If you haven’t noticed my near constant reminders, we’re having a baby girl in October! We absolutely cannot wait to meet her, but I’m not in too much of a hurry because we have so much to do! I’ll be honest and say that after the ultrasound, I did have a moment of being totally overwhelmed with the thought that we have nothing for her…no girlie clothing, no girlie toys, nothing! Another baby boy we were ready for, but a girl? We’re starting at square one 🙂
With so many other things going on in our lives right now, it’s really important for my family to be as frugal as possible. Our solution to be creative with our funds and get this little one a whole new wardrobe? Enter ebay! Now I’m no expert, but I’ve learned a few tricks along the way and thought I’d share with you!
- Search two ways: either by typing in exactly what you’re looking for (ie. “girls 3 months sleeper” or by filtering through using the categories provided by ebay. I like to look at both versions…sometimes you can find a treasure that may have been overlooked.
- One trick is to search for off-season clothing. I have been searching for fall/winter outfits and since most buyers are looking for summerwear right now, I’ve been able to score a few great deals!
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When you find something you like, be sure to read the entire description. I like to look for words like “EUC – excellent used condition”, “like new”, or even “new with/without tags”.
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Be sure to check out the pictures and double-check the descriptions for stains, holes, etc. I’m hesitant to purchase anything with spit-up stains, but if you’re an amazing stain-getter-outer, you may be more adventurous!
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Check the seller’s feedback. I always check the latest feedback to see what the previous buyers’ experience has been like. Very important!
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Now you’re ready to bid. My tip: decide what you want to pay for the item and make one bid. It is so tempting to get in a bidding war on ebay, but you may end up paying much more than you had hoped. Not good when you’re on a budget! (Trust me!)
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Be sure to check the shipping costs. Most are reasonable, but a few sellers have crazy prices. $6 shipping for a onesie weighing 3 ounces? No way. For most children’s clothing, I think $3.50 and lower is an acceptable amount. But be sure to check for those free shipping auctions, those are my favorite!
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Last tip: say you find an auction for an adorable outfit. Be sure to check out the other auctions from the same seller! Oftentimes, they are selling a bunch of the same type (ie. baby girl clothing) and most will combine shipping if you win more than one auction…huge savings for you!
Hope this is helpful! All of the clothing pictured above was purchased on ebay. My personal goal is to find like new items and spend $5 or less (including the shipping!) on every outfit. So far so good…I love the search.
Do you have any tips for saving money on kids’ clothes? Any ebay tips I forgot? Please share!
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P.S. If you don’t have the time or energy to search through ebay or prefer just to purchase new, be sure to check out Ebates! They have so many children’s stores listed: Children’s Place, Old Navy, Baby Gap, Carters, and more…all giving 2% or more cash back! I used Ebates last year for Christmas purchases and was pleased to see a little money headed back my way 🙂 You can sign up here!
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