Tips & Tricks for Shopping with eBay
Today I am sharing my top 10 tips and tricks for eBay shopping. I think you will be surprised by how easy it is. You’ll be blown away by how much you can save by planning ahead. Knowing how to search, when to search, and how to bid will make the process fun, easy and will save you money.
Dressing two girls, or any child or adult, is not cheap, so finding deals a has become a fun hobby. Several years ago, my husband would laugh at me for lining up at consignment sales at 6:00am or volunteer for countless shifts to shop the presale. It got to be a little ridiculous, but the thrill of a good deal was fun.
Through my consignment and volunteer days, I was able to learn all about pricing. I learned what brands hold up to wear and tear, and the pricing of items.
When my girls were little, I wanted them to have everything I thought they “needed.” I’m not sure my expectations of needs versus wants were very realistic. At the time, a newborn in a smocked gown, that will get stained, seems like a need at the time.
Nonetheless, I have had a lot of fun shopping and finding deals for my girls for things I thought they needed. Shoes for every season, before they could walk, a smocked dress for every holiday, even though they hated them. You get the picture, we are all guilty of some unrealistic shopping habits.
What I learned is that I always needed to buy out of season. So planning ahead became essential. For example: January and February are the months I shop for summer. So during winter break, I have my girls try on everything spring and summer and make a list of needs and sizes. In May and June, I am buying all things winter. We will take inventory of all our needs and sizes. I keep a running list in the Notes app on my phone.
I don’t live in a huge metropolitan area, so I couldn’t always find what I was looking for, so this is where eBay came into play. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. Finding good deals at my fingertips, all accessible through their app, my options were endless if I could be patient and smart.
So, I have been shopping on eBay for about 10 years. Over the years I have made a few mistakes, but I’ve found some tips that will help you find the next best deal.
1. Getting Started
This sounds basic, but we are starting basic here. First, if you haven’t already downloaded the eBay app, do that now. I have found it super easy to use and I can keep up with my watch list and bids whenever necessary.
Next, if you don’t have a PayPal account, you will want to create one. This makes purchases easy. Once you have the app. and a PayPal account set up, you are ready to start playing and learning to navigate. Spend some time navigating through the app. Set up your shipping address and payment options under settings. I would not recommend linking a debit card to your PayPal account. In case any fraudulent activity happens, you will want the protection of a credit card.
2. How to Search
Start practicing with the search. I have found that the more specific I am with my searches the easier it is to narrow my focus. For example: Chacos girls size 3 or JCrew Women’s cream sweater size small.
If I don’t have a specific item in mind, I am more general with my search. For example: JCrew Women‘s sweater size small or CrewCuts girls size 8.
Once you have played around with the searching, favorite some items you may be interested in. This is not a promise to buy, but it can be a learning guide to follow items. You will want to spend some time, a few weeks or more, to follow items. Look for pricing and bidding trends. Monitor shipping prices. Following items will help you get a feel for how eBay works and if it will be a good fit for you.
I have found that when you shop is one of the most important tips I can share. You will pay higher prices if you buy items in season that are in high demand. My rules are to try and buy in the off season, two seasons ahead, whenever possible. In January, I try to buy all things summer: swimsuits, sandals, shorts. In May and June: sweaters, boots, and snow gear. Typically most people are not thinking about snow in the summer. This helps by not getting into a bidding war and motivated sellers are more willing to negotiate prices.
Take a note of when most of these items were purchased. The gloves are the only item I had to buy in season, and they were still a good deal.
3. What Do You Need
Knowing what you need before you need it, is essential. In the off season, I have my girls try on everything. If last year’s shorts, summer sandals, swimsuits do not fit out they go. Then, I make a note in my phone for what I need, size and brand for each of my girls.
I have a system in their closets, two baskets on the top shelf, that they cannot reach. One for too small and one for next size items. When I have too many items in the too small basket, I sort the items into three categories. They either go to the attic for my younger to wear in a few years, donated to a friend or sold on a local Facebook group. For my younger daughter, I always search my attic bins and cross reference my list of needs before I start shopping for her.
Using the Notes app on my phone has been helpful. Once I have made a purchase off my running list, I delete that off my list and continue shopping. This helps me not make duplicated purchases.
