[clydepepper]

Kyle - Most of what you have asked will come from experience and any experience involves a certain amount of risk.

So, decide what you have as disposable funds and stick to it.

Don't be afraid to make offers for less than what is advertised...some buyers will act offended, but, hey, it only hurts for a little while.

Starting out, I would recommend doing as much research as you can on whatever item you intend to pursue.

There is no replacement for doing a proper amount of 'leg work'. This involves watching realized prices from both auction houses and ebay.

Auction Houses usually have archives you can search but ebay has 'sold items' which only goes back so far. Either resource, however, will bring you a 'snapshot' of the market for that specific item.

There are a lot of Net54 members who are very happy to see new blood in the hobby and will treat you fairly. They are a great source of hobby knowledge.

Don't ever be afraid to ask.

Good Luck,
Raymond