How to Have a Baby on EBay : Your One-stop Shopping Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond

Research suggests that parents now spend in the region of GBP50,000 on their children in the first five years of their lives, GBP7,000 of it in the first 12 months alone! When Wiz Wharton found out she was pregnant in 2005, she was living in rented accommodation in London with no regular income. Determined to provide her baby with everything he might need but knowing she'd have to do it at a fraction of the normal cost, she found her solution on eBay, the world's largest online auction site. With the sort of military precision only reserved for the truly obsessed or the truly pregnant, Wiz compiled a file of everything she was going to need, from maternity wear, to nursery equipment, via sterilisers, nappies and toys. What she discovered was that with a little bit of research, some streetwise bidding tactics and patience you can pick up all you need in next-to-new condition for far, far less than normal retail prices; "I eventually managed to buy all of my son's items from 0 to way beyond 3, including all my maternity items, for about GBP500", she writes. Some of Wiz's online triumphs have included: a GBP200 cot for GBP11.5 0; a GBP400 designer buggy for GBP200; a GBP175 one-off maternity dress for GBP15; and all brand new, boxed and delivered. In this unique book, Wiz tells other mums-to-be and their partners how to save themselves literally thousands of pounds by doing what she did, and have fun in the process. The first part of the book reproduces and builds upon her own detailed product research, telling parents what equipment they are going to need and - just as importantly - what they won't. The eighteen Buyer's Guides are the most comprehensive and up-to-date research of their kind, and invaluable for parents lost in the confusion of what to buy, when and for how much. The second part of the book offers a detailed explanation of how eBay works, with step-by-step instructions for readers new to the site, plus advanced tips and tricks for those who already have some experience. With humour and insight, Wiz reveals the mistakes she made, and shows how her techniques improved to the point where she could be confident of winning items that had previously eluded her. Basic errors are highlighted, myths exposed, and 'golden rules' stressed. There is even a section on how to avoid the much-publicised eBay scams. The final section of the book instructs parents in the 'selling' side of eBay. Wiz tells you how to turn the products that you have bought back into hard cash by listing them either in an eBay auction or in a Buy It Now sale. Threaded through the narrative is her desire not only to help other parents achieve what she did, but also to encourage the principles of recycling. Whether you are a mother-to-be, a father, or just know someone about to have a baby, "How to Have a Baby on eBay" is an invaluable, money-saving, planet-friendly guide. Contents......Page 6 About the Author......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 9 Introduction......Page 10 How to use this book......Page 14 1. So You're Going To Have A Baby......Page 16 So you're going to have a baby......Page 17 What do I do and when?......Page 19 Your pregnancy calendar......Page 20 What do I really need?......Page 30 Sources of help, support and advice......Page 39 2. The Buyer's Guides......Page 44 Introduction......Page 45 Parenting Books......Page 46 Pushchairs......Page 52 Car Seats......Page 62 Baby Carriers and Slings......Page 68 Beds......Page 76 Baby Monitors......Page 86 Highchairs......Page 90 Children's Books......Page 98 Toys......Page 106 Bouncers, Rockers and Swings......Page 118 Changing Tables......Page 122 Breast Pumps......Page 126 Bottle-Feeding......Page 132 Sterilisers......Page 142 Maternity Wear......Page 146 Reusable Nappies......Page 156 Child-Proofing and Safety Around the Home......Page 164 Safety Gates......Page 170 3. Having a Baby on eBay......Page 178 Why shop at eBay?......Page 179 A brief history of eBay......Page 181 eBay in a nutshell......Page 182 Registering with eBay for the first time......Page 186 How eBay auctions work......Page 189 Other types of auction on eBay......Page 192 Finding what you need with eBay's search engines......Page 199 Other ways of viewing items on eBay......Page 204 Navigating an item's full-page listing......Page 208 Bidding for an item......Page 216 After the auction......Page 225 Feedback......Page 228 Exploring 'My eBay'......Page 237 Advanced search techniques......Page 242 What to do if it all goees wrong......Page 248 Compensation: eBay's Standard Purchase Protection......Page 259 One born every minute: how to spot and avoid eBay scams......Page 262 PayPal......Page 274 4. How to (Re)sell on eBay......Page 290 Money for old rope......Page 291 What can I sell?......Page 292 Your eBay seller's account......Page 294 Building your reputation as a seller......Page 295 Preparing to sell......Page 297 Once the auction begins......Page 322 After the auction ends......Page 329 What if the transaction goes wrong?......Page 333 What if the item doesn't sell?......Page 335 All about fees......Page 338 eBay and the taxman......Page 344 Conclusion......Page 346 Glossary......Page 348 Index......Page 358 When Wiz Wharton found out she was pregnant in 2005, she was determined to provide her baby with what he might need, but knowing she'd have to do it at the fraction of the normal cost, she found her solution on eBay, the world's largest online auction site. Here, she reveals how to save thousands of pounds by doing what she did.