I love that - Liberate your inner biker chick! Doesn't that sound great - does it make you picture a fabulous looking gal on a Harley? Black leather jacket, black leather pants and FABULOUS BIKER BOOTS? Yes, that is what I see!
So that is why I just do not understand why these amazing BIKER BOOTS did not sell! Yes, it does happen and I just don't understand! These boots are amazing! They cost well over $1000 when purchased and they are totally classic (well, for Biker boots!).
Of course I will list them again - they are gorgeous - made so beautifully! and totally in style. They are in excellent condition and someone really should be wearing these great boots - whether she has a Harley or not!
*from Fashions of the Times 9/06 (The New York Times Sunday Magazine)
I really love selling things on ebay - I love the people that I meet - how fun it is! People get such wonderful deals and I think that is great! But sometimes people are just totally unreasonable!I sold a BRAND NEW pair of HOGAN Interactive Sneakers the other day for $49.99! What a price for a very expensive pair of sneakers. But how great for the person who bought them! What a deal! These sneakers were purchased in Europe and were not even available in this country in this color!Well, the gal who received them today sent me this email:
I just received the Hogan RED SNEAKERs from you and I am afraid to tell you that I am disappointed regarding their condition. They are not brand new at all as you stated.There are even few tiny pebbles on the rubber soles & dirt, some scuffs on body surfaces and color faded spot at the side of the left shoe.I don't mind some creases on steps because they could have been happened by store-try however, all the above is not the conditions I expected. They are definitely not brand new...I like the color and their quality so, if you consider some reimbursement such as $10 or something, it will be appreciated.Please could you get back to me ASAP regarding this?
Here is a picture of the sneaker that she received......I really do not know what to say.....what a great deal she got. These sneakers are indeed brand new - the gal who bought them wore them around her house to try to get them to be comfortable on her feet - it didn't work and she gave them to me to sell. She is a very reputable person and these shoes were/are truly in BRAND NEW condition. $10 off - really!Here is a picture of the same shoe in another color that I found online.........
$369! and that is the DISCOUNTED price.Am I wrong in feeling that this gal is taking advantage?
Well, I asked her to please return them to me. I will not give a $10 refund - I would rather not sell them at all. It's nice to sell great things to people at great prices - but it is not nice to be taken advantage of. I feel really badly that she is not happy with her purchase - but they were a really fantastic deal - I think that she should just say "thank you".
Added note: This is the response that I received from the buyer today:
I am glad to see your quick response and it made me feel a little better that you showed your caring. I know I didn't pay so much on Hogan brand however, because showing unexpectedly so much indications that they have been worn that I thought, I just did not like "discrepancy" between the actual condition and the word "brand new" when I opened the package.
It's a troublesome to repack and get a line at post office for me. So, I'll keep them.
The question being.....If you decide to sell it for less i would pay 120.00 for it. Wait and see how the aution goes. Thanks!
Now, let's understand that this sweater would cost at least $1100-$1200 today (at least) AND it happens to be in 100% perfect condition. I have it listed at $400 to start and $600 to BUY IT NOW. At $600 it is a great bargain. This sweater was probably worn one time and is in totally perfect condition. Although I do love to see people get a good deal - I would NEVER sell this sweater for $120 - not $220 or even $330! I would buy it myself for $500 from the owner first.
I don't blame anyone for trying though - afterall, you never know. That's part of what eBay is all about.
I love that she asked me - but I'm sorry - no way!
What are some of the problems that you can encounter on ebay?
Well, you can buy something and not receive it.
How long should you wait for your item to arrive? I generally send things out either the day I am paid (if I haven't gone to the post office yet) or the next day. When I am in NY or away from home I do let the buyer know where I am and when I will be home. I let them know when their item will go out. I ship MOST everything via USPS Priority Mail. It is fast (2-3 days and sometimes if people live in the Northeast, the item is received the day after they have paid for it). So people are very happy with me in that regard! But when I buy something on ebay I know that I shouldn't expect things that quickly. Well, it seems that I should - but I know that not everyone ships the way I do.
The post office is down the road from my house - that gives me a big advantage. I pack things up at night - pile them up at the front door and if I'm going to work on a particular day - my dear husband does me the favor and takes the packages for me.
Not everyone has that advantage and perhaps don't go to the post office everyday. I understand that and do try to have patience while waiting for my purchase. Oh - the need for immediate gratification!
BUT after I've waited a full week since my payment (and I pay immediately upon purchase) I email the seller and ask where my item is. If you don't get an answer - that is generally a sign of a problem and I suggest you go to the page of the item you have won. You can go to MY EBAY - look on the left side - for items WON and click on the item in question.
First - go to CONTACT seller and send an email through ebay asking where your item is - even asking for the tracking number. If you don't get an answer within 24 hours I suggest the next step.
You can click on SHOW PAYPAL PAYMENT. I always suggest that you use PAYPAL - I will talk about that in another post......after you have logged onto PAYPAL you will see the page that shows your payment. As you scroll down you will see the following:
Need help? If you have problems with a transaction or would like assistance settling a dispute with your seller, visit the Resolution Center. PayPal strongly recommends attempting to resolve this issue directly with the merchant or seller whenever possible.
Go to the Resolution Center by clicking on Resolution Center on that PayPal page.....and follow the steps from there.
I use this when a person doesn't pay me within 7 days and I generally get paid within 24 hours.
You should also put in a complaint with EBAY. Also on MY EBAY page on the left hand side all the way at the bottom is DISPUTE COUNSEL. Click on that and you can fill in the information and ebay will send the seller an email. I have used this approach and it has usually worked.
I will admit that eBay is a fabulous market place - but you do want to become buyer savvy - don't bid on big ticket items until you have really bought lots of little things first. You really don't want to get burned buying something expensive. There are things that you must learn and the best way to learn is by buying some little things - things that you want or use or will be buying someplace else anyway....get the experience that you need and then GO FOR IT! It's fun, you can find really great value and then perhaps you'll even start selling things yourself!
No! Not really - how about no color at all! Shopping for Spring '07 has been lots of fun and lots of work - but hardly any color at all. Of course this is fine for me - these are some of my favorites - excluding black of course - my REAL favorite.
What I can't figure out is how all of these fashion houses come up with the same exact colors as one another. Do they all buy their yarn and fabric at the same place? Do they all talk about what colors to present us with? What is it? How is it that every place we went to we saw Gray, Beige, Taupe, Pewterand Off White? I love all of these colors (if you can call them that) but I just find it strange that these were the colors that we saw across the board.
We were able to buy some beautiful scarves with more color and here and there a shot of color where there was color on a color chart - but overall the store will be Gray, Beige, Taupe, Pewterand Off White. These are some of the things that I look forward to the most.......The hats are from Yohji Y's and they were great - the wallets are a beautiful soft leather and the jackets were fabulous!
We also went to a very nice event at Saks Fifth Avenue - they had these wonderful puppets - just wanted to share - they were so beautiful.
Have ordered them both and think that I have the answer as to which I think is the best. Remember please - this is the best for ME! It could be different for you.......
This is what I carry with me in my handbag: iPod in iPod case along with earphones in a plastic baggie, small notebook, cell phone, pen, make-up brush, photos of my daughters in Jay Strongwater frame in felt bag, Coach credit card case, wallet, sunglasses in their case, eyeglasses in their case, keys, digital camera in its own case, palm in the Coach pink case along with assorted papers! Oh - and don't forget my make-up case! Lots of accessories - I love them!
Is that a lot? For me it is - my bag is always so heavy! Why do I have to have all of this stuff all of the time? Does it make me secure? Well yes - I know that if I get caught in an elevator I can entertain myself for a long time - before they come along to get me out! I have Scrabble on my palm and hopefully they will get me out before the music on my iPod is finished (there is even a Grisham novel on there - just in case!). This makes me feel secure - I know that I can entertain myself for a few hours! and fix-up my face if need be! Hopefully I can even make a phone call!
So I put everything in the purz-n-izer -www.purzinizer.com (the Purseket hadn't come yet - I ordered it a few days later) and it worked really well. And the PINKPolka Dots on theBLACK are so pretty! I felt very organized (and I was) - everything in it's place. I did keep moving things around though - trying to find the right place for each item. At first I had the SMALL purz-n-izer - but that just wasn't big enough so I went ahead and got the LARGE.
What was really good was the ability to remove this from my bag and move it right into another - that is a very handy thing to be able to do. Also the space in the middle comes with velcro dividers - allowing me to decide how much room I needed for that space - very clever!
OK - I arrived home from New York City last night and there was myPurseket! www.pursket.comFabulousBLACK and WhitePolka Dots (you know that I just love those Polka Dots) Seemed rather odd when I saw it - long and stiff (no comments, please!). I was rather intrigued though with this! Tonight when I came home from work I put all of my things in it.
I knew right away that this was the PERFECT answer! Everything fits into it beautifully (this time I started right out with the LARGE one!) - a wonderful compartment for each thing. The compartments are different sizes - all of my goodies had a place of their own and there is even one compartment that closes with a flap and velcro. And then - you have the entire middle empty - perfect for my two pairs of eyeglasses - as you can see that Chanel case is quite big - but there is plenty of room in there for it. Everything is easily accessible! The fact that it is nice and stiff is what makes it so great! It stands in the bag beautifully! What can be better - "A place for everything and everything in its place"?
I do believe that this will fit in any shape handbag - mine is a real tote - but I think that it will work in many different size and shapes! For me - the Purseket wins!
But really, both are terrific! I recommend either of them! I will buy a medium size of the Purseket too! It will be better for my smaller bags. Of course you can remove this and put it in any other handbag too! Very convertible!
This is a really terrific item - someone was really using their head when they came up with it! Congratulations! Isn't it great when someone is so smart?
Check out my photos and perhaps you can figure out without having to buy them all which one is best for you.
How nice to be organized! I hated it before - I always had to take everything out to find one little thing - this is just great!
Black and Blue! Didn't our mom's tell us NO NO NO! Is it possible that our mom's were WRONG! Do the French know better than our mother's! Can't be! But our mother's also told us we couldn't wear white after Labor Day and that has totally changed. WINTER WHITE is fabulous!
Black and Navy is really a great combination and we should not be afraid of it. So many of the women who shop in the store are so afraid of Black and Navy. But really it is tres chic! Oh, wouldn't Mr. Grube my French teacher be proud (they asked me to drop French in High School - the Brooklyn accent just didn't work!). I'll never forget the day the poor man sang the French National Anthem and the kids threw pennies at him! How bad we were! But I deviate from the topic!
We have to face the fact - things have changed! We don't have to carry a Navy handbag with our Navy shoes - we can wear White anytime we want too - Brown and Black is a fabulous combination - our shoes and handbags DON'T have to match anymore! We're FREE FREE FREE to do whatever we want! Enjoy!
And I can wear PURPLE even though my mother (of blessed memory) told me I shouldn't!
Is it because no matter how much we weigh our handbags will always fit? Is it because we don't have to take our clothing off in a dressing room to try it on? What is this all about?
Obviously handbags have become a really mighty business. I think that the manufacturers (the really big names - Chloe, Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Dior, Tod's, Ferragamo, etc. etc.) - will continue to raise the prices right up to the sky. Why not, the women are spending it. Handbags have really become the mighty accessory.
I have always loved handbags and find this crazy wave of such high prices really annoying. Saw a woman the other day at Mangia (in NYC) and she was carrying a really fabulous handbag (so many of the women are) - I didn't know at first whose bag (you know what I mean) it was - but then saw the famous triangle (do you need more information) at the bottom on the side - yes, of course - PRADA - the bag was really fabulous. Then to make this even better - she opened her bag and pulled out her BLACK ALLIGATOR PRADA make-up clutch! WHY NOT? How much better can this get? What a bag! What a make-up case! My friend said "nice bag" to the woman as she was walking out - and where I might have expected a nose in the air - this gal turned and was so happy that we loved her new bag. She was so nice - not a snob at all - just another nice woman totally LOVING her new handbag. So what that it cost $2900! It was indeed quite wonderful! (This is NOT the bag she was carrying-I couldn't find a picture of it - but it is from this collection)!
So really - what is it? Why can't we ever find the "perfect" handbag? Why is it when I think I've bought the one that will be "IT" for me - there is always another?
This is why I have a closet full of "its!" to sell on ebay. Perhaps one of my "perfect" bags will be "perfect" for someone else and I can continue my quest for the "perfect" bag. Pefect being - not too heavy - not too big - not too small - definitely BLACK, enough compartments - not too many though (I can never find where I put something when there are too many compartments), and for me of course, the perfect shoulder strap. The one thing I love the best is a bag that can sit in front of me! Then why do I continue buying shoulder bags and bags that you have to hold! Oh, it is so difficult.
AND - do you know about Purznizer? Yes, this is something you keep in your handbag to organize all of the things that you need to carry. http://www.purznizer.com/
I've already bought two Purznizer's! and they're really great!
And then there is the one I haven't bought yet - the Purseket - this looks good too!
Sometimes (and I just can't figure it out) a fabulous item does not sell. A great deal (couldn't be better, in fact) and no one buys it. Now lots of people watch my site - so it's not as if people don't get to see it -
This bag is amazing - so the item is being relisted and so is this post. This is a case where someone should buy this wonderful bag at such an amazing price. Afterall, we sold another one of these bags at the store for $1000 (we only had the two). So I'm giving it another go - I hope someone buys it who will love and appreciate it - these are the kinds of things you should own and use forever. If I didn't have so many others - I would be the one giving it the love it deserves!
IS BROWN THE NEW BLACK?
