Inside design: eBay's Shawn Henderson

S@H: You use your blog to point out on-trend items that can be purchased on eBay. Given the staggering selection available online, is it important to have a navigator?
SH: Absolutely. I think shopping online can be very overwhelming for nonprofessionals. I hear that a lot from friends and family -- people just can't make informed decisions. Any time you can narrow down options and point people in the right direction, to that better choice, it's a good thing. When I'm looking for specific items, I come up with a little shopping list. Maybe I'm looking for an Italian brass-and-glass lamp in turquoise, so I start out with those specific terms and try to keep narrowing down my search.

S@H: You regularly identify trends on your blog; you recently singled out driftwood, paisley and Danish design. Any predictions for 2008?
SH: What I see are continuations of trends that are already in place: first, there's self-expressiveness, which translates into a more eclectic environment in which people showcase their own unique personal style; second, there will be a trend toward a cleaner, simpler, more modern aesthetic. In New York, in particular, a lot of the apartments being built are pretty modern, and I think the younger generation will be drawn to that look, especially in urban areas.

S@H: How do you integrate steals from eBay into high-end decor? What's key to creating a seamless look in a space?
SH: Regardless of what an items costs, it's about creating balance in terms of colour, scale and the combination of materials -- all the stuff that makes a room successful.

5 eBay shopping tips
1 Do your homework. If you have questions about an item, e-mail the seller. If you're worried about the colour, ask to see a photo of the item next to an identified paint chip for a truer representation.

2 Always look at the seller's feedback information. A seller should have a 98 per cent or higher feedback rating – that's based on buyer satisfaction when dealing with the vendor.

3 If you don't have time to watch an auction, determine your maximum bid for an item and plug in that number in what's called a "proxy bid"; eBay will bid on your behalf until the bidding war reaches your maximum. You have to be OK with losing an item if bidding goes even one cent over your max, though.

4 If you must have an item, choose the Buy It Now option, if available. It takes the risk out of the process.

5 Register for eBay's PayPal service -- a secure method of sending and receiving money online. That way, vendors won't have access to your credit card number or bank account information.

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