Cleaning Silver Silver Plate

Hi,

I thought I'd write this guide on how to clean and restore your silverware. It's really simple.

For Oxidised Silver simply follow these steps:

1. Boil a kettle and get out some Bicarbonate of Soda, Aluminium Foil, a bowl and your silverware.

2. Line the bowl with the foil and add silver.

3. Add the Sodium Bicarbonate (Not too much,a couple of teaspoons max.)

4. Add the boiling water with enough to cover silverware.

5. Leave to sit for about 5 mins, or until water has cooled a bit.

6. Remove Silver and wipe with a cloth (dip back into 'water' to help if not clean.

7. Remove the silver, give a final polish and you are done.

If it doesn't work, it may be that if it is silver plate, it is worn through, and replating sprays can be bought to replate it.The aluminium foil must be new. Repeat if nessecary.

This reaction is not very dangerous, but be careful with the hot water and chemicals and don't eatthem etc. I am not responsible for any damage.

Thanks, I hope you found this helpful

Selling 1p Ebooks - BEWARE

Hello Readers,
The only reason for selling 1p ebooks is to boost your feedback and to make you look like a better buyer/seller to other ebayers. Not many people ever go and check what has been bought or sold, they simply look at feedback percentage and overall feedback to judge if the ebayer is reliable. This is wrong wrong wrong !!!! The individual could be only selling 1p items and as a result buyers would think they are reliable !!!! Please beware of this !!!!
People want to boost their feedback to use other ebay functions as well. Some sellers only alloer buyers with feedback of 20+ to bid on their items. It is very easy to buy 20 1p items and get this feedback !!!
BASICALLY 100% FEEDBACK DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN YOUR A GREAT BUYER/SELLER !!!
Selling 1p items are simply loss leaders in the business sense - you dont earn anything (in fact it costs you money) but the positive feedback makes you look better than you actually are !!!
I hope these few words help your success.
Please give me a positive rating on this guide !!!
Regards and Best wishes

Peppa Pig Clothes

Please be aware of sellers selling peppa pig clothes from next saying that you can not get them in the shops. I bid on a peppa pig dress and won the item for 10.50 plus 1.75 delivery total of 12.25. In the description of the dress it stated that you can not buy this dress in the next store. I recieved the dress on friday the following day I went to a next store and there was the same dress for only 7.50so I paid 4.75 more for the dress via ebay. Just watch when buying that what the sellersays is true and check with a store near you first in case what the sellers say is untrue.

Selling a woodwind instrument.

As a woodwind musician hopefully some of this will help non-musical sellers out when listing instruments.

There are some important details that buyers are interested in and it will save sellers a lot of time answering questions and promote more interest in the listing if these details are included.

Title of listing. Simply saying "Clarinet" or "Saxophone" isn't going to grab attention. Brand, model

Passwords: One Ring to Rule Them All

Using one password for everything is definitely a Bad Idea. So is writingthat one password downon a post-it note and sticking that to your computer. If you want to see asecurity expert start ranting and tearing his hair out,write "ksH3wN$7Jjs6" on apost-it note and stick it onyour computer in a prominent position.Then inviteyour local security expert overto your cube for a chat, sit back and wait for the fireworks :)

Heybrook Music's rough guide to guitar FX

IntroductionThis is our rough guide to guitar effects, everything from distortion types to modulation and time based effects. Effects are devices that electronically alter the sounds that come out of your guitar. They are placed on the signal path between your amp and your guitar, and you can have as many as you want in whatever order you want. When used tasefully, effects can make wonders out of your guitar sound.Effect TypesEffects can generally be broken down into four categories:- Gain based: These effects act on the volume or signal level and can alter your sound in various ways. Some examples include distortion and volume pedals.- Tone based: These affect the actual tone color (treble, middle, bass) of your sound. Some examples include wah-wah and the EQ pedal.- Modulation: These effects generally make sounds come out of your guitar that you never thought possible. Some make your guitar sound like it's in the middle of a tornado, or underwater. Some examples include chorus, phaser, flanger, tremolo and vibrato.- Time based: These effects alter your guitar signal in various ways to add ambience to your guitar sound. Some examples include delay and reverb.Effect FormatsGuitar effects come in four basic formats:Single function effect pedals, or stompboxes: These are the most common type of guitar effects. They are called stompboxes because you literally step on the unit to turn the effect on or off. Virtually all stompboxes run on a single 9-volt battery or an AC power supply. Stompboxes sound best when placed between the guitar and the amp on your signal path. They generally do one thing well and they do look cool.Multi-effects units: Multi-effects combine and variety of different effects into a single unit. Any multi-effect pedal will offer all the basic effects (distortion, reverb, delay, phaser) but some are more advanced and offer amp modeling. The big advantage to multi-effect units is convenience and affordability, but they generally don't sound as good as stompboxes. Thik jack of all trades. Plus they sound VERY digitalRack mounted effect processors: When something is rack mounted, that means it sits in a cabinet-like rack that usually sits on top of your amp. The actual effects are housed in the rack, and you control them using footswitches located near your stompboxes. Rack mounted effects are usually higher quality and sound better than stompboxes, but are a lot more expensive. Also they are not very fashionable. Still, worth considering if you have an eighties penchant and possibly your own mulletEffects built into an amp or preamp: These effects are built directly into the guitar amplifier. Some amps offer a wide variety of effects, such as distortion and reverb. Some companies such as Fender and Marshall have been including built-in effects in their amps for close to 50 years. Built-in effects generally sound very good, but are usually very limited in terms of tweaking options. You don't have to use them at all if you don't want to though.Basic TermsThis is a basic rundown of the controls and features of most guitar effects.- Input: Where the signal enters the effect unit or signal chain.- Output: Where the signal leaves the effect unit.- Control: The knobs that allow you to tweak your effects.- Bypass: Removes the effect from the signal chain.Modulation EffectsModulation effects are the mainstay of the modern guitar sound. They use time and frequency modulation technology to create some truly unique sounds.Chorus: The primary function of chorus is to make a single instrument sound like many instruments. It works similar to a delay unit, by digitally recording the guitar signal, except it mixes the delayed signal with the original to create a very thick and full tone. Chorus has been one of the trademark effects for the rock genre for years. It has been used by virtually every classic rock guitarist at one point or another.Flanger: Flanging got its name from a trick used in recording studios where the same track was played on 2 reel to reel tape machines, and recording engineers gently touched the flange of one tape reel to produce a small delay between the machines. Then, by touching the flange of the other reel, they would bring the machines back into synchronisation again, removing the delay. This created a notch in the sound frequencies, which produced a whooshing and breathing sound. It was the perfect effect for the psychadelic era.Phaser: Phasers use an internal low frequency oscillator to automatically move notches in the frequency response up and down the frequency spectrum. The resulting effect is very similar to that of a flanger, but phasers usually sounder thicker and creamier. It has been a popular effect in funk and progressive rock.Time Based EffectsThis category is also refered to as ambient effects because of their abilitiy to add ambience to your tone. These effects esentially add the acoustic elements back to your electric guitar by adding resonance and life to your tone. The most common time based effects are delay and reverb, which both simulate reflected and repeated sound.Delay (also known as echo): Delay is an echo effect that replays what you have played one or more times after a period of time. It's something like the echoes you might hear shouting against a canyon wall. The original delays were tape machines running a loop of tape that recorded your playing. The sound was replayed through one or more replay heads positioned further around the loop, then ultimately erased, ready for the next recording. Most delay units nowadays are are done digitally, but the premise remains the same.Reverb: Short for reverberation, reverb has been the most popular guitar effect for decades. It was one of the first effects ever to be included on a guitar amp. Reverb is designed to simulate natural acoustic space. It's job is to basically make your tone sound as though you were playing in a large concert hall, and add life to your tone. Reverbs usually offer a wide variety of parameters to simulate different environments.Tone Based EffectsThis category includes anything that alters the treble and bass content of your tone.EQ: Equalization allows you to modify your guitar's tone by boosting and cutting certain frequencies. For example, you could boost the bass or cut out the midrange. Most guitars have onboard tone control, but the floor pedals are much more in-depth and allow more tweaking. If you are serious about your guitar tone, an EQ pedal is a must have.Wah-Wah: A wah is an EQ filter with a variable frequency. As you rock the pedal up and down with your foot, the filter emphasizes certain frequencies and cuts others, to create a sweeping effect that makes your guitar sound like it's saying "Wah." You can also leave the pedal at a certain position to add some flavor to your tone. There are some pedals that sweep through the frequencies automatically, so you don't have to rock your foot back and forth.Optimising Your Signal PathThe order that you place your effects on the signal path has a large impact on your sound. Although you can't really order your rack or multi-effect units, stompboxes are individual components and you can order them however you want. If you know what you're doing, this opens up another realm of flexibility options for you to weak and alter your tone.It is best to link your effect units using patch cables (very short guitar cables made for linking effects). They are relativeley inexpensive, and are worth the investment because they sound a lot better than just standard guitar cables.This is basic guide on how to setup your effects on your signal path. Don't limit yourself to just these parameters, but if you are new to effects in general, or just don't know what you're doing, then you might want to follow these tips.Gain and tone based: Most guitarists tend to put these early in the effects path because they make up a majority of their tone. They are designed to work on your guitar' ouput, so place them between your instrument and the amp's input.Modulation and time based: These effects will sound fine placed into your amp's input, but if your amp has an effects loop, I stronly recommend you place them there instead. The effects loop inserts the effects after the preamp, but before the power amp, so most of your tone is left intact.If your tone starts to become distorted due to the number of effects you have added, place a noisegate at the end of your effect chain to eliminate some of the distortion.Organizing Your EffectsIt is best to mount your stompboxes on a pedalboard, and use patch cables to eliminate clutter and keep everything organized. Some pedalboards can be pretty complicated and expensive, but you can build your own with some wood and velcro iand you don't need anything too fancy. Just make sure you have enough room to activate and deactivate your pedals without accidentaly hitting adjecent units. If you are serious about organisation, you might want to invest in a commercail pedalboard, which usually have an included powersupply and other advanced features. A typical pedalboard is shown below.

