retail formula = a + b = eBay?

So I just thought I would share with you all how much flash you can get for your cash via the internet shopping world.  When someone asks me ‘where did you get that [insert fab item here]?’ – my answer is almost always the big E – EBAY.  Mathematically speaking, I would say that at least 75% of the items contained in my wardrobe room are sourced from the world wide web, with the remaining 20% supplied from my next true love - sample sales, and then remaining minuscule 5% is made from actual shopping in physical shops.  Don’t get me wrong, I love shopping as much as the next girl (there is nothing I love more than surrounding myself with potential purchasing items) so perhaps to clarify this formula the last 5% is made up from items physically purchased in a bricks and mortar store. I can be found wandering happily in just about any sort of retail store just about any day of the week.. but this time is mostly spent doing reconnaissance work for future online purchases. Take today for example, I was hunting through the sale racks of the designer floor at DJs – and found a fabulous cornflower blue Manning Cartell midi skirt – reduced to $170.  Just so happens I am watching that very same skirt on eBay – BNWT $50. Now I know it fits! Or alternatively I spied a gorgeous two-tone Shakuhachi blazer (unfortunately non sale), which, over lunch, I found on their website (http://www.shakuhachi.net) on sale for $168. And then on ebay for $99! Yup – online shopping seems to win out every time!

So just as an example I am going to post the two outfits I wore over the weekend, as this provides the perfect snapshot of the above wardrobe mathematical formulae.

Outfit 1 - Saturday lunch with a gf: Seed Femme nutmeg polyester shirt - $65 (staff discount); Topshop neutral ponti panelled mini ($12 eBay); Country Road leather olive sandals ($15 - eBay)

Outfit 2 - Sunday lunch with the bf's grandparents: Zimmermann trivial garden silk panelled dress ($100 - eBay); Witchery tan leather skinny belt ($39.95 in store Witchery (AND full price too - couldn't pass it up)); J-Crew store turquoise statement necklace ($35 eBay) and again the CR olive sandals (that just go with everything) make an appearance ($15 - eBay).

So that is it - out of the six items i wore over the weekend - all but two were bought online. Did I mention I love eBay?

FFIFY xxxx

sass and bide sale.... all dressed up

So in the prev post re: Sass and Bide, perusing their website http://www.sassandbide.com/eboutique/sale.html brought to my attention some totally spend-worthy reductions in the dress category….. mmm cocktails anyone?   A girl can never have enough hot pink and citrus colour block dresses - it is summer people. This is not a fashion finding mission as such... more a fashion FYI.  Here is the very best of the bunch:  

PLUS there are a ton of other fab s+b items (red fringed bag - hello!) just waiting for you to snap them up... what are you waiting for?

FFIFY xx

turn that spare fash into cash!

So as well as shopping on ebay.. I also dabble in the selling side. And yes, it does take time to photograph the items and enter each one in… but the rewards definitely outweigh any of the negatives.  Problem: need a cool $500 in a week? Solution: sell a few things on ebay… its as simple as that! In order to guarantee maximum bang for your buck there are a few key rules that one MUST do in order to increase the marketability of their item:

1.   ALWAYS post a photo at the time of listing. This may seem obvious, but a lot of sellers find it easier to list their items quickly without listing an image straight away… and unfortunately, us buyers can be a lazy bunch and wont go back and check for a pic.  No ladies – ‘pics coming soon’ just wont cut it!

2.   ALWAYS put a gallery photo. Otherwise buyers can skim past your item without even opening your item as it is the pic which first captures their attention.

3.   ALWAYS post a pic of the ACTUAL item.  Yes, it does help to put up the campaign shot/celeb endorsement of the item (highly recommended), but buyers really like to be able to see the exact item in question… plus it covers your bum in case there is something slightly different with your item… no one likes negative feedback!!

4.   A descriptive description is vital. Measurements, fabric types, fit, sizing, what it can be worn with.. basically anything you can think of about the item should go in.  This is your chance to really sell the item to the potential buyer… after reading your advert they will go ‘OMG I just HAVE to have this item’ and watch your bids go up and up!

