Buying "Lots" of Clothes

Just a thought about hand-me-down clothing.. my daughter wore size 5 in kindergarten when she was 5 yo. The clothes however shrunk so much after so many washings, my niece, who is a similar build and size, wore the same clothing when she was 4.

Do you have a local sales site you can use? I use a local site to buy and sell and never have to worry about shipping, or buying stuff sight unseen. There are even facebook sales groups for kids clothes. I sell my kids clothes locally for $1 per item.

B.

When you are looking at the sellers page - check their feedback rating - 100% means no complaints...less than 100% means problems - read the neutral or negative feedback to see if it's something that is out of the sellers control.

Returns? ONLY if the seller accepts them. Most will NOT take back clothes unless they are NOT as described.

Price in general? Name brands that last - GAP, Osh K'Osh, etc. will be a little more expensive, used or not. You need to decided based on the pictures what you are willing to pay for the item(s).

Please feel free to send me a PM and I'll help you however I can

Yes, you can purchase with a credit card, you still have to set up a Paypal account.

If there is an option to Buy It Now (BIN) and you are comfortable with that price. If they have a Best Offer - you can give the seller an offer for the items.

Shipping? Not for you decide. Most will be shipping via Priority Mail and now since ebay charges sellers for the FULL TOTAL of the sell instead of just the sell of the item? Sellers are keeping their shipping costs down where as in the past? Some sellers would make up the final value fee in a handling fee in shipping costs.

For clothes it is usually best to ship in FLAT RATE boxes - which is best for both buyer and seller.

If you live close - you can contact the buyer and find out if you can pick it up. There are some who are good with that.

I think kids consignment stores are so much nicer and easier!
But, yes, when my daughter did gymnastics I bought her used leos on ebay. Good quality leos are pricey new (around $50) and I was able to get her gently used ones for around $20-25 so it was worth it.
I think ebay is also good for things like ski/snow wear and other big ticket kid items, but regular everyday clothes? Not worth it, especially since returning is not always an option (depends on the seller.)
If you find some items you like just read the sellers feedback, that will tell you how much business they've done and whether or not people were happy with their purchases. You can pay by credit card through papypal (if you don't already have a paypal account it's easy to set up.)

I ran into some issues with used clothing on ebay so now I just use local consignment shops. With ebay you can usually return things but the sellers will have you pay for return postage. Their version of slightly worn usually differs with mine. A knee or elbow that is thread bare isn't slightly worn in my book.

I've had really good luck with Once Upon a Child (they also sell used toys and equipment and check for recalls before accepting and selling things). It gets a little hard to purchase good used clothing once the kids get into size 5/6 because they wear things longer so they show the wear. When I am able to locate things in the larger size I make sure to check to see that zippers work and stay up and that buttons and snaps open and close. A few times I've found that the jeans were in perfect condition because the zipper didn't stay up so the kid wasn't able to wear them.

I do have to say that its always easy to find dress clothes and button down shirts for boys because those get little wear before they are outgrown. I've also been able to get good quality coats, jackets, boots, and dress shoes.

Just do some research and see what things are selling for - you can also check "completed listings" to see what final amounts were paid for auctions that are finished. And just make sure a bidding frenzy doesn't push an item past the cost it would be to buy it new in the store - I never understood why that happens.

I do not do eBay. I prefer just going to a thrift store or yard sale for extra clothing.

I occasionally buy on eBay, but mostly I'm a seller.

Deciding how much you want to pay before you shop in an excellent idea, and yes, consider the shipping cost. The actual price point depends on your own wants/needs.

Buy It Now is one option. Using it will depend on if it is available on the listing you're looking at. If BIN is not there, you have to place a bid and wait.

Check feedback history of sellers by clicking on the number by their name. Try to stick with ratings of 98% or higher. Read negative comments to see if it is really a seller issue or a nutty buyer.

Check the return policy on each listing. Some sellers don't take returns at all (except in the case of a misrepresented item, which is eBay policy) while others will take things back within certain time frames. Sellers can also set conditions for returns. Also keep in mind that in most cases, the buyer pays the return shipping and it is not refunded. Best to examine the photos, description and ask questions before hand.

A properly-done return does not sanction the seller or the buyer, so if you need to make an authorized return per the auction terms, contact the seller to get the ball rolling. Don't file an eBay claim against them unless they are violating their own terms.

