Tips and Tricks for Shopping on eBay
A lovely CF reader sent in this request:
Could you do an article on how to shop for clothes on eBay? Finding reputable sellers, things to look for when shopping vintage, etc.
I always say that eBay is one of the greatest place to find vintage clothes, especially if you don’t have many vintage shops in your area. However it can sometimes be hard to find reputable sellers, as well as clothing that fits and is of high quality – unless you know the tricks.
One of the greatest things about eBay is that it promotes reusing and recycling items – instead of buying new, you can help the environment AND score amazing vintage pieces. Obviously, it’s not for everyone, but if you know what to look for, almost everyone can find something they love on eBay!
Tips & Tricks to Navigating eBay
1. Use the right keywords. Know what you are looking for. If you want to leisurely explore one topic, go ahead and search for “vintage“. If you want to find a series of specific items, do your research – if you want to find vintage shoes in a specific color, use those keywords!
2. Check the photos. Photos are important and should always be examined carefully. First off, make sure they aren’t the exact same photos of a similar item listed – that could indicate a scam. If you are ever unsure about a product, it is your right as a buyer to ask for more photos of the product. If they can’t get you any, do not buy from that seller – that is a definite red flag!
3. Check the measurements. Any good clothing seller on eBay, especially any good vintage seller, will list the measurements and approximate size (in modern terms) of the garment. If they don’t have the measurements listed, you can always ask for them.
4. Know your measurements. This relates to number three – make sure you know your exact measurements, so that you can at least estimate if the garment will fit your correctly. In general, make sure you know your bust, waist, and hip measurements, plus the length of your arms and your inseam.
5. Check the seller’s feedback. Make sure they have good feedback from a large number of people. Not to say that new sellers are bad sellers, but you want to make sure the person you are buying from isn’t just going to take your money and run. If you really love the items the seller stocks, keep an eye on them and wait for them to get more feedback. In general, if they have so-so or bad feedback, I would avoid buying from them! There are tons of great eBay sellers out there with outstanding feedback that won’t rip you off.
6. Make sure the pricing is accurate. Do your research on the item – find out how much it typically costs in mint condition (this can sometimes be difficult, but it can be worth it, especially if you’re looking at rare vintage pieces). Be careful if it is overpriced and even MORE careful if it is underpriced - you might not be getting what you think you are! In general, if a price looks way too good to be true, it probably is.
7. For vintage clothes and accessories, make sure they list the condition. An item could look great in the picture, but it could be threadbare in reality or they could be cleverly hiding a tear. If they don’t list the condition, you can always ask them. And if they won’t give you a straight answer, don’t buy from them!
8. Read the description carefully. Check for typos, inaccuracies, mistakes, etc. I know this sounds petty, but it never looks professional to have misspellings, especially if you are trying to make money! A typo isn’t necessarily a reason to abandon a garment, but if there are other things that seem amiss (a lack of sizing, sketchy feedback, saying it is a red purse when the picture is of a black purse), they could definitely indicate an illegitimate seller.
9. Check each seller’s profile. Trust your instinct – if they seem a little sketchy, they likely are. Most of my favorite eBay vintage sellers have amazing and customized profiles with pictures and logos.
Finding reputable sellers and fabulous garments on eBay can be difficult at times, but just remember to always follow your instincts – if it seems sketchy, don’t put your finances in jeopardy!
What do you think?
Do you have any tips for shopping on eBay? Is there anything I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments!
Posted on on November 27, 2009 / Filed Under: Shopping / Tags: eBay, Tips, Vintage
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Leia
Excellent tips! I love eBay and wrote a similar post myself: http://hifashionsl.blogspot.com/2009/07/10-tips-for-shopping-on-ebay.html
I love to explore eBay when I’m having a quiet evening at home – there are always loads of treasures to be found! :)
Elizabeth - University of Missouri
Ah I love this article :)! I have another tip: The garment’s waist measurements should be doubled to accommodate your real waist. For example, if the garment has a waist of 14.5 inches, then it should fit a girl with a 29 inch waist. Hope this helps!
Jennifer
I agree with most of these points except one main one.
Regarding underpriced items, I almost never buy items whose starting values arn’t 0.99p. Nearly every item of clothing I’ve bought off ebay when been under 20 pound. Underpriced items are a gem.
Regarding dodgy sellers, Ebay has an excellant claims dispute through Paypal. It is very very easy to launch a formal claim and demand a refund if a item of clothing is not as described/condition is not as described/Seller does not send items ect.
However if you buy an item and it doesn’t fit/you don’t like the colour/you changed your mind you have no legal standpoint.
Jess
I like shopping at eBay, but I have never bought vintage items. I do want to though so thanks for the tips.
Natalie
I’ve never purchased anything from eBay, mainly because the site is so overwhelming. This post was super helpful!
Holly
A brilliant post. I would say always pay through paypal. They have an excellent claims service. If the item doesn’t arrive and you’ve paid through paypal, the seller has to provide proof of postage. If the seller doesn’t reply or provide proof, you get your money back. So simple, and paypal is so easy to use!
Lydia
how about postage and shipping costs?
SandyU
As far as ebay and misspellings go, as a buyer, you can possibly use them to your advantage to get some good deals. You can use a site like ebuyersedge.com (typojoe.com, etc) to search ebay for common misspellings of keywords you enter.
Most interested buyers will never see these misspelled listings, reducing the competition and most likely ending price.
Ebuyersedge gives you the option of saving your favorite searches, then sending you an email when an item is listed matching one your saved searches.
Some people claim to make money by buying these items and then relisting them on ebay for a profit. I’m not sure about that, but it’s at least worth a try to see if you can get yourself a deal.
This works best with ‘Buy It Now’s, but is also effective with auctions.
Luisa
Ebay has been excellent to me. I’ve found all manner of awesome designer clothes, shoes, and handbags for prices that basically amounted to robbery! My favorite of all time has to be an Armani dress I got for just $10, and is now my go-to little black dress.
I’ve never bought anything from a seller in China or Korea — a lot had bad feedback and/or their posts weren’t in the best English. But some have good feedback, and I’ve seen ridiculously cute clothes for sale. Has anyone bought from overseas sellers before?
EmilythePanda
good tips, everyone should always bid with caution! You never know who is on the other side of the auction unfortunately. I’ve been on ebay for almost 10 years now and it’s still sometimes frustrating listing items that people don’t pay you for or bidding on something winning and not hearing from the seller for days!
those things don’t happen all the time though, hope everybody has good luck with bidding on ebay!
Zephyr - CF Editor
Another tip is to always ask for close-up pictures of tags and etc on designer clothes! I once bought True Religion jeans on eBay that were supposed to be the stretch material and actually turned out to be rigid. After receiving them, I told the seller about this, and she accused ME of lying! And this was a girl with excellent feedback. It was such an ordeal, that these days I ALWAYS ask for a close-up photo of the tag on the garment to see what it’s actually made of and what size it actually is. it’s worth it if you’re spending more than $100!
Charlotte
I am about to write an article for my student newspaper on buying clothes from ebay, and this has been great!!
xxx