Bally Chukka Boots, Dk Green, US 9

I listed these a couple of days ago on e-bay. Although there are quite a few "watchers" I'm really quite surprised that nobody's bidding. These are in amazing condition...pristine.

I'm what you might call a "shoe and boot freak"...as well as shirts (I have approx. 500 shirts....really!), and socks (300-400, all organized in clear, Tupperware containers, by color and/or designer), and belts, leather jackets, etc. I own maybe 60 pairs of boots and at least as many shoes...all high end, designer stuff. I had purchased these on a whim, but I'm really not a "lace-up" shoe kind of guy. They've just been sitting...worn maybe 2 or 3 times...tops.

I know I don't have much in the way of e-bay ratings yet...just getting going. But if you were to do a Google on either "Dennis Greenbaum" or "Osprey Guy" I think you'll quickly learn that I am quite well known Internationally, among both custom knife collectors and custom flashlight afficionados...and I am someone who can be trusted.





Check out the e-bay listing for more pics (could someone please tell me how I can abbreviate these long URL links!!!):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MESE:IT&ih=016

Thanks!

Dennis

Yeh...I've been hanging here for the past couple of weeks and I've pretty much figured that out. But there must be at least a few guys who are interested...otherwise Neiman's, Saks, and all the top designers wouldn't be rakin' it in, year after year (they certainly get enough of my money).

I'm not expecting any kind of big hit on the Bally's, but considering the terrific condition of the shoes, $59 bucks seems awfully reasonable.

We'll see.

Dennis

I won't argue the point about whether of not Bally's should be referred to as "high-end"...but they are still a perfectly respectable, decent quality, Italian-made shoe. As for my use of the term "designer"...I learned a very long time ago that a designers name on a product doesn't necessarily say anything about the quailty. But allowing that each designer tends to have a "look" for which he is known, and that most strive for at least a reasonable high level of quality, it is a quick way to qualify when discussing a pair of shoes or an article of clothing.

If you'll indulge me, let me explain my attitude about designers, using Versace as my example. For many years I was known for my somewhat "wild" and colorful way of dressing. You might say that my own, rather unique style was very "Versace", long before I ever heard of Versace (which was long before he came to this country). But it only made sense that I eventually came to own a great deal of Versace (up until about 7 years ago, I was told that my collection of mens Versace rivals any in the country)... But in spite of what the clerks in the stores may have thought, I never once bought a Versace item because his name was on it!

I purchased a lot of Versace's stuff because it was a good match with my already well-established style. For years, Versace continued to make up about 30-40% of my purchases...again because it so closely matched my style. The rest was mostly from widely respected Italian manufacturers (Brioni, Lora Piana, Incotex, etc). I didn't really care who, or what, as long as it fit in with my style. In fact I used to get a personal kick out of walking into Neiman's and hearing all the "experts" say to me, "Love your Versace outfit!"...and I wouldn't be wearing a stitch of Versace.

Just by chance, I got into custom knifemaking about 7 years ago. Along the way, I discovered I was quite good at it and I am now well known Internationally for my work. Normally I could care less what people thought of the way I dressed, but that changed when I started going to the knife shows.

Most knifemakers are just what you think they are...some guy from the plains of Montana, or the hills of West Virginia, and when I went to my first few knife shows I felt as if they all looked at me in my Versace clothes, like they thought I was from another planet. I didn't want to alienate these guys...heck, I was trying to learn their craft and become accepted as a peer! Almost overnight my style became a lot more toned-down...plenty of stripes and plaids, plenty of jeans. My one "nod" to my past sense of style, was I started wearing lots of jazzy boots (knifemakers seem to like jazzy boots). I still insisted that everything I wore was fine quality...but then that was always a mandate.

Seven years have gone by. The Versace stuff doesn't get worn a lot these days. Nor does the Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, etc. Only if it happens to fit in with my current, personal style....but then, that too was always a mandate.



Dennis

BTW- Let me add...I won't own anything with a designer's name on it! Yuck!! However, occasionally I might buy something with a logo incorporated into it, but only if it's done subtly, and if I like the design. I've been in the graphic design biz for over 25 years and I do like Versace's medusa, always have. And I've always really liked the look of Paciotti's "dagger" logo (Paciotti is my all-time favorite shoe designer/maker). Looks cool on a belt buckle.

Well...there were no takers the first time around. Let's try that again, this time at a lower starting price:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MESE:IT&ih=016

Dennis

It should work now...thanks. I also got your PM about the way my boots were listed...fixed that too. Thanks so much!

I'll try and grab a few pics of my shirt racks... might bring a few smiles (my sock collection can be pretty overwhelming as well).

As for the ties...I was just telling my wife that I oughta put some up on e-bay. I have about 150 gorgeous ties that never get worn anymore. All Italian, all expensive. About half are Versace (of course). Many of them are "black label"... As I recall I have a number of ties that have never been worn.

I think I'll take your suggestion and jump on the ties next.

Thanks again for your help.

Dennis

Here we go again... same response as before.

Even with a price drop.... Lots of "watchers", but still no bids!?!?

These are beautiful shoes. Rich looking, soft, Italian leather....in perfect shape. At $49 bucks they're a steal!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MESE:IT&ih=016


Thanks.

Dennis

You're talking to a guy who buys 2 dozen pairs (or more) of boots and shoes every year...Tough to remember the details of every purchase.

A close friend recently asked (out of curiosity), "How many boots have you purchased this year?" I took a rough count of my recent boot purchases over the past year or so...23 pairs of boots (and that's just the boots!). I think by anyone's standards...I'm addicted.

I really don't recall the original price of these Bally's....but I'm reasonably certain that they were in the neighborhood of $300-350 (I think they might have been on sale). I'm pretty sure I got them at the Bally store (in Virginia). That was probably about 4 yrs. ago. They've been worn once or twice, but otherwise have been sitting on one of my shoe racks, alongside quite a few other barely worn shoes.


Dennis

The more time I've been spending in e-Bay over the past week or so, the more I've been scratching my head over the prices that some things are (or are not) fetching. Seems a shame that such a nice pair of shoes can't generate more than $50 bucks.

For the past couple of days I've been putting together a number of my things that I know I won't miss, and that I think might do OK on e-Bay...
Some ties (I rarely wear ties anymore...and I have a lot of ties. In fact I just found, buried in the bottom of one of my tupperware-style "tie boxes", a couple of 7 fold Bulgari's with the hang tags still on them!), some of my older Versace pieces that no longer fit (couple of shirts, vests, etc), and various other choice pieces (incl. a gorgeous, heavy silk, Sulka shirt/jacket).

But if I had to do it over, I probably would hang onto these Bally shoes. They're really too nice to let go for so cheap.


Dennis