5.   Have a realistic starting price… one that attracts buyers to your item.  Too high might scare them off.. but also keep in mind that you may only get one bid.. so you need to list it at the lowest price you would be satisfied with. Not happy with .99 cents for your country road silk cami? Start it at $15.  Also listing a ‘buy it now’ price can also entice potential buyers… after reading your amazingly descriptive advert they may decide they cannot survive Friday night drinks without your item… and need it asap. Bang – sold.

6.   MOST IMPORTANTLY – BE HONEST!

Other pluses include – a catchy title clearing stating both label and size; at least four pics of the said item; ending your item between 7-10pm Mon-Thurs and never on the weekend; charge the exact amount for postage as the bags cost.. nobody likes the ‘handling’ fee – and once again I cannot stress the importance of BEING HONEST. Even of there is a barely noticeable pull in the front of your Zimmermann printed singlet or some slight pilling under the arms of your Sass and Bide tee this really warrants a mention – to ensure a happy transaction. A happy buyer equals positive feedback which equals more bids on your items which therefore equals more money in your pocket.

FFIFY  xxxx

OH so I was actually posting about the items I am currently selling on eBay… here they are below.  Feel free to take a look:

FFIFY xxx

find it for me... sass and bide outfit

So was just perusing my eBay saved searches… my sass and bide saved search can sometimes return 200+ listed items in 24 hours so I really have to stay on top of that one in order to see everything!  Just thought id put these babies up in case anyone has a spare $500 they want to spend on this fab outfit… I would if I could don’t you worry: 

The worst part is these are all my sizes L 

FFIFY xxxx

interesting ebay unusual and exciting occurences

So some unusual/exciting occurrences have happened over eBay and I’s ten year relationship (what is that anniversary? Tin I think..). Actually now that I have said has been ten whole years, I am only going to talk about three things so maybe it’s not that exciting after all. But as I have started typing now I shall continue with this post regardless of excitement levels.

Okay so eBay unusual (this one is more exciting!) occurrence number 1. – buying items from a celebrity!

So I had spotted this gorgeous Marc Jacobs blazer that was lovely and tailored in a fab camel colour (so on trend right then) that I just had to have.  Lucky for me I snapped it up for a cool $73 (hello bargain) and was super excited to paypal it straight away.  Got the return email from paypal helpfully informing me that my payment had been sent to ******@****** email address.  Being a curious character (okay I will admit to doing this yes I am a facebook stalker) I was interested in who was parting with this lovely jacket.  So I typed in the email address into facebook (did I mention STALKER) and it came up with none other than Alice Burdeu! Huh. I was pretty chuffed about 1. My new Marc Jacobs blazer (and it wasn’t even Marc by Marc Jacobs...!) and then 2. It was a models. So yes she probably got it for free and didn’t care how much she got for it but I am a MAJOR SUCKER for anything celebrity-ish and this made it all the more exciting.

So I spotted the most amazing black suede/leather Husk drape leather jacket on eBay.  It had a buy it now of $300.. or make an offer. So I sent off an optimistic offer of $200. Non-surprisingly this was rejected.. but the wonderful seller came back with $250 and free postage. How could I possibly say no.. it retailed for around $1000 and had hardly been worn.  So I re-arranged some money and mentally sold a few more items from my wardrobe (ill touch on that in a later post!) and happily paid via paypal. The next day at work waiting by the photocopier, the new buyer (who  had only started the day before) politely asked me if I had happened to buy a leather jacket over the weekend.  I said YES... and she said ITS MINE! I had listed work as my sending address... how funny. So she brought it in the next day... complete with Husk garment bag.. and I'm still in love with it.  She is still one of my fave sellers....

Coincidence number 2 – a girlfriend I used to work with started a new job, and much to her dismay Asos and her other fave shopping sites were banned from their internet server (tragedy of biblical proportions). BUT eBay was not banned – definite winner.  So after snapping up a few choice designer bits and bobs she had the fever.  So here in Ballarat I was raising funds to pay for Christmas presents (or if I'm being honest I was raising funds for items I had bought to wear around Christmas time.. same thing really) and I listed some items that were on low wardrobe rotation.  One item – khaki lace up Shakuhachi press stud tunic – got a bid. Again as already mentioned I am curious by nature and I checked into her feedback (as you NEVER know.. could be ALICE again!) and the name looked familiar.  I checked through the items they had bought.. and saw all the items that my girlfriend had been talking about.. she had bid on one of my items! Hilarious. She ended up winning said tunic ($50 + postage) and feeling slightly bad for taking her money (bank balance feeling good for taking her money) I posted off her new top.

