walky talky.

Moulds for Concrete, Plaster, Candles,Ice, Chocolate

We think one of the best ways to slow down the mowing chore is to landscape your yard with pavers and gardens. I recently discovered "GoStatues" on ebay and was blown away by the simplicity of it all.Go statue have over seven thousand moulds( I've aquired thirty so far!) suitable for concrete, plaster, candle wax, ice, chocolate or any other squishy material that will harden eventually! The hardest part was choosing the moulds, the variety is vast!Go statue uses pay pal so you know they are safe, and if you order over $200.00 U.S they offer free shipping,(on a $200 order its approx $65) I think that makes all the difference, and I actually had a tough time staying under $300 in my first order!They are so inexpensive that I never even had to lie to my husband about the price( a first in our ebay mad house!)They enclose easy to follow recipies for concrete mixes and tips for other castings.My order arrived in record time and when I opened the box I discovered they had enclosed Five additional moulds as a thank you gift Woo hoo, we went and thats when they had me. Nothing says we want your business and we are lovely people more than presents, on top of excellant service and "Can we do anything else for you attitude".We have been 100% impressed with this company and our yard is no longer skid row, we've enjoyed making our moulds and

Model Plane Engine Buyers Guide

Model Aeroplane Engine Buyers GuideIntroduction:This guide is intended to help people when buying Model Aeroplane Engines from eBay. As many people are aware eBay is a great place to buy Hobby goods but it can also be a dangerous place. Most sellers are aero-modellers so they are generally pretty good reliable people, but as in all walks of life there are a few unscrupulous types around.

How to choose eyeglass frames for your face shape.

What shape of eyeglasses is best for my face shape?Facial colouring and face shape are two very important factors to consider when choosing appropriate frames. The first step is to determine your face shape (oval, round or rectangular). Eyeglasses shapes are chosen to decrease or de-accentuate the roundness of a round face, the squareness of a rectangular face, or the length or shortness of a face. To do this we recommend rectangular

Saratoga Spinning Fishing Reel Buying Guide

Saratoga Spinning Fishing Reel Buying GuideHere at Direct-Shop-Auctions we have a lot of experience selling fishing tackle. As one of the largest eBay retailers of fishing products in the world, we have excellent knowledge of Saratoga fishing reels and rods. This guide is designed to provide assistance in identifying the best Saratoga spinning reel

Sellers - Beware of this PayPal Problem!

I believe PayPal is the safest way to trade, BUT I discovered the hard way that some buyers can use it in a fraudulent way. Here is what happens and how to avoid getting caught.Someone buys an item from you and pays by PayPal. You check your PayPal account and see the money is indeed there, so you go and post the item. A short time later you get an email from PayPal saying that the payment has been withdrawn. No ammount of correspondence and pleading will get your money (or your product)

Oldest Cigarette Card (Collectibles)

Early Cigarette Cards (Collectibles)I've been collecting and selling collectors cards, cigarette cards and related collectibles

Grading gold sovereigns on eBay

Grading from eBay scans isn't as hard as it looks, but it helps of course if images are good quality and size ! I always use scans, however these dull the image from so much direct light. The good side is they do often show off any bag marks, nicks flaws and WEAR. Digital photos with Wear is very quick on gold sovereigns, just shop around Ebay without buying first. The fields do not have to be completely clean as many sovereigns were minted far from their destination bank and carried in bags by horse and carriage. The mint bags will cause many little marks, and the minting process can as well. However, many Australian coins even of the 1850's times exist for sale in MS64 and higher states, with 1 or no major bag marks and amazing appearance. The GEM coins that do exist are virtually never offered, held in private collections or by the mints themselves. Buyers should still be picky and examine the coin on a coin by coin basis, think of it as every coin is different.Young Head and Sydney Mint sovereignsThese are the most popular series and my favourites, plenty of the Young Head types are worth a lot. Be sure toget a S or M mintmark. This is below the queen on St George sovereigns,and below the shield on shield sovereigns. SHIELD sovereigns may haveNOTHING or a die number at that point, so ask the seller if you cannotread it. Nothing or a die number means it is a LONDON minted sovereign and prices are completely different.Be sure and compare to graded coins because plenty of sovereigns are not graded well and are lower grade than described. WEAR is the key point when looking at graded coins, light marks or even dirt only detract the appearance and value slightly. In real life these coins are a 10c size and UNC coins look amazing to the naked eye.Truly MS 65 and other incredible GEM sovereigns of the older types are very hard to find, you are better looking for a PROOF at big auctions if you want a perfect gold sovereign - or buy one of todays celebratory sovereigns. The 1853-2003 issue which is an amazing boxed $10 proof which is a real "keeper", I have 2 and won't sell.Mostly there can be a lot of EF coins which look UNC, they are not graded and the seller either doesn't know or doesn't describe the grade. Of the young head types, St George sovereigns are easiest to grade. Look at the riders helmet which gets a flat spot to the naked eye for EF and below. Big spot ? might not even be VF. Look at the hair most importantly, and the overall lustre of the coin. Gold shows lustre well, you will see even glow and slight changes in tone. aUNC to MS62 coins display changes in tone around the lettering and are very obviously toned. Here's the hair in Mint State, note also the eye and hair bands. The hair bands are as important as the hair and should be crisp - this 2nd (back) band suffers from a weak strike. A line across the hair appears, however dark sports from very minor cabinet friction can appear and confuse. Look for the deep ridges that still exist, and for no wear that destroys those ridges (wavy lines very very deep in the design). This can usually be best soon only with an eyeglass.Seen in a scan, the hair can be seen to have depth, and more detail lines seem to appear deep in the cracksThe best indicator of grade is often this deep section of hair. Look for the bottom of it, nice and deep with extra detail lines appearing. If handled these coins will wear a flat spot OVER the tiny gaps as soon as rubbed. It looks as though there is that effect, but on closer inspection the groove exists.Sharp lettering and numbers are a must. If the numbers on a St George look like a mirror as in a coin of mine (1879 MS62 NGC), its probably a MS61 to 64 coin overall, look at other points. Here's the numbersYou can also see the dragon is well formed, look for nice bumpy details like that and no flatness, light should reflect properly. The only way to do this without looking at the coin itself is to look where the light sources are (in case of a photograph)WARNING for photographs - coins that have a GLOWING RIM and overall glowing appearance are NOT special, and photographed using a simple trick to make this happen. This can hide detracting marks.Sydney MintThis unique design is very important in our coinage and is very rare in high grade. Virtually any year is hard to get UNC, only 1870 (the last year) is really achievable for under a couple of thousand dollars in true UNC full lustre etc. I can get the 1866 in true UNC beautiful coin no wear absolutely shining in colour.. for about $2000. They are not very easy to get at all.This coin was graded AU58, notice the braids of hair. Wear starts with the wreath at the centre, and the lower braid of hair which runs around the ear. Also check the back (bun) section. Across the centre of the wreath is wear on this coin, an UNC coin will show only a little more detail though. This would be a hard section and hard coin to grade for new buyers.Really rare and worth having are just about all the other years (in general). The 1866 and 1870 show up lots, but other years in low grades are easy to get too. Worn away are not worth much though, most of them you need an EF coin for it to have any real value (jumps from $200 VF to $2000 EF are common). If you are patient like me, you will come across lovely examples. Just search and spend the time to look them up. The same really applies for all old half sovereigns. The reason is mass usage, it was very hard to keep hold of a new sovereign and not need to spend it. The shieldNot my favourite type, but I do collect a few and sell them. They were minted for use in India mainly, and many good examples exist. These are best found by searching for DOURO and keep checking when you can. Many thousands of gorgeous coins were found in the Douro cargo and lots were shields.UNC ShieldAgain the mintmark, check the bottom of the shield. Shield sovereigns may havenothing or a die number at that point, so ask the seller if you cannotread it. Nothing or a die number means it is a LONDON minted sovereign and prices are completely different.BuyingCoins sold by the average person are also often not described in grade and will grade aUNC orbetter ! some of those old sovereigns are then worth $1000 and easy toobtain. GOLD is on the rise bigtime and will not stop for some time. You should however be looking for either slabbed (graded) sovereigns by searching for NGC or PCGS or ANACS, these are the only worldwide grading companies I will use.You will NEED a book to know which varieties are which, so this of course goes for those interested in buying gold sovereigns. Have an interest, get a McDonalds catalogue (the one with all the gold coins on the front, NOT any other year) and enjoy !!See my other guides and get a book for more information.

Tips on Buying a Laptop/Notebook

There are a couple of factors to think about when purchasing a laptop. There are two ends of the scale, mobility and power. The key is to find the right mix of the two. The price will also influance this because the more powerful, the greater the price and the more mobile the greater the price. Therefore the most mobile and powerful laptops are the most expensive. At the power end of the scale, there are laptops called desktop replacements. They are as powerful as top of the line desktop computers in a laptop form. They normally have 17" or higher screens. This notebooks are heavy and have little battery life, around 1.5 hours. At the other end, the mobile laptops have lots of battery life, upto 8 hours, and are very light, under 2 kgs. This laptops are not as powerful, normally with intergraded graphics and less ram. There are exceptions, with some mobile laptops being very powerful but also expensive. So you must find the balance between mobility and power at the right price. To determine this think about your needs, do I need to move it or carry it around alot? Do I need top end graphics/RAM/CPU? Do I need a long battery life? How much can I spend? What is my biggest need? There is one other thing, DO NOT BUY A LAPTOP WITH THE INTENT TO SAVE SPACE!!!. Many people think that laptops are good because they are small and save space but they never move them or take them off the main power. This is wrong, wrong, wrong, so if it is you, dont do it!. Not only is it a waste of money but it is dangerous. Laptops with batteries that dont get used can explode. That kind of function is not what a laptop is designed for.

