Hi Dirnelli,
Thank you for the ongoing sartorial inspiration and education that your posts provide. I have garnered many tips from you.
Since you have purchased numerous clothes from eBay, I wonder if you could share your top 10 tips for buying clothes on eBay?
Kindest wishes,
Neil
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Dear Neil,
If you’ve been following eBay auctions for several years, then you’ve noticed that great finds are becoming few and far between, as iGents from across the world are flocking to eBay and steadily pushing up prices, not to mention professional vendors who are taking over eBay space.
Even if it’s not as good as it used to be, eBay can still be a great place for some good finds at excellent pricing.
Here are my top 10 tips for buying clothes on eBay:
1) EXERCISE SELF DISCIPLINE
Set an upper price limit on an auction item and stick to it.
Never even look at how the auction is going or you’ll be tempted to revise your price upwards (if someone outbids you with time running on the clock).
Stick to your guns, and be prepared to lose a deal, rather than getting sucked into a bidding war frenzy.
2) USE AN AUCTION SNIPER
Use third-party software to hide your interest, so that you’ll appear in the auction only during the last seconds before the auction ends, thus leaving no time for competitors to outbid you, if you happen to be the highest bidder in the final stretch.
3) FOCUS ON BUY-IT-NOW (BIN) DEALS
“One dollar starting-bid no-reserve” auctions draw a lot of competition, which often causes closing prices to end up higher than expected, as folks get sucked into bidding wars.
On the other hand, BIN listings don’t attract as much attention, so there’s room for negotiation with most sellers (a 30 – 40 percent discount is not uncommon, as the asking price is usually padded). Negotiations can be done automatically by using the ‘direct offer’ option if it has been activated—or manually by messaging the seller if the ‘direct offer’ option is turned off.
4) TARGET NONPROFESSIONAL SELLERS
Professional vendors and consignors are adding their own markup to the selling price.
The best deals are from ordinary folks cleaning out their closets. You can tell who you’re dealing with by looking at the number of their transactions, which should be low for any private individual.
5) KNOW THE MAKERS
Famous brands typically command a price premium, but if you know how to identify the underlying maker for a lesser-known brand, then you’ll be able to secure amazing suits from top Italian makers at a fraction of the price! Here’s a guide to identifying maker label.
6) KNOW YOUR SIZING
Most eBay return policies exclude sizing mistakes.
Be sure to know your proper sizing dimensions across all key areas of a suit and know what can be altered and what cannot.
Many times a buyer will shy away from items that are not his exact size, but you can score killer deals if you are willing to pay for alterations and are confident that alterations can be performed successfully.
Make sure your mental price envelope includes the cost for alterations in order to evaluate whether an opportunity is the good deal that it appears to be.
7) ASK QUESTIONS
If you have any hesitations or uncertainties, ask the seller detailed questions and get precise answers before committing to a buy.
8) ACT SLOWLY
eBay will completely overhaul your definition of what’s a good deal and what is not.
At first, you’ll want to buy everything you see because the pricing will look very attractive compared to what you are used to paying.
Exercise restraint – no matter how good a deal appears, an even better deal will likely crop up sooner or later if you’re just patient enough to wait.
The offering is practically limitless and there are real bargains out there, so don’t rush in.
9) REACT QUICKLY
When you do finally spot a real bargain, one that’s truly too good to pass up, then pull the trigger quickly because it never lasts.
10) USE SEARCHES & ALERTS
Create a short list of exactly what you’re looking for (in your size) and use this information to create good search filters and alerts so you’ll be among the first to know about great buying opportunities.
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