4. Brands and Sizing
For my eBay shopping, I stick with what I know and really do not vere from that. I only shop brands that we have tried on and know the fit and quality. When I first started consignment and eBay shopping, I would sometimes go to a store to have my daughters try on a pair of shoes. so I could gauge fit. For example: I have found Chacos and Sorel to run big for my girls, so we usually size down about a half to whole size.
If I am unfamiliar with an item, I do a lot of research and read through as many reviews as I can. This has been helpful in helping me gauge size and fit.
5. Read Everything
It is extremely important before you commit to purchasing an item to read EVERYTHING. You will want to know what condition the item is in, where it is shipping from, if you can return, and shipping costs. Read reviews on the seller, understand what other customers experienced. All of the factors are important to understand before buying any item.
A few months ago, I had a friend purchase a winter jacket. She was so excited about this item, then it took forever to arrive. After further research she learned that the item was shipping from Europe and was stuck in Customs. This is added frustration and can take weeks.
Shipping costs are a huge factor when shopping online with any retailer. With eBay many times customers forget to keep track of the additional costs, it could add up quickly. Recently, I was following two items from the same seller. I was able to email the seller and negotiate shipping if I bought both items. This saved about $15.00 in shipping to combine items.
I have found some great deals by looking at all the pictures. I have bought a few Patagonia jackets that had minor holes in the sleeves at bargain prices. Then, I could ship to Patagonia to repair the item. This was all possible because I was shopping in the off season and had time to shop around and send off for repair.
6. Research Pricing
It sounds like common sense, but sometimes it is easy to forget, but know the basic price of an item. This is crucial to know if you are getting a good deal. Almost everything goes on sale, be mindful of that. Many items on eBay are sold by professional sale shoppers that are making money off of their treasure hunts. This could be to your advantage, but know what you are willing to pay. My rule is to never pay more than 50% off retail.
7. How to Bid
It is extremely important to not bid right when you find an item. First, have you been tracking similar items to analyze pricing trends? Then favorite a few similar items. Doing this will help you compare shipping prices. Once you favorite an item, oftentimes sellers will send a special offer adding an extra discount.
When you narrow your list to an item you really want, set an alarm in your phone to remind you to bid. This is crucial. DO NOT bid before 8 seconds before the auction ends. If you bid before this you are only increasing the price of the item unnecessarily. This goes back to having the app on your phone. I have made eBay bids in the grocery store or on a walk. It is super easy.
An alarm I set for a pair of Birkenstocks for my daughter.
8. Buy it Now & Counter Offers
Some items you might find have a Buy it Now option. This is when doing research for pricing comes in handy. Again, my rule is to never pay more than 50% off retail. All items go on sale eventually. If I pay more than what I would in a store on sale, then I am not getting a good deal.
If a seller , I always try.allows the “Offers” option, I always try. Be reasonable and considerate, and know what you would be willing to pay ahead of time.
This item retailed for $44.00 on Amazon, the seller was taking offers, so I offered $8.00, plus shipping costs. Still comes in under 50% of retail. This is an item my daughter will only wear a few times a year.
These are other items I was able to make an offer on for additional savings.
9. Other Offers
Whenever I find an item I like, I always look at the seller’s other items. This is extremely helpful. You might find other similar items or you could negotiate shipping. If you find a seller that has a lot of items that fit your needs, you may want to consider following that seller. This will help you with future searches. For example: I found a few sellers that seemed to have children of similar ages to my girls. I was able to find items that fit our needs, and could come back to them and shop for future items.
10. Returns & Claims
Some sellers offer returns and some do not. If this is important to you, make sure to read all the details before committing to buying an item.
Recently, I had an item that was never shipped. After two weeks, I contacted the seller and there was no response. eBay makes it easy to file a claim when you haven’t received an item or an item was not described accurately. After about 48 hours of filing the claim I received a full refund into my PayPal account.
So, you might be thinking, “ I’m not sure I can buy used.” Well, many items I buy are new with tags, or have been worn very minimally. For my girls, they grow out of things so quickly, it seems silly to buy them everything new. For myself, my taste and style changes. Most things I don’t want forever. Having this option helps keep our wardrobes full and fresh of fun finds.
Finally, if you make a purchase from an eBay seller, make sure to leave feedback. I use feedback for research before I commit to buying an item, so I always appreciate the time others take as well.
I hope these tips and tricks help you navigate eBay and good luck finding great deals. If you find anything great, let me know.
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