Assessing Autism

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses are increasing, worldwide,and information is in demand.

Star Wars Lego that was available to Australia

This is a guide for fellow eBay members and collectors of Star Wars Lego. This guide will help you, in researching Star Wars lego sets that came to Australia and those that didn't.

Non-piercing nipple jewellery

There is a stunning 99.9% of the world that is not familiar with my type of

How to get a sig and use it

First of all you will need to get yourself a photobucket account which you can do by going here:www.photobucket.comNow, there are restrictions on the sig you can have. The guidelines to the sig you can use are set out here:Signature Guidelines. Next you will need to find the picture you wish to use as your sig. Youcan do this by searching Photobucket for the pic you want to use or youcan visit here:Diva's By Design Signature Thread. For visual aid to the following steps, please visit this page:Ebay ME Page Now there is two ways to upload the picture you wish to use depending on where you got it.Ifyou are using the photobucket search facility, you can upload thepicture you want to use straight to your photobucket account byclicking on the picture. You then need to click on "save image to myalbum", this is located just above the picture. The picture will thenbe added to your album and will be ready to use.If you visitthe tag thread and request a sig you will need to right click on thesig when it has been posted for you and save to your computer using the"save as" option. After you have saved the sig to your computer loginto your photobucket account. To upload the picture you will need toclick on "Browse" and then click on upload.Once the picturehas uploaded to your album you will need to use the HTML Code. Click onthe line marked HTML Code, then right click and copy.Once you have the HTML Code copied, come back to the Ebay Boards.At the top of each board on the right hand side you will see "Watches/Settings".Clickon settings. This will bring you to a new page where you will see alittle box. This is where you will insert the HTML Code. Click insidethe box, then right click and paste.Now, sigs are not allowed contain Link backs so you will need to remove some of the HTML code.The part you will need to remove is this:

Buying Second Hand Engines Off Ebay

Here is a guide on things to consider BEFORE buying you second hand engine whether its from a wrecker or a guy who crashed his car. There are soo many hidden problems in an engine that you and maybe even the seller DO NOT KNOW; probably about 60% of a cars parts are engine parts shows just how complicated engines can really be!, especially if there a turbo engine not as complicated for a supercharged motor. Performing an engine swap or whatever can greatly increase a cars performance OR it can also cause enough nightmares to start pulling hairs out.. Heres how to avoid buying a LEMON motor.GENERAL APPEARANCE:Obviously an extremely dirty and oily motor is a sign that it has had a long life with probably little maintenance. Not good. However, also be wary of engines that are squeaky clean; it could have been recently cleaned to disguise its age. Look out for typical serial number stickers or print markings that are on gearboxes. If these are missing then chances are the engine and gearbox have merely been scrubbed clean.OIL CAP: Take off the oil cap and peer into the rocker cover with a torch. This is your only real chance to look inside the engine that you are buying so this is very IMPORTANT. Check the valve train for any sludge build-up on the components, as this can indicate that the engine has missed a service, or three. Take note of the colour of the oil as well, any hints of white or light yellow are caused by coolant mixing with the oil. uh oh Stay extremely clear of this as if you really want to keep this engine (after you buy it) then you will need anything ranging from a new head all the way to a whole new block! BAD.TIMING BELT:even if the salesmen says the engine had only dont 20,000 km play it safe and swap the timing belt for a new one before installing it in your car or whatever you plan to do with it. Salesmen like to be a bit creative with the truth so its better to be safe than sorry. about 80% of people wont and DONT no how to set an engines timing if the belt breaks.SCRATCHES AND OTHER COSMETIC PROBLEMS:Dont worry to much about small scratches and stuff on the rocker cover. These are quite common with written off cars or at wreckers. As the rocker covers paint was probably worn away by the hoist chains when it was pulled out of the donor.TEST IT:Yes, there is more than one way to test an engine. If the owner says he can show you it running somehow then yes, ask to. Other than that you should probably do a leak down test and a compression test. A compression test is done by feeding a compression gauge into the spark plug hole and cranking the engine. A leak down test is a measurement of how much air pressure escapes (leaks) from the valves. This is not totally necessary but is more needed the more valves there are.BETWEEN HEAD:Look out for any oil that has emerged form between the head and the block. Oil attracts dirt and dust, so it will be immediately apparent. This may indicate a damaged head gasket. However a bit of oil weep from beneath the rocker cover is quite common and can be remedied by resealing the cover.ENGINE MOUNTS:Are the engine mounts intact? if your planning a custom engine swap then youl almost definitely need these for the conversion. Examine the rummer mounts to see if there broken. If a mount is damaged then chances are the donor car was probably involved in a front end accident. FIND A DIFFERENT ENGINE because who what else will be wrong with this sucker.COOLANT:Check around the water pump and thermostat for signs of leaking coolant. A powdery white/yellow residue is the huge giveaway.HARNESS:In most cases you need the entire wiring harness, including the ECU, to perform a hybrid engine swap. Even if its heaving discounted, try to avoid engines that have had there harnesses cut. There are an absolute nightmare to rewire and finding a replacement harness can be extremely difficult.WHAT ARE YOU MISSING??:Some wreckers are dodgy, thats a fact of life. inspect the engine carefully and make sure everything is there. Often wreckers or even just ordinary neighbourhood people will remove parts like injectors or water pumps, and sell them off separately if theres a demand for them.TO SUM THIS ALL UP HERE IS AN EXAMPLE:my good m8 jonno bought a Nissan sr20 turbo out of a wrecked 200sx . He did not no what to search for as he was only starting to modify cars. Anyway He had to spend almost $3000 on parts such as the broken water pump and his horrifically damaged exhaust manifold - luckily for him he was replacing this for a high performance one anyway. and last but definitely least it has offset timing (i expressed how complicated this is above)

Collecting Australian Coca Cola Cans

L-R: Coca Cola Winna Can, 50th Anniv. Gold Can,

Guide to Aluminium Cylinder Heads for Small Block

I wrote this guide as a person frustrated by buying items claimed to be manufactured in a country other than China only to find that an item is indeed manufactured in China, and only marketed through the said other country.

KARIZA STYLE SARI SILK VINTAGE WRAP SKIRT

I THOUGHT THIS GUIDE MIGHT BE USEFUL TO PEOPLE WANTING TO BUY A KARIZA STYLE SKIRT. THESE ARE THINGS I HAVE LEARNT FROM MY EXPERIENCE. THESE STYLE OF SKIRTS ARE ALSO REFERED TO MAGIC SKIRTS, VINTAGE SILK SARONG, VINTAGE DRESS, INDIAN SILK SKIRT. INDIAN

Is your GOLD Real or Fake???

One of the main concerns when buying Gold Jewellery on EBay is am I getting the genuine thing? Also how

Fake TV Series Box Sets

If the TV shows your buying look something like these then they are fake!24AngelBuffyCSIEverybody Loves RaymondFrasierMashScrubs(Some sets do look like this, but if it's seasons 1 - 6 all in one, then is fake.)SimpsonsSeasons 1 - 17? as if.Stargate SG-11. If it seems too good to be true then it is.2. Positive feedback does not mean genuine goods, alot of people are unaware. READ the negatives.3. Report them, keep ebay clean and safe.4. Check out big retailer websites to see if they sell it. If they dont, then its probably fake.5. Fake goods come from everywhere not just Asian countries.Hope this helps!

Carat (ct)

Carat (ct) and Karat (kt)

Annette HIMSTEDT Part 1 vinyl collectors artist dolls

Annette Himstedt has made many porcelain dolls and many vinyl dolls.ANNETTE HIMSTEDT PUPPEN KINDER VINYL. The Barefoot Children - 1986/87Bastian is a blue eyed sitting doll, a boy from Germany - height 26 inch. Several versions were produced Bastian I has big round eyes, medium blonde hair and the only inscription is 'Bastian'Bastian II has a smaller head, smaller eyes, some were made with long hair and some with short hair. Have the inscription 'Bastian' with 'Annette Himsted' underneath. The Bastian that was made for the German market wears a brown corduroy overall and a striped shirt.Bastian USA has long medium blond hair, wears green pants and a checkered shirt.

Tips for buying a Corset

Here are some key things to look for when buying a corset.1. Is the corset designed to Shape the body or is it just for show? Many items refered to as corsets are not corsets in the traditional sense they are just tops or lingerie items.2. Does it have a front closure and what is it? A real corset will have either no front closure- only back lacing, a lace up front as well as back with the laces supported either side with steel boning

1994 50 cent coin Wide Date Variety identification

Australian 1994 50c coin scarce 7mm date varietySome Sellers

Shopping Trolley Covers - What features to look for

What makes the best shopping trolley cover?

Bangle Fitting Guide

ROUND FIT BANGLEA simple method for approximating comfortable Round Fit bangle size is to measure the length between the first three knuckles on the hand the bangle is to be worn on.Make a fist and measure the length from the outside of the first knuckle to the point between the third and fourth knuckle.This measurement equals the required diameter of your Round Fit bangle.for example, if the measurement comes to 65mm, then a 65mm (inside diameter) bangle should fit your hand.OVAL FIT BANGLEThe fitting measurements for oval bangles differ from that of round bangles.Please use the following formula to calculate your Oval Fit bangle size.Simply add 3mm to your comfortable Round Fit bangle size.For example, if a Round Fit 65mm bangle fits comfortably, add 3mm to this measurement to determine your Oval Fit size65mm plus 3mm equals 68mm.Note Oval Fit dimension is measured from internal widest point to widest pointThis method works in most instances, however we offer this tip as a guide only.

