oh, so you have heard?
cuz i talk about it non-stop?
yeah..ok.
:)
well, because my dreams for the interior of the new house are BIG, and my budget is NOT, i have been on the prowl for a few bargain ebay goodies for my house--in particular light and plumbing fixtures.
usually when i bid on something, and i REALLY want it, i will get onto this site and put in my absolute maximum bid. sometimes i win, and sometimes i don't. but at least i don't get roped into paying more than i wanted for something because i got caught up in the heat-of-the-bidding-war moment.
i guess i got lazy in the last couple of weeks, because i decided i wasn't going to take the time to try and snipe the items that i wanted. after all, i have the ebay app on my iPhone, and it alerts me when something i am bidding on is about to end. i thought i was good to go.
oh, how wrong i was!
i have lost two auctions in the last few days that are seriously making me c----razy.
they are insanely beautiful, but also very expensive. like $1700 for a bathroom faucet. thats almost as much as my entire budget for all the lights and fixtures in the entire house.
SO, i "settled" on the memoirs fixtures from kohler. the widespread fixture retails for around $450, but i found a brand new one on ebay for a starting bid of $25. i was willing to pay $100 for the fixture, but bid $65. seconds before the bidding ended, i got an alert on my iPhone that the bidding was about to end, and i had just been outbid! i frantically tried to bid again, but it was too late. someone else got MY fixture for $66!
ugh! that hurt!
then, on saturday, i spotted a PAIR of visual comfort sconces, going for $75. a PAIR! they were just like the ones pictures above , but in the "aged brass" finish. so dreamy!
these babies retail for over $300 a piece.
once again, i decided to not type in my absolute max bid (which would have been somewhere in the neighborhood of $200), and lost track of time, and lost the auction.
double UGH!!
they sold for $104 plus shipping! blast it!
i was so cranky after that.
i tell you what though....i will NOT lose another bid like these again. i am going to be FIERCE.
like a WARRIOR ninja.
ok, less like a warrior and more like a ninja.
a sneaky tech ninja.
(...and by that, of course, i mean that i am going to go to auction sniper
and let them do the dirty work for me.)
oh, and by the way, here a few other items i am always eyeing on ebay:
do you shop on ebay?
do you have an ebay triumph you want to share?
is there something you are "always" looking for?
do tell...
oh, and happy bidding!!
(unless you are bidding against me...)
Posts
Sorry for your loss:(
ReplyDeleteDo you have any tips on how to search ebay for these gorgeous finds? Whenever I look I find nothing or the good stuff costs more then retail.
i think one key os to know "brand" names and key words for certain items. if you are looking for something mid century, for instance, you may want to type in "eames" or "hoolywood regency". a lot of sellers use these tag lines to get more people to look at their stuff. also, do several searches at the same time....even if looking for a single item. if you are looking for a pagoda light, type in "pagoda light", but also search for "bamboo light" bamboo chandelier", "pagoda chandelier", "chinese style light"....etc. the more BROAD you make your sarah terms, the better your change of finding something great!
DeleteI am an eBay pro - never bid an even amount. If your max bid is $125 then always bid $127 - always go slightly over by a small amount. Also, if you want something, be ready to bid as the time runs out. You have to be fast. Never put your max bid in early. Wait until the last minute or less and then bid your max bid (plus slightly over so it's not an even amt) - good luck!
ReplyDeleteohhh... great advice. i need to do this more often!
DeleteI feel your pain...I paid full price for my Visual Comfort sconces :(
ReplyDeleteI bought all our interior door knobs at Overstock.com for a good price...fyi
Your phone app sounds great. Good luck!
i would not have thought to look on overtock for door knobs! thanks for the tip.
Deleteand even though you paid full price for those sconces, i bet they are GORGEOUS!
:)
Dang Ebay! I hate it when I lose my snipes! You had some great stuff!
ReplyDeleteYou have such great style and budget sense I'd love to hear some of the behind the scenes of your good deals!
i promise to share my victories, and my sad stories (like today) as i go forward. i hate to lose too! now i am in a more aggressive mind set. so WATCH out folks! :)
DeleteOooh those sconces are so pretty. Well now you have room in your budget for something even better!
ReplyDeleteI have been outbid on ebay and my saddest loss, just recently, 4 perfectly beautiful dining chairs on Craigslist…someone got to them before me. I don't know if I'll ever get over them :)
ugh, cragislist! i have heard GOBS of craigslist horror stories. losing out does make you a little more certain when you DO find what you want, though. i bet if you came across chairs like the ones your missed out on again, you would snatch them up in a heart beat!!
DeleteI love ebay but have never bought light fixtures - great idea. I have also never used a sniping service. I am curious to give it a try. Good Luck!
ReplyDelete