eBay eats my life away...
>> Thursday, April 30, 2009
If I could count the hours and minutes that I have spent on eBay...well it would probably equal a lot of time that I thought was productive. I compare it to trawling through the racks of an op-shop trying to find that one bargain that I can ever so secretively, brag about.
Envy-er: "Omg I can't believe you spent that much on a Sass&Bide dress"
Me: "Well you know the aid organisation gave me a bonus this month (?!?!)"
That's how I picture it in my mind, but the Sass&Bide dress one hasn't come true yet!
I have bought snowboard boots, 2 watches, sneakers, heels, tops, dresses, a snowboard cover, mobile phones (x4), laptop covers, a page-boy pillow, DVDs and I nearly even ordered my wedding dress on eBay (!), all this since I became a member in 2005 and because I thought I was getting 'steals'.
Isn't hindsight funny? Because as I look back on my purchases I realise that I haven't saved that much money. The snowboard cover was an absolute rip off - I clearly did not do my research prior to the purchase and instead hit the 'make a bid that is ridiculously high' button too eagerly. Including postage from the US it cost about 20% more than what I could have paid for in Australia! And don't get me started on this Volcom dress I bought... well now I've started I have to tell you...
I accidentally came across it while searching 'vintage dresses' and as one of my favourite surf/street/snow brands, I wanted it desperately. It was white and had black polka dots all over it with spaghetti straps...I had already imagined wearing it on hot summer days, with everyone complimenting me on it, and even dressing it up for glam events... I had decided that no one was going to get in between me and the dress, but there was still 20 hours or so to go on bidding. I was on my lunch break at college when it was going to end which I took as a huge SIGN that it was meant to be mine.
Now if you are an avid eBay-er you would know that the best time to make a bid is in the dying moments, but sometimes I just can't control myself and if its something I really want I will attack! So that's what I did, brought it up to $60, but as it turns out someone else wanted this dress as much as I did...and kept raising the price and of course my competitive streak just got the best of me, so I kept bidding! It turns out this was a good 30 min's before the end of bidding, which I wish I took notice of because before long the dress was around the $100 mark (gulp!), and I was putting in my final bid of $105 in the last second to win my prize...I mean dress! I knew I shouldn't have done it, but I had already come so far..did I mention that I was bidding in US dollars here?
I'm not even going to calculate how much it was in Aussie dollars + postage...but let's just say that the dress has found a wonderful home in my wardrobe, so cosy in fact it has barely left it (I've worn it about 3 or 4 times...OK I exaggerated - only once!).
I guess in my random ramblings I have highlighted a pro (getting amazing bargains) and con (being sucked in and paying crazy prices) of eBay. You know, I could have made so many more purchases with just the click of the button, but my indecisiveness has been to my advantage where it has left me umming and ahhhing until its too late, where I end up missing out on the Sass&Bide dress by $5.00. But, I think its the chase of the item...sitting there watching, waiting, seeing if the price will go up or stay at the desirable $10. Since moving overseas, that is what eBay has become to me, a game. A game where I shop virtually, and add things to my 'watch list'..and watch, wait and watch. I always hate it when an item ends without me watching it - I miss out on the pressure of deciding whether to make a bid, even though I really don't want to coz I'm trying to save the pennies in my pocket.
Adding items to by my watch list is satisfying. I feel like I've already bought just because I've committed to it being in my watch list. Everyday I log in and just admire the things on my list, thinking how wonderful it would be if they lived in my wardrobe...but that's all I do, just think about it. Anyway, if I miss out on it this time, another one always seems to turn up!
Through all of this I have deciphered the fact that I have found a solution to my recession woes. With just one click of a button I can satisfy my shopping urges without actually handing any money over, wow its like what every girl has dreamed of! Of course it would be better if I actually got something in return, but like I said recession woes...