Fitting Dyna/Taylor leads to Dyna Coils

Fitting a set of Dyna or Taylor leads is not much of a problem note the following -

These leads are designed to fit aftermarket coils such as Dyna, MSD or Accel, they are not easy to fit to stock coils that have sealed in leads. Not all stock coils have sealed in leads, the VMax for example has coils that have easily replaceable leads.
These leads require spark plug terminal ends to be fitted, these are included with the Dyna lead sets but not the Taylor leads.
Make a diagram of which leads go to which plug and from which coil.
Fit the leads to the plugs first to see how they will run to the coils.
Don't cut the leads to length until you are sure they fit without fouling anywhere, refit the tank to make sure everything fits ok before finally cutting to length.
Do not allow the leads to rest on very hot parts of the engine, they are very resistant to heat but not to being on contact with exhaust header pipes for example.

- the guide below shows how to fit the coil end terminals and boots.

What you will need -

A set of crimps and also very useful is some silicone lube spray to ease the boot onto the lead.

How to do it -

Now using the silicone lube slip a boot either straight or angled over the lead, if using angled boots it helps to bend the boot as shown to ease the lead through to the other side, then strip off about 25mm of the outer sheath and insulation with the crimps, it is not too critical how much you strip off as it can be trimmed later. The inner core will be bent back over the insulation and sheath to contact the terminal when crimped up.

Now prepare the terminal, this usually means bending the terminal tabs over to fit the lead better, then fold the lead conductor core back over the lead insulation and sheath and push the terminal over to hold it in place. The conductor should be as shown in the 3rd picture below, trim the conductor if required to sit flush with the end of the terminal.

Crimp up the terminal making sure the conductor stays in position and also making sure you position the terminal correctly in the crimps to push home the terminal tabs into the insulation as shown below. The last picture shows the finished terminal.

bike scam

an offer for a norton interpol in glasgow is a scam, you get emails that appear to be from ebay(but are fakes) that ask yoo to send cash by money-gram. the address given is actually a lawyers office, the staff there know nothing about the seller (who has zero feedback). I reported this to ebay, but the scammer will probabaly try other scams with different bikes/cars,etc. don`t get caught out by this piece of scum

jimonskye

Lying sellers Location Abuse

Please vote yes for this guide sowe can help others!

Have you ever purchased an item on eBay uk only to find out the seller was located in Hong Kong? This act is called Location Abuse and it is happening on eBay all the time. If the seller is registered in Hong Kong, and they say in their auction: "Fast shipping from Hong Kong, United Kingdom" they have committed location abuse. They're fooling the search into thinking the item is in the UK.

I myself, witnessed this just yesterday when I searched for aspecifc gold coinlocated in the UK and most of the search results were for sellers from the US! Here is what a seller posted about this issue on the eBay Powerseller forum:

Theres this clown in America who sells NGC coins in the UK and states that he is in UK. He charges 16 to post coins which then takes nearly 6 weeks to arrive after he has stated shipping will take 7-10 days.I've read his feedback, and so many people have been misled by the fact that he is in US, especially newbies. So when there stuff doesnt arrive they neg him, and he ruthlessly responds by neging them back even if they have a valid complaint. I feel really sorry for all the honest people who have bought items off him thinking they were coming from UK, paid a load for postage, had to wait months for their stuff and end up getting negs!!AND not only does this guy neg people, but he has said things like 'i hope you are in a car wreck and die' and 'its not my fault if you're too you're an idiot that can't read!"Some powerseller he is!!!

Acutally WAS! since he was NARU'd I'll disclose his name

johnsbestbargains (private)

This loser made his feedback private after 10 people left him negatives in less than 10 days.

Never in my days on eBay have I seen a powerseller go from a Reddown to a Purple

LOSER!

As an eBay enthusiast I ask, what happens if you bid on an auction which is stated as in UK with the words actual postage paid only to discover that you have to pay actual postage from overseas? Could you appeal a non paying strike on those grounds?

The good news is that sellers who mislead customers about their location in the "Sell Your Item" form are violating two sections of the eBay User Agreement. Sections 7.2 a

Further to guide written on Fake Bats

This is in response to a guide written by evolution.co.uk regarding Fake Bats being sold on eBay as well as throughsome sellerswebsite.

I just like to commend this guy for writing this article and making innocent people aware of some cheating sellers who are making ordinary public fool and cheating them out of their hard earned cash.

I agree with every thing he has written in that article and we (genuine seller) should get together to drive out those sellers who basically are fraud, I shall go as far to say we should ask trading standard authority to investigate those sellers for the benefit of general public.

Reason I agree with him is that I import direct from the manufacturers in Indian and Pakistan as well as buy locally from Englishmanufacturers so I know how much it cost me to import after paying freight, custom duty and VAT.

I once reported one guy to eBay who was selling MRF Genius for 65 and claiming it to be genuine and straight from the factory in India, this is mpossible because landing cost of that product from MRF is much higher and I have the receipt to authenticate that.

As for this English Willow nurtured in India is rubblish, it is not English willow at all, it is basically Kashmir willow and as it was pointed in the guide that these are much inferior willow for bats because they are hard and brittle due to wrong climate condition.

Ebay scam - Hijacked accounts

One eBay scam involves someone hijacking the eBay account of a seller with a good feedback record by deceitfully obtaining his password. One possible tip-off during the auction is that the seller is auctioning a pricey item or items completely unlike those he's auctioned before. Another is that the seller previously only bought on eBay, never sold. A possible tip-off upon completion of the auction is that you're asked to send payment to a location completely different from the location listed in the auction. If you have questions about the auction, send a message to the seller through eBay. If his answer continues to arouse suspicion, don't send your money.eBay has recently tightened up its security features to try to prevent this type of fraud. Now, if an automated password-cracking program fails to guess a password on the twentieth try, eBay flashes a code on screen that you have to type in manually. Despite this safety feature, it's still best to use a password that's difficult to crack -- a combination of letters and numbers and one that's not the same password you use elsewhere.Sellers can still be tricked into revealing their passwords to scammers by clicking on a link in an official looking e-mail message that appears to come from eBay, a practice known as "phishing." They're directed to a "spoof" site that looks just like eBay but is solely designed to obtain people's passwords. To prevent yourself from falling victim like this and ruining your good feedback, always go to eBay and related sites such as PayPal through your own bookmark or favorite or by manually typing in the site's address.If you have any suspicions for any reason about a coin being auctioned during the course of the auction, send a message to the seller asking for clarification. If the seller doesn't respond or if you have doubts after getting a response, refuse to bid. If you've bid on an item in an on-going auction or if you've won an auction just completed, eBay lets you request the seller's phone and address. With more expensive items, it can sometimes make sense to initiate telephone contact before the auction's completion. When you request a seller's contact information, eBay informs the seller of this and automatically sends the seller your contact information.

Ease that wrist with a PUK

Help ease your wrist whilst using your mouse, incredible new invention now available on ebay. Not Gel.A must for every computer operator.Willl lead you to ebay to purchase your PUK and you'll wonder what you ever did without it!! Surf in comfort, get your PUK today. This wonderful little item is getting really good reviews/feedback.

The price is currently at an introductorylow of 4.99!! subject to price rise in the near future, so get yours now at the bargain basement price.

Now available in bulk purchase of 50 choose your combination of colours, from orange, white, blue, pink or green. Larger quantaties available. They come individually packed ready for re-sale in your computer shop, to give to friends or to purchase for your office.

Useful links: rsiaction.org.uk rsi.org.uk

What is a Rotated-Dies Error?

Normally, a coins design is upright on both sides when the coin is flipped over vertically.

A ROTATED DIES error is when the reverse die is not aligned properly with the obverse die. This type of error can be easily identified by holding a coinat the 3-o-clock position between your thumb and forefinger, looking at the obverse design upright, and flipping in over vertically. If the design on the reverse isn't upright (looks rotated either clock-wise or counter clock-wise), you've found a rotated-dies error.

Some rotated dies can be quite dramatic, some even a perfect 180 degrees! With some searching, they can be found in pocket change.

Commemorative coins

Can you explain the difference between a commemorative coin and a circulating coin?

There are circulating coins, commemorative coins and circulating commemoratives so we need to look closely at our definitions. A circulating coin is one issued and intended for commerce, sometimes called a business strike. A commemorative coin is one issued, usually under a special law, to commemorate some historical event, person, place, group or anniversary. They are similar to medals, but they carry a denomination, a specific reserved to government issued coins. Circulating commemoratives combine the two divisions, in a coin which is both intended to circulate and to honor or commemorate something.

paper money

Can you explain why some US notes have different colored seals? Do these notes have a high numismatic value?

One answer isn't going to fit all of your questions. In the early days the size and color of the Treasury Seal on notes varied greatly, as did the colors. In general they changed colors to thwart counterfeiters and to differentiate between series of notes.

To determine what kind of a note you have, look at the wording above the central portrait. The most common note in circulation today is the "Federal Reserve Note." You will find that the seal color is green. Following is a listing of other 20th Century US notes that you may find in circulation or at numismatic sales or events:

eBay Abbreviations ...

This is to try and help anyone that is wondering what some of those random letters in item titles mean. I have been confused by them before, and I know others who have so this is a little explanation (will add to as I find more ... if I can).

I'm by no means a top seller or anything, but I would personally avoid using these if you can - New Members, and even old members can be a little confused. The title of "NEW" for example, is just as long as 'NIB' and shorter than both 'BNWT' and 'BNIB'.

Just my thoughts.

BIN
Buy it Now.

BNWT
Brand New With Tags.

COA
Certificate of Authenticity

HTF
Hard To Find

NIB
New in Box

BNIB
Brand New in Box

EX
Excellent (condition).

GD
Good Condition.

NBW
Never been worn.

NR or N/R
No Reserve.

NRFB
Never removed from box.

OB
Original Box.

TDF
To Die For.

VGC
Very Good Condition.

eBay's own Acronyms list can be viewed here (http://pages.ebay.com/help/newtoebay/acronyms.html).

Hope it's at least a little helpful.

Rarities to the Fore

Long, long ago in the 20th century, Fort Worth, Texas, a dealer used this rarity a 1913 Liberty Head nickel, as the focal point of his nationwide advertising program to sell copies of The Star Rare Coin Encyclopedia. While many other rarities were mentioned from time to time, this is the one that had everybody scrambling:

Why is the 1913 Liberty Head nickel so valuable?