The biggest thing eBay can do to make people happy!

Happy 2009 everyone! I've been watching eBay go down hill the last couple of years, I thought I put in my .02 cents!It's not easy when a large company has growing pains that demand new changes. Since not every change is likely to be popular, things can get pretty dicey.What eBay has done with Australia in 08' and now in 09' here in America has had many damaging effects, almost too many for sellers to overcome. Higher fees, paypal "only", BS DSR's, and basically making everyone offer free shipping when buyers and you know who you are still resort to leave BS DSR's to make you miss the DSR powerseller discounts!There's no discounts folks this is just another ploy for eBay to line their pockets even more. Blame eBay management if they even have management!Management can be perceived as being in bunker mode, workers can get weary and confused, customers can get critical, critics can get rabid. Those things happen under the best of circumstances, if you hit a few extra bumps, watch out! Ebay, once the darling of the online auction industry has come under a lot of fire in the past couple of years for some dramatic changes it's made in it's fee structure and policy. Yours truly has been a pretty vocal, but fair critic of these changes. Rather than re-hash the plethora of events that have inspired everything from countless eBay alternative startups to the calling for the resignation of it's CEO, I am going to offer one simple piece of advice to eBay. We feel as a veteran eBay Powersellers with 13 years selling online, and as a licensed second generation professional auctioneer with over 35 years in the business, that we're well qualified to make a suggestion like this. I've called for this several times going as far back as over a year ago, and of course, I'm not the only one who's made it. But there has never been a better time to institute this. Ebay, split your selling platform, completely, clearly and definitively into 2 formats. 1) Fixed price, 2) Auctions. The number of problems this will solve will be uncountable. It would satisfy sellers of all walks, and bring most of the anti-eBay sentiment to a screeching halt. The bleeding of lost sellers and buyers will stop, your PR deptartment will have a chance to re-group, the moral of workers will balloon, management can relax. Why? Because eBay will be re-invented in the publics eye as a company who listened to it's customers. And because the auction model has worked so well, and really does define eBay.It's a way of having your cake, and getting to eat it too. Placing a few good experienced auctioneers in some position of power within such a new auction only branch, and shouting this to the community would allow eBay to take the focus off of the angst that's been aimed that the giant for the past 2 years. No one can bellow like a good auctioneer! With that breathing space it could re-group and get a closer look at how to make its fixed price platform the dominant player they are hoping it will be. It could, get much more out of it's auction business, and have the best chance of bringing eBay stock to the stratosphere. It looks like a tri-fecta to me. Take some advice from a big mouthed auctioneer on this one, not because I think I have all the answers, but because auctions online and off, are my life, I monitor the auction business the way Google does analytics, and all the information I have shows that your users want this.Thanks for reading, and thanks for making us a

MANTLE CLOCKS 1920's to 1970,s

MANTLE CLOCKS 1920s to 1970sThe common Mantle clocks sold in Australia from around the 1920s to 1940s usually were a rectangular shape with a square ot rectangular dial. In the 1940S they gradually changed to a doubled curved shape top and were commonly called Napoleon hat shaped clocks. Their construction consisted of a ply back and front with a veneer shape, nailed and glued to the sides to produce the top. A majority of these clock cases were imported into Australia from England and Germany before the Second World War. During 1940 to 1945 clocks and movements were difficult to obtain so the numbers available were low. After the war both complete clocks and movements started to appear in Australia again. These clocks were commonly given to people as a wedding present or a person leaving their place of employment, and also presented with an inscription plate for years of service to work or charity. As we nearer the 1950s quite a number of cabinet making workshops around Australia who produced veneered bedroom suites or wireless cabinets also made clock cases as they had off cuts of ply and veneer they could use up to produce these clocks cases. That is the reason why you see such a large variety of case designs. They then fitted an imported English of German movement and they were sold throughout jewellery shops in their local town or city. Common veneer used was walnut and blackwood. Majority of these clocks had a round opening bezel in chrome and a silvered dial with black painted numbers. Some of them had a chapter ring for dial that is no centre to the dial so the polished timber would show. The movements in these clocks were either a gong strike, one on the half hour and the counts the hours or a Westminster chime. These chime every quarter hour and count the the hour. This movement has three winding holes where the gong chime only has two winding holes. There is also the odd mantle clock that has a triple chime, that is Westminster, St. Michaels and Whittington. These movements are quite rare. All the above movements are of the newer design to the old American movements and they will correct their striking pattern within an hour of winding the hands forward.STRIPPING THE CLOCK CABINETIf you intend to restore one of these clocks the first step is to remove the hands and then remove gong and movement out of the case. The dial and bezel is usually screwed or pinned to the front surface. Most of these clock cases do not have any decorations on them. If it has a hinged rear door, remove it. The polished surfaces on these clocks are around 50 years old and have crystallized or crazed, therefore it needs removing. If it is crystallized, use a sharp chisel or scraper to remove the polish. It will come off easily. Scrape back to bare timber and then sand smooth. If it is hard to remove by scraping, washing in thinners may help dissolve the polish and fine steel wool soaked in thinners may cut through the polish. Smooth surface with fine paper. Nail holes and small imperfections need to be filled with a wood filler similar colour to the veneer. If the colour of the veneered surface varies, you may need to stain the case all one colour before polishing. Use a spirit stain for this purpose. Polishing can be achieved by spraying clear lacquer, brushing semi-gloss polyurethane or coats of shellac until you have an acceptable finish.OPENING GLASS BEZEL AND GLASSIf you are purchasing one of these clocks to restore for yourself, check that the dial and opening bezel is in good condition as replacement parts are usually unattainable. The convex glass can be replaced by purchasing one the correct size or getting a larger glass cut down to size. The silvered dial usually suffers from wear around winding holes, numbers and time ring. Silvered time rings are almost impossible to purchase, but there are a few gold dials that may fit. Most of these clocks also have brass grommets fitted through the winding holes. Clean the chrome or brass bezel with silvo or brasso. CLOCK ASSEMBLYFix the dial to the clock case with its screws or escutcheon pins, and install the winding hole grommets. After cleaning and oiling the movement, mount it back into the case and also fix gong in position. Replace minute hand and turn clockwise to each chiming position. When satisfied clock is chiming correctly at say 4 oclock, add hour hand and fix minute hand in correct position. Run the clock and adjust weight of pendulum bob to keep good time. Screw bob up to go faster, or down to go slower. If you are missing hands we do have replacements, but slight modification maybe necessary to make them fit. IF YOU HAVE FOUND MY GUIDE INTERESTING AND HELPFUL PLEASE CLICK ON THE YES BUTTON BELOW.

The Complete James Patterson Book List

I spend hours compiling and checking each of my guides before publication. It is my goal to be one of the top 25 reviewers in Australia. If you find this guide helpful in any way, please recognise my hard work by voting yes. I appreciate every helpful vote I receive.James Patterson is the author of more new #1 bestselling titles in the past five years than Dan Brown, J.K. Rowling, Tom Clancy and John Grisham put together. He is the creator of the Number One new detective series of the past dozen years, featuring Alex Cross and including the Hollywood-adapted Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls, starring Morgan Freeman. I hope this list is of some help to you. If you wish tosearch please use CNTRL FAlex Cross Series in OrderAlong Came a Spider 1992Kiss the Girls 1995Jack

Australian import duty and tax

When buying overseas ,Australian import duty and tax ,there is none payable on items of less than $1000.Go to this url customs.gg

Save Big Dollars with Australian Shipping

A little-known and totally unpublicised anomally within Australia Post can save big dollars, for you or your customers!If you send items in a box(a parcel) to a customer within Australia and the total weight of the parcel exceeds 1kg the shipping price is calculated using cubic weight if this is greater than the actual weight. The cubic weight is the parcel's volume in cubic metres multiplied by 250. Cubing may also apply under certain circumstances even to parcels over 500grams.For example, if your parcel measures 450mm x 300mm x 200mm and weighs 1.5kgs the parcel would be 'cubed' and you would be charged as if it weighed 6.75kg 0.45 x 0.3 x 0.2 x 250 = 6.75If this '6.75kg' parcel were being sent from say Rockingham, Western Australia to Frankston, Victoria it would cost $26.95. ($2.70 x 7 + $8.05).Now, do you want to save some money? Okay, put your parcel inside a bag. Australia Post sell a GL Tough Bag for $1.80* or you can use any other form of 'bag'. You could even make one out of tough plastic sheeting! The parcel will not now be 'cubed', it will be weighed normally.You will pay only $13.45 for postage - that's less than half the price! Even allowing for the cost of a bag you are miles ahead. You may find that you do not even need to use a box. Many items can be shipped just inside a bag. If the itemsare fragile they can be wrapped in bubblewrap for protection. Bubblewrap is lightweight and offers far better protection than a box padded with old newspaper. I ship fragile camera equipment all over the world this way and have never had an item damaged. Now whether you decide to use this new-found knowledge to boost your bottom line profits or to pass the savings on to your customers is entirely your choice.All the best, Peter PickeringMy Ebay Store - Aden Camera* GL bags up to 40% discount if you buy in bulk lots of 100.

