Registration is simple and takes only a few minutes.To start the signup process, click on the register link at the top of the page. Fill in all your informationand clickon the Register button. Youwill be redirected to a confirmation page and you will then be sent an activation email from admin@theteddypatch.comto the email address you provided in your registration form. In order to activate your account,click on the link provided in the email. You will thenbe directed to a screen that tells you your account has been activated.

If the link in the emaildoes not work,you can copy it into yourbrowser address bar and click enter. You will thenbe directed toa screen that tells you your account has been activated.

IMPORTANT: In order to register and activate your account,you must have your email configured to receive email from admin@theteddypatch.comso you will receive an activation email. Otherwise it may go to your junk email.In order to be sure you don't miss an exciting issue of our newsletter, wealso recommend that you configure your emailtoaccept email from theteddypatch@comcast.net.

Introduction To Members' Area

After logging in, you will be taken to the Members' Area. This gives you access to all of the main functionality of the auction system and to a list of item categories, showing you how many items are for sale in each one: The main areas of functionality in the members' area are:

Messaging - send and receive private messages about auction items

Bidding - this section gives you an overview of your current auction activity:

§ Current Bids

§ Won Items

§ Invoices Received

§ Watched Items

§ Favorite Stores

Selling - Manage your selling activities

Reputation - view the feedback you have given and received for each item you have bought and sold

Bulk - access PHP Pro Bid's bulk listing software. This enables you to prepare multiple listings offline before uploading them all at once

About Me - create your own "About Me" page, to enable other members to find out a little more about you and your interests

My Store - setup and configure your own "stores" - a private shop where only your items are listed

Wanted Ads - view your current and closed Wanted Ads and create new Wanted Ads

Bidding - The Bidding section provides you with an overview of all the items you have bid on lists items you have won, outstanding invoices and items you are watching. The Bidding section also provides access to your Favourite Stores list.

Managing & Placing Bids - At the heart of your auction experience is bidding on items you'd like to buy. You may purchase items in several ways:

Standard bidding

Proxy Bidding

Make an Offer

Buy Out

Standard & Proxy Bidding

Standard bidding is the most common way to bid on an item, and is exactly the same as the process used in real-world auction rooms. You bid the minimum amount needed to outbid the current high bidder.

A Proxy bid means that you bid an amount that is higher than necessary. The auction software will raise your actual bid to the minimum necessary, but will remember your maximum. If someone else comes along and tries to outbid you, the auction software will automatically place additional bids on your behalf up to the value of your proxy bid. This means you can stay on top of the bidding without having to be near a computer. Here's how you do it:

1. Find the item you'd like to bid on - either by browsing the categories down the left of your screen, or by using the search box just below the navigation bar:

2. To place a bid, enter your chosen amount into the "Place Bid" field in the item listing: Click the Place Bid button to continue.

3. The bid confirmation screen will display the minimum bid needed (standard bid) and will allow you to adjust your bid accordingly.

a. If you wish to place a standard bid, adjust your bid to match the Minimum Bid value shown

b. If you wish to place a proxy bid, enter your maximum bid into the Your Bid field

4. You will now see confirmation that you are the high bidder or a message telling you that you have been outbid, or that you bid is below the reserve price. You can place as many bids as you want on an item.

Making An Offer

Some sellers allow potential buyers to make an offer to buy their items, to avoid having to wait for the auction to finish. If a seller is open to offers, you will see a logo like this in the item listing: The Make Offer section of the listing also contains information about the price range in which offers can be made.

1. If you would like to make an offer, click on the icon.

2. On the Make Offer page, enter the amount you would like to offer (Remember - your offer must be in the price range specified):

3. Click Proceed to continue and your offer will be confirmed and submitted to the seller.

Swap Offers

Instead of monetary offers, some sellers will accept Swap Offers - offers of an item of appropriate value in exchange for the item being sold. The swap offer process works in a very similar way to the standard Make Offer process.

1. If the seller of the item you are interested in accepts Swap Offers, you will see an entry like this in the item listing:

2. Click on the Make An Offer link and enter a description of the swap you are proposing:

3. Click Proceed and you will see a confirmation message confirming that your swap offer has been passed to the seller.

Buy Out (Buy Now)

Some sellers allow items to be purchased instantly at a fixed price, regardless of any auction bidding that has taken place. This feature is called Buy Out. You will see this logo in item listings offering the Buy Out facility. The Buy Out price will be stated directly below the Buy Out logo.

1. To purchase an item with Buy Out, click on the Buy Out logo:

2. You will be taken to a confirmation page showing the Buy Out price, postage costs and payment methods for the item:

Click Proceed if you are happy to continue.

3. Your purchase will now be confirmed and you will be able to pay the seller's invoice:

Won Items

The Won Items section allows you to see all of your recent purchases and bids at a glance:

Recently-purchased items are then individually listed with their payment status:

When you are ready to pay for the item, simply click on Pay With Direct Payment:

Watched Items

If you would like to track the progress of an auction without bidding on it, you can choose to watch the item.

1. In every item listing, you will see a Watch This Item link. To add an item to your Watched Items list, simply click the Watch This Item link.

Listing An Item For Sale

Here's a step-by-step guide to listing an item for sale by auction, offer or buy out. Most steps are the same for all types of listing.

1. Start by clicking on the Sell link on the red main navigation bar:

2. Choose whether you would like the item listed on the main auction site, in your shop only (if you have one) or in both locations. Note that shop-only items will only be visible to visitors to your store.

3. Choose a main category for your item. The active category list is indicated by an orange border - each time you select a category, a list of appropriate sub-categories will be displayed until no further detail is possible. Simply click on a category to select it: Once the category has been finalized, the Next Step button will be highlighted:

4. You may select an additional category for your item if you wish. Some items fit naturally into more than one category, and having an additional category can help more users find your item.

5. You now need to specify the Item Details. Once you have done this, click Next Step to continue.