As I said – small world!


FFIFY xx

find it for you - spotted miss S and tibi pants

Okay so I have been having a major style crush on Serena VDW outfits from season 5 Gossip Girl. Usually Serena is my least favourite character (oh apart from JENNY) but this season she is not half as annoying as usual, and her outfits are hot! The wardrobe directors are really embracing the colour block trend and her ensembles are bang on – which probably has to do with the fact I am a late bloomer to the whole GG empire and have watched past seasons a full year after they aired.. which is probably why I'm so in love the the fashions as they are actually relevant (my fault not theirs!).  But going back to season 4 – this is one of my fave outfits and still totally relevant.. god those pants just POP! Here are the deets below:

Sadly my searching super powers were limited in this case, and I was unable to hunt down the Pucci blazer. Fail.

FFIFY xxx

Ps on a slightly related note does anyone else find themselves referring to themselves as a single letter plus ridiculously upping their spending habits after watching GG? For some reason I seem to talk differently, start wearing all my very best outfits to work and begin to think I can absolutely afford a $550 prada bag (its totally on sale darling)..  I really have to watch myself!  All of a sudden all these Chloe, Miu Miu and Missoni items start appearing in my eBay watch.... mysterious!

find it for me - Tolani Ginger silk tunic dress

So here is a fashion finding mission – Jessica Alba’s gorge silk beach tunic. LOVE.  I already have an inkling that it is a Tolani tunic (as I already have one other of their lovely dresses) – and a little bit of google digging confirms YES it is a Tolani tunic. Silk too – bit ooh la la for the beach but if it works for Jessica I'm all for it. Called their ‘Ginger tunic’ – there are actually quite a few places you can pick up this little ditty – with eBay being the cheapest (I would expect nothing less my friend), followed by Revolve Clothing (great site for picking up some lesser known American labels) and Tea Leaf Clothing (don’t know much about this site but it stocks the item so good on it!).  This is really a stunning dress that is perfect for this fabulous beach weather we are currently having.. and being silk and go from beach to bar quicker than you can scrunch that beach hair. Tolani has a website – http://www.tolanicollection.com; which shows their gorgeous scarfs and some other products, but sadly does not sell any of their silk tunics.

                      

I have previously hunted down their silk Mosaic tunic which I saw on Nikki Hilton.. Not normally my go-to fashionista, but in this case Nikki is actually a big fan of Tolani’s range and is often seen rocking their tunics with a more ladylike vibe – which is great news for a recovering boho addict desperately trying to move gracefully into Parisienne ladylike chic. So I had been watching a few on eBay and tossing up whether to take the plunge, when a trip into the city to an unsuccessful Nevenka sample sale lead me past a pop-up store in little Collins. And lo and behold – there on the first rack was the Tolani Mosaic silk tunic I had been coveting! And for the bargain price of $75 – SOLD (note – check out if this is still there – also stocked Gypsy 05, Winter Kate, Fluxus and House of Harlow stuff, of which yes I also stocked up!). This is it:

I do HATE the white bag and studded belt that she has teamed with it.. I think this is what was making me afraid to commit – just SO Hilton!  This dress looks amazing teamed with tan – I don’t belt it and wear it off the shoulders flamenco-esque, HOT.  Oh snapped up these Dico Copenhagen tan leather wedges today (did someone say $60 + $15 postage NEW (eBay)) which will look FAB teamed with both these Tolani dresses - cant wait to receive them!

FFIFY xxxx

its PACKAGE time!

the post came early today! and NO these arent the ones that require intercepting later... that mission is yet to be completed.

Contained:

1x taupe j brand jeans  (UM $10 anyone???? eBay!)