Recent news reports and an offer of a $1 million reward have brought a great deal of attention to the U.S. 1913 Liberty Head nickel. The story behind the production of these five coins, and the disappearance of one, is shrouded with crime, mystery and intrigue---making it one of the most notorious numismatic rarities.

The U.S. Mint produced the "Liberty Head Type" nickel, designed by Charles E. Barber, from 1883 to 1912. In 1913 the nickel design was changed to James E. Fraser's Indian Head obverse with a Buffalo reverse. However, sometime near the end of the production run in 1912, five coins bearing the Liberty Head design, but with a date of 1913, were surreptitiously produced. Numismatists became aware of the coins in 1919, after Samuel W. Brown placed an ad in the ANA's journal, THE NUMISMATIST, seeking to purchase the "non-existent" coins. Mr. Brown attended the 1920 ANA convention in possession of at least one 1913 Liberty Head nickel. By 1924, five genuine specimens had surfaced.

Over the next four decades, the nickels were purchased and sold several times over, individually or as a set in a 2001 auction. The most recent specimen sold brought a record price of $1,840,000 in a 2001 auction.

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Way back in July 1858, numismatist Joseph J. Mickley assigned this copper cent, the 1799 his "V.R." ("Very Rare") designation, the highest degree of rarity, this being the only cent with such a designation (in the half cent series the 1796 was so listed).

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This American classic, the 1856 Flying Eagle cent was struck to the extent of, say, 2,500 or so piecesfew enough that it became a rarity, but a sufficient number that just about anyone could own one, although today it takes the best part of $5,000 to acquire a well-worn specimen. At one time Pittsburgh numismatist John A. Beck, who died in 1925, hoarded 731 specimens! The 1856 cent has a value and interest to collectors of U.S. coinage that goes far beyond the more limited scope of "penny" collectors. Why? The only reasonable answer seems to be: because they always have been valuable. Even in the late 1850s, 1856 cents were worth a dollar or two depending on condition.

Collectors of Flying Eagle cents have several ways to collect these coins. A complete date and variety set is possible and consists of only five issues: 1856, 1857, 1858 Small Letters, 1858 Large Letters and 1858/7. These coins are often collected in conjunction with the Indian Head series. Type collectors generally stick to the 1857 or one of the two 1858 issues. More advanced numismatists often assemble sets of the pattern coinage of this design. Proofs are extremely rare, except in the case of the 1856, and probably less than a total of 100 proofs exist of the three issues from 1857 and 1858.

Grading Flying Eagles can be somewhat tricky due to the above-mentioned weakness of strike encountered on many examples. The points of the design to show wear first are the eagle's breast and wingtips on the obverse and the bow on the reverse. With mint state coins that are weakly struck on the head or tail of the eagle or on the reverse wreath, it is imperative that mint luster be present on all areas of the design.

Flying Eagle cents have been extensively counterfeited. Fakes have been made by altering digits in the date, false dies have been produced to strike phonies and spark erosion dies have been used. When in doubt or when purchasing a high priced Flying Eagle cent, it is always best to have the coin's authenticity expertly verified.

It was Longacre's inability to engrave dies properly that led to the early demise of the series. A new design was needed where die opposition would not be a problem as it had been between the eagle on the obverse and the wreath on the reverse. It was this need that led Longacre to redesign the small cent for 1859, replacing the flying eagle motif with an Indian head. The original small cent design, however, gave collectors of 19th century U.S. coins a short, yet challenging series that continues to intrigue numismatists more than a century later.

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The 1907 (MCMVII) $20 Gold Saint Gaudens High Relief is another "popular rarity," one of which 11,250 were struck and of which a few thousand exist today. Many consider this to be the most beautiful coin ever struck for general circulation. The designer of this coin also created the sculpture of Diana, which is shown on the cover of the latest issue of Antiques magazine.

What is the Most Beautiful U.S. Coin Ever Made?

Whenever that question arises, one of the first and most frequent answers is sure to be the Saint-Gaudens double eagle, or twenty-dollar gold piece. And those who know the subject well are almost certain to specify the Saint with high relief. It's been hailed as a numismatic treasure, a miniature sculpture created in solid gold. In many ways, the high relief Saints are works of art and not just coins. No other coin in American history has been designed with these unique high relief features. For this reason alone, the 1907 dated $20 Saint Gaudens are clearly the most fascinating and beautiful creations ever struck by the U.S. Mint.

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This coin, the 1896-O Morgan silver dollar is common in well-worn grades and catalogues reasonably in VF in the latest edition of the Guide Book. However, in choice or gem Mint State it is worth thousands of dollars. In fact, in MS-63 it catalogues for $5,700, which means that you can buy 475 VF examples for the cost of a single MS-63! Anyway, it is a rarity in MS-63

Postal Order and Recorded Delivery Payment

I feel it unfair that Ebay do not recommend Postal Orders or Recorded Delivery as a secure form of payment.

If you send cash or Postal Orders via Royal Mail Special Next Day Delivery,you are insured up to 500-

And if you pay a little more you can insure up to 2000 or more

Just remember to keep your receipts.

Determining the Grade of a Coin

Assigning a grade to a coin is an art, not a science. It is often highly subjective, especially when working with Mint State coins where small differences in grade make big differences in price. Even so, grading can be studied, learned and applied with known and predictable results that ultimately rest on judgment, rather than feeling.Like any science, language, sport, or field of study, it is best to break grading down to its basic components, and master them one at a time. Learning how to grade coins is much the same as learning how to speak English;not try to learn it all at once, but through experience and study.The essence of grading a coin (once you have determined it is uncirculated or proof) can be broken down into four distinct factors: 1. Surface Preservation - This includes the presence of bag marks, hairlines from cleaning or mishandling, and other imperfections of planchet, whether mint caused or man made. An analysis of surface preservation attempts to weigh the visual impact of these imperfections based on their degree of severity and their location on the coin. 2. Strike - Refers to the sharpness and completeness of detail, with the normal characteristics of that particular type, date and mint mark (i.e. issue) taken into account. 3. Lustre - This encompasses the brilliance, cartwheel, sheen and contrast of the coin, again taking the normal characteristics of the particular issue into account. Minor (non-hairline producing) cleaning, retoning, friction, etc., are evaluated under this category. 4. Eye-Appeal - That certain aesthetic appeal that results from the attractiveness of the toning (if any), the balance of the coin, and the effect of the combination of all of the coin's qualities. Surface Preservation is the single most important factor in grading mint state coins. The other three factors appear to be approximately equal in value, each about half as important as surface preservation. (i.e. 40% + 20% + 20% + 20% = 100%). Actually, this formula is somewhat arbitrary since it is really a function of the standards of the scales used for each of the factors themselves. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------General Grading Standards for U.S. Coins --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Good (G) - Coin will be heavily worn, but the main design and legend will be visible. Lettering may be worn smooth. May be dull or faded areas. Very Good (VG) - Still well worn but more of the rim will be evident. Design and legend will be clear but worn flat. Lacks specific details. Fine (F) - Medium to heavy wear but even overall. The design becomes clearer and details begin to appear. Some letters within the design will be apparent. Very Fine (VF) - A visibly nicer coin. High spots will show light, even wear. Various major features are visible. Lettering is all readable. Extra Fine (XF) or (EF)- Slight wear will show on the highest points of the main devices. Words are sharp and easily readable. All details are clearly defined. AU 50 - Slight traces of wear on the highest points of the coin; may be dull with some evidence of luster under any toning. AU 53 - Just slightly better than an AU 50 with a little more luster visible. Eye appeal begins to make a difference between the AU grades. AU 55 - An obviously nicer coin than an AU 50 with no major difficulties. More luster shines through the surfaces. AU 58 - This is oftentimes called a slider as it will appear to many observers to be uncirculated. Just the faintest wear on the highest points of the coin. Luster should be quite evident, although some toning can be apparent. Usually coins with poor eye appeal will not make the AU 58 grade. MS 60 - Mint State indicates a coin that has no wear and is uncirculated. It may have numerous bagmarks and/or be toned. MS 60 is the lowest quality of an uncirculated coin. MS 61 - An uncirculated coin that is just slightly better than MS 60. However, no question that it is uncirculated. Whereas, some may debate over the merits of a coin being MS60 because of the excessive bagmarks, the MS61 should be more desirable. MS 62 - This coin should be a much cleaner specimen than an MS 60, yet, just slightly better than an MS 61. There should be fewer bagmarks as the coin takes on more attractive features. MS 63 - This is the grade that many collectors feel is the most collectible in numismatics. Prices are typically reasonable compared to higher grades and the coin should have at least an average strike and eye appeal, with minimal distracting marks. MS 64 - This is the grade where prices in many series begin to increase dramatically. For this reason the coin will begin to show fewer marks and the strike will be the strongest yet. No primary distractions that will draw your eye. A near-gem coin with just a few tiny marks or weakness in strike to keep it from a higher grade. MS 65 - This is the gem category. Coin should be fully struck with eye appeal. Either brilliant or toned but there should not be any unsightly marks or color that negates eye appeal. Any marks should be very minor in appearance. Prices spread out even further. MS 66 - A coin that just jumps out at you as being nicer than an MS 65. The main devices on either side should have no more than very minor ticks and the fields should be cleaner than that of an MS 65. MS 67 - A superior coin that has no major distractions to speak of. The fields should be near flawless with just the slightest contact on the main device. This coin should emit a look of satisfaction from the viewer. Prices increase further especially for coins with short supplies and strong demand. MS 68 - A difficult grade to determine by most experts. When does a coin become MS 68 but is not quite MS69 or 70? A very superior coin with maybe just a minor tick on either side keeping it from perfection. MS 69 - This is a coin that should create a gasp when viewed. There should be no imperfections to the naked eye. With a magnifying glass a minor mark or impediment may be visible. MS 70 - A perfect coin with no imperfections seen with a magnifying glass. There should be no marks whatsoever; the coin must look like it just left the Mint. Very unusual in early coins as the mint did not have the quality they do today. Modern coins have been given this exalted grade although there is debate whether coins can be perfect. As you proceed to higher grades, there should be a noticeable difference in each grade and an improvement in quality, strike, and eye appeal. However, since grading is subjective, it will still be difficult for most numismatists to see a distinct difference from one grade to the next. This is especially so in grades of MS67 and higher. Any kind of damage or cleaning will downgrade the potential value of a coin.

Nokia BB5 phones - Unlocking is now possible!

