What Is the Best Time to Buy?

 Knowing the best time to buy seasonal clothing items will result in getting the best price and saving money.  Among clothing sellers, timing is critical because they try to estimate when the buyers will be purchasing clothes for the next season.  For buyers, the best time to buy seasonal clothing depends on whether you are very picky about selection or want the very best price.

Let's take back to school as an example.  Sellers generally start offering their back to school items on July 1 and continue through mid-September.  For some people that may seem very early, but if you go to your local mall in July, you are less likely to find swimsuits and shorts and more likely to find sweaters and long pants.  Online sellers have the additional issue of shipping time, so they will frequently start selling seasonal items about a week before the malls do.  If you are determined to send your kids to school this fall in the best selection of a particular brand (Gymboree, Hartstrings, Naartjie, Limited Too, Gap etc.), then you should start your shopping in July.  Be aware that you might pay a little more (although it is still usually less than mall prices), because buyers tend to go overboard when the seasonal items first appear.  By mid-July the selection should be very good on Ebay.  (This same strategy applies to school supplies and other non-clothing school items.)

On the other hand, if you are more interested in saving the most money and are either less selective about brand or a particular style or item, I would suggest you wait until mid to late August.  By that time many sellers and moving away from back to school items and thinking of the next season (Halloween and early holidays).  Those sellers that still have back to school items (especially those cute items that have a direct link to school - uniforms, items with apples or fall colors), will be trying to get them sold - FAST!  You could find some great deals just by waiting until mid-August.  Personally, I would recommend a combination of the two buying strategies - purchase a couple really nice items in July and wait until August to buy the rest of the "everyday" items you will need in the fall.

So, when is the best time to buy for each season?  Back to school usually starts in July.  Halloween selling begins in late August and continues through September into early October.  Holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukahh) items are available in late October through November.  The best time to find toys on Ebay is November and December.  Believe it or not, swimsuit sales begin in January and February, and March is considered prime time to find summer clothing.  Spring dresses, especially Easter, are available in January and February (and later depending on when Easter is).  And here is the best tip of the day:  May and June are considered the WORST clothing sales months on Ebay for sellers.  That means if you are a bargain shopper, NOW is the BEST time to buy summer items!  If you have already purchased everything for this summer, the prices are so good you should consider purchasing for next year.

So, when is the best time to buy??  With clothing, anytime is a good time on Ebay because there are so many clothing sellers and with such market saturation you can ALWAYS find a good deal.  However, for seasonal items, shop early and shop often through the selling season to get best combination of selection and price.  Don't forget to include store items in your search!

C. Campbell © 2007