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If you're looking for some great clothing bargains, look no further than the online marketplace, eBay. eBay is a great place for one stop shopping. By doing searches specific to what you are looking for, you can often find quality clothing at bargain prices.

Search Tricks. If you're new to eBay, you may not know all the ins and outs of doing a search. I usually like to start with a general search of the item I am looking for, followed by the size., For example, if I am looking for Baby gap brand clothing for my son, I will type in "Baby Gap 3T". To take it a step further, if I only want brand new Baby Gap items, I will also type in "New" or "NWT" (which means New With Tags). Remember, many items on eBay are used, but most sellers are careful to only sell items that are in very good used condition. An Easter dress, for example, may have worn once, is still in excellent condition and now the seller wants to sell it. Read the item descriptions very carefully, especially if you are only looking for new clothing.


Things to Know. There are a few different ways that sellers can list their items on eBay. The first and most popular way is an auction listing. The seller will list an item with a starting bid and prospective buyers can place bids for a specified period of time. Highest bidder at the end of the auction time wins and is obligated to purchase the item from the seller. Another way that an item can be listed is via eBay's "Buy It Now" feature. Buy It Now items are listed with a set price that the item can be sold for instantly. If you don't like the idea of waiting for a 7 day auction to end, the Buy It Now option may be for you.


Bidding Tips. Once you find an item you are interested you can place a bid or just keep an eye on the item (called Watching) until you are ready to bid. Keep in mind that many items experience increased bidding activity during the final hours of an auction, so make sure that you have your maximum bid placed ahead of time or that you are near your computer as the auction winds down.

Feedback system. Always check a seller's feedback rating before you place a bid. eBay's feedback system is a way to keep buyers and seller sin check. Look for the seller's feedback rating in parentheses next to their User ID name. A high feedback number means that the seller has completed many transactions on eBay. Make sure to read the feedback comments to see if the seller has experienced any bad feedback. If there are dozens of complaints from previous buyers then beware! Luckily most eBay sellers are honest and reliable so you shouldn't experience any problems with your transactions.

Best brands to look for. High quality children's store brands like Baby Gap and Gymboree can be found all over eBay. Department store boutique lines can also be found, usually at greatly discounted prices. So how are eBay sellers able to sell these clothing items inexpensively? Many are items that their children grew out of before they could wear them. Also, many avid eBay sellers scoop up all of the end of season sale items at their favorite stores-- then the next year they sell the items.

Top things to remember when buying clothing on eBay:

Make sure to check the seller's return policy-- many eBay transactions are final so you many not be able to return an item. Always email the seller with any questions you have about the sizing and condition of the clothing.

Make sure to check the seller's shipping policy. Some eBayer's try to buck the system by charging ultra-high shipping costs. I personally never buy from a seller that ahs jacked up shipping costs. I do allow for handling charges, as I understand that as seller may have to buy boxes and packaging to ship my items, but if a seller is charging twenty dollars to ship one pair of pants to me then I run the other way.

Pay with Paypal for a quick transaction. eBay has teamed up with Paypal to make online money exchanges go smoothly. It costs a buyer nothing to pay electronically with Paypal, and in fact you will have Buyer Protection if you pay this way. You'll also get your merchandise much faster than if the seller has to wait for your check to clear.