Dejan Kaljevic's Nokia BB5 unlock box solution is ready for release!!

At PhoneShop UK (ps-uk.com) we are currently testing this new BB5 box, and can confirm that it is finally possible to remove the sim lock from Nokia BB5 phones!

Supported Models (Tested

Dyeing Feathers Using Dylon Multi-Purpose Dye

Dyeing Feathers Using Dylon Multi-Purpose Dye

Coloured feathers are ideal for decorating almost anything from the latest clothes and accessories to homes and gifts. Just follow the simple instructions below to create your own!

You will need: Feathers Dylon Multi-Purpose Dye 250ml Vinegar Rubber Gloves

Instructions:

Wash feathers in warm soapy water; handle gently. Dissolve 1 tin of dye in 500ml boiling water. Fill container with enough boiling water to cover feathers (container may stain). Add dye solution and vinegar. Add feathers and gently agitate until they are one shade darker than required. For lighter shades this may only take a few seconds, for darker shades a few minutes. Rinse in water, shaking gently. Lay on kitchen roll to dry. Re-shape whilst damp.

Playboy Products - Real or Fake

Watch Out For Con Artists !!

There are a great deal of fake Playboy items for sale on eBay. Unfortunately most people assume things are genuine and have no way of knowing until the goods arrive. Well here are a few tips which may help you in your search for genuine Playboy gifts.

FEEDBACK - Check out the feedback of the seller - Filter it by items sold and see if there are any comments which give the game away. Negative comments complaining about fakes are obvious enough but you will be surprised at the amount of people who leave positive feedback as long as the fake is reasonable - they do however say things like "Fast delivery - good copy for the price" or "Item fake, but what do you expect for this price"PHOTOGRAPHS - Look for similar photographs on other peoples listings - When people are listing brand new official products, they tend to use a professional product shot rather than an original photograph of their own - I always use professional shots for my brand new items to demonstrate that the item you receive will be the same as the photo.PRICE - If it's too good to be true, it probably is - If you want a proper product be prepared to pay proper pricesASK SELLER A QUESTION - Drop the seller a quick question to ask if the product is genuine, if you get a response along the lines of "I think so" or "I'm not sure", then I guess you know the answer - A seller selling will always answer in the affirmative promptly

I hope this little guide has been of some help to you - If so please vote that it was usefulMany thanks, Steve

Mototshirt Selling Fake Motorsport Shirts from Thailand

mototshirt is selling fake Ford Racing Shirts from Cardiff UK, infact the shirts are coming directly from Thailand, PLEASE RATE THIS GUIDE TO WARN OTHERS

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! EBAY have already removed one guide as weshowed his two names that he uses, but if you buy then you will knowthen anyway, even though it states in Ebay policies that Ebay willnot allow countfeit goods etc to be sold, Ebayare actually turning a blind eye to this type of activity as mototshirt after numerous reports sentis still selling them, after you recieve your fake shirt, and your not happy with it, you can try but hewill not respond to any e-mails as this can be clearly seen from his feedback,check out the mutually withdrawn section, this is how he gets to keepthe NEGS down,the shirt i ordered/won was xl, the shirt that turned up was XXL, with one of the x's cut off, the body of the shirt is a dark blue and the logo even though badly done is not even straight, the cotton is not 100% heavyduty but 100% cheap and nasty.

If you ignore this warning and place a bid and a week later recieve a parcel from Thailand with a shirt inside with no tags etc, then you have also fallen fool to this con! I have mentioned the shirt that i bought, but he sells alot of other brands of which i cannot comment, but its up to you if you want to take the risk!!!

You will see from the pictures that on the main Ford emblem, the top of the white oval is alot thinner and more poorly embroidered than other parts of the badge. Also on the red Ford Racing logo you will see that the letters once again are poorly and unevenly embroidered and not in a straight line. THERE IS NO REGISTERED TRADE MARK SYMBOL ON THIS LOGO EITHER!The one thing that you cannot see if that the entire logo is not even applied in a straight line. You will also see where one of the x's has been removed to make an XXL look like an XL! And I don't think I even need to comment about the inner label on the inside of the collar.....I think that picture speaks for itself about the quality!!!!!

bad labels tacked on to collar poor embroidered Logo XXL label made into XL

It is very hard to spot a fake especially when the seller registers themselves in the UKplease be wary!!!

How to choose a Massage Table or Therapist Beauty Couch

click here for bodycraftwarehouse massage table

BodyCraftWarehouse have been in the portable Massage Table and Therapist Beauty Couch market for many yearsand we'd like to share some hints and tips when buying your new couch.
You are going to have your couch for many years so you needto look for a couch that will suit your present needs, but also future needs...
Before making a decision onwhat type of portable Massage Table or Therapist Beauty Couch to buy,ask yourself the following:

Do I intend using the couch for various therapies or intend to study other treatments in the future? If you intend using the couch for different therapies, then a couch with an adjustable backrest and adjustable height is the most versatile.
Do my clients need to be able to sit up? If yes, then you will need a couch with an adjustable backrest. Remember there are some client whoare not able to lie flatand are more comfortable being slightly raised. If not, then a flat couch will be suitable.
Am I the only Therapist using the couch or is it going to be shared amongst a number of Therapists? If the couch is going to be shared amongst students in a college or therapists in a Salon or Clinic, then a height adjustable couch is a MUST - the height on our couch can be adjusted to suit therapists of different heights.

Our portablecouches havea liftingbackrest with a ratchet system allowing the backrest to be placed at many different heights.Our couches arealso height adjustable - while the couch is on its side, adjust the height by using a spring clip mechanism on each leg - fast, simple and effective. Check out our eBay Shop to see our products - bodycraftwarehouse

We hope our guide has answered some of your questions.

fit flops

Now fit flops seems to be the latest in thing (I don't claim to know how good they are) it seems thatpeople are desperate to get them without any looking around. Just because someone says sold out everywhere it doesn't mean they are. I bought 2 pairs on line without postage, in black, without difficulty, when some people are paying over the odds. The saying has been around since the Roman empire, buyer beware! Check out other buyers first before paying more than you need.Do I recommend them, I am on my second pair which speaks for itself, very comfortable because of the 'give' when you walk cushioning the impact of your step.

Sony Cybershot K800 mobile phone plus camera

K800 Cybershot phone and (For a mobile phone) decent camera

I thought i would write a review and show my experiences with this phone, as its an interesting one.

This phone looks good, if you look at the phone keypad you'll see a couple of really small phone pickup and phone hang up keys on the Left and Right. These buttons are perhaps a little small given their significance (This is a phone in its simplest form!), but the buttons work, just a little bit small thats all. Looking at the photo above you'll see the joystick in the middle, it works better than the previous Sony E phones i think, more accurate and when clicking in the middle it actually works - The old one would often select a direction when you tried to choose the middle select option, making them really annoying.

The screen is nice and perfectly clear, perfectly, the colours are sharp and nice, the only thing i didnt like about my phone is the Vodafone branding (You can see the placement of this just above the joystick on the photo above again). When playing videos the screen is fluid and the video is not jumpy (Remember to resize and optimize before uploading from PC to phone, apart from anything it saves space and cuts down on incompatibility issues)

The keys includingjoystick all light up, the joystick has the light around it rather than the stick itself, this i guess was the only practical way and works fine. Again the pick up and hang up buttons are not only too small in my opinion but also the light is also very dim with only a small area being light up on each key, i think the mentioned key sizes and lights are a major design flaw on this one, i've no idea why they made them so useless. The consolation are that the two mentioned keys are ateither side with no keys next to them on the outer side (See pic above).

The phone i got came with a nice leather strap, the string that goes from the strap around the connector bracket on the phone seems a bit thin, but it hasn t broken yet so i guess looks can be deceiving.

On the camera side, the cybershot looks nothing like a phone, and more like a cool little sophisticated camera, with the name in brushed Silver and the 3D partially see through logo of SE to the left of the logo text. Pull down the smart jet Black plastic lens cover of the camera and see whats surely the biggest lens you've ever seen on a mobile phone camera, my first thought was "great, there's a lot of light going to get into that, and therefore the 3.2MP's will be justified (Ever seen the picture from one of those 7MP or so unbranded cameras which seem so cheap, the quality is usually awful despite their MP's because the lenses are so poor, like the rest of the components). On the SE Cybershot 3.2MP the picture quality is great, really great. Although not anywhere near as good as almost all dedicated cameras, for one thats integrated into your phone the camera will be much better than those awful washed out and unfocused pics from your old mobile. Whilst cameras on previous mobile's were merely a token offering and a preview of the future of integrated mobile technology, this phone shows whats about to happen.

The software on the phone is quick and theres rarely delays, the ergonomics of the icons and positioning is very good, considering im used to the 02 XDA, HP IPAQ and Nokia mobiles, this one seems to come quite naturally as everything is pretty much as it should be. Google loaded up quick, keys were quick to use to type in the URL and i could bookmark easily.

This phone looks great, works great and is very stable, impress your friends with this understated wee device!

understanding size and pit to pit measure

A lot of confusion seems apparent on what is a chest measure and what really is pit to pit etc.

I have 15 years in retail and around 1500 sales of tracks and polos without customers present.

firstly a 25 inch pit to pit does not make a 50 inch chest top, design does not go hand in hand with chest size.

If you want to buy a top the best method is to measure a similar top you own andif it fits to your liking then look for a similar pit to pit measure top. If you want bigger a 1inch pit to pitincrease is a 2inch total increase.

A basic rule i believe if you prefer not too tight then always go up a size. If you are happy to squeeze in a top then go down a size.

Dont take any notice of xl, xxl 3xl unless you are 100% familar with the brand/ country etceven brands follow trends and change their sizing each year. the current trend is a slim fit trend so many people wanting similar fits they are used to must go up a size to maintain their fit.

If in doubt ask we are on the end of a phone

Make Original Art Acrylic Painting on Canvas.

Acrylic Painting.Some general advice about acrylic painting.

