What you should when buying Hallmark Ornaments on Ebay.
I have sold thousands of ornaments on eBay and have often wondered why people buy from me when there are so many listed on eBay. Well recently I decided to replenish some of my sold out stock and have myself purchased several ornaments on line. I must say I have been extremely disappointed!! Some of these sellers need to look up the definition of Mint and Near Mint condition and also disclose if the item is new or used. Mint condition is perfect with absolutely no flaws, near mint is questionable; if it’s near mint read description of what is wrong with box, does it have a crease, is the price tag attached does it have shelf wear? I also received an ornament today that was shipped in a cracker box! Needless to say it was crushed when I got it! The seller’s response was the Triscut box was in good shape when it left her house so she wasn’t responsible for how the Post Office handled it!  If you don’t have a clear understanding of what you are looking at “ask the seller a question” before you purchase that item.
I once read an about ME page that the seller stated “we are not one of those Power Sellers”, well I feel safe purchasing an item on Ebay from a Power Seller, you can’t get and keep that status if you don’t continue to sell a great product at a great price with reasonable shipping charges!! Ebay monitors their power sellers every month when they get their invoices, if you are not consistently offering great service they will remove your status. Here’s a quote from Ebay help page. “To qualify for the PowerSeller program, sellers must consistently sell a significant volume of items, maintain a 98% positive Feedback rating and provide a high level of service to their buyers.” The higher the Power Seller status the higher their ratings and the safer you should feel about your purchase. We are power Sellers and you get the one-on-one customer satisfaction you deserve, just because we are Power Sellers doesn’t mean we have 50 people working for us, with the exception of Christmas and high volume times my husband and I handle every order that goes out the door, when you ask a question you will always get either him or I no matter what time of the year. We have several family members that will help us out with packaging during the holidays and they have been instructed on correct packaging guidelines! All items are shipped in plastic bags prior to packing so your item will never be damp no matter the weather. Only high standard boxes are used so your item does not get crushed in the delivery process and we always include a packing slip (another thing I never get when I purchase).
I understand not everyone cares about the condition of the box and only wants to finish a series or add an ornament to his or her tree but if you are an avid collector I suggest you purchase only from someone who exclusively sells hallmark and has an understanding of these terms. If they are selling a Hallmark Ornament look at the other items the seller has up for auction, if you find a lot of household items or used clothing it’s a safe guess there ornament is also used. Also check the feedback of that seller, do they have negative feedback, DSR ratings that are low. Check feedback of item as described and communication. Don’t just look at feedback numbers go into the site and actually look at the feedback left by others. Often people won’t give a negative feedback but will state they were disappointed or the packaging was poor. If you are dissatisfied after you receive the item contact the seller about returns and refunds, this should also be disclosed in their listing. Your final recourse after all else has failed is to file a dispute through Ebay or Paypal. When leaving feedback be clear and honest about your purchase so others are aware of how you were treated and how your purchase was handled whether that is positive or negative. Only about 50% of people who purchase on Ebay leave feedback, it’s important to leave feedback so you can share your experience with others and make them aware of a particular seller, good or bad, if those poor sellers get enough negative feedback Ebay will remove them. Also nothing is free beware of free shipping. Free shipping just means you will pay more for your item.

Mint   Perfect no flaws detected
Near Mint, this is questionable ask the seller a question, what is wrong with box
New vs. Used
Does the box have creases, bangs or dents? Shelf wear? Price tab?
What else do they sell?
What is their feedback score?
What are their DSR ratings (detailed seller ratings)?

shop at my ebay store for quality Hallmark Ornaments barbs ornaments and trains