macknup, The skinning question is a bit hard to answer for the following reasons. If you buy a player at the moment there is achance that it will be using one of the newer improved chipsets and the 9.0.48 and up version firmware. At the moment their are no tools to extract and mod these versions of firmware.
If you do get a player that can be modded there is no telling if the firmware will be suited to iPodding as they are all slightly different in their image layout size etc. you won't know till you get it.
Safe traders I don't know as I have not bought off eBay. I know or site sponser UXcell sells at good prices and at the moment they are running a draw for members who purchase from their site using one of the on site links.
http://www.mympxplayer.org/viewtopic.php?p=15939