Just few of the techniques and general information about painting on canvas with acrylics. By Artist Samuel Durkin

Painted onto canvas, either board or stretched, acrylic paintings
can resemble oil paintings. The techniques used though differ in a number of
ways. Acrylic paint is water based and non toxic. It is safe to use in a
confined area as does not need the use of solvent thinning agents. This is perfect for a home with children and those who wish to work in a small room. It was my
main reason I choose for using it, but now Ihave mastered it Iwouldn't use anything else.
Drying time

Acrylic paints dry extremely quickly. Within moments
of them going on the canvas if the weather is hot. where as oil paints take over a day to be touch
dry. This is both an advantage and disadvantage. The fast drying time can
make it hard to mix the paint on the canvas asone part of the canvas is dry
before you have covered the whole thing.This has lead to a my frantic painting
style. It does however have the advantage of allowing the artist to work in
layers and not have to wait a whole day to do so.

Opaque and translucent.

Opaque paint covers whats below it entirely, translucent paint does not (like
watercolour). Acrylic paint has the ability to do both. This is achieved by the amount of water (or mixing agent) that
the paint has with it. It is the artists skill in knowing how much water to add
for the effect needed. I use a separate small canvas to test brush stokes out to find the effect before placing the brush onto the real painting. Remember as the paint
dries on the pallet it becomes increasingly opaque.Here you can see the progress of the laying technique. The colour being built up as time passes.

Netsuke, Informations and How To recognize Fakes

netsuke are toggles which were fastened to the sash of a kimono and from which could be suspended everything a man or a woman needed to carry around with them. The most favoured material was ivory for its hardness and smoothness, but bone and horn were also used.

Del Prado Cavalry of the Napoleonic Wars - Listing

This is a simple and straight forward listing of the Del Prado Cavalry of the Napoleonic Wars Series. The listing will be of use to collectors wishing to identify missing numbers in their collection as well as to those seeking ad hoc individual models that appeal.As with someof their other series the numbering used by Del Prado for this collection can be a little confusing. Someissues had differentnumbers on thefigure, the outer wrapper and the booklet. For clarity all my numbers refer to the numbers usedon the booklets as originally released in the UK. Designated as an 80 piece range to begin with itwas eventualy extended to 120 issues. My interest is both personal and professional. I collect Del Prado figures as a hobby and I also sell them in my eBay shop: Drum

Fake italy/France signed shirts world cup.

Italy have gone far in the world cup and in true ebay fake style there are loads of signed shirts available! Of course there are as sellers of fake signatures always deal in the hottest team or players to make extra money.Please look carefully at the Italy signed shirts currently on sale,only a few are genuine and they are expensive.

Some clown in the last week has listed over 20 and still has loads for sale right now.All the signatures are in the exact same place! No way how lucky did he get,he managed to get hold of around 30 signed Italy shirts that are like gold dust and the signatures are in identical positions! What are the chances of that.....getting signatures after a training sessions with crowds pushing all around you and players in a hurry and someone manages to get over 30 identical shirts.Do you really think this could happen or do you think its a mass produced fake shirt to cash in on people who dont study what they buy?

There are so may fake signatures and signed football shirts on ebay that you really need to be careful.There are several simple steps to follow.Avoid Private sellers that have private bids and private feedback.If they are genuine people selling genuine signatures they would have nothing to hide or nothing to make private.Several become private sellers as they start churning out the same signatures over and over again that are forged or because as they sell more and more fakes their feedback gets really bad.

These fake sellers also recycle their forged items.They claim the signatures are done when players are leaving training leaning out of their cars yet they sell shirts with signatures in the exact same place to the exact cm! I have seen just recentley where 15 names were in the exact same place on different shirts sold by the same seller a few weeks earlier.What were the chances of that happening! A million to one i would say! But by making their auctions private you can't see what they have sold before and that they are duplicating their shirts unless you watch and track their activities.

Sellers of fake items usually show you one terrible blurred photo of the shirt they are selling with signatures that look like they are signed by a 4 year old problem child.The other trick is sellers of fakes usually have one day or three day auctions so there fakes have less time to be spotted by the powers that be.If you have a genuine article for sale you would have it up for auction as long as possible.A 7 day,10 day or even longer auction.

With the world cup being played right now the amount of fake football signatures has gone thru the roof.Again beware of sellers with private bids,one told me it was to protect his bidders from being spammed and getting emails offering to supply the autographs at a cheaper rate and they wanted to protect their bidders! Anyone who does this gets suspended or removed from ebay so it hardly ever happens.

The other thing sellers of fake 'signed' items some times do is try to provide photographic proof.This is almost always nonsense.You can getat least one,sometimes several pictures on the internet of sportsman signing items or leaving training or getting on the team bus etc.These fake sellers copy and paste them and then put their name as copyright across them! Of all the photos about 1 in 20 actually shows the sportsmen signing the item up for auction.

One well know fake seller of premiership football items reels out the same set of pictures for every item he sells from that club.Not one picture has ever shown them signing anything he has sold! Itsmore thanhilarious.The photos offer no proof whatsoever that the signatures are real.They are either downloaded from the internet or proof that a seller of fakes once went to the clubs training ground and took some pictures..............but sadly not of them signing anything he has for sale!

Also beware sellers that have so many star names and teams for sale.One faker constantly has AC Milan,Barca,Juve,Madrid shirts signed by the whole sqaud up for sale.The whole year round they constantly churn them out! Do you really think a.n.other dealer can really get his hands on 100's of Barca signed shirts a year! They have that many because they are faked.

My advice would be 1-Do not bid on anything from a private seller,if you can't see their feedback be very afraid.

2-Never bid on someone selling anything that has private bids.Again hidden so buyers can not be protected and so their friends can bid on the item and up the price.

3-Do not take any notice of photos-19/20 they prove nothing.

4-Avoid sellers selling cheap items.The real shirt costs around 45 and you see them being sold signed for 40! So with all their selling fees,paypal fees and buying a real shirtthey would be losing around12.So they put items on to lose money.......no the shirt is a 5 fake from the far east and the signature is a fake.Be prepared to pay more money for real items.For instance you can buy 05 Liverpooleuropean cup winners shirts signed by the squad for 50-80 and the shirt alone would cost for 45.The real signed ones go for 100-300.

5-Avoid sellers that have everything and everyone for sale.Its not easy to get hold of those players genuine signatures but it sure is easy to fake all their signatures and rip you off!

Please be careful out there folks.

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Travel Cot

My Mother once bought a travel cot on ebay and so I decided to sell them, but the simple things you need to know when purchasing a Travel Cot are:

Easy: It's easy to assemble and fold back, after all you want it to fit in your car or into a small space. This is after all a temporary cot that you will want to store away too.

Fabric: This made from Nylon and is easy wipe it clean. After all if you're travelling you may not have a washing machine to hand.

Carry Bag: An absolute essential, this will stop the whole thing falling open whentransporting in the car, and easyfor storing when at home.

Adjustable height: If you have a little one that can't sit or stand up on their own yet, you may want to ensure you travel cot has either a zip opening at theend so you can pop your baby in through the mesh whilst bending safely, or that it has a bassinet (not all tavel cots have these, they are like a raised platform that adjusts the height of your travel cot mattress), sothat you can have it at the top level when you're child's a newborn; and use the lowest level when you're child isn't safe to leave at that height (i.e. when they start to sit up/crawl).

Guarantee: You wouldn't expect anything different on the Highstreet so why put up with it on eBay?

Good Policies: Check out seller's policies as businesses must allow you a 7 day cancellation/7 day return, in accordance with the Distance Selling Regulations.

Price: Why pay High Street Prices when you can buy cheaper on eBay?

Why not check out my shop: Bizi Babyfor your travel cot requirements. If you quote this guide I'll offer you a discount!

washing machines cheaper elsewhere

Before you purchase a graded washing machine on ebay make sure you do a price comparison on the net. the washing machine I was going to buy on ebay I found 30.00 cheaper with delivery, brand new and not graded. Make sure you search around.

Dog Clothes Fitting

The Broadest part of the chest (shown as Chest on theillustration)For chest measurement, you need to measure the chest at its widest point, which is typically right behind the front legs. If the dog has a large girth, going up a size in the top is advisable, as more fabric will be used up.

The Length of the backbone (shown as Back Length on the illustration) Measuring should be done along the dog's backbone from the base of the head to the base of the tail. This is from the base of where the collar rests to where the tail is attached. The measurements you see on all our Dog Wear indicate measurement. However, it's important that the dog's girth be taken into account as well as the Body Length Measurement.

The Circumference of the neck (shown as Neck on the illustration)The neck size determines whether the dog will be comfortable wearing clothing. If the neck is too tight, it would be hard for the dog to breath.

There are different sizing ranges for different types of garments, due to how binding or flexible the material used is.

The most important is the chest and length.

Remember all dog-clothing manufacturers have different sizing so XS by one company may Medium by another companys measurements so always check the measurements on each garment.

Buying Used Motocross Bikes - Check First !!!!!

Hi All,Being a motocross fanatic, I have pretty much watched every new motocross bike come out each year since 1980. I have been fortunate enough to manage a dealership and work as a GP mechanic. I spend at least 30 minutes plus each day watching all the bikes for sale on ebay. One thing I have noticed is that some people just want to either rip people off by selling them a bike with latent defects or a bike that is not the year model advertised in the auction.In my experience of buying and selling bikes, I have found most dealers very helpfull when it comes to identifying the age of a Motocross Bike. All you need is an engine and frame number. If a specific dealer wont help you with a simple query, chances are he might not be the best person to send your "new" bike to if you ever need work doing to it.I have challenged more than one person as to age of their motorbike, some have changed / ammended the error and some have told me to mind my own business, you can guess how much joy a bike from that person will give you. If a seller is uncooperative dont buy from him, the good deal you think are getting will end in tears.Motocross is a wonderful sport and hobby, but it is also dangerous. If a beginner buys a motocross bike that will fail on them ie throttle sticking, chain snapping at high speed, gearbox seizures. then he or she is bound to get hurt and no amount of money can turn back the time.I believe it is every one's duty to challenge these "rogue" sellers and let them know that we are not willing to be ripped off by anyone - make ebay the perfect place for your first or next motocross bike.Have fun out there....

Buying from America.

This is the first guide that I have written, however I've seen a few guides trying to discourage buyers from buying goods from American buyers and wanted to offer advice.

I've probably spent several thousand pounds buying clothing through eBay from buyers in the United States and have found every single seller that I have come across to be extremely helpful

Which double pram to buy??

There was 17 months between my 2 terrors. The baby was born nearly a month early and was tiny, my son was huge!!!!

