There are many talented members of the ebay community who are showcasing their talents by making handmade clothing/items. Things at first may seem a little tricky to find so here is a guide to help steer you in the right direction when selecting who to purchase from and how to go about it.

Handmade clothing/accessories... How do I find them?

What ever your heart desires, chances are you'll find IT on ebay. Handmade shoes, hair accessories, jewelry, dresses, coats, outfits, purses etc...  The most important thing you will need to do in order to find what you are looking for is to remember 1 KEY WORD to enter in the SEARCH field .... "BOUTIQUE."  Another great keyword to try is "CUSTOM." Put the 2 words together or use seperately. These 2 words are guaranteed to fill your computer monitor from top to bottom with a slew of products from which to choose.To narrow down your search, make sure you take advantage of the categories on the left side on your monitor which may include (but not be limited) to Infants/ Toddlers, Girls, Boys, Womens,handmade etc...

Designer groups:

Most of the talented designers on ebay have formed different designer groups. By entering another KEY WORD in addition to "boutique" or "custom"  it will enable to you to see a particular groups' designs. Some of the groups on ebay are:

7AVEboutique,

AbbeyRoad,

ABStudios,

ADCD,

BellaFleur,

 Boutique Angles,

Boutique BellaLuna,

 Boutique Bellas,

Boutique BoCo,

 Boutique Rally,

BSAGE,

Boutique Wish,

XOXO Boutique,

citygirls,

Clovergirls,

eStyle Boutique,

FFBD,

Gallerybay,

Boutique Gypsies,

HauteTOTS,

Ivylane,

theJills,

Lil Peas 

LilyPlum,

Materialgirls,

Boutique Jaynes,

TheAve, 

OnStage boutique,

ODOD,

ODODtoo,

PinpalGals,

 boutique PZAZ,

Boutique Sandlot,

SWAKD,

theChicks,

SugarBelles,

TNT boutique,

TheGallery,

TheBlvd,

theGarden,

TheLittleDarlas,

TheOrchard,

POSHM,

theVIOLETS,

Betties,

Uptowngirls,

WBAY,

Wisteria Lane,

WDAS,

YAYAS

SILVERMOON

One thing to remember... members have been known to jump from one group to another, some groups are now defunct, so make sure if you are buying clothing on ebay with the intent to re-sell it later, keep track of what group the seller is in, as it will be helpful to you when you list an item later. You can add that seller to your "favorites" and this way it is easy to keep track of where they are and also what they are selling at all times.

Because of the friendly competition between groups and  the talents of these ladies, many of these groups only select certain designers to join their group, having a sort of audition to gain entrance.  Thus, you will soon learn why some designer outfits are more expensive then others.

One note: Just because a designer is not associated with any group doesn't neccesarily mean their designs are not worthy of owning.  They could either be new to designing, haven't been "discovered" yet by a group or not into the "group thing." Give them a chance. You'll probably be pleasantly suprised and you may get a bargain on your item in the process! One seller who fits into this category is user ids  renea  and Jolie B who makes absolutely gorgeous items... but yet are not part of a "group" on ebay.

My little one is TALL...SHORT...THIN...STOCKY... How do I know these things will fit my child?

Ah....Size is important when purchasing shoes or clothing! How will you know that your item, once in your possession, will fit? Most sellers are gracious enough to offer measurements in their auctions. Common measurements shown?  Waist, Inseam, Chest. If a seller doesn't supply this information up front, you can click on ASK SELLER QUESTION, which is located by their USER ID and email them of your inquiry/concern.  Most sellers DO NOT offer refunds on handmade items so it is extremely important to find this information before you bid. Once you bid, your bid is binding, so make sure all your questions are answered before bidding. Some sellers offer CUSTOM AUCTIONS, which means the seller will replicate the design they are offering up for bid in a range of sizes.This means they can totally accomodate YOUR child's specific needs and create an item that is tailor made for your child.Make sure your size is listed and if it is not, email your seller. For an additional fee they may be able to accomodate you. They may also offer to create a "custom auction" just for you- at a predesignated price you both agree to. Realize that these auctions may be higher priced and may have a longer turn around time since the seller isn't offering a pre-made item to you. They will be crafting your item from the measurements you send them. Please be patient with custom auctions, as they may take up to 3 weeks or more to complete, but usually are worth the wait!

Buying USED boutique clothing on eBay... Really?

YES!  This is a very common occurrance on ebay nowadays. Buyers will purchase brand new items from a seller, use the item once or twice and resell the item quickly.  This is not only a great way for you to try out new designers, but also a great way to get a discounted price on some of the pricier designers' clothing.  Generally speaking, the price will depreciate from what the first buyer paid for the item. In essence, you are getting something like new for a fraction of the price the former owner paid. The best way to find a used custom handmade item? Enter keywords like BOUTIQUE RESELL (a re-sold item) BOUTIQUE SAMPLE SALE (a designer may have had their model wear this for pictures and is reselling it for a discount) BOUTIQUE RESELL EUC (Excellent Used Condition) Another way to watch for resells is to ask to be put on a designers mailing list. Some designers will get emailed when their customer is reselling their item, thus they can put the word out that their design is being resold. By being on their mailing list you'll get a "heads up" when their item is resold.

By following these steps, you, the buyer will greatly increase your chances of finding just the something you were looking for on eBay. Your time searching for items will be greatly decreased and you are certain to find the price range you can afford.