FAKE, COPIES OF THE US MEDAL OF HONOR SOLD ON EBAY

The United States Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself " Conspicuously by gallant and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States" - because of the nature of its criteria, the medal is often awarded posthumously.For us mad military collector's ofrare Orders and Medalsrightly or wrong, it is the most highly prized out of all the world's military collectables. We, here at Elitemilitaria get asked at least once a week if we have a Medal of Honor for sale, mainly from collector's in the United States, that know that it is protected under United States federal law under the Stolen valor act of 2005, with a special task force within the FBI who's sole purpose is to hunt down anyone who illegally owns or sells a Medal of Honor, the fine being $100,000 USD or1 yearjail.There are4 main types of Medal of Honor's on the world collectable market today, which is only illegal for a citizen of the United States to buy, this law does not apply to collector's from the rest of the world, hence you constantly see the Medal of Honor for sale, mainly on German eBayand UK eBay, most of them being fakes made in Germany and China. We will get into the specifics in a minute.There is the ultra scarce andun-obtainable named with the recipients name to reverse, as awarded to a veteran by the US Government.There area few named originalsin private collections around the world, the collector's value for a genuine named Medal of Honor would be around $250,000 to $300,000 USD.The most common found in collections, classed as genuine 'illegal' version, is1 out of the 300 Medal of Honor's made by HLI Lordship Industries Inc., a former Medal of Honor contractor to the United States Government, which was fined and lost their Government contract in 1996 for selling 300 Medal of Honor's through the back door for $75.USD each, the US Government calls these fakes, us collector's class them as 'illegal originals' made by the same manufacturer that supplied the US Government, currently a cased HLI Lordship setsells for between $2200 to $2750.USD The current situation on mainlyGerman eBayis that a fake cased set of the US Navy Medal of Honor is being sold as an original tothe unsuspecting collector for up to 1000. Euros - every week on German eBay you see these up for auction. The Germans make the finest quality US Navy Medal of Honor, the strike and detail is near perfect as expected from German precision workmanship, only the US Navy Medal of Honor is copied, because it is just plain metal, with no elaborate green enamel work as found on the US Army and US Air Force MOH, so easy to copy, please view the detailed pictures provided of the German copy.GERMAN MADE COPY BELOW AS SOLD ON EBAY ORIGINAL CURRENT US NAVY MEDAL OF HONOR BELOW AS AWARDED BY THE US GOVERNMENTThen therearethe nastyChinese copies,who makecopies ofthe US Army Medal of Honor and the US Air Force Medal of Honor, again mainly sold on German eBay and UK eBay, the qualityand the detail is poor, the enamel work is terrible, the medals suspension system is a joke when you compare it to an original, theinscription on the reversea bigger joke andthe writing style and placement is incorrect'In the name of the Congress' last week on German eBay, some poor German collector paid over 600.Euros for one of theseworthless Chinese pieces ofjunk.CHINESE COPY BELOW OF US ARMY MEDAL OF HONOR AS SOLD ON EBAY ORIGINAL US ARMY MEDAL OF HONOR BELOW AS AWARDED BY THE US GOVERNMENT If you see a US Medal of Honor on auction on eBay please e-mail us before wasting your hard earned money, we will be more than happyto get back to you quickly, and tolet you know if it is worth bidding on. We just want to help you make the right investment desion,let's sort out these gangsters on eBay selling fake US Medal of Honor's once and for all.The United States Medal of Honor recipients deserve our highest respect and gratitude for their self sacrifice, together we will not stand by and let the fraudsters cheapen the honor of these American hero's.Was this guide helpful to you? If so please tick "YES" below. Thank you.

STOP THIEVES STEALING YOUR INTELLECTUAL PRODUCTS NOW!!

DOWNLOAD PAGE PROTECTORAre you Sick and Tired of having Your Intellectual Property Stolen?Discover The Quick And Easy Way To Protect YOUR Products From Internet ThievesBrand New Software Will Security Lock Your Download Pages In 2 Seconds FlatNo Scripts To Set Up - Everything Done Automatically By Simple Windows SoftwareIf you sell ebooks or software, you will almost certainly know about the problem of product theft.Lots of people will try to gain access to your product download (or thankyou) pages without paying, in order to steal your ebooks or software.People usually do this by trying to guess the name of your download page.You probably already reduce this risk by giving your download page a name that is hard to guess.However tests based on analysis of server logs have shown that some people will spend up to an hour trying to guess their way into a download page.Some now even use special hacking software, left to run overnight automatically trying millions of permutations to guess the name of your page.The fact is that simply giving your download page an unusual name is no longer an effective way of stopping those determined to steal your products.Download Page Protector quickly and easily protects you from this problem, by automatically adding a special script into your download page.The special script requires a security code to be included in the link for the download page.If the code is not included in the link address, the script will automatically redirect the visitor to your home page preventing downloading.This makes it much harder for someone to guess their way into your download page.Automatic Search Engine ProtectionA second threat to your products arises if your download page gets listed on a search engine.There are many ways that this can happen, including dishonest customers posting the link to a forum.Of course, if the link to your download page gets onto a search engine, its easily available to everyone.Your product is free to anyone who searches for it!Download Page Protector provides very simple protection from this problem by automatically inserting a special "robots meta-tag" in your page.Most of the leading search engines will not list pages containing this special tag, preventing this search engine problem from ever occurring.Unfortunately there are still a lot of search engines which ignore this special tag.Download Page Protector therefore offers a secondary search engine protection mechanism.Anyone coming to your download page directly from a search engine link will be automatically redirected to your home page, preventing them downloading your products.Although it is preferable to avoid your pages getting onto search engines, this secondary mechanism offers valuable protection if it does happen.Download Protector Software- Protect illegal DownloadsA Highly Versatile Protection SystemDownload Page Protector has been fully tested on the two primary payment services for ebook and software sales, Clickbank and Paypal.However unlike most other solutions, Download Page Protector is not restricted to these services and should work with any payment service.Your Quick And Easy SolutionTo show you just how easy Download Page Protector is to use, full instructions are included below.1. Click the Select File button and select the download page HTML file.2. Enable the Prevent access from search engines checkbox to install the secondary search engine security mechanism. (Normally you would enable this).3. Enter your web site name (such as www.****.com). You only need to enter this once as it is automatically stored for use next time you use the software.If someone tries to access your download page without the correct security code, their browser will be automatically redirected to this address.4. Enter a security code - any number will do - preferably between 6 and 15 digits long.5. Click the Update button.That's all there is to it!Your download page file will be automatically updated and saved in the same folder and with the same name as the original HTML file, but with extension ".php".You should upload this new php page to your website in the same way as you would upload any other web page,using your web site console or FTP program.Download Protector Software- Protect illegal DownloadsSoftware and ebook theft is a serious problem.Download Page Protector could stop you losing a significant proportion of your sales.Add to this the income potential from selling Download Page Protector to others and I'm sure you will agree that this is a valuable offer.I know I could charge a lot for all this, but I want to help as many people as possible put an end to the damaging activities of product thieves.So, I'm going to let you have Download Page Protector for just au$1.99This low price may be increased at any time, so please order now to avoid disappointment.I'm so confident in the value of this software, that I'm also going to give you a no risk, no questions asked, 90 day, 100% money back guarantee!There is simply no way you should miss out on this exceptional offer. The 100% no risk guarantee means you simply cannot lose!ORDER NOW FOR ONLY au$1.99(Normally Costs - au$29.95)Download Page Protector is for use on all versions of Microsoft Windows.The software has only been fully tested with Clickbank and Paypal, but the mechanisms used should work with any payment service. It is recommended that you always make a test purchase after setting up a new download page, to ensure it is working correctly, before allowing customers to use it.ONLY $1.99AUSTOP THIEVES STEALING YOUR PRODUCTS NOW!!*** INTRODUCTORY OFFER ***Check our items for sale if you are interested in purchasing.Hope we have helped you to understandthe importance of securing your intellectual property so you canbeat the thieves at their own game!!

A guide to buying Czech Firepolish Beads

Czech Firepolish beads are a must for any beaders bead box.They are thehighest quality manufactured glass faceted bead available. Wether you are buying Czech Firepolish beads at your local bead shop or the vast selection available on ebay knowing your option will helpyou pick the right bead for the right project. Let the following information help build your collection.A Brief History of Czech BeadsA tradition that has been passed on from one generation to the next, Czech Bohemian glass makers have a rich beading tradition dating back to the 14th Century. Earlier craftsman's competedmainly with Venetian bead makers.Famous for thereuse of rich colours,by 1860's they becamethe European leaders in glass bead making.It wasn't until the 19th Century, the industrial revolution thatthe Czech beading industrybecame the centre of glass bead making.They developed machines that enable pressing glass into heated moulds. Through constant innovation, improvementand perfecting this technique the Czech quickly became masters of pressed glass. Today the Czech's arein the fore front of the world bead market through therebrillance of colour and there every changing variety.(Reference the Centre for Bead Research)What are Firepolish BeadsFirepolish refers to the manufacturing process how the beads are created.The beads are first moulded and pressed. Angles are then created onall sides of the beads to createthe facets. The beads are then finished in an hot oven wheremelting the sidescreating a smooth shinny finish. This process results in a perfectly beautiful bead, but the edges aren't as sharp nor are the facets as exactly sized as machine cut crystal. Firepolished Beads shapes and sizes Firepolishbeads come in an amazing variety of shapes. The most popular shape is round.Sizes range from 3mm to 22mm, with the 4mm,6mm