The first double pram I bought was a Graco tandem with a car seat for the baby. This was ok on the flat with no kerbs to go up, but with my large toddler in front I had trouble going up kerbs and the amount of people I ran down going round corners was embarassing. Plus with the baby being so small I wanted her to be comfy so never used the car seat on the pram.My mother couldnt steer it or again get it up kerbs

The next one I bought was a Mamas

Guide To Buying New Landrover Parts On Ebay

I have seen lots of sellers come and go on Ebay selling new Landrover parts on Ebay after speaking to my customers I would like to give buyers some helpfull tips :

1. New parts should have6 months warranty. The price you find on Ebay might be the cheapest but if they are long gone when you have a problem with the item you end up having topay twice !!!

2 . Make sure they have a picture listed so you can see what you are buying as the quality of goods differ.

3. Make sure you can contact them and they list a Skypeaddressor phone number,fax number or email.

4. Check to see if they have a address listed and a shop you can vist. And that theygive you a VAT invoice.

5. Make sure they have what you are buying, (Ifthey list 2-3 days to processyour order they probable dont have it just buy it in when you order it)items should arrive in 1-2 days.(UK mainland)

It might seem you find a bargain but the quality,delivery,service andaftercare wont be as good.

Thanks for reading this review and we hope it is of use to you.

BODY PUMP - an excellent gym workout!

If you arethinking ofjoining a gym, do consider joining in the Body Pump classes if you really want a great workout that's fun as well. It's a class where students use bars and free weights in a choreographed routine to music. The class lasts an hour and targets all the main muscle groups.Although the class involvesno running about, your heart rate will be raised and you will feel you have had a good workout .
I was a little apprehensive, being a slightly built female. The sight of all those free weights and dumbells made me think I would turn into Arnie if I started working out with them! But no, I was given an induction and shown that you start off with light weights and increase only when you feel ready. It's a non competitive class so youjust work at the level you are happy with. Of course, ifyou did want to 'bulk up', you can pile on the weights butthe instructor isalways there to advise on the right level for the individual.
Body Pump is set to a number of official Body Pumpcd's, giving a wide variety of motivational music to work to. Typically the class will start with everyonegetting out the equipment they will be working with - a bar to carry on the fleshy part of the shoulders, a variety of weights, a step and risers (to lie on), and a mat for comfort.Thequalified instructorwill stand at the front of the class to directyou and demonstrate the moves. It is very important that technique is correct to avoid injury and to get the most out of the movements. You are aiming to tone muscles and sculpt the body as well as burn calories.
The first 'track' of the cd will be a warm-up. The second track will be aimed at toning thethighs and buttocks. You will requireyour heaviest weight on your bar for thistrack and it will also raise your heart rate. Next comes the chest area and this is exercised by lying on the bench and pressing the bar above the head. After that we target the back, followed by the triceps, bicepts, legs, shoulders, and tummy or abs. At the end of the class comes a welcome stretch and cool down track.
Don't worry about getting bored with the same old music each week. Most instuctors mix and match from the Body Pump cd's they have so you never know what to expect. Plus, the company issue new music and routines regularly to their instuctors.
The advertisements state that Body Pump will change the shape of your body. Provided that you follow a good diet and do the classes regularly (3 times a week is a good amount) I think it really is true and in the process you will feel great and make some friends too!
Good luck!

Do read my other guides - you'll not want to miss the one on car boot sales!

Please vote YES (below)for this guide - it's FREE!

Organza Bag Scam ID's on UK ONLY Search-How 2 Sp

Wedding Favour BagScam ID's on UK ONLY Search-How 2 Spot
Ifyouprefer to buy from UK sellers - bewareas there'sscamming going on from overseas sellers and you could easily be caught out!!
These sellersenterthe location of the goods with a UK address but unfortunately the chances are - your goods will come from Hong Kong or China!
Even if you try to avoid overseas sellers by selecting the UK Only search function, they will still appear...so you're not safe!

BE AWARE OFTHE DOWNSIDE OF BUYING FROM OVERSEAS SELLERS...........

Buying from outside the United Kingdom or the EUmay mean you are liable to be charged extra money for importingyour goods - this will be done by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs {HMRC}and Royal Mail or ParcelForce can also sting you for an extra 8 on top of that - just for processing it on behlaf of HMRC!
If your goods are faulty then you'll be expected to return them to the seller at your cost - and just imagine how expensive it will be to send goods to China or Hong Kong by a trackable service!

Here's a quick guide - you can read the other stuff if you like but this is what to look out for in a nutshell..if you only want to buy from true UK sellers!
Before you do anything, check out the bad feedback that's been left for them.....and how many of those negs have been mutually withdrawn!

There are websites that will let you see all the negs and neutral feedbacks in a row - it paints a good picture ... if you type thewords toolhaus.org into your web browser window or search box, then you can check out their bad feedback.!

If they don't combine shipping costs then your goods aren'tcoming from the UK

If you're paying a really low price for the goods themselves - like 99pand a ridiculously high price for postage, like 4 - 6, then they're a Hong Kong/Chinese seller

Ifthe photos of the goods you're searching forall look the same on the search page,even though they're from about 3 different sellers then they'll be Chinese/Hong Kongsellers- and probably the same one, too.

5.All these different Hong Kong registered sellers tend toenter the same location - like Manchester or London,so your goods are probably not coming from the UK!

If you want to avoid being duped - then look for these tell-tale signs....

ITEM LOCATION....it may say...Shanghai,UK.......Hong Kong,UK...or even London orManchester!

This may be enough to reassure you but you need to check out where they're registered- this will be on the right hand side of the auction page...they generally say Hong Kong, China, even though the goods are supposedly located in the UK...BIG GIVEAWAY!

Here's some examples

SHIPPING COSTS....it may say a huge amount..like 6.99 and yet they only charge a really low amount for the goods...like 59p!!!! This is especially true of falseeyelash...nailgel sellers.....make-up brushesand nail art sellers...BIG GIVEAWAY!

SHIPPING METHOD...they generally say Royal Mail Standard Parcels Service....BIG GIVEAWAY!

COMBINED SHIPPING...these sellers don't generally offer combined shipping..or if they do...will only take off about 50p for the second item....BIG GIVEAWAY

SHIPPING

Ronson Lighters

There are too manyusing the words KITSCH, FUNKY, RETRO, ART DECO, and VINTAGE when the item is none of these. I asked a seller recently what the meaning of one word was and she admitted that she didn't know, butit encouraged buyers to bid.

In my view there ismuch misrepresentation of lighters from sellers who know nothing, they do not even know the model names, let alone the mechanics of suchitems.

Asa gas lighterengineer I can see only5 knowledgable sellers on the whole of eBay. So with that I'm happy to advise anyone as anex Ronson Engineerwithproblems, butevenmy experience doesn't stop a flood of problematic lightersarriving at my door. Corroded flints intubes, lighters covered in tar, unrepairable leaks.and hardly anyattempts to clean them..

Money that I make frommy repairs helps to save lesser-known wildcats that are murdered for fur coats, so you can see how mad I get whenlighters never match their description.

It may also be news to sellers that you can never clean silver, gold or brass plated lighters with metal polish. All polishes carry an abrasive agent that destroys the protective laquerRonson's used to stop plate tarnishing. Your item may gleam in the picture, but it will result in avery sad buyer when his/her lighter turns black in a short time.

Please email mewith any queries you may have.

Art King

Buying a Horse / Pony Harness

I don't sell harnesses so I am not bias! This is based on 20 years experience of carriage driving, both in the Show Ring, competing in Driving Trials and for pleasure. If you are starting your driving career have a look at the British Driving Society web site.

Your main considerations when buying a harness are SAFETY and COMFORT.

Safety first! As with most things, you get what you pay for. There are cheap leather harnesses available on eBay and elsewhere.Theseare not as strong as English leather and the leather andstitching is not as strong as English leather or synthetic. If you want an English Leather harness expect to pay 500 pounds plus for a good one, a thousand or more for one by a noted harness maker.

In use, a harness comes under tremendous strain.The full thrust of your horses movement goes through the traces. Snapped traces have led to many serious if not fatal accidents. If you simply must have that multi coloured Morrocan leather harness... for the sake of your horse please get some decent leather or synthetic traces!

There is nothing wrong with a cheap leather harness so long as you inspect it after every use and maintain it properly. Ultimately you might find that what you saved on the price of the harness (as compared to a good quality set of synthetic) you have spent on repairs or replacement parts.

Be wary of the very fancy, very cheap Trade (Gypsy) style harnesses that come up for sale from time to time. They are usualy made of laminated leather... think plywood. As soon as it gets a good drenching it de-laminates

On balance, buying a cheap set ofleather harnessis a false economy. However, some people just love the look and feel of real leather and take the maintainence and repairs in their stride.

If you are on a budget, something like a set of Libby's would be the thing to get. It is virtually maintainence free and you can pop it in a pillow case and wash it in the washing machine. It drys quickly. This is ideal for winter as you don't have yards of soggy soiled leather to clean.

The unbranded sets of synthetic on eBay usually represent good value for money if you are on a budget or breaking your horse to drive. The breast collars, breeching and saddles often look a bit mean but this is easily remedied by using PollyPads (roller pads) in these areas. These PollyPads are a gret time saver, you simply pop them in the wash and you don't have to clean a whole harness. They distribute the pressure of the back band and collar making even a narrow collar or hard saddle more comfortable.

Another great safety item you can buy on eBay are 'quick releasers' you attach these to the ends of the traces and where the back band attaches to the saddle. You tie bright coloured pieces of cord or rope to the release ring. In the event of an accident you can get your horse out of the cart in seconds and you don't have to cut the harness. These are sold for up to 45 pounds on some driving web sites. Have a look in the Sailing section of eBay and search for "Snap Shackles". You will find exactly he same thing for a fraction of the price. I paid 12 pounds inc. postage for mine.

Names to look out for... Libby's, Tedman. Tedex and Zilco. You can't go wrong with any of these.

When buying English leather... consult the excelent Ebay guide on English Leather Saddlery. This tells you how to tell the difference between English and non English.

When buying an old harness. Ask the seller what it smells like! Ask what the condition the stitching is in, Ask if these are any cracks.