1x leopard print cotton sass + bide dress ($36 - as featured in spots post below - also eBay)

WOOP xx

damn you festival postal period

thanks to the festive season and all these public holidays for shutting down our (very competent) postal delivery system Australia Post.  I have been waiting over two weeks for some of my items to arrive (taupe j brand jeans I am talking about you!), and have had to resort to the extremist of measures... GETTING ITEMS SENT TO MY HOUSE! Usually I have all my packages sent to work, but due to aforementioned holiday period the office building was closed.  Not wanting anything to go missing (tragedy) I had to resort to this desperate measure. The worst part is is that the post comes between 3-4pm (unfortunately way before I finish). My boyfriend gets home between 3:30-4pm – so this leaves me about a half an hour window to dash off from work and attempt to intercept said parcel before he gets home. Tough!  The biggest problem with home delivery that it removes the failsafe ‘this old thing? I’ve had it for ages!’ which is very important when there is a min of four items being delivered per week (a close runner up in the problem stakes is ‘NOT ANOTHER BLOODY PARCEL’! shouted in anger by my beloved).  Luckily for me my lovely boyfriend is not super attentive to what I wear (I do choose to think of this as a good thing!) so most of the time I am able to get away with another kimono sleeve maxi dress from Winter Kate – but some items - ie the below mentioned leopard print – I am unable to palm off as old stuff.  Back in the day he used to think quite lightly of my spending habits, and would amuse himself by hiding any packages I received around the house for me to find.  What a fun game – ooh my new sass +bide zippora jeans are in the oven - yay.  Sadly those days are over... the BIG M occurred (uh MORTGAGE!) followed quickly by a BIG BANG BLOW UP from Ryan, and to my utmost regret my old friend eBay was deleted off my phone. That did last a whole very long month.. and then I secretly installed it back on; and learnt to redirect all packages to work.

Work is back in action now.. and only one more to arrive. Guess who is flying out the door at 3pm today???

FFIFY xxx



seeing SPOTS!

Okay so second post. What to talk about now? Not sure so I’m just going to post about the latest string of things I have bought eBay wise. So I was just checking through my purchase history and monitoring the seven items I was currently awaiting on postage (damn all these public holidays) – when I discovered something quite alarming – THREE of these items were LEOPARD PRINT! Yes, unfortunately this is correct. I am blaming it on party season delusional brain crazy spending.. as I don’t own anything leopard print and haven’t seen it anywhere of late. I desperately checked online fashion bibles – alas no predictions for SS 2013.  On the other hand, all three items were amazingly good purchases – see proof (in handmade collage - thanks Microsoft Paint) below:

sass + bide cotton dress = perfect for summer from their sellout 2009 collection $36

sass + bide silk blazer = just couldn't go past this one - form their 2011 Papa Sucre collection, was retailing for $330 new...... $70

country road silk dress = I tried this on in store a little while ago.. and loved the fit but cannot justify paying full price for anything from CR - retailed for $249... $53

Apart from their bargain fab factor.. where oh where am I going to wear them? And in Ballarat I may add (not sure if I mentioned this before.. but I have since left 'fast paced fashion industry Melbourne life' – instead its 'slower paced pet supplies in regional Victoria life' all the way) where my current employer’s dress code is ‘smart business casual’ – somehow I am not sure spotted cat fabric will go down all that well in the boardroom. In all honesty this seems to be a dilemma I face quite often with quite a number of online purchases.. just HAVING to buy that fabulous item (dress/top/wide-leg shakuhachi batik patterned silk pants) and then getting said item in the post and realising it goes with absolutely nothing in my wardrobe (and then more purchases are required to go with it); OR that said item would be perfect for a particular occasion (like a 1920’s beaded flapper dress from the Mill Markets that would have been JUST PERFECT for a red carpet premiere – thankfully I refrained from that one - although ONLY $120!!) of which I will never attend.

So I am going to challenge myself and dig deep into the depths of my wardrobe room (yes – thankfully I do have an entire ROOM) and create workable ‘smart business casual’ outfits with my three leopard print items, to ensure that these purchases do not go to waste.  Maybe leopard print is so 2010 but one bonus with regional Victorian life is that fashion is slightly slower out here (scruchies anyone?), and no one will be any the wiser with my choice in print.
So as promised I went away and played around in the wardrobe room.. and have conjured up five outfits that I do think cover the 'smart business casual' (however loosely) - and big thanks to Suzanne - what a poser!

Think i might bust out day two tomorrow... the weather is finally cooling down. 
Perhaps leopard is the new smart business casual??


FFIFY xxxx