So currently I am watching 9 things on My eBay: 2 Nixon watches, 2 pairs of cowboy boots, a dress, a plaid jacket, 2 pairs of sunglasses and a passport wallet...I'll tell you in 6 days 2 hours how many things I have actually purchased.
Read more...
Envy-er: "Omg I can't believe you spent that much on a Sass&Bide dress"
Me: "Well you know the aid organisation gave me a bonus this month (?!?!)"
That's how I picture it in my mind, but the Sass&Bide dress one hasn't come true yet!
I have bought snowboard boots, 2 watches, sneakers, heels, tops, dresses, a snowboard cover, mobile phones (x4), laptop covers, a page-boy pillow, DVDs and I nearly even ordered my wedding dress on eBay (!), all this since I became a member in 2005 and because I thought I was getting 'steals'.
Isn't hindsight funny? Because as I look back on my purchases I realise that I haven't saved that much money. The snowboard cover was an absolute rip off - I clearly did not do my research prior to the purchase and instead hit the 'make a bid that is ridiculously high' button too eagerly. Including postage from the US it cost about 20% more than what I could have paid for in Australia! And don't get me started on this Volcom dress I bought... well now I've started I have to tell you...
I accidentally came across it while searching 'vintage dresses' and as one of my favourite surf/street/snow brands, I wanted it desperately. It was white and had black polka dots all over it with spaghetti straps...I had already imagined wearing it on hot summer days, with everyone complimenting me on it, and even dressing it up for glam events... I had decided that no one was going to get in between me and the dress, but there was still 20 hours or so to go on bidding. I was on my lunch break at college when it was going to end which I took as a huge SIGN that it was meant to be mine.
Now if you are an avid eBay-er you would know that the best time to make a bid is in the dying moments, but sometimes I just can't control myself and if its something I really want I will attack! So that's what I did, brought it up to $60, but as it turns out someone else wanted this dress as much as I did...and kept raising the price and of course my competitive streak just got the best of me, so I kept bidding! It turns out this was a good 30 min's before the end of bidding, which I wish I took notice of because before long the dress was around the $100 mark (gulp!), and I was putting in my final bid of $105 in the last second to win my prize...I mean dress! I knew I shouldn't have done it, but I had already come so far..did I mention that I was bidding in US dollars here?
I'm not even going to calculate how much it was in Aussie dollars + postage...but let's just say that the dress has found a wonderful home in my wardrobe, so cosy in fact it has barely left it (I've worn it about 3 or 4 times...OK I exaggerated - only once!).
I guess in my random ramblings I have highlighted a pro (getting amazing bargains) and con (being sucked in and paying crazy prices) of eBay. You know, I could have made so many more purchases with just the click of the button, but my indecisiveness has been to my advantage where it has left me umming and ahhhing until its too late, where I end up missing out on the Sass&Bide dress by $5.00. But, I think its the chase of the item...sitting there watching, waiting, seeing if the price will go up or stay at the desirable $10. Since moving overseas, that is what eBay has become to me, a game. A game where I shop virtually, and add things to my 'watch list'..and watch, wait and watch. I always hate it when an item ends without me watching it - I miss out on the pressure of deciding whether to make a bid, even though I really don't want to coz I'm trying to save the pennies in my pocket.
Adding items to by my watch list is satisfying. I feel like I've already bought just because I've committed to it being in my watch list. Everyday I log in and just admire the things on my list, thinking how wonderful it would be if they lived in my wardrobe...but that's all I do, just think about it. Anyway, if I miss out on it this time, another one always seems to turn up!
Through all of this I have deciphered the fact that I have found a solution to my recession woes. With just one click of a button I can satisfy my shopping urges without actually handing any money over, wow its like what every girl has dreamed of! Of course it would be better if I actually got something in return, but like I said recession woes...
So currently I am watching 9 things on My eBay: 2 Nixon watches, 2 pairs of cowboy boots, a dress, a plaid jacket, 2 pairs of sunglasses and a passport wallet...I'll tell you in 6 days 2 hours how many things I have actually purchased.
