I have a drawer full of dull scissors and cheap sharpening tools.  Can any of you recommend a good way to sharpen scissors.  The fellow who sharpens scissors costs so much, it is cheaper to go buy a new pair sometimes.  If you have had good success with one method I would like to know what you use.

It's all about getting the angle right, with nice sharp leading edges, whether you use an oil stone, file, or even sandpaper. Try and follow the same angle as is already there on the scissors, and try and get the leading edge so that you cannot see and edge. I tend to use a file for quick touch-ups and getting a badly  blunted pair back into shape (after children have used them to cut wire or nails with! argh) an oil stone is good, and if you use sandpaper, put it down on a flat surface and move the scissors... keep the angle steady, and if you can see an edge on the leading cutting edge, it is still blunt.(light reflects off the 'rounded' edge. If it is sharp, less light reflects.) Some cheap scissors will not stay sharp no matter how hard you try, due to inferior metal. I wish you success.

Thanks that insight will help, I think I am giving up too soon. We used to have a fancy knife sharpener in the pathology lab I used to work in that held the blades just right and they moved back and forth for a long time before that blade was good. I never felt like I knew the right angle or direction to move to do it by hand.  But since these scissors are basically useless I think I will keep at it longer, can't make them worse. I have new confidence to try again.