Still Looking For Hard to Find Items for Christmas? Check eBay + Buying Tips

As Christmas inches closer and closer some parents find themselves realizing that the cool new toy that they noticed on the news a few months ago has suddenly blown up in popularity and by the time you realize that your kids want it, you may not be able to find one. Such is the case of the awesome new Leapster LeapPad. They hit the scene selling for $99. But before you know it, they were gone from most retail sites. But guess what? You can find them on eBay. Yes, you will pay more as savvy sellers have realized that they have a good thing. But, some parents will eat the extra cost to make their kiddos happy.

I also love to use eBay to find reasonable accessories for electronics that I purchase for Christmas. I have purchased netbook sleeves, extra power chargers, car chargers for cell phones and much more. I just ordered netbook sleeves and skins for the netbooks that I am gifting to my girls for Christmas (shhh…)

Here are few tips if you are new to buying on eBay:

Check the seller feedback: Be weary of new eBay members. Look for sellers that have a good amount of positive feedback. This means that they have conducted multiple transactions with happy buyers.
Watch the location: If you are hoping to get an item in a hurry, check for locations closer to home. There are a lot of overseas sellers on eBay, and buying from them can be a good experience, but sometimes it takes a lot longer to receive the items due to customs.
Sort by “Items Ending Soonest”: Sometimes if you are lucky you might be able to nab an item right near the end of the auction.
Check under “Buy It Now”: If you don’t want to wait for an auction to end, you may be able to find a price that fits your budget under Buy it Now.
Watch the shipping prices: There are a few sellers out there that try to make a few extra bucks by charging more than they should for shipping. Check out the shipping prices before you decide to bid or buy.

Here are some of the current Leapster LeapPads that are listed as Buy It Now. If you snag one, be sure to ask for expedited shipping to get it buy Christmas!

And of course, there are also other great last minute Christmas Gifts that that might be able to find.