Buying and Selling on eBay: Tips, Tricks, Problems & Questions

[Reosymes]

I highly doubt that the fabrics match exactly... listing those as a 3-piece tuxedo would be begging for trouble.

Thanks. Fabrics of pants and jacket match exactly, but I'll check again. The vest is grosgrain silk, and is not supposed to match.

 

[Sartoriamo]

I left it in specifically because the item is a multi-thousand-dollar Loro Piana parka... The crowd that's in that market tends to be a cut above the herd. With that lot, I feel my honest assessment is more valuable than ass-covering.

You'll get a lot of different opinions on this, but to me it's 100% an ROI issue, in concert with the effort involved. I used to specialize in Loro Piana outerwear when I lived in New England, and have sold hundreds of their items. You don't see much LP outerwear here in SoCal, sadly.

Yes, LP buyers are a highly discriminating group. Leaving it as-is will get you the opportunistic buyers out in force, but if you want what I call a "real" buyer (that will pay up), then you be better off sending it to Stu at Rave. The math is simple: Stu will hit you for around $67.50 to do that job, so, with shipping added it becomes a simple equation as to whether you'll get more than an extra hundred bucks when you list it clean. To me, the answer's yes. Someone else may disagree. I'll give you a more overt example: I kopped an stunning LP cashmere-lined ball cap that had unsightly perspiration/dirt lines on the brim and dome, so bad it was basically unsaleable. Most dry cleaners simply refuse ball caps. Stu hit me $65 to clean it, but it came back looking like it was NWOT (he did it all by hand). 'Bayed out at $249. Good investment. For this piece, I'd estimate a several-hundred $$ difference between the dirty and the clean price, so there's enough margin there, as long as the stains can be removed successfully.

So bottom line: if you're happy with a quick flip for short money, leave it alone. If you want to try for maximum ROI, it will need to be spotless for that crowd.

As a general principle, I send anything that's got a visible external stain to the dry cleaner in advance of sale, if I can't nail it with the various solvents I keep around here. Most all to the local gal, uber-top-$$ stuff to Rave (without my having touched it).

As a side-note, and super-important, many dry cleaners don't really grasp the distinction between oil- and water-based stains, and incorrect treatment approaches can lock in stains that make it harder for folks like Rave to get them out. So if you're considering sending something there, best leave it alone.

 

[SomethingsFishy]

You'll get a lot of different opinions on this, but to me it's 100% an ROI issue, in concert with the effort involved. I used to specialize in Loro Piana outerwear when I lived in New England, and have sold hundreds of their items. You don't see much LP outerwear here in SoCal, sadly.

Yes, LP buyers are a highly discriminating group. Leaving it as-is will get you the opportunistic buyers out in force, but if you want what I call a "real" buyer (that will pay up), then you be better off sending it to Stu at Rave. The math is simple: Stu will hit you for around $67.50 to do that job, so, with shipping added it becomes a simple equation as to whether you'll get more than an extra hundred bucks when you list it clean. To me, the answer's yes. Someone else may disagree. I'll give you a more overt example: I kopped an stunning LP cashmere-lined ball cap that had unsightly perspiration/dirt lines on the brim and dome, so bad it was basically unsaleable. Most dry cleaners simply refuse ball caps. Stu hit me $65 to clean it, but it came back looking like it was NWOT (he did it all by hand). 'Bayed out at $249. Good investment. For this piece, I'd estimate a several-hundred $$ difference between the dirty and the clean price, so there's enough margin there, as long as the stains can be removed successfully.

So bottom line: if you're happy with a quick flip for short money, leave it alone. If you want to try for maximum ROI, it will need to be spotless for that crowd.

As a general principle, I send anything that's got a visible external stain to the dry cleaner in advance of sale, if I can't nail it with the various solvents I keep around here. Most all to the local gal, uber-top-$$ stuff to Rave (without my having touched it).

As a side-note, and super-important, many dry cleaners don't really grasp the distinction between oil- and water-based stains, and incorrect treatment approaches can lock in stains that make it harder for folks like Rave to get them out. So if you're considering sending something there, best leave it alone.

