Spilling All my eBay Secrets
Remember in Sex and the City: The Movie when Carrie interviews her fabulous assistant-to-be, aka Jennifer Hudson, and asks how she can afford her LV patchwork bag when she just confessed to renting one room with multiple roommates? My blog post is kind of about the same thing. But in the case where Carrie’s fabulous assistant rented her handbag, I’m talking about buying those designer things for less on eBay! Which is way better, if you can swing it because, obviously you get to KEEP the bag.
And this is totally off topic, but remember how absolutely perfect Carrie’s assistant was? I’m so excited to say I just recently hired on a personal assistant, and she is just as amazing! Everyone I introduce her to, whether it’s Max’s teacher, my photographer, whoever, says the same thing… “she is so good… you have to keep her… I just get a good feeling about her.” And you know when your son says, “mommy, can you go away and work for a long time today so Niomi can stay with me” you know you’ve got a good one! Also, ouch.
Today’s blog post is in partnership with eBay, and I can honestly tell you that I’ve been consistently using eBay since Max was a baby so at least a good five years now. I started using eBay to sell his baby clothes and make some extra cash to buy more baby clothes. ha. It was a way to make some fun money while staying home with Max.
Fast forward two years later, I started my blog. I found a new use for eBay which was selling my stuff and buying key designer items for less. Usually items that were sold out everywhere and that I just had to get my hands on immediately. I am not a very patient person. In today’s post, I’m sharing some tips and secrets that I’ve figured out over the last few years. I know eBay can seem a little overwhelming if you haven’t used it before, but I swear it is so easy!
First, a story. If you are a fashion lover, you probably know the Chloé Nile bag. When the Nile came out, it immediately sold out and was impossible to track down in stores. I loved the bag when it came out, but when it sold out it became an obsession. I had to have that bag. It was Mother’s Day weekend last year, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Like I said, obsession. I called Chloé stores, department stores, and scoured the internet. The only place I could track down the bag was eBay.
I’ve purchased a few designer items in the past from eBay, and I found the bag for sale through a reputable seller where I felt confident I was getting an authentic bag (more on that later in the post so keep reading!). The crazy part of the story is that coincidentally the seller actually lived in Orange County when I live. I had a shoot scheduled for some outfit posts, and the seller met me at my shoot in Newport Beach (she drove up in an Escalade) and dropped my bag off at my shoot. I am usually more into anonymous shopping, where I buy the item, and it is shipped to me. But I was clearly obsessive about that bag, and I threw that all out the window. eBay has the option for seller to drop off if they are local to you, and that’s what I did this one time.
I will never forget the history behind getting my white Chloé Nile bag and it actually makes me love it even more. It’s the same white bag that I’m wearing in these photos. It’s such a great warm weather bag, and it goes with tons of my outfits, and I get so much wear out of it. It came with the original dust bag, tags, and authenticity card.
Everyone wanted to know where I got the bag, and they wanted to know how to get a designer bag on eBay. The most common question is- how do you know it’s real? eBay has made it easy to shop for luxury items with confidence with eBay Authenticate. You can learn more about the program here, but let me break it down for you. The program is currently available on luxury watches, handbags, and wallets, and you just need to look for the Authenticity Verified symbol. Those items have been certified as authentic by expert sellers, and if there is a question about the product’s authenticity and it cannot be verified, you will receive a full refund for the item.
The eBay Authenticate is a new program to me, but I have been able to shop for authentic luxury items in the past with confidence so let me share my process with you. Because maybe you are in the market for a pair of Hermès Oran sandals, and eBay Authenticate is not currently available on luxury footwear (although it is in the works).
- Access eBay fashion.
- In the “Search for Anything Tab” at the top of the page, narrow down the results for whatever you are looking for by using as many descriptive words. For example, “Chloe Nile small white”
- Narrow down the results further using the options on the left:
- Check new or pre-owned if you have a preference.
- Auction or Buy It Now.
- For me personally, I always select “US Only.”
- At this point, you should have it pretty narrowed down depending on the item’s currently availability on eBay. This is where my tips come into play:
This isn’t always the case, but usually if an item has a lot of “watchers,” people who have added the item to their “watch this item” on their eBay because they are interested in purchasing it’s probably a good sign. If the item is in an auction type of sale with many bids, this is also a good sign.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Unfortunately there are shady people out there. In every business. This can also be an issue on other online marketplaces. If an item is priced significantly lower than the normal price point (and the listing usually has little to no watchers), skip that item.
Pictures are EVERYTHING! Make sure the listing has images of the ACTUAL item you are buying… not just the marketing photo that the brand used. The more photos, the better. Detailed shots, everything. And if there is a detail you want to see better or angle you want to see, feel free to contact the seller and they should be able to provide that to you in a timely manner. It doesn’t hurt to hit the seller up and ask detailed questions. You can gather more intel that way for sure!
A majority of the listings fall into just a few categories. There is the really professional listing- tons of detailed information, feels more like a store-front seller and then there’s the personal listing. Those listings can be just as good. When I sell something on eBay I take that approach, like- hey, I am a blogger doing a closet clean-out… I am the original owner of this bag… I bought it at XYZ and offer as many details as I can.
And last, most importantly REVIEWS! Read those reviews. The reviews are where you should spend a majority of your time. How many sales has this seller made? How many sales in the last six months? Where are they located? Has the seller sold luxury items in the recent months with good reviews?
And if you still feel a little unsure, check out the other items that the seller currently has listed for sale. Are they along the same lines of the item you are interested in purchasing?
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I have been using eBay consistently for about 5 years now. Not only do I buy key items on eBay, but I am a seller as well. With my shopping habits and nature of my business, I have sold some of my gently used designer bags and shoes to free up pocket money to buy a designer bag or item.
If you haven’t used eBay before, I hope this post helped clear up some things for you!
A big THANK YOU to eBay for sponsoring this post! All thoughts and opinion are my own.
Linking some luxury goodies that caught my eye:
