Hello my Blessed and Chic Friends! First off, I can’t believe the Summer is almost over! Nooo, I’m not ready lol.
Anyway, welcome to August, and boy-oh-by do I have a find for you! I’m so excited to share a recent purchase of mine. Recently, I struck gold when I found these amazing shoes that I was NOT looking for on eBay. I’ve purchased from eBay before, mostly for cosmetics bundles or home good items, but never anything like this. Plus, I’ve only purchased my high-end stuff from the actual stores or certified pre-loved sellers.
So here’s the back story…I’ve had my eye on these particular shoes when they first came out but never took that leap because honey, it was wwwaaayyyy out of my budget back in 2016. So when I saw them for the price it was going for, you know I had to jump on it.
My recent purchase is one for the books. Sooo, I was on eBay in search of something completely different when I stumbled on these bad boys here! While searching for an item, I saw these beautiful hot pink Balenciaga Leaf Appliqué pumps I’ve been eyeballing since 2016 on sale!!! Initially, I was very skeptical because the price was unheard of and therefore I scrolled past it and continued to search for the item that brought me to eBay to begin with.
The next day, I logged back into eBay to continue my search and still the same thing, no success, but wait…these Balenciaga’s are still for sale! Still in my skepticism, I scrolled past it again and eventually logged off. Days go by, and I’m persistent as I search for my item, and if you’re wondering, I was searching for an Alice + Olivia vintage piece. Anyhow, I’m still searching for the item and yep you guessed it, I continued to see the same Balenciaga pink pumps plastered on my screen and others too, and I’m just not sure at this point. Was this a sign from God? Lol, just kidding.
By this time, I logged in again, saw the shoes and decided to hit the “watch” button just to keep an eye on it and see where it goes. (For those that who are not aware of how eBay works, when you tap the watch button, eBay will keep you informed of all the details like price drops, promos, sales, and everything pertaining the item of your interest.) After watching the shoes for a few days, I reached out to the seller to first verify the authenticity of the shoes and secondly, to see if she was willing to negotiate the price…and to my surprise she was!
Now, just to be clear…the purchase price at the time was already incredibly below the retail value of a resale, but, I figured hey it doesn’t hurt to try and negotiate for a more reasonable price to my liking. After going back and forth with the seller, I was able to negotiate a price of $250. Yes….you read that correctly…$250 dollars, in addition to sales taxes, shipping, and handling.
At first I was very, very, skeptical because I’ve never purchased a high-priced item from eBay before. Secondly, we all know eBay in the past has had some sketchy situations with sales and purchases. After paying for the shoes, I did have a little buyers remorse, not because of the cost, but mainly because of my concerns of being a victim of a fraudulent sale. The seller did reassure me that she was a stylist/shopper for high-end customers of many years and owned many other high-end articles of clothing and didn’t have a need the shoes anymore. That gave me a sense of relief and peace and the feeling of buyers remorse went away.
As I shared, I was able to negotiate the price down to $250! Not bad, especially because the actual retail price for the Balenciaga Leaf Appliqué started off at $2850 back in 2016 when it was first released. Look, I’m so proud of my purchase and thought I’d share some tips and tricks with you on purchasing and negotiating pre-loved items on popular websites like eBay.
Tips and Tricks
1. Research the selling price for the item.
Before I negotiated the price, I was able to research and find other sellers selling the same shoes. I was able to compare the pricing and decided if it was a reasonable price for me. Knowing what the item is selling for, helps a great deal with knowing if the selling price is under or over priced.
2. Be sure to authenticate!
Authenticating an item that you don’t physically have in your sight can be tricky, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. You need to understand the purpose of authenticating a high-end product or any product for that matter. If you’re not schooled on how too, you can run the risk of purchasing a replica, a dupe, and even worse end up paying a lot of money for a flat out fake. One of the ways I authenticate any item prior to purchasing is first searching for the serial number. Every high-end item has a serial number to indicate it’s authenticity. This number is usually stamped in a discreet location with a special seal. When inquiring about an item, always look for a serial number first. If it’s not pictured, then you should request that the seller send you pictures of the serial number to verify.
3. Negotiate within reasonable purchase boundaries.
Okay, there’s a science to negotiating. It has to make sense and also be reasonable to where both the seller and buyer are satisfied. If the item is being sold for 1K, it wouldn’t make sense to start negotiating a price of $300. Throw out a price that is fair but reasonable for what you’re willing to pay.
4. Research the seller within the website.
Some websites offer ratings of sellers and also reviews from other customers. If the seller doesn’t have a rating, or reviews, or a history of selling, chances are it may be sketchy. A seller with a good reputation is a good indicator that you are purchasing a legit item.
5. Go to trusted websites.
A company’s reputation is a huge factor on deciding if you should purchase a high-priced item from them. Here are my favorite resale sites that does allow you to negotiate their items: Tradesy, Poshmark, Ebay.
Now there are other notable websites that do resales at a good price. Here are other popular resale websites (These websites do not offer negotiations ) Real-Real, Fashionphile, Vestiaireco, and Rebag to name a few.
I enjoy finding hidden treasures like vintage shoes and clothes, whether it’s from a thrift store or a high-end boutique. At times I’m blessed to strike gold and other times it’s definitely been a huge miss, but this way of shopping and hunting calls for patience and resiliency, at sometimes I just don’t have time for it, but on this day I struck gold!