How To Get Maximum Benefit From Using A Spin Bike

If You Find This Guide Informative Please Click the Yes Button at the Bottom of the Page. Thank You.Spinning is a term for indoor, stationary cycling. Spin bikes have fixed racing handlebars, pedals with shoes straps so that you don't slip, adjustable bike seat and adjustable handle bar crank. This is great, because it's important that you are sitting in the right position depending on your height for maximum comfort and results. The intensity of your spinning workout session on the spin bike can be adjusted with either a resistance knob or gear lever. Depending on the type of spin bike you're looking at, some of the higher quality spin bikes come with a gear lever which offers up to 8 gear changes for harder workouts. While spinning classes are very popular, more and more people are buying spin bikes for home use as time restraints, and hectic lifestyles make it very difficult to get to scheduled spinning classes on time.While a typical spinning bike class lasts for up to 40 minutes, every minute working out on your spin bike does count! Remember...your muscles can't count time so if you've only got 12 or 5 or 17 minutes....go for a spin on your exercise bike! It will still make a difference! Like all exercise programs, start out with a warm up and gradually build up speed and resistance as your fitness levels increase! People of all ages and fitness levels can enjoy spinning on the spin bike and because the impact is so low, if you're after an exercise program that doesn't add stress to the joints, but still want to burn maximum calories, then a spinning exercise program may be what you're after!A spinning exercise routine using your spin bike will work out a few different muscles groups. These include the quadriceps (thighs), hamstrings (back of the thighs), hips, gluteus maximus (bum), and abdominal muscles. As you can see...your spinning exercise routine can really get great results if you go for it!Spinning indoors on your spin bike is a perfect way to exercise all year round because you never have to worry about the weather. You can watch TV, read a book or really ramp it up for an intense training session! It all depends on the outcome of your exercise session.I recommend investing in a pair of proper cycling shorts as after a while you may need the extra padding! For those looking for an exercise that really works your bum, spinning on a spin bike will give you great results here! By the way, make sure you drink plenty of water during your spinning exercise program. Very important!If you have any ailments, injuries or queries, firstly consult with your personal trainer, a fitness instructor or a physician. Make sure your seat is in the right position and the handlebars have been adjusted to suit you. Your knees should be slightly bent when positioned at the bottom of the stroke pedal. Your elbows should be slightly bent, with your arms a comfortable distance from the handlebars. Keep adjusting them until you've got it right!Spinning on your spin bike in the comfort of your own home is an excellent, safe and fun way to burn those unwanted kilos while increasing your fitness level. Because you can jump on your spin bike any time of the day (even if it's only for a few minutes), you will see results fast if you keep it up! Mixed with a healthy eating plan, spinning on your spin bike will have you feeling like an athlete in no time at all!My name's Amanda and I'm one of Australia's leading Personal Trainers, thanks for stopping by and reading my guide. For more information drop by my eBay store and check out what a qualitySpin Bike should look like.AmandaJoin My FREE NewsletterCLICK HERE For More Information About Spin BikesI'm eBay's Only Online Personal Trainer CLICK HERE To Ask Me A Question

Guide to Wake Rope and handles explained

WAKECOM'S GUIDE TO WAKEBOARD ROPES

Sniper/Bid Napping, last seconds bidding- Has its place

Since first writing a guide for eBay, I have seen an exponential rise in use of new last seconds bidding software tools (variously called sniper or bid napper etc) to place bids in the last seconds of an auction. As a seller this can be frustrating as no bids are placed early, innocent buyers think the item has a problem, visitor numbers are sometimes not shown in the listing and its can be discouraging for browsing potential buyers, (and sellers) even though there may be anywhere between 16 and 70 people watching an item (but only the seller can know this). Do your homework is the key in this situation. Know what the item is worth and how much you are willing to pay.There are various types of these programs available and all have varying costs some are a percentage of the final purchase price others are on annual subscription. Which ever you choose read all the small print, check the security certification and their privacy policy. Take as much care in choosing a sniper software tool as you would selecting a bank or a potential purchase on eBay. Use your favourite search engine with a few key words with a sign and the name of online auctionyou want to bid at and take some time reading about the options available. Don't just jump on the first one you see.Sniper bids take some of the fun out of the auction process but whilst eBay allows them and offers a group bidding service themselves then they can be very useful particularly if you are a buyer on a budget or do not want to sit up all night to bid on an item. These programs allow you to put in the maximum price you want to pay and then forget it. If it was meant for you you will get it and if it was not then you still have your money to selectively invest in another item. The really useful thing about these sniper services is that you avoid the emotional pressure in the last seconds of bidding and the frustration of refresh rate times that are really variable depending on a lot of factors, including your computer, the number of people using the internet at the time, etc even if you have the fastest connection currently available.The worst thing that can happen is being caught up in a bidding war and going over your budget and possibly over what the item is currently worth. Sniper or last seconds bidder software does at least give you a sense of security that should an unscrupulous seller employ a snipper software then at least you don't go over budget. Only bid what you are prepared to pay and check where the decimal point is in the number you enter as your maximum bid.CheersArtsite_Gallery

Identifying Fake Gameboy Advance (GBA) Game Cartridges

After a recent transaction where a seller sold me a fake GBA game, I have decided to write this help guide to assist everyone out there.The easiest way to identify a fake GBA game is to have a look at the base of the cartridge where the gold cartridge connectors are.If you shine a light inside this area, located at the back of the connectors near the plastic casing, you will see white text printed on the circuit board bearing various pieces of information.The text varies from cartridge to cartridge but generally has 'Nintendo', the year of manufacture and/or item serial number imprinted.All the fake cartridges I have seen thus far do not bear these official Nintendo identifiers.This is the only near fool proof way of identifying a fake cartridge since most pirated copies nowadays are so good that you cannot tell simply by looking at the quality of the label, instruction manual or box.So next time when in doubt, request a seller to email you a photo of the area described above to validate that it is a genuine item.If they refuse to, they obviously have something to hide!Without a doubt I will be copping alot of hate mail for writing this, but the truth needs to be revealed.If this guide is of help to you, please take the time to thank me by voting below.Here is a photo of the area:

Vinyl Decal Application Instructions

Note: These instructions are for vinyl decals only and do not apply to printed stickers.Understanding The DecalThis sticker is in three parts:The top layer is called the Application Tape The middle layer is the final product. The bottom layer is called the backing paper PreparationIf your decal arrives in a mailing tube, it is recommended that you unroll the decal and let it lie flat, face down for at least an hour before applying.Thoroughly clean the surface. The surface you are applying the sticker to, must be clean, dry

Hunting For Bargains On Ebay- The easy way

I absolutely ADORE ebay and spend alot of my time online shopping andjust surfing around the eBay website hoping to stumble upon a bargain.I shop alot for my kids on here, and if you look hard enough, you willfind an auction that everyone has seemed to forget about, and snap up areal great bargain!Explore ALL Options.Sometimes there will beauctions with no gallery picture and a really vague heading and youthink to yourself 'ahh nothing special... oohh look theres a cutepicture of a such and such' and forget all about that tiny little blotof writing which seems to disappear up your screen. You may be missing out on something reallyspecial. Some people are just inexperienced/new to ebay or do not wantto add a gallery picture because their item is something that is notworth ALOT of money, so, they hope their title will be enough toattract the high bidding buyers. Most of the time these items havelittle to no bids on them. I have personally found extremely goodcondition pumpkin patch or fisher price items on the site which i havebought for 99c! And theseitems sell for ATLEAST $10 . Don't just go for the items with the bigflashy, highlighted titles, take the time to hunt!Slow down and read the auctions carefully.Somepeople are easily detered by the words 'second hand' or 'slightlydamaged' and quickly hit the back key or close the window beforereading the entire auction. It pays to read an auction carefully as itmay just be something minor that may cost you a little bit of money tofix but possibly save you anywhere from $10 to $100 to even $1000depending on what your looking for! Some of the best items i havebought off ebay have been second hand, and buying them at a bargainmakes it an even sweeter victory!WAIT!Takea breath, calm down, and instead of stumbling across a bargain andbidding straight away, simply, wait and add it to your watch list. Onebay, there are alot of competative people and if they see somethingthey want and you've bid on it, they'll keep bidding until they beatyour highest price and then you'll end up paying more to get somethingyou wanted to get on the cheap! My tip? Wait until the last day andthen bid, less bids can be placed in a 24hr time frame then they can ina 48 or 120 hr period... true?Hunt hunt hunt hunt!If you come across a seller that is selling multiples of the one itemat different times in the auction format, watch a couple of theminstead of just one. If the one you were intending to bid on hasexceeded your budget, delete it from your watch list and see if theother one you've bookmarked is still at a lower price and keep goinguntil you win an item at the price YOU want to pay. That way your notblowing your budget on just one item!PostageIf a buyer is selling more than one thing that you are intendingon bidding on, ask how much combined shipping will cost you. The moreyou buy from the one buyer the more you can possibly SAVE BIG onshipping! For example. If you buy one top from one person and you buyanother from another one... you could be looking at around $9.50 juston postage ALONE (based on Aus Post shipping charges)! Whereas if youbuy the two tops from the one person you could look at paying just$4.75 for the postage and maybe even squeeze a few more tops or extrastoo! It pays to shop with the one buyer!I hope this has helped all of you in some way, it was fun to write and share my tips for ebay with you! Enjoy eBay!