For a 2 wheeler you will need a harness with a sliding back band. Ask the seller if the harness you are interested in has one! Ask if it slides... some are so stiff that they are as good as a fixed back band. If you are going to drive a 4 wheeler with independedent stafts (ie, if one is lifted, the other stays put) you need a harness with a fixed back band. If your 4 wheeler has fixed shafts (like a 2 wheeler) you need a sliding back band.

If you buy a breast collar harness, as opposed to a full collar, you MUST use a swingletree on your carriage or cart.This avoids shoulder injury.You can get away without using a swingle if you are using a full collar.

Some unbranded harnesses are have very strange sizing, Don't be afraid to ask the seller for the measurements!

Nero 8 for under a tenner ? too good to be true!!!

Have you seen certain software, eg Nero 8, Roxio 10, selling way below their RRP prices.

These tend to be digital downloads, where you receive and email with a serial numberand a link to theTrial download.

I was taken in, and bought Nero 8 for 7.99.

Very quickly, the serial number and link were supplied in an email.

Serial number entered, and hey presto, all is fine...

Or so I thought.

When I tried to watch a DVD with Nero Vision, it needed to be activated.

No problem I thought. 1 minute later, it reports that I have a pirated serial number.

Nero will work, but only for about 30 days. After that, certain functions will become disabled.

Now, unless you have tried to watch a DVD etc with Nero Vision, you will not be aware you have a pirated serial number until Nero requests and activation.

My suggestion:

If you have bought Nero 8 at a price "Too good to be true." I would suggest to try and watch a DVD, or an AVI/MPEG movie via Nero Vision. It will require activation. If there is a problem with the serial number, Nero will advise.

Whatever you do, Nero will rquire activation after 30 days.

If you have received what a appears to be a pirated number. Contact the seller, and if that is no good. Try eBay or Paypal.

Mike

MOLTON BROWN AUTHENTICS? - be careful when bidding

I've recently bought a molton brown handwash on ebay, the packaging looks OK but the product smells like the cheap free shower gel usually left in hotel bathrooms. I'm very disappointed as it's the first bad experience I've had with ebay either buying or selling.

The seller has told me that the product is made for the hotel and leisure industry although there's nothing like this mentioned in the item description. Even though I paid immediately on paypal the seller has given ME negative feedback becuase I've left them negative feedback, how ridiculous is that!

Be warned, read through all feedback not just the most recent four or five comments as I did, there are some unscrupulous sellers out there

Beware!!! Fake Radio Microphones

There a lot of counterfeit radio microphones on e-bay currently.

How can you spot them?

Well the problem is, you can't. Not from the pictures anyway. Not from the descriptions either. Largely because the pictures and blurb are simply cut and pasted from the websites of the genuine article anyway. That in itself is a total con by the way, and they haven't even got your money yet. BUT: there is one very easy rule of thumb that you can use as a guide, and it is this:

IF IT LOOKS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!!!

Please use your common sense. If the best price you can find on a Google search is 400, but someone on e-bay is selling it brand new for 199, they are are trying to con you. You CANNOT buy a genuine breand new radio mic on e-bay for half of what it costs in a bona fide shop. Of course you can't!! So do not buy these things from these people. You are NOT buying the item they are pretending to be selling. You are being stitched up with some sub-standard piece of rubbish that will not perform like you want and expect it to. And it will break. And when it breaks there is nowhere you can take it to get it repaired. Your vendor won't do it, and neither will the brand manufacturer. (Because they didn't actually manufacture this in the 1st place!)

If in doubt, check with the genuine manufacturers - Sennheiser, Shure, AKG, Audio Technica, etc. They will be delighted to advise you properly.

"You get what you pay for" - with counterfeit radio mics, that age old addage is as true as it ever was!

Good luck.

falco.

Sony PSP - August 2006 UK guide

The Sony PlayStation Portable is a portable multimedia device, released in 2005, that can play games, movies, music, images, and access the internet. So, what's it all about?

UMD

UMD stands for Universal Media Disc, a type of disc that, at the time of writing, only the PSP can play and nothing can make (except for the factories). You can get UMD Games, Movies, and Music. Be cautious when buying the latter two, as they can only be played onthe PSP, and there are other ways of viewing movies and music on your PSP, although when purchased in UMD format, the moviesmay come with special features. Movies and Music cost between 5 and 20, and Games cost around 30

Memory Stick

Memory Stick is a Flash-based memory card created by Sony, for use in a wide range of Sony products. However, very few other brands use Memory Stick in their products. The PSP is the first PlayStation to use the Memory Stick. The PSP uses a smaller type of Memory Stick, called Memory Stick Duo, a smaller type which can be plugged into an adaptor for use on standard Memory Stick ports. The PSP uses the Memory Stick for a wide range of things, including game saves, PSP updates, movies, music and images. Remember this, as some Memory Sitcks purchased on eBay may already have content on them, which may be unsuitable for young children. To "format" is to erase all the data stored, so remember this when looking at product descriptions.

Wireless

The PSP uses a range of wireless features - or Wi-Fi, as it is known as. It can include surfing the internet, connecting to other PSPs, downloading updates and other things. To connect to the internet you will need a broadband connection and a wireless router or a computer with Wi-Fi technology. Without a keyboard, however, the Internet can be hard to use, and keyboards especially designed for the PSP are on their way, although they are not required.

Hardware

The PSP has a powerful set of hardware inside it, capable of graphics the same quality you can find in a PlayStation 2 game. The PSP is also the first handheld games console to have an analogue stick, a bonus in games. The PSP has a massive 4.3" widescreen, another bonus. However, battery life is one of it's most criticized points, with 3 to 6 hours of gameplay time, so you may want to consider a second battery for long journeys etc...

Games: What to get?

Driving? Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast works much better as a portable game.

Platform? LocoRoco is set to be this year's big PSP game, with colourful characters and simple yet challenging gameplay.

RPG? Unreleased, but Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII looks to be yet another hit Final Fantasy game.

Football? Your choice. FIFA, Pro Evo, World Tour...you decide.

Shooting? Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is violent, but the PSP's biggest selling game so far.

Puzzle? Mercury or Lumines are both fine choices.

Something else? Talkman is not a game, but a translator which can be used abroad with the microphone, and your personal language teacher.

PSP Packs?

You have 3 packs: Base Pack, Value Pack, and Giga Pack.

Base Pack includes:

PSP Console, Battery Pack, AC Adaptor, Demo Disc

Value Pack includes the above and:

32MB Memory Stick Duo, pouch, Headphones with remote control, wrist strap, screen cloth

Giga Pack includes the above (except for the 32MB Memory Stick Duo):

USB Cable, 1GB Memory Stick Duo.

Future...

Connectivity with PlayStation 3, EyeToy functionality, Voice communication...there's more to come...

Fake Skateboard T-Shirts

Like most clothing categories on eBay, the Skateboard clothing section has more than its fair share of fakes.

Of course, many are happy to buy fake items for a fraction of the price of the genuine article, and many people must be buying them, otherwise the sellers would not list them in the quantities that they do.

Just for the record, all those T-shirts being sent from China, Thailand, Singapore etc are NOT genuine!

These brands are licensed to authorised distributors who sell them to qualified retailers. It is impossible, even at wholesale prices,to buy a genuine Zoo York T-Shirt for the 6.99 quoted as the eBay price shipping from Thailand.

Today, I can see supposed Volcom, Etnies, Zoo York and other brandedTee Shirts being sold by sellers in these countries. I would hope that eBay themselves would do something about it, however the chances are slim when they are getting the listing fees! These sellers may have high positive feedback, but this does not neccessarily mean that they sell genuine goods. Buyers will leave feedback who don't realise they are getting a fake, or who do, and don't mind as they are paying low prices.

If you buy one, you will get something that looks the part, but will not have the build quality or long-lasting toughness of the genuine article.

How to spot a fake?

Firstly go on price. If a seller is willing to sell 'new' this-season designer clothing for next to nothing then it's fake. You simply cannot get hold of these in-demand items for those silly prices.

Second, ask if it comes with tags. All top-end clothing companies tag their brand new goods, and the tags are usually thick cardboard or plastic. Its too much trouble to recreate these tags for the fakers, so they seldom bother. So if it doesn't have tags its probably a fake, secondhand or a 'grey import' copy.

So do yourself a favour and get the genuine article. You'll be getting a quality product and hopefully putting these sharks out of business at the same time.

Please click the link to see our range of Genuine Skateboard T-shirts and Headgear.

PAYPAL SELLER PROTECTION CON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ONE OF THE MANY TRANSACTIONS I HAVE HAD INVOLVED A PAYMENT BY THE CUSTOMER VIA PAYPAL.EVERYTHING WAS PRETTY NORMAL AT FIRST AND FEEDBACK WAS LEFT MUTUALLY.AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS PAYPAL WITHOUT ANY NOTIFICATION WITHDRAW THE AMOUNT OUT OF MY ACCOUNT,THIS MADE ME QUITE ANGRY.WHEN I CONTACTED THEM THEY PROMISED TO PASS THE INFORMATION TO THE SELLER PROTECTION SCHEME,I THOUGHT EVERTING WAS OK AND I WOULD BE ABLE TO GET MY MONEY BACK,AFTER SEVERAL MORE WEEKS AND NO CONTACT FROM PAYPAL I EMAILED MY ENQUIRY AGAIN AND WAS REPLIED BY ANOTHER PAYPAL WORKER AND WAS ASSURRED EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.AFTER A FURTHER FEW WEEKS I EMAILED AND COMPLAINED ABOUT THE WHOLE SYSTEM AND THE RESPONSE I GOT WAS THAT THE PAYMENT I RECIEVED WAS LIKE A CHEQUE THAT HAD BOUNCED AND THAT THERE WAS NOT MUCH THAT COULD BE DONE,WHAT A TOTAL WASTE OF TIME THIS SO CALLED SELLER PROTECTION IS AND I HOPE MY WRITING THIS GUIDE WILL HELP YOU DECIDE WHAT YOU ALL THINK OF PAYPAL.I THINK A NEWBETTER SYSTEM IS MUCH NEEDED AND NOT JUST ONE THAT MAKE LOTS OF MONEY FROM OTHER PEOPLES HARD WORK,THANKS FOR READING

Alternatives to Paypal!!

As a sellerI've used PayPal for years - but now I see am being ripped off in front of my very eyes, and there's nothing I can do about it! Or is there ...?

