Ebay - Sometimes a Good Source for Cheap Items

I like buying baby items new, and I have found a great deal of bargains on Ebay.

A couple of items I have purchased: 

Belly bands (for pregnancy, and postpartum, to help cover my belly and back when I bend over etc and while nursing)
Pregnancy tests (I have also purchased them from Amazon)
New with tickets baby outfits (including beautiful new dresses) and much more..

 I just found a website that is free that allows me to place a bid on an item and it does not go in until last minute! This is awesome for me because I don't really have the time to try to be there for the end of an auction every time I want to win something, and if I put my highest bid too early, odds are I won't win. This is the site: http://www.gixen.com/ My husband had been using it for a while, and I decided to give it a try. I didn't like having to put my username and pw for ebay, but actually that is the only way it can bid for me, and since my husband has been using it for a while without any problems (and he had read good reviews before using it), I feel a little better. I was so excited I decided to write a post about ebay just so I could mention this money and time saving trick!

 I have also sold items that I had purchased or received as baby gifts but never used :) (I do this rarely, but I have done it...) or used but were still in good condition and I was not planning on using them in the future.

 4 warnings with Ebay: 

 1. Check feedback, some people that are not fair in their business have already mistreated previous clients. Anything under 96.5ish for me is a red flag and I have to look at their feedback to see what is going on. Actually, if it is under 98 I will probably check it out.

 2. Watch for shipping costs. My first purchase on ebay (in 2002) was way overpriced because I had not noticed the steep shipping charges. I learned my lesson. If you are selling many items, it might be worth it to invest in a scale at home. I use mine to weigh my packages to try to get the approximate cost for mailing. If you price it too low you might lose money in the transaction, if you price too high it could lead to bad feedback and/or less people bidding.

 3. Do a price comparison. Sometimes people bid to a price on a used item that is higher than what you can pay for the same item brand new at a local store or somewhere else online including shipping!

 4. Know that there is always a risk with ebay. The reward is often worth it, but always keep that in mind.