Perhaps now that I've sold the RED bag (and I'm sure this gal will totally LOVE LOVE LOVE it) it's time for the BROWN one to go. How many of these are lingering in my closet? Oh - too many! But I just love handbags! I wonder why - don't you wonder what that is all about. I think one of the customer's gave me a reasonable answer but unfortunately I don't remember what she said - perhaps it was something about "order" in your life. I don't know - but I do know that for some reason I can never find the "perfect" handbag - everytime I think it has truly happened - it's perfect - my things fit in so well, it looks so good, this is it! IT'S NOT! I'm still looking and hunting. Guess I'm not the only one. The price of handbags has gone UP UP UP and AWAY over the last few years. Inexpensive bags are $600!
So here is another bag from that wonderful factory in Italy (and the last one from my closet). This bag was made in the same factory that makes the Manolo Blahnik alligator shoes. The workmanship is the best and the alligator is top quality. This little bag retailed for $1100 at the store where I work and was a fabulous value at that price. So at $199.99 - you can't go wrong. This bag is really a beauty! The color is really fantastic - maybe BROWN should be the new Black!
The item number is: 110027736902 and will start on Sunday evening, September 17th.......
A question that I hear every day that I am at the store.
A size 42 is generally a US size 4/6 - a 40 is a 2/4 and so on......but each manufacturer's size 42 can be different. One can be a large 42 - another a small 42. What does one do?
I always suggest - look at it - does it look like it will fit you? Then there you go, if you like it - try it on. What's the worse thing that can happen? It won't fit - you might need it bigger - or if you're really lucky - smaller!
The other thing about size that really makes me crazy! The women who only want to wear a size 6 (or 4 or 2 or 10 or 12) - if it's a small 6 and they have to take an 8 - then they don't want it - because after all, they wear a 6 - how can they possibly hang a size 8 in their closet. But really, if it fits you - it's your size! Don't be so silly! What's important is how you feel about yourself. Not what size sticker is on your pants!
Pul-eeze! Don't make such a big deal out of what size it says in the garment. If it fits you - it's your size! Buy it and enjoy!
The only good thing about winter (as far as I'm concerned) is the clothing! Shearling, cashmere, fur lined boots! Summer is great - warm weather feels good - but being able to have new cashmere sweaters, great boots and beautiful handbags - that's what is great about winter. Not the freezing weather, the icy roads and the cost of heating fuel! The clothing! That's what is great about WINTER!
And now it is time (believe it or not) to start thinking about changing our closets again.
People have been giving me great things - great sweaters - a brand new, gorgeous Chocolate Brown (remember, is BROWN the new BLACK?) Shearling coat.
Here are some of the wonderful things that I have listed for the Fall and Winter season.........
It works both ways - sometimes an item will go way up in price! Of course as a seller that is always the very BEST! Good though for the person who bought it too! Because they got what they wanted and will be so happy to receive it. It's such fun waiting for your purchase to arrive! Even better when it gets there and you LOVE IT!
But every once in awhile someone gets an absolutely FABULOUS deal from me! Not necessarily because I want it that way - but because selling on ebay requires lots of psychology and sometimes you just don't psychoanalize it right! So what do you do? You've managed to sell something way way way below the price it should have gone for. What do you do? Well, you could do what someone did to me when I managed to win that $1500 CHANEL bag for $355 - just don't send it and tell them to "try to get your money back from PAYPAL" (luckily I did!) or you could do what I do - send it with good wishes. Because that is what ebay is all about. You can get really great deals here! It is the best shopping place (I think) that you can find.
So here's the GREAT DEAL! A Vintage Pair of RALPH LAUREN Western Boots. Amazing boots - so I do what I usually do - I look up completed items on Ebay and find a pair of nice Vintage boots that went for $555. The auction was started at $9.99 - I never really like this approach (for a lot of different reasons) but I say to myself - OK - give it a go! See what happens! What happened! Ha! $37! Yes, that's right - $37! So I was totally outsmarted - but you know - this is a first - I will actually pay the gal whose boots these are a lot more money for them. I screwed up! She can't be responsible for that and these are valuable boots. It's the first time anything like this has happened to me! But you know - I hope the gal who is getting them (a gift from her boyfriend - the boots will be on their way to Germany) will LOVE them! I hope that I will hear from the buyer that she did - I hope that they will both be happy and that the boots will get plenty of wear! I had been in a store during the day that sells Vintage Western boots and they were going upwards from $400 (and those were in dreadful shape!) - so a really good deal was gotten here. That's OK - like I said, it works both ways - I have gotten some fabulous deals! Except for that one creep - everyone has always honored their committment!