Silver In Its Many Forms

Silver In Its Many FormsIf you find this guide useful please be sure to vote for YES at the bottom of the page.STERLING SILVERis 92.5% pure silver and will generally be stamped with 925 as a sign that it is sterling silver. Sterling silver may also bear the makers mark and be stamped with the country of origin, for instance ITALY. Theremaining 7.5% of metal in sterling silveris generally made up of copper to give the silver its strength because silver in its pure form is soft. When buying any sterling silver it is a good idea to check that it doesn't contain any nickel as it can cause irritations to anyone withsensitive skin, just because something is sterling silver does not necessarily mean your skin will not react to it. Silver will almost definitely tarnish how quickly depends on the enviroment the silver is in, for instance salt can cause silver to tarnish quickly so swimming in the surf or being present in salty air can speed up the tarnishingprocess as well as the the acids and fats released from your skin through perspiration.There are many ways to clean silver including toothpaste, baking soda and a good srcubbing with a fine cloth.Theeasiest and one of the bestoptions is a silver cloth with anti-tarnish chemicals in it, so when you clean your silveritwill alsostayclean for longer.If you want to go all out you can also have your silver rhodium plated which will stop tarnishing for as long the plating remains. It also combatsirritations some people may get from silververy effectively.All thesterling silveritems I sell are completely nickel free and are great for those people with sensitive skin.FINE SILVERis 99.9% pure silverand is normally only found in jewellery in the form of a plating - for instance I sell sterling silver jewellery and findings which have a fine silver plating. Fine silver is used because it has a great lustrous shine andreally brightensup the sterling silveras well as fixing any scratches or marks left from the construction process. SILVER PLATINGrefers to a pure silvercoating and unless the coating is pure silver then it shouldn't becalled silver plated instead it is just silver coloured - even though this isn't always the case. The base metals used under a silver platingwill vary greatly in quality with the better options being brass, copper, bronze and sterling silver. Metals such as iron are cheaper metals which are of a lower quality, it is also a good idea to check if the items you are buyingare nickel free to help prevent potentialallergic reactions.TIBETAN

Synthetic Winch Ropes

When considering converting to a Synthetic Winch Rope there are a fewthings you need to know.Firstly it is very important that the rope is protected from the heat generated by the drum. This can be extremely high and can destroy your rope very quickly. Quality ropes are shielded. (More relevant to low mount winches, but still worth noting)Choose the appropriate thickness and length to best suit your needs.It is better to choose a shorter length as you get the strongest pull from the first layer of rope on the drum. To winch over a greater distance you should use a winch extension. This is a lot easier on yourself and the winch.Visibility is also very important. I have seen many people trip over the winch line. Choose a bright colour if possible.Winch ropes (and all recovery gear) should be cleaned regularly. Items can be washed in warm soapy water. When dry, inspect and pack correctly.An Aluminium Fairlead should be used with synthetic rope. Steel fairleads tend to be a little rougher and may damage your rope.Always ensure there is at least one layer of rope on the winch drum.If you need any advice please feel free to contact me.Also, if looking at ropes from overseas, consider the added cost of exchange rate, freightand import duty. It can be a nasty surprise.Have fun in the bush and always practice safe techniques.

Safe buying and selling - how to detect a restoration

For buyers and sellers of fine china, porcelain and ceramics- know your product, detect restorations before you list, understand your own limitations and learn the correct terminology - high feedback does not an expert makeClarice Cliff All sellers have to source their items from somewhere; fromestate or garage sales, flea markets or car boot sales, or from their local auction house. Rarely will a full and accurate history of the item in question accompany this sale so it is virtually impossible for a seller to announce, in absolute honesty, that an item is in original unrestored condition. A trophy, from the hunt for items to sell on Ebay, often ends up listed as in 'perfect' or 'mint' condition, which is as it appears to the untrained eye of the newly self-proclaimed expert in fine china and associated items. This description, when combined with the credentials of the seller in coloured-font hyperbole, adds a false authenticity to the item and the potential bidder accepts the stated description as fact. All too often an item described in this manner has imperfections a real expert might have discerned andmentioned for accuracy.There are many restorations, and very good ones at that, being sold as 'in perfect condition', albeit unwittingly, by those who have yet to learn the subtle nuances of paint and glaze finishes. Many professional restorations are difficult to discern with the naked eye, therefore, a magnifying glass is an essential piece of equipment for the gatherer and seller of fine china, Whether large or small, it is a useful aid in identifying china marks and examining pieces for damage or change. Remember the Ebay bidder does not have the opportunity to examine the item in person and relies on your description to be honest and accurate.The more advanced trader might also use a black light, an ultra-violet light most commonly used to check glassware for reproductions and detect repairs in porcelain, although not all restorations can be detected in this way.What to look for in a restoration:any changes to texture i.e. gritty spots of uneven sections in the glaze that can be felt with the handage crazing that is incomplete i.e. crazing on one part of the item with an area of unbroken glazesubtle shade differencein the coloursraised brush strokesany inconsistency to the patternany hint of chemical or varnish smellThese anomalies may be barely discernable, particularly with a dusty vintage item, and a good wash in warm soapy water might not only dislodge the dust, but also any amateur restoration.It is wiser to err on the side of caution and mention, in your description,any of the above that you detect, to alert the bidder of a 'possible' restoration. Restoration versus repair or gluing togetherThere have been many instances when a seller, in a bid to be honest, describes an item as having had a restoration, or a repair, when in fact it has simply had the pieces re-attached with a glue of some sort. This inaccuracy is misleading and I suggest the following definitions be used as a guide when determining a description.Restoration:This refers to an item that has been returned as closely as possible to its original form. It will not have any visible cracks or other damagenor bedetectable with the naked eye,. It may not even be detectable using a magnifying glass or black light.Repair:To repair is to return an item to sound condition after damage.Other terminology:Hairline - a very fine, barely discernible crack that may or may not penetrate to both sides of the itemChip- a piece broken off an item, usually up to 5mm, anything larger is considered a breakFleabite or nibble - a minute missing piece that is usually smaller than 1mmStaining - any mark that cannot be washed off with warm soapy waterCrazing- fine lines in the glaze that follow a crazy paving patternRestorations, when done professionally and expertly, can form a valuable part of any collection, indeed, most museums not only employ fine arts restorers, they also have many restored piecesincluded in their own collections, but the choice of inclusion should always remain with the buyer.Build your reputation as a trusted and knowledgable seller of china through consistent and well-informed description ot your items for sale.(c) Merlene FawdryI hope this guide has been helpful. Thank you fortaking the time to read this guide, which has been written to assist china collectors. Because there are a minority who negatively rate other people's guides to promote their own, before you vote for its usefulness please make sure your vote is genuine and you are not voting it as Not Useful just to send it lower down the rating scale. Thank you braddieboy

how to find the dress that flatters your figure

Wedding dress comes in many silhouettes. So how to choose the one that flatters your figure? Here are usually six styles as follows:Column: this style is straight and sleek, this often-strpless dress has no waistline.Who it flatters: perfect for the petite and short waisted women, a column's continuous line adds height to a small frame. Curvy girls should steer clear of its slender shape.Princess: a flared, vertically seamed skirt gives this dress a regal feelWho it flatters: this styke looks fantastic on most figures, but pear-shaped girls benefit most from this dress, which hides fuller hips while balancing the torso.A-line one: a fluid line gently flares from the underarm to the hem on this angular shape.Who it flatters: anyone can wear an a-line dress, but it's an especially savvy choice for thick-waisted or voluptuous women who want to minimize their curves. Mermaid: this sexy dress hugs the waist and hips, then flares from the knees.Who it flatters: if you are tall, curvy, or long-waisted, an hourglass-shaped gown is a showstopping pick.Ball gown: a close-fitted bodice meets a full,floor-length skirt in this formal bridal dressWho it flatters: short-waisted and pear-shaped girls should choose this style.Slipdress: super slinky, this lingerie look skims the body from the bustline to hemWho it flatters: you need to be in amazing shape to rock this slim-fit cut. If you think this is helpful, please click on the YES button.If you still feel confused, please feel free to email me. I'm willing to help you.

Become a successful eBay seller.

Ive recommended eBay to all my friends as a great way to sell almost anything. These seven eBay selling tips will help you get started selling on eBay successfully and get on your way to becoming an eBay PowerSeller.1. A picture IS worth 1000 words. Its old-fashioned, but people still like to see things before they buy them. For successful eBay selling, make sure any products you list on eBay are accompanied by professional quality photographs.2. Do your eBay research. When selling on eBay, before you list a particular product, spend some time researching other similar products on eBay and following the bidding process. This will help you gauge the interest for your product and help you determine how much your product might be worth.3. Learn all about shipping. Shipping is under the control of the eBay seller, but some methods of shipping are better than others when you're selling on eBay. You want to find the best method of shipping for your product in terms of expense and reliability and then specify that shipping method in your eBay listing. (And dont forget to include the shipping cost in your shipping information for potential buyers.)4. Pay as much attention to the writing of your eBay listing as to your picture. For selling on eBay, you need a powerful eBay listing. And the trick to writing a strong eBay listing is to combine search engine friendly phrasing with concrete details about the product in a way that will entice people to bid on your product. Take the time to craft your eBay listing just as you would any ad.5. Offer a full slate of payment options, including credit cards. The more payment options you, as an Ebay seller, offer prospective bidders, the more bidders your product will attract and the more successful your selling on eBay will be.6. Focus on getting positive feedback first. Feedback really matters when you're selling on eBay. If you have a consistent record of positive feedback, prospective buyers will both bid more often and be willing to pay higher prices. So you may want to hold back on placing higher priced products until you have a successful track record as an eBay seller established.7. Be business-like. Act professionally, provide the kind ofsuperior customer servicethat will build your reputation, and make sure that youre following all the business rules that apply, such asregistering your businessand properly charging and remitting taxes. Selling on eBay is just like any other business; to become an eBay success, you need to follow the rules and provide the kind of customer satisfaction that will translate into increased eBay sales.If you found this guide helpful please vote "YES" at the bottom of the page and help me to help other people with this review. Thank you for taking the time out to read my review.

buying a field/hunting /tactical knife

G'day to all since I first became a member on E-bay I've been shocked by the large number of no name knives claiming to be top quality. So I'd thought I'd write a guide based on my experience over the years, I've been making knives for 17 years now I'ts a hobby for me and often I've steered people to a knife that suits the task that it is required for eg: a person I know bought a Rambo style "survival knife " for hiking and camping he used it for chopping wood and no surprise it broke he bought the knife to me asking if I could fix it I advised him to thow it in the bin and buy a decent knife, he ended up getting a Becker companion knife.The Blade: Firstly look at the steel I prefer aus 8 used by sog {my preferance in blades} but the tops steels in my view aus 6, aus 8, ats 34 ,bg 42,D2 and some 440 stainless

SO YOU WANT TO BUY A PERSIAN RUG ?

