eBay in the old days

[BlvdDandy]

I'm wondering how easy (or how much easier) it used to be to find amazing deals on things like shoes and suits before eBay for fine clothing-related goods became a sellers market. When was this sartorial time of plenty?

Someone, anyone, regale us with your stories of eBay in the glory days.

 

[mack11211]

Ah, yes. Back when dinosaurs ruled the earth and streetcar rides were a nickel...

Nostalgia is bogus. It's still good. The bargains are now in the niches -- the private label and relabeled stuff, the obscure hiqh quality shops that still lack cult followings. Nowadays, famous names command high prices, but few of the other ones do. Plus, there will always be the inept seller whose sucky presentation scares away all but the most intrepid.

So there you are. Long live the present!

 

[VMan]

I have heard stories of NWT Kiton suits for $499 back in the day. Of course, you had to walk uphill both ways to the post office in order to pick it up...

 

[The_Foxx]

yep, it's true. a few years ago, you could find great items for much less. My first brioni suit was a PERFECT condition, like-new SB suit in a medium blue mico herringbone, three button double vented jacket i bought for about $300. foolishly, i had the sleeves made too short, which i thought was what i wore at the time because my 'custom shop' shirt sleeves were too short! i had the trousers recut to about 32 inches (this is while i was in the military) and it was downhill from there.

anyways, oxxford was around $500 for new with tags, purple label, best models around-- at the time, i didn't really know about kiton but i assume it was available for much less as well.

 

[A Harris]

As a buyer (I've been buying on ebay for 8 years) the best deals to be had, ever, have been in the past year.

 

[DocHolliday]

Can you elaborate, A Harris? Any particular examples? What do you think has been going on?

 

[A Harris]

There is a comparitively MASSIVE amount of high end clothing on ebay these days. Probably 100x as much as there was back in say 01-03. You have to be good at searching, but a ton of stuff falls through the cracks at giveway prices.

What's more expensive is good shoes, largely because of this forum. I used to buy at least one pair of good shoes a month on ebay, and usually paid under $100. Nowadays it's more like 2pr a year and $200+

 

[mack11211]

Originally Posted by A Harris

You have to be good at searching, but a ton of stuff falls through the cracks at giveway prices.

'zakly.

 

[Zubberah]

When I joined eBay in 1998-99 I was buying Brioni and Kiton suits NEW for US$250.

 

[Shoe-nut]

Actually some things have come down in value as over the years collectors have found those things they would never have found otherwise. So now the market has become glutted with these items from so many sellers and there is little or no more market for them.

 

[Isaac Mickle]

No way eBay is a seller's market. I've been buying on ebay for seven years. Now and again I am suckered, but on the whole I've come out way ahead. I agree that you must know how to search and how to read ads to find some of the best deals.

I actually worry that with the ebay fees and paypal fees and postage fees all going up so much, fewer sellers will bring items to market there.

As for now vs. then, it's always been good. The difference is now there is a lot more things to choose from.