I'm Totally Inexperienced with Ebay...

As a frequent ebay user, I can tell you that it can be safe, but people do lie. Your best bet is to check a person's feedback score. If they have a high feedback, and alot of possitive comments, then you are probably ok with making the purchase. Ask questions. Email the seller before you bid on an item. Ask them directly if the item is new, and if it comes with the original packaging. Also don't forget to ask about shipping cost. Sometimes if it isn't listed, they might have a higher than you'd expect shipping and handling fee. I've won an item before for $5 and had them charge me $3.95 for shipping, and $5.00 for handling, so it was really $13.95 for a $5.00 item. This doesn't happen that often (especially if you ask them directly how much it would cost to ship..and give them your zip code, so they can get a quote for you). Overall, ebay is a very pleasant experience. Just be sure to check their feedback score, which is essentially their "reputation" and make sure they don't have negative feeback. People will post if they didn't get the item, or it item was not as described, etc. Oh and also check how long they have been a member. If they just opened their account, and don't have feedback yet, you're taking a gamble on buying from them. Hope that helps, and good luck shopping!