New to Ebay

So, I have been trying to choose a diaper bag. I don't know why I was having such a hard time with it, but I just couldn't find one! Then I saw a Vera Bradley bag at the BX that I really liked. It was just a tote bag, but it got me to researching them online and I saw that she had baby bags.




I wanted to see one in person so I could get a feel for the size, pockets,etc. So, I found a retailer in Shreveport that sells them and I went in. Well, when I got there they also sold Lug bags.



I really liked the compartments and some of the really "smart" ideas of the Luk Tuk Tuk bag, but I liked the look of the VB bag better and the kind of softness to it. Plus they were the same price (around $100) so I was really torn! (I have never spent more than I think $40-$50 on a purse/bag in my ENTIRE life, but I really like them!!!!!) I wanted both bags but can't justify spending that much! So, I came home and looked online for them. I found the Lug bag on Amazon for $75.00, but I couldn't find the VB bag for much cheaper in the pattern I wanted, until I found a website that linked you to Ebay where a whole bunch of them were sold. For some of you, you might say, well Duh, you should have checked there first, but I have never bought anything on Ebay before. I am really new to the online shopping world. I have never really bought anything before online until I have found a few things for the baby on there from various sites. So, they were starting out at $54.95, which is like half price, so I set up a Ebay account and put in a bid on a bag that had like 10 hrs left on the auction. Well, I was outbid right away and I decided to kind of watch this one auction and see what happens with it to kind of learn how people do it. So, there were 2 people bidding on it and it ended up selling for $62.00. So, I bid on one yesterday. It was between me and another person and we bid it up a few bucks over the course of the day, then in the last 4 minutes is when the excitement started. I had been the high bidder all day, but then I was outbid, so I raised my max bid a little bit, but was outbid automotically which means their max bid was higher than mine, so I raised mine up a little bit and it made me the high bidder, then I was outbid again and in the last 13 seconds I raised my max bid up to $75 which was enough to beat their max bid which was I think $72 and changed the bid to $73 and I won in the end. It was such a thrill and it is kind of funny but my heart was racing and my hands were shaking in those last few moments to see if my bid was high enough. I told myself that I wouldn't go over $70,but in those last few seconds I offered $75 which ended up only costing me $3 more dollars than I wanted to spend and if I would have waited for another auction I probably gotten it cheaper more like the $62. With S&H it cost $80 which it would have cost me about $110 if I would have bought it in the store so it is still quite a bit of savings. Darrin was there in the final moments of my victory and hopes I do not get addicted to auction style online shopping or online shopping in general! haha I am far from it because I do not buy anything that I would not have purchased in the store or things I don't need or (really want). I am actually kind of proud of myself for thinking to check online and get a better deal. If you got one for cheaper, please do no burst my bubble, but if you have any tips for getting the best online deals, please share!!!!