SO YOU WANT TO BUY A PERSIAN RUG ? Historically Carpet Sellers have a Reputation for Dishonesty ! In many European countries to call someone a carpet dealer is intended as a slur on their integrity and, unfortunately, many modern day dealers in, so called, Persian Carpets, continue this tradition of deceit as if by right.Through more than a Century of Miss Use the words Persian Rug have become a Generic Term to mean virtually any hand made rug and sometimes any rug with a curvilinear design, often even machine made and for the Unwary and Uninformed buying a so called Persian Rug will usually result in disappointment. A Persian Rug must be Hand made and it Must come from Iran to bare this name. But do not be deceived into thinking that the best and most valuable hand made rugs come only from Iran.If you are interested in obtaining a Persian or other Hand Knotted or Hand Woven Carpet for your floor it is Necessary to do some Research before making a purchase and to have At Least Some Idea of what you are buying as, unless you deal with someone who has a long history of research and speciality in the field, even the sellers will not know anything about the rugs they offer accept what is written on the ticket by the exporter. AND ANYONE who has TRAVELLED ANYWHERE in the Middle East, Far East or Asia KNOWS that it is NOT SENSIBLE to BELIEVE what you are told about ANYTHING, especially where money is concerned.It is Imperative to have Some Way of Classifying Hand Made Rugs and Carpets before any Credible Description can be given or understood and it is also necessary to know in which geographic region they were made.Any Knowledgeable and Honest Dealer will Classify their Rugs by the Long Accepted Method of the Manner of Their Creation.TRIBAL RUGS Those Made in a Traditional Tribal Situation From Hand Spun Wool from the Tribes Own Sheep, On Horizontal Looms, Virtually Always Portable Due to Migratory Concerns and Using Design Motifs and Styles Passed Down from Mother to Daughter. Most Tribal Rugs Have a Hand Spun Wool Warp and Weft with a Wool Pile. In the Early 20th Century some Tribal Groups Like the Afshar and Bakhtiar in Iran began a semi-nomadic existence due to government intervention in their lifestyle and some of their output up until the 1950s is still credible and can be classified as Tribal even though it is made on cotton warps. Other examples of Tribal Carpets are Turkoman (Sub Groups Ersari, Tekke, Beshir, Yomud), Baluch, Kashkay, Khamsah and Kurd. Late 19th Century Yomud Turkoman Hatchli or Engsi Circa 1880.THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A NEW TRIBAL RUG. No Present Day Tribal Group has the Capacity to Live in a Traditional Environment and to Produce Rugs in a Traditional Manner so if you ever see a rug Described as a Tribal Rug which is New or Created in the Last Twenty Years you Know it is MISS DESCRIBED. There have been some programs among some tribal groups to encourage them to continue creating rugs but these are NOT TRIBAL RUGS as they are created under sub-contract conditions and the necessary evolution of design and weaving style has been broken and lost. Most look nothing like an Authentic Tribal Rug from the group.Late 19th Century Turkoman Ersari Beshir Jollar, Storage Bag FaceSome Tribal Groups in Afghanistan Continued to Spontaneously Create Traditional Rugs Until the Late 1970s but New Rugs From Afghanistan are Created in Workshops and are ONLY COPIES of Traditional Tribal Carpets. Some Rare Kurdish Groups survived until the Same Time but these Tribes were so poor and lacking in wool and skills that their output was very mediocre.If you want to own a Genuine Tribal Rug it is Necessary to Look at Rugs Made Before 1960, some Afghan examples until the Late 1970s, and in the case of Iranian Tribal Groups, Prior to 1930 and even then some will be copies. The Best and Most Desirable Tribal Rugs from Any Tribe or Region were made Prior to 1910 and Utilised All Vegetable Dyes. They are Unmistakable and Irreplaceable. Be aware that many dealers call Rugs Tribal When they are Mass Produced in a Workshop Environment and do not even include a Genuine Tribal Design. Nearly All Tribal Rugs will be asymmetrical in shape to some degree due to having been made on a horizontal loom which has been moved during the knotting or weaving process and virtually NONE will be in as new condition unless they have been in the hands of collectors or museums for many years.VILLAGE RUGSHistorically Village Rugs were Produced in a Number of Regions of Iran, the Caucasus and Turkey in the Homes of the Weavers and Using Designs and Knotting Styles Handed Down Through Generations. Each Village had its Dye Master and this Skill was also Passed Down through the family. This Evolution of Design Styles and Colours is the way in which they can be Dated. Early 19th Century Ghiordes Village Rug from Western Turkey Circa 1820During the 19th Century European designers and dealers had some input into style and size and Many Famous Persian Village Rugs (Those Made in Villages in Iran) have Been Named by these Designers, for Instance the Ziegler Mahal, a very rare and Valuable Example of this Type of European Influenced Village Carpet. Unfortunately this change in design made the rugs into Workshop Produced carpets rather than true village rugs. Other Well Known Village Rugs from Iran are Heriz, including Gorevan and Karaja, Hamadan, including Senneh, Tuisarkhan and Mazlaghan. Village Rugs from Turkey include Konya, Sivas, Ghiordes, Kirsehir, Melas, Mudjur and Ladik. Gendje Rug, Caucasus Mountains, Last Quarter 19th CenturyThe other Rare and Highly Desirable Group of Village Made Rugs were created in the remote Regions of the Caucasus Mountains. A Genuine and Authentic Caucasian Village Rug MUST have been Created Prior to 1930 and the Most Highly Regarded Prior to 1900. Most Rugs made in the Caucasus after 1930 were Organised Production in either sub contract village or workshop situations. Some Examples are Kazak, Shirvan, Kuba and Karabagh. In Armenia many village dwelling weavers continued to create kilims in traditional design and style until well into the sixties and these are usually described by the name of the village where they came from. Kurdish Village Rug, North West Iran, First quarter of the 20th Century.From the 1960s Production of Village Rugs in All Areas became organised and weavers were supplied with looms, patterns and pre-dyed wool so little individuality was possible. Some new rugs are still produced in a village situation but the output shows little credibility and the payment and working conditions of weavers is very poor. Credible Village Made Rugs Must Have Been Created Prior to 1970 and Most Prior to the Second World War. Those made Prior to 1910 are Very Rare and Highly Sought After.WORKSHOP RUGS