Recently I've noticed an increasing number of buyers filing non-receipt dispute claims through PayPal, and even thoughI've supply tracking information (usually Recorded Delivery) to show that the goods have actually been signed for, PayPal STILL find in favour of the buyer!! So, these buyershave the goods AND they havea full refund, which PayPal gives them without my consent, and I believe more and more buyers are cottoning on to this scam, leaving sellers powerless.

SO! I've had enough of PayPal, and am trying out some alternatives. So far I have used BACS successfully and with no hassles at all, from UK and international buyers (some overseas buyers may be charged for this, but most seem happy enoughto do so).

Another option is Nochex, where you can receive instant payments of up to 100 from non-members of Nochex, and so far so good!

There are more online payment options, such as PPPAY.com, Bidpay and Moneybookers. I've registered with each of these, but there don't seem to be so many people using them. Real shame, because these may well be far more favourable alternatives to PAYPAL!

BFPO / B.F.P.O DELIVERY ADDRESSES

Hi,

My name is Lorraine and I (sometimes unfortunately!!) am married to a servicing solider in the British Army. I joined ebay about 2 years ago when we were based in Surrey

Motorola batteries (how to spot the best of the fakes)

Please be careful with non standard batteries that look genuine, i work in mobile phone industry and have seen a fair few faulty motorola look-a-like batteries just recently.

Im not saying all non standard ones are iffy but the ones claiming to be genuin but fail the UV test do seam to be the worst offenders and the ones that look the most like a real one

The UV test you may be wondering, hmm whats that, simply put.... take the battery in question and place under a UV lamp (not always easy to find i know but a lot of shops have them for money forgery detecting) the hologram section will light up in the horizontal bars that have a diamond pattern whilst the rest will not, also the white section (with all the safty gubbins) will glow purple-ish.

The V3 versions also have the words of the french warning running into each other (as tho there are no spaces)

Hope this helps at least one person out there in ebay land

Don't bid/buy Unlock/Debrand for Newer motorola phones

Alot of auctions are offering unlocking solutions for the L7,L6,V3i,V3x,Pebl and other newer motorola's.The potential buyer is informed that all you need is a mini usd Cable but you will need to testpoint on 3g phones,This is a blatant lie.All of the phones mentioned above need to be testpointed in order to be unlocked via mini usb cable.What is testpoint you may ask?Testpointing is where the phone is disassembled(Back cover,Battery,Inner housing)After that is removed then the protective magnetic cover is removed.Then the Cover for the Chips on the motherboard is Heatsinked off.Then you connect a piece of metal to a certain chip and the other end to Ground.A professional service will take roughly 20-30 minutes to do this along with unlocking.The actual unlock is performed by a Smartclip(most of the time) which also does a chipset backupfor safety reasons incase anyting goes wrong but 99% of the time its flawless and when unlocked bya professional you are also entitled by law that incase of damage to your phone you will be given a replacement or the phone being repaired.Search online for L7 unlocking and you will find that all say it needs to be done by testpointor some will ask you to try the unlocking programme first and after you do the programme will inform you that you will need to testpoint the phone and SHOULD ONLY BE DONE BY PROFESSIONALS.Some sellers are also offering debranding.What is Debranding.Debranding is removing your operators settings that have been applied to the phoneeither by seem editing or by Flashing a unbranded Flex/Monsterpack.Doing the latter will void your warranty.I won't go into detail as we would have to cover the P2K filesystem and programmes.You can find information on Debranding and loads more @www.Motomodders.netwww.Howardforums.comand various other Mobile phone sites.Don't be fooled by the prospect of unlocking your phone easily,you will only be sent olderunlocking solutions that don't support your phone and you will end up either having to have it repairedand then pay for an unlock or in the worst case scenarioa dead phone.And lastly some sellers are offering Subsidy unlocks.Now I know that Motorola keep these unlocks on a secure database and can only be accesed by motorola.Operators like Vodafone,02,Orange and the rest have to request these unlock codes from Motorola when you want to unlock your phone.I have been on 02,Vodafone and Meteor and have had all my phones unlocked by asking my Carrierat the time for the subsidy Code.An easy way to get your code for free is to tell them your going on holiday and you want to use your phone abroad.Most will do this free of charge but I know in some cases people have been charged.Your phone can also be unlocked at the end of your contract or signing up for a new contract.By law Mobile phone operators have to suppy you with an unlock code,wether they charge you or not is at their own discretion but most of time(well for me anyways) it is free.I hope this helped some of you out.

Bic Bilbao Sit On Top Kayak

Sit On Top kayaks have encouraged many thousands of new paddlers to take to the water over the last few years.Its a cheap, healthy,fun, activity andrelativly safe compaired to sit in Kayaks when used with a little common sense. There are manybrands and models of Kayak available. This review deals witha specificmodel but visit the Storm-riders website for a full guide and technical specifications of the two current most popular brands in the UK, Ocean Kayak, and Bic Sports Kayaks' best selling models.

The Bic Sport sit on top kayak range is one of the most popular choices of brandfor recreational paddling in Europe. BIC has a small but well designed range of Kayaks available to suit a variety of purposes.

This guide deals withBilbao model which is the most stable single person [plus one small passenger extraif required]recreational kayak in the Bic range and geared towards family fun on flat water. I'll make specific comparisons in this review with Ocean Kayak and other Bic models to illustrate points. Ocean Kayak are the worlds most popular range of sit on's, and for good reason. The OKrange has more models than any other we know and are well designed and constructed.

I've regulary used this model for day trips on flat water, as a fishing platform and forbeach playwith my children. Its a firm favorite with users not looking for too much adrenalin in their paddling but who want a very stable and comfortable kayak. It's perfectly suited to relaxing paddling but can be used to a degree in very small broken waves and whitewater. Its not designed for carving on surf. If thats something your'e likely to do a lot of, then the Ocean Kayak Yak or the Bic Ouassouwould be more appropriate and slightly cheaper.

Its been great fun on rivers and itsperformed well on longerinshore costal water and lake trips. Its very stableon flat water and gives a very secure feeling to the user. It is however a bit limited on surf as its almost too stable and doesnt turn very quickly.

Its direct Ocean kayak competitor is the Frenzy or Prowler. These are alsovery capable boats but the cockpit of the Bic definately feels roomier and better suited to a bigger paddler or to carrying an extrapassenger. I would say that if you are likely to travel really big distances on your kayak then the OK Prowler or the Bic Scappa would be far better options as the both glide far better than the Bilbao, but they are more expensive and more awkward to handle when out of the water. The OK Frenzy looses out a little to the Bilbao in terms of stability, which isnt nessecerally a bad thing. If your looking for a bit more excitement the Frenzy should provide it. The Bilbao wins hands down in terms of storage potential, and due to the fact it provides a comfortable front seat for a smaller passenger.Another thing to consider is that kayakslarger than this can become difficult for most people to get on their cars roofrack which could be wise to bare in mind when choosing a model of kayak suitable for you.

One of the definate advantages of all the bic models in comparison to other ranges is that they can give the user a much dryer ride in flat water. The sidewalls of all the Bic models are taller thanmost other brands of sit on top kayaksmodels and when using bungs in the drainholes in calm water you will feel dryer. You also feel a bit less exposed which seems to give less experiencedpaddlers a little more confidence.

Bic produce a fishingspecific version of this boat equiped withrod holders,net holders, dry storage hatches, etc which offersa superbly stable platform for inshore / river/ lakefishing trips. Its a great little fishingboat and a good seller in our shop.

The Bilbao is one of the easiest of the full sized single person kayaks to useand is very easy to move around on land as its equipped with a rear wheel housed in its rear skid plate. This whole wheel/skidplate is replaceable and will definately save wear and tear to this most vulnerable, rear bottom section of the boat and prolong the life of the boat. A new skidpleate cost nothing compaired to a new boat!

It's stable enough to accomodate a very large adult plus smaller front passenger with a combined weight of up to 120Kg which is adequate for most people. I would say that I've perched a much larger passenger at the front occassionally for fun but the boats become nose heavy and dont paddle easily, allthough they wont sink.

The rider position in the cockpit is set up to allow comfortable paddling for most adults and teenagers. The width of the seat makes it comfortable for wider hips of bigger blokes and women. For woman specific use, the Ocean Kayak Venus is a better choice due to the seating position and lower weight and volume, but it is quite a lot more money and the rest of the family wont be able to use it comfortably. The footrests on theBilbao allow a comfortable knee position for all but small children who's feetdont generally reach the footrests. I've personally found this far more comfortable to paddle than the Ocean Kayak Frenzy which is OK's equivalent model which is a bit narrow for my 14.5 stone frame. The use of kneestraps make itmuch more controlable as conditions get tough. That recommedation applies to any sit on kayak.

One great thing about the Bic Kayaks is that they dont have the hidden extra cost of the backrest to make them useable. Most brands require a backrest to be fitted to allow a basic level of comfort. That will drive up your cost by about 25 to 60 depending on your model of backrestchosen. The Bilbaooffers acceptable comfort even without a backrest due to the shape of the deck behind the seating position. However, for extended use we'd still recommend one being fitted for ultimate comfort.

In summary, we've found the Bic Bilbao to be an excellent kayak for stable, flatter water family activities and fishing. Its relatively inexpensive and would be a great investment for anyone looking for a relaxing watercraft. It doesnt really surf well, but that not what this boats about.Itshould give you loads of chilled out paddlingadventures and will let you get to places most people will never get to experience.

Features:

Drink holder. Ergonomic seating position with EVA foam cushioning. Integrated foot rests Replaceable bow and stern protectors Self-draining scuppers (2) Rubber cushioned carry handles. Accessory stowing net Mooring straps Safety grab lines Optional Extras: paddle, back rest, water bottle.

Length : 9'10'' - 300.0 cm Width : 31'' - 78.0 cm Weigth : 21.0 kgs - 21.0 kgs Max. Load : 264 lbs - 120 kgs Material : Thermoformed polyethylene Suitable Conditions for use : All Flat Water and up to Class II Whitewater [Bic's Recommendations - not mine]

I hope this brief summary of my personal experiences with these kayaks has been helpfull. If I can help with any other information fell free to get in touch through ebay and I'd be happy to try to help.

If you are Mr Bic or Mr Ocean Kayak and you feel I've been unjust or turned away your potential buyer please bare in mind these are my own personal thoughts and not the views of Stormriders.