I have bought some banjo parts on Ebay, but never a whole instrument because of the uncertainty about genuineness as mentioned above and also, even though the prices do sometimes beat the local music store, they are often not nearly as good as buying from an instrument's owner or maker. The thing that's different about Ebay compared to traditional auctions is that you lose the advantage of possibly being the only or one of a few people there who actually want the thing you're bidding on. On Ebay the same instrument I want is checked out by thousands of people. And often the prices do get out of hand, I guess because it doesn't seem like real money when you're sitting at the computer. The transactions I have done, however were very pleasant. It's important to check the seller's rating. If it's not good, just wait, you'll soon see the same item from a better source. The better sellers also usually offer a money-back guarantee. Just be careful as always. Chet