Research suggests that parents now spend in the region of £50,000 on their children in the first five years of their lives, £7,000 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 £500", she writes.
Some of Wiz's online triumphs have included:
- A £200 cot for £11.50.
- A £400 designer buggy for £200.
- A £175 one-off maternity dress for £15.
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.
About the Author
Dedication and acknowledgments
Introduction
How to Use this Book
Part 1 - So You're Going to Have a Baby
So you're going to have a baby
What do I do and when?
Handy pregnancy calendar
What do I really need?
Sources of help, support and advice
Part 2 - The Buyer's Guides
Introduction
Parenting books
Pushchairs
Car seats
Baby carriers and slings
Beds
Baby monitors
Highchairs
Children's books
Toys
Bouncers, rockers and swings
Changing tables
Breast pumps
Bottle-feeding
Sterilisers
Maternity wear
Reusable nappies
Child-proofing and safety around the home
Safety gates
Part 3: Having a Baby on eBay
Why shop on eBay?
A brief history of eBay
eBay in a nutshell
Registering with eBay for the first time
How eBay auctions work
Other types of auction on eBay
Finding what you need with eBay's search engines
Other ways of viewing items on eBay
Navigating an item's full page listing
Bidding for an item
After the auction
Feedback
Exploring 'My eBay'
Advanced search techniques
What to do if it all goes wrong
Compensation: eBay's standard purchase protection
How to spot and avoid eBay scams
PayPal
Part 4: How to (Re)Sell on eBay
Money for old rope
What can I sell?
Your eBay seller's account
Building your reputation as a seller
Preparing to sell
Once the auction begins
After the auction ends
What if the transaction goes wrong?
What if the item doesn't sell?
All about fees
eBay and the taxman
Conclusion
Index
About Wiz Wharton
Wiz Wharton was born in 1969 and had her first publishing success at the age of 13 as co-illustrator on the children's book, Never Trust A Camel.
A post-graduate of the National Film and Television School, she has gone on to become an award-winning scriptwriter with success both at home and abroad. How To Have A Baby on eBay is her first non-fiction book - the result of a year's self-imposed sabbatical which also saw the birth of her son, Ren.
Having first stumbled across the site in 1999, she now regards herself as something of an eBay veteran and divides much of her spare time between buying too much and having to sell it again.
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