I made my first eBay purchase a few years ago, but I didn’t get serious until recently. I can honestly say I’m almost on my way to becoming an eBay addict. The things you can get there – and the prices. It’s a bargain shopper’s dream. I hate to pay full price for anything, so if I want or need something that won’t cost a bundle to ship, I always look on e-bay. Here are a few of my favorite purchases on eBay:
A Wireless FM Transmitter + Car Charger for MP3 player: I really wanted an auxiliary jack in my car stereo so I can listen to my MP3 player (or DVD player) through the car speakers. Seeing as how that is not a good enough reason to rush out and buy a new car, I figured I’d have to improvise. So I decided to buy one of those wireless transmitters that plug into your cigarette lighter and into the headphone jack of your entertainment device and plays the sound through your car speakers when the radio is tuned into a certain station. I went to Wal-Mart to pick up one because they are cheap, right? It was $50! Being a self proclaimed cheapskate, I didn’t buy it. But I did go home and look on eBay and found one for only $0.25 (plus $5.89 in shipping). So the total came to only a little over $6. This was a recent purchase, so I’m still waiting for this to come in the mail.
Starbucks Barista Espresso Machine: My hands down absolute favorite eBay buy was our Starbucks Barista Espresso Machine. These machines retail brand new for $400 at Starbucks stores. We have a family member who works at Starbucks who could get us one for as low as $200 at Christmas time, but 8 months away from Christmas, we didn’t want to wait that long. So I found a used Barista machine (in excellent condition) for only $50. That machine is now a staple in our kitchen and it makes the best espresso I’ve ever had from a home machine.
Honda Civic Struts: Our car’s struts were shot and we knew we needed to get them all replaced. We were quoted from $500-$700 to get it done. The struts alone went for $100 a piece. So a friend of ours who works on cars suggested that we buy some struts on eBay and he would put them in for us. We found a set of 4 for only $125 (plus $35 for shipping). It took almost 2 months to physically receive them and the seller offered to refund some money for the trouble (he never did) but we still got them – and for really cheap.
Monster HDMI Cable: As a birthday / welcome home (from deployment) present, we bought a 42 inch DLP HD TV for my husband. I purchased the TV online while he was still overseas. A guy he worked with over there said that it was imperative for us to get an HDMI cable to connect the TV to the Satellite receiver because it really improves the quality of the picture. He recommended that we buy a Monster HDMI cable like the one he paid $100 for at Best Buy. So I searched eBay and I found the same exact cable for $10 plus $5 shipping. And it came with a year guarantee. The cable works great and we saved $85.
Matching Dog Leash & Collar Set: We recently got a new puppy and since she is our only “child” right now, I wanted to dress her up. I don’t want to go so far as to dress her up in clothes, but I wanted to get a cute matching leash & collar set. I looked at PetSmart, but theirs were expensive – and ugly. I wanted a pink one, but my husband didn’t want to have to walk her on a pink leash. So I found a pink camouflage set on e-bay (since my husband’s in the military). I got the leash and collar for $30 – and it’s also personalized for our dog. It’s a little more than I planned on spending, but it’s really cute (I also got her a personalized dog tag for her collar that only cost $2 from a different buyer).
Makeup: A few years ago, I was introduced to the makeup brand Bare Escentuals by a friend. I fell in love with the foundation and that is all I use now. I bought it in Las Vegas, but lived in Seattle at the time. There are a few stores that sell this makeup in Seattle, but recently I moved across the state and am nowhere close to a store that sells this makeup. Enter eBay. I was able to buy a package of foundation that normally costs $25 for $18 (including shipping). It wasn’t too much cheaper, but I was able to buy it without driving across the state saving me those expenses.
Clothes Right before I got married, I worked at a place where I had a lot of free time. Unfortunately, I think this is where my eBay fetish started. I decided to try to buy some clothes on eBay. I didn’t buy too many things, but I did end up getting a really heavy winter coat for only $25 and a camisole tank top that I wear all the time for only $8. I was supposed to be saving for my wedding instead of buying clothes at this time, but I was doing both
Wedding Decorations: While shopping for clothes on eBay, I was also shopping for wedding decorations for our upcoming winter wedding. I ended up buying the necklace I wore with my wedding dress for only $10. In addition, I found our accessories set on there too (ring bearer pillow, flower girl basket, garter, unity candle) which a friend ended up buying for us. Some snowflake / winter decorations also made their way onto my eBay purchase list and now we are able to use them every Christmas.
Pocket PC: A few years ago, I was in the market to buy a Pocket PC. They are pretty expensive little things, so I thought I’d check out eBay. I found someone selling the exact one I wanted for around $300 (which was a good price back then). The seller was a college student and had received his as a gift, but he already had one. It was brand new and it wonderful condition. I still have it 5 years later and it works great (except for the parts I broke).
Cell Phone: My cell phone recently died so instead of lengthening my current cell phone contract and “upgrading” to a new phone, I figured I might as well get one on eBay. I found a phone and PDA combination for under $100 so I thought I would try it. The phone was nice and did a lot of things, but it was a little too bulky for me. So I re-sold the same phone, got a little more than what I paid for it and turned around and bought the same phone I had (also on eBay). Then my husband’s phone died
If you are shopping for something in particular and don’t need it right away, eBay is one of the destinations you should place on your list when comparing prices. There are great deals to be had for those willing to spend a little time looking through the offerings.
Image courtesy of pbo31
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