This is excellent advice--thank you!

I would've never considered sending this anywhere but Rave (or a similar-caliber cleaner), for precisely that reason.

My only worry would be whether some nincompoop tried to have this cleaned before I got my hands on it... however the nature of some of the stains (easy ones, even for the 99 cent crowd) makes me think that this is probably not the case.

 

[Sartoriamo]

Incidentally: Does anyone else find that certain brands are magnets for... "special" buyers?

LOL. For sure. Agreed on Versace, esp vintage; and weirdly, RLPL suits, as I've had 2-3 of those that have come back FOUR times before finding a buyer who loved them. I think the buggers just buy the suit, wear it to a wedding, and then SNAD it back so their wardrobe rental is at my expense.

Oh, and not just brand, but size: people with long, but ultra-narrow feet (who know perfectly well that no-one else will buy the damn shoes, so they'll do you the favor of giving you $10 for them). Grrrr. Years ago, I thought I'd scored at an thrift with a grouping of stone mint AEs in various models, complete with matching trees. Turned out they were all 14 A or B, and I still have 'em all . . .

 

[Coldsnap]

Would he have to up his picture game if it comes back clean, then he takes it outside to photograph it... Maybe rent a lightbox? I dunno. Seems like a lot of effort. Did you pay $10? Take the great profit and treat yourself to a steak and a salad

 

[Reosymes]

I agree with @Sartoriamo. Since you paid thrift prices (let's say $15), think of it this way: if you found a minty LP coat for $80 at a consignment store, would you leave it?

 

[Sartoriamo]

I have a spare Jiffy J-2 steamer if any of you need one. Used to keep one in the house and one in the garage (where the eBay setup was), but don't need two now. These things are workhorses. Bottle cap is cracked, but it does not affect performance, and easy to replace (I already did it once). LMK, first dibs to you guys, otherwise I'll sling it on the 'Bay.

Spoiler

$75 plus actual shipping.

 

[Fueco]

Would he have to up his picture game if it comes back clean, then he takes it outside to photograph it... Maybe rent a lightbox? I dunno. Seems like a lot of effort. Did you pay $10? Take the great profit and treat yourself to a steak and a salad

Investing in decent lighting (whether strobe or continuous) is key. If you can't see the texture of the fabric in some of the pics, you're not quite there. I still struggle with dark colors, even with 19 years of shooting and a lot of years working at post-processing images.

 

[Coldsnap]

My pictures SUCK. As evidence:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/332321490153?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

I might need to reinstall all the google stuff on my phone. Pictures were much better then, though they will spy on me. But oh well. Planning on getting a light setup once my first round of thrifting items sell.

 

[My Main Man]

Built one of these tonight. One more to go after work tomorrow. Super simple and super cheap. Took way longer than I expected. Was hoping to finish both tonight.

@Coldsnap I built two of these a few years back and then I have 2 hanging fixtures on the ceiling. Each of the fixtures cost around $20 at Menards and the lumber was whatever cheap stuff Home Depot had. I forget which bulbs I use but I think they were the 5500k daylight bulbs. I did research at the time but am not 100% sure now. I didn't really have a plan. Just kind of started putting things together and it worked great. It was a lot cheaper than the nicer lighting kits I was looking at.

Here are before/after shots. They're by no means perfect now, but they're a million times better.

Before:

After

 

[Coldsnap]

Wow nice! I'll check that out.

Anyone list their items as auctions? I don't have much storage and having things guaranteed to move in five to seven days is attractive. I'm sure you get a bit less money in the end, but the upshotnis faster moving stock?

 

[SpooPoker]

Anyone list their items as auctions?

Sometimes.

 

[richnet12]

lol

 

[richnet12]

Yes Snap...just like you we have a normal size house with normal closets and stuff has gotta move out. I usually list BIN for a while, give up if no sale, then list for a 10 day auction on Thrursday night or seven on Sunday

 

[bert9000]

Buyer wants to return this item because it's "a three button blazer not a two button." I listed it as 2 1/2 roll but in the item specifics said it's two-button.

Advice?

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/172762439429