For paying, most sellers use PayPal. (eBay only allows a few options.) You can use your credit card that way.

Try to get free shipping, that way you don't get an additional charge on top of the sale price.

If you decide to sell stuff then be aware you only make about 8 dollars out of every $15 you sell due to ebay's charges and shipping. Your time spent putting stuff on there and managing stuff is enormous. One of my friends spends about 12-15 hours per day adding stuff and shipping stuff.

Since she's selling small stuff she doesn't make much money off each sale.

So if you see something you like then you buy it. Unless the person misled you and sold you something other than what was in the picture OR it was a different size than what they showed on the add please don't send stuff back. They lose their ratings or something and it cuts how many items they can post and how much they make on the rest of their items.

It's a big deal to return something and request a refund.

Now I did see something the other day where someone bought a leotard for their child, they needed a child small. The person selling the leotard looked at the tag and it said small. The thing is, most dance clothes say xsmall, small, medium, and large on adult items and child x-small, child small, child medium, etc... OR they say child 4-5, child 6X-7, child 8-10, and so forth. So when the lady got her small leotard in the mail for her little 4 year old daughter she did indeed get an adult small leotard. Of course the seller didn't realize they'd made a mistake reading the label so that refund was made. But the seller still got sanctioned by ebay.

If a vendor on ebay has been there a while they're probably okay to do business with. If they are selling things within your price range and the clothes look cute then what's the risk? If they're stained or missized or something you can send them back and get a refund.

I have found that I do the best at kid resale stores.. expect to pay $3 or 4 for a shirt.. and $5 for pants..

that way I can see the clothes.. inspect for damage.. and once clothes are washed.. they are smaller.. so I can check the real size..

I have never used ebay. I was checking the comments to see what other have said.

I have been happy with kid to kid. They check the items in and resale them. When your child out grows them, just return them. They give store credit or cash.

Now she is too big for the sizes they offer, so we are only selling clothes back to them and taking the cash.

My daughter is a big 8 year old wearing an adult small. Since not all sizes fit the same, she can wear some 16's, but they can also be hard to find. You may need to watch for that with an online purchase.

Personally, I would prefer seeing it before purchasing it, since you will have to worry about, style, fit, and condition.

I've bought clothing off ebay before when looking for specific brands or characters. I've never bought big lots though. Most I've done was 2 or 3 items in the same auction. I've never had a problem with what I've bought.
Lots are tricky. Unless there are lots of detailed pictures you don't know what all the pieces look like and can end up with some stuff that should have gone in the trash. I've known people that put up lots though so it's not all bad.
I highly recommend using Paypal to pay. You can use your credit card through them without the seller ever seeing your card information. A lot of sellers actually only take payment with Paypal now so check.
Any seller will have feedback from other people they have bought and sold from. That is the best way to tell if the vendor is good or not. If it's a new person or someone with a very low feedback rating be cautious but you don't have to totally dismiss. Everyone starts somewhere and not everyone new is out to rip you off.
$3 isn't a bad price to expect if it's higher priced name brands and in really good condition. If it's just basic t-shirts from Walmart or Target than that's not a good price as you can buy some of that brand new for $5-6. Price point depends on what is included.

I would stick to things like toys and other items on ebay and go to consignment sales or thrift stores or once up on a child stores for clothes. I also troll Old Navy, Children's Place and Gymboree in the sales racks for much of DD's wardrobe. I got her bike shorts for $1.44 per pair a few months ago, and I can't get that price in the thrift store, even with shipping (though I try to stock up and earn free shipping or wait for specials). IMO, know your price point for items in the thrift store and then you know if it's a comparably good deal. I haven't had much luck returning things from Ebay, so if you think you might need to return it, go somewhere you can see it before buying.

Ugh...SO over eBay.
Craigslist is so much easier!
Or, like others have suggested, consignment/thrift shops.
Same stuff there that's on eBay & sssssssoooo much more convenient!!!

I shop ebay a lot, mostly for household items and not clothes. I have made approximately 3 clothing purchases on ebay, one pair of designer jeans smelled like cigarette smoke (yuck), another item was ill fitting but a black dress I ordered fit perfecty and is one of my favorites! So, you never know but it's best to learn from a seller with smaller purchases before you spend a lot of money. Good luck!

Currently hating Ebay wouldn't buy or sell anything on there now. I'd do a local consignment shop or second had store for slightly used children's clothes.