But again, it works both ways........
We had a Rundholz coat in the store a year ago that sold for $160. They ran out of the store - customer's begged us to get more, but none were available. One of the women who was lucky enough to get one - decided a few months later that she didn't want it and gave it to me to sell on ebay. What do you know? It went for $477! Yes, that's right - $477. Now you might think that the person who bought it for that price must have been crazy! But no - she managed to get something that she wanted - she could not have found that piece anywhere - at any price. So everyone is happy - the gal who didn't want it anymore got a really nice price for it - I made a nice commission for selling it and the woman who got it - LOVED IT! Why not, it was fabulous.
So, it works every which way. Life is short - enjoy the little things - shop on ebay and find the things that will make you happy. It's fun! Enjoy!
Where do they come up with these things? I was watching The Today Show the other day and this is what they said "PLAID IS THE NEW GRUNGE"! What does that mean exactly? You got me! Why can't they just say that PLAID is showing up this season - in pants, jackets, etc.?
Everyday they have another fashion expert on telling us what the very LATEST is and how we should wear it - what is the RIGHT length for our skirts, our pants, etc. Can't we decide ourselves what is BEST for us? Why does something have to be IN STYLE? Are we not able to look in the mirror and know that even though they say that the hemline should be here or there that that is not right for ME!
I see it in the store all of the time - we don't really buy what is IN STYLE! We buy the things that we love and that we think the customers will love. When someone comes in and says straight legs are in, wide legs are out - COME ON! What do you like to wear? What do you think looks best on you. I guess when you're in your 20's - that is OK (but I still think classic is best) but OK - you want what is in style - but in our 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's - and up from there - we should want what we like, what we love and what we feel comfortable in. We MUST feel comfortable in our clothing and we should enjoy what we wear!
I love clothing - most everything I have is BLACK! I don't care what color they tell me is the new BLACK - BLACK IS BLACK and I love it. I'm comfortable in it. When you open my closet door you will see the BLACK SEA!
The funny thing - sometimes there is a lot of black in the store - people come in and say "oh my - so much black!". So you show them a gorgeous RED sweater - what do they say "DO YOU HAVE IT IN BLACK?"!!!!!
Like I said - things do go wrong! I had a wonderful Eskandar tweed sweater on ebay (one of my own). Listed at $175.00 - bidding started early (for the seller, that's the best) and just kept going up and up.......would you believe it sold for $610! How happy was I?
But you know, I really didn't believe it - too good to be true. I looked at the high bidder's feedback - not bad - both as a buyer and a seller! So I just settled back and waited for payment. Most people pay immediately through PayPal (that's what I do when I buy something), some people take a day or two, some people send a money order - that's OK too!
But yesterday before I left work there was an email from ebay: Dear ilovemygirls3 (mygirls3@hughes.net), The results of the following listings have been cancelled due to bidding activity that took place without the account owner's authorization: 110022562685 Cashmere/Wool Beige Tweed Mock Neck Eskandar-OS We have temporarily suspended the bidding account and we are working with the account owner to prevent any additional unauthorized activity. Since the account owner did not initiate these bids, fees resulting from the listings in question have been credited to your account. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to automatically relist these items for you. Instead, to relist these items you will need to start from the beginning of the listing process, either through the "Sell Your Item" process or through your third party listing service. We know that this is an inconvenience and we apologize for the negative impact it may cause you. We are working on tools to allow you to relist your items without starting from the beginning, but they are not available at this time. Do not respond to this email, as your reply will not be received. If there are issues that have not been addressed by this message, you can contact us by clicking the "Help" link located at the top of most eBay pages and selecting "Contact Us" from the menu on the left hand side of the page. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Regards, eBay Trust & Safety So - I was right - it was too good to be true!
What annoys me though - is that I am the innocent party - my item is taken off - the work that I had to do to list it - measuring, etc. has to be done again - the item has to be relisted. I do not know which person screwed this up for me - how much I actually could have gotten, etc. etc.
This happened to me once before -
What is it with people? Why do they want to ruin a good thing? Ebay is such a great place - so many wonderful people - so many wonderful bargains - and where else can one person be able to move things on to people who really want them? no matter how far away they might be? When I sold my CHANEL bag that I was NEVER EVER going to use again to someone in Japan who was so happy to get it - isn't that great? I think so - but there is always someone who gets their jollies by doing things like this.
Makes me angry and disappointed that people have to be like this. Why should it be a surprise - look at the state the world is in.
For the record - what is a third party listing service? Oh, I think I know - something like iSALE. That must be it! Too bad I didn't list it through iSale - that would be easier! Now I have to start again!!!!!!
