I am not a professional genealogist, though I have taken a few classes at Colorado State University, online at Rootsweb, and a couple of seminars through local genealogy associations. I've been researching my family's history for over 25 years and my husband's family history for over 10 years. I'm hooked on it! I love the challenges, the people I meet, and sharing what I've learned. In this guide, I hope to share some of what I've learned with some of the novice genealogists or with some of the genealogists who are new to Ebay. This isn't going to be a step-by-step guide, but a more general guide that, I hope, will get you started in the right direction.
Genealogy on Ebay is not necessarily for the novice genealogist or the novice Ebayer. It can be a lot of fun. It can be a great place to meet other genealogists. It can also, at times, be a challenge. HOWEVER, I don't think the challenges should discourage the novice, because they are easily overcome.
THE NOVICE EBAYER
THE NOVICE EBAYER/COMFORTABLE GENEALOGIST
The challenges for the novice Ebayer come by not understanding how to buy, sell, and generally navigate Ebay. I don't have to give you that lesson here. Ebay has a terrific tutorial. After using that, if you still have questions, there are many specific guides, message boards, etc. for using Ebay.
What I would like to suggest to the novice Ebayer who is already a comfortable genealogist, is that you choose two or three items that you know something about, such as a book, a map, and a genealogy software product. Start searching for these items on Ebay using different search criteria. This will give you good practice even if the item isn't up for sale on Ebay! You'll be surprised what your search criteria does and doesn't find. Since you will be practicing to find things you already know a lot about, you can also get comfortable reading descriptions and choosing which ones appear to be the best choices to purchase. Once comfortable with the simple search and the advance search processes, you can move on to search for the more rare items and iclude using family names to see what turns up.
THE NOVICE GENEALOGIST
The challenge for the novice genealogist is not knowing what to be looking for on Ebay. The answer to that challenge is both simple and not so simple. The simple answer is look for EVERYTHING! ;)
The less simple answer takes some thought on the part of the new genealogist. Start by asking some of the following questions and write down the answers in a notebook:
How much do I really want to know?
Do I want to know only about my direct line (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on)?
Do I want to know about other, in-direct, family lines (aunts, uncles, cousins, great-aunts, great-uncles, first cousins once removed, second cousins, etc.)?
What do I want to know about these people?
Are birth and death dates enough?
Do I want to know where they were born, died, and were buried?
Do I want to know anything about how and where they lived, their religion, their medical conditions, occupations, etc.?
Genealogy can be as in-depth, or not, as the genealogist chooses. It can be anything from a weekend hobby to a paid, fulltime career working for other people. That's why it is important to start with the questions and form a real sense of what is the expected outcome of the research. These questions are good starters. Other questions may come to mind as the research progresses. Write the new ones down along with the old ones to keep the intent of the research in focus.
Learning Resources
Once you decide the answers to the questions mentioned above, there are many ways you can become a compentent family history researcher. I recommend you use as many of the resources as are available to you. Genealogists tend to be a friendly group of people who are always learning and usually willing to help other genealogists.
Resources:
How To Books, such as Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your Family's History and Heritage by Barbara Renick, National Geneaogy Society The Complete Idiot's Guide to Genealogy by Christine Rose and Kay Germain Ingalls Genealogy Online for Dummies by Matthew L. Helm and April Leigh Helm
Public and Private Libraries, such as Your own local public library reference or genealogy section, Your local family history center/stake at the Church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) - you do not have to be a member of their faith to use these centers and the volunteer staff are nice and helpful people
Genealogy related websites
College and University classes
Local and online genealogy clubs and associations, you can usually find these through your local newspaper and libraries
local and online stores oriented to genealogy items
What To Buy On Ebay
When you feel like you are ready to start searching on Ebay for your genealogy items, you might be asking what yourself if Ebay is really a place to find anything helpful? The answer is a resounding YES!!! Here are just some of the things you might find while searching Ebay:
How To Books, Like those mentioned above and others such as those that are specialized about searches of countries and names.
Magazines, past issues of genealogy magazines
Software, including software to organize genealogy data, software that has data, and software with How To information.
Maps, new, used and antique
Census Records
Reference Books, new, used, and antique which can be helpful in understanding our older records
Bibles, old, lost family bibles that have family history written in them and still intact.
Other old family books
Photo Albums, old, lost and filled with family pictures
Photo Jewelry - It was once a practice to wear pictures of sweethearts and other loved ones on pins, stick pins, brooches and mourning jewelry as well as lockets. These often became lost in estate sales just like bibles and photo albums. They often have names or initials on them and genealogist use this jewelry, like photos, to look for clues. Antique photo jewelry is often found for sale on Ebay and sellers are usually willing to answer questions about the origin of the piece if it isn't in the description already.
Coats-of-Arms for family names, Here I would like to add a caution. Many names have a coat-of-arms associated with it because someone historically important with the same name had one, some long ago royal family had one etc. That doesn't mean it is YOUR family's coat-of arms. Also, there are many companies who will create a brand new coat-of-arms for your family. This coat-of-arms will be associated with your family name starting with your generation. This is fun. You might have a legitimate coat-of-arms out there for your family from long ago. Just be aware of what you are looking at! ASK QUESTIONS FIRST!
Materials for organizing hardcopy data, scrap booking materials, office needs, you name it - Ebay probably has it!
My family roots are German, so some example of books I might search for that are specialized are for German family research. The same types of specialized books are available for other family backgrounds and even occupations.
The Organized Family Historian: How to File, Manage, and Protect Your Genealogical Research and Heirlooms by Ann Carter Fleming, National Genealogy Society
Online Roots: How to Discover Your Family's History and Heritage with the Power of the Internet by Pamela Boyer Porter, National Genealogical Society
Finding Your German Ancestors: A beginner's Guide by Kevan M. Hansen
If I Can You Can Decipher Germanic Records (25th ed., 2002) by Edna Bentz
What To Sell On Ebay
When you finish with some of your How To Books, reference books, maps, census records, etc. and decide you won't be needing them in your home library, you can turn around and sell them right here on Ebay! You can also sell those miscellaneous items that you bought and found weren't so helpful because they didn't pertain to the right county or family name. Yes, we all make mistakes when we start researching our family history!! However, when buying on Ebay, remember ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE BIDDING OR BUYING! A good seller will be happy to help you make sure the item pertains to the right county or family name. Just don't expect them to give you the complete abstract!
If your like me, and frequent antique shops, flea markets, and garage sales, you might keep an eye out for some of those used, lost and antique genealogy items mentioned above. Even if you can't use them, someone else might. They may never make it to that little garage sale in Colorado if they live in Ohio, but they sure would love that How To Book, the picture of Great-Aunt Emily or the long lost family bible. If you put it up for sale on Ebay, they might just find it!
A Final Suggestion
Finally, I suggest creating an About ME page. People really do read them! On your ME page you can list that you are researching and some general information about your names. When you sell a genealogy item, you can direct people to your ME page to see the names your researching!
AND... Pass It On!
Remember how much time you spent learning how to be a family historian and genealogist? Remember how much time you spent learning how to use Ebay? Remember all the people who helped you by giving of their time and especially their patience? You can thank them with much more than a Thank You. You can exchange information with them that you have now collected and know they can use. You can ask permission of other genealogists to use their information before passing it on to others or publishing it. You can acknowledge other genealogists and their work whenever and wherever possible when they have contributed to your research. Most of all you can thank them when you always treat other genealogists, especially the novices, with care and patience!!!!
Orignal From: Genealogy and Ebay, general help for novices
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