BONSAI - The easy basics for buying and growing bonsai

The first thing you need to learn about keeping and maintaining a bonsai is that aside from the many myths that surround this beautiful hobby, they are not that difficult to look after, you just have to follow advice from people who have been growing them for many years. I have been growing bonsai for over 15 years and have hundreds of them. I learned at a very young age from watching my mother with her collection, and have since learned from the masters in Australia.For the novice or a new person thinking of buying or growing bonsai themselves, the following is a good 5-point starter. What I have noticed about most people is they need strong simple points first, then elaborations later, so here goes. I will not complicate the basics by explaining styling, pruning, root pruning, etc. This will just be a simple guide on the basics of keeping your bonsai alive and healthy.1. Do not keep the bonsai indoors. This is the main reason a beginners bonsai die. A bonsai is a living tree, it requires an outdoors environment, just like you couldn't survive for long in the ocean. You can bring the bonsai inside for a day, maybe once every 6 months or so, but I wouldn't recommend any longer,because anormal environment for the bonsai is outside. If you really feel the need to display them, then just set up a nice viewing area outside, and your bonsai will appreciate it much more.2. Only water the bonsai when it needs water, not every day. This is the other main reason your bonsai will most likely die. Imagine someone is feeding you a large meal, then 1 hour later they give you another huge meal, and so on and so on ; eventually you would die. Ironically, the symptoms for over-watering a bonsai are exactly the same as those are when it dies from lack of water ; the roots become rotten from too much water and cannot properly feed the tree as they can't breathe, and thus they rot away.The best advice for new people is ; stick your finger halfway into the soil, then take your finger out. If a lot of soil sticks to your finger as you take it out, its still too wet. It should be fairly dry before you water, but not bone dry. In other words, if its damp about 3-4 cm down, its still too wet for another watering.Also, when you water, make sure you water the soil right at the base of the trunk a few times, just to ensure that the water isn't just dribbling down around the sides of the pot and not actually wetting the interior soil ball which is a common problem in older bonsai soil.3. Never let the soil of the bonsai become bone dry, especially before a hot day. A bonsai requires special care, because there is not much soil in the pot, so depending on how much sun your plant gets on your balcony/backyard, it may require watering about every day or 2nd day. The following is a rough guide, but ask me if you want advice on your particular bonsai species.Pine trees / fig trees / confiersrequire full sun and be careful not to over water Most Australian natives require full to half sun and average watering conditions, being careful not to overwater. A lot of tasmanian natives / Redwoods require half sun, and careful not to let the soil become dry. Often in the Australian summer, you can safely water every day without fear of overwatering.4. A bonsai needs sun.Depending on the variety, try for morning sun and if possible, its nice to have shade cloth over it, about 30 percent sun shade, but this is not a necessity. One of the best environments for bonsai is full sun with about 30 percent sun block, but if your bonsai is only going to get sun for half of the day, then compromise, and use about 15 percent sun block. Sun shade cloth is literally just cloth that lets through only a certain percentage of sun, such as only 10/20/30/40 or up to 50% of the sunlight through.5. Don't keep your bonsai on ground level. Put it high up on a table away from ants and bugs. Every couple of weeks, just inspect it, and look out for little critters or nastys eating your bonsai. The best defence is...wait for it...natural predators. If you find you have a spider living in your bonsai collection, or a beautiful praying mantis, praise yourself, because these wonderful creatures will eat all the bad guys that would otherwise treat your bonsai like dinner. Praying mantis's, spiders, lizards and cockroaches are the good guys, DON'T KILL THEM, they will help you. Below is a list of the bad guys.Scale is probably one of the most common pests you will encounter, but fortunately they are easy to remove, they usually attach themselves on the underside of the leaves, thus concealing themselves. Just lift your bonsai and look at the under side of the leaves closely, and you may notice a thousand little sucking things that you can just wipe off with your finger. They may also attach themselves to fresh growth of the ends of the branches where the flesh is supple and easily chewed on.

Sega Dreamcast Buyers Guide

IntroductionThe worlds first 128 bit game console, Sega's Dreamcast, was released in Japan on the 27th of November, 1998. It was the first console to come standard with a modem for use on the internet, as well as sporting a new type of disk format, the GD-ROM, which could hold up to 1.2 gigabytes of information. Another notable feature is that it has a Microsoft Windows CE operating system, which was mainly used for web access purposes. Although this console had a very short lifespan compared to many others - being discontinued on the 31st of January 2001 - it still has many followers. This is most likely due to the large assortment of quality games released, ingenious accessories such as the Visual Memory Unit, and as well as being capable of producing graphics and sounds that are still considered impressive today.After you finish reading this guide, please take the time to rate it.If you find this guide useful, please press the 'yes' button at the bottom of the page.System UnitDreamcast Consoles on eBayThe PAL version (Europe, Australia and New Zealand) of the Dreamcast is easily identified by a blue dreamcast symbol on the lid of the console. The NTSC version (USA and Japan) of the dreamcast is distinguished by a red symbol on the lid of the console. For the NTSC consoles to work in Australia, you must first make sure that your television supports NTSC, and that you purchase an appropriate stepdown transformer to handle the differing power supply voltages. Above Image: The red dreamcast symbol was used with NTSC models, and the blue with PAL..System Specifications128 bit Hitachi RISC Processor running at 200 mHZ 16 Megabytes Main RAM - 8 Megabytes Video RAM - 2 Megabytes Sound RAM NEC PowerVR Series II Graphics Processor 64 Voice Yamaha Super Intelligent Sound Processor 12 Speed GD-ROM drive which can store up to 1.2 Gigabytes of information. Resolution of 640 x 48016.7 Million coloursIssues with these consoles include overheating, which causes the system to reset itself, and GD-ROM drive problems. Parts such as power supplies and new GD-ROM components can be purchased to rectify most issues, however, sometimes it is more economically viable to invest in a new system. One may also be able to find resources on how to repair Dreamcast consoles online. However, as you are working with high voltages, it is not generally advisable to open the case of a Dreamcast under any circumstance.It is best to purchase a console which comes with its original box; although this is not a reliable way to judge the condition or the way the console has been treated, it indicates that the owner was careful enough to preserve the box in order to maintain the value of the system.There are also a considerablenumber of special edition consoles which have become quite collectable; such as the black Sports edition orthe transparent pinkor blue 'Hello Kitty' editions, etc.AccessoriesDreamcast Accessories on eBayThe dreamcast came with a large range of accessories, some such as the VMU and the fishing rod, were quite unique for the time. The following is an introduction to a few more common accessories, however this list is not exaustive. Others controls and accessories that have been released are, for example, arcade sticks, dance mats, maracas, microphones, web cameras and broadband adaptors, even a train driving control for one Japanese train driving simulator.Standard Control PadThe standard control pad is very comfortable to use, and features both analogue and digital directional controls, two analogue triggers, a start button and four multipurpose buttons on the right side of the pad marked A, B, X, Y. The control pad also has two expansion ports, in which you would plug a VMU and a vibration pack.Visual Memory UnitThe Visual Memory unit plugs into the control pad's expansion port. It features an LCD screen, 200 blocks of memory (128k), as well as four buttons and a directional pad. Whilst plugged into the control pad, the VMU can save and load game data, as well as display extra information about a game. The most interesting feature of this device is that when you remove it from your control pad, you can play minigames on it. For example, Sega GT has a minigame which you can load onto your VMU which allows you to race and win more money whilst away from your console. Sonic adventure has a minigame in which you raise a tamagotchi style creature called a Chao. The dreamcast VMU has also attracted the attention of 'Homebrew' developers, who have created many more applications and games from the VMU. A search of the internet will find you all that you need to keep yourself amused.Other memory units are available in larger capacities without the visual capabilities.Vibration PackUnlike the Playstation and XBox, the Sega Dreamcast did not have vibration built in to their controllers. Vibration was achieved through the use of a vibration pack, which clipped into an expansion port on the control pad, or a control such as a steering wheel or light gun.Keyboard/MouseThe keyboard and mouse can be used mainly for internet access, although there are some games which are compatible with these peripherals.VGA Converter The VGA converterallows you to play your Dreamcast through a computer monitor or a high definition television.Steering wheelsThere are a variety of different steering wheels available on the market, some of which have foot pedal controls, and built in vibration packs. Most are VMU compatible.Light GunThe original Sega light gun can be used with any compatible game, such as house of the dead 2, and is also compatible with the vibration pack and visual memory unit.Fishing RodThe fishing rod was created for the game Sega Bass Fishing. As you move the stick, the inbuilt motion sensor controls the movement of the virtual fishing rod. The fishing rod also vibrates when a fish has been hooked, making this experience almost like the real thing.GamesDreamcast Games on eBayThe Dreamcast has hundreds of great games available, and games in every genre imaginable. From driving, platform, boat racing, platform, adventure, even a game where you interact with a fish with a human face.When purchasing Dreamcast games, you must ensure that the game is the correct format for your system. An NTSC game will not work on a PAL console, although this can be worked around by using the following methods. To play NTSC games on a PAL Dreamcast, or vice versa, you will need to either purchase and install a mod chip, or simply download a boot disk program such as Utopia from the internet. When you have downloaded Utopia, simply burn it to a CD-R (not CD-RW, as the Dreamcast is not compatible with CD-RW disks), and insert it into your Dreamcast. A title screen will be displayed; then simply take the Utopia disk out and insert the game disk to playYou should also ensure that the games are not overly scratched, and especially not damaged on the top side of the disk where the data is stored.. I have found that some games are more susceptible to failure due to scratches than others, and it is preferable to purchase a disc which is in excellent condition, or has been thoroughly tested. If it is not explicitly stated, always check the condition with the seller.The cases in which the games are packaged haveafront and rear door; the front generally for the disc, and the rear doortohouse the instruction manual.These cases are notorious for having broken hinges and spindles. NTSC games usually come in regular slimline 1 or 2 disc CD cases, and are a lot easier to replace when damaged.A good idea when purchasing games is to check online reviews so as you can read about the game, and view some sample graphics before you buy. Some review sites also contain in-game video footage.The following is some sample graphics from some of the more popular Dreamcast Games.Shenmue - Extremely popular action adventure game. In this game you can talk to people, explore towns, buy products fromvending machines,work driving a forklift, play arcade games, and even play a Sega Saturn in the main character's bedroom.Ferrari F355Challenge- Realistic driving game.Soul Calibur - Arguably the best fighting game on DreamcastEmulation on DreamcastThe Dreamcast is a very powerful unit. This is shown by the fact that it can actually play and enhance the graphics of Playstation Igames via an emulator called Bleem. There aretwo types ofBleem discs available; the commercial product with different versions available which areenhanced to play a particular game such as Tekken or Gran Turismo, or the hacked version, which will play most Playstation I games -with varying degrees of success.The Dreamcast has other emulators for systems such asthe Sega Master System, Sega Mega Drive, Super Nintendo, Nintendo Gameboy, Neo Geo, Atari 2600, 7800 and Lynx, Apple IIE, Commodore 64 and Amiga, and a few more. I have personally used the Sega Master System emulator, which is excellent, as well as the Amiga emulator which is also quite good.A quick search of the web for DC Emulation will reveal a new side of your dreamcast - one you may have never expected. The actualburning of emulators and roms can be quite daunting at first; however, there are many tutorials available that will guide you through the process.