Why You Need to Be on eBay

eBay has come a long way since it began in 1995, and I'll admit my experience with them has been about 50/50 over the years. However, as they've perfected their processes for handling designer items (and the fakes that come with them) I'd say it's becoming safer and safer to be an eBay buyer.

Years ago, my now fiance was crushed when we found out he accidentally bought me a fake Tiffany jewelry set off eBay. The seller swore it was authentic, and at the time eBay had no rules set in place for selling name brand jewelry other than going on good faith of the seller. In the end, I had to get an appraiser at Tiffany to confirm it was fake in order for the seller to refund the money.

Now, eBay doesn't allow anyone to sell any type of name brand replicas. So you could shop for your favorite Coach tote at a fraction of it's normal price. Or the long-since sold out Betsey Johnson skull necklace from the "Pretty Little Liars" finale for just $7. Or any designer item you want! And you can rest easy knowing you're buying the real thing for a great price. (Remember I was recently searching for a sold out evil eye bracelet from Betsey? Now there are at least 2 on eBay!)

eBay has become a haven for the fashion-obsessed to purchase vintage, new, or used designer items for a fraction of what a huge department store would charge. The best part about it? You're helping the environment by purchasing previously-loved items! Visit eBay's Fashion Vault to learn more about their designer brands for real-people prices.  

Style Report: 'Pretty Little Liars' Finale

Now that we've come to the summer finale of "Pretty Little Liars" it's time to talk fashion. I love Betsey Johnson, and she was getting some serious love on last night's episode.

For their wedding outfits, Aria was decked out in a pink rosette dress and pink skull pendant necklace by Betsey. So I scouted the internet to bring you Aria's amazing style.

Pretty Little Liars: Aria by fashionistaerin featuring a patent belt

Dress
$347 - amazon.com

Kvoll high heel shoes
$50 - yesstyle.com

TopShop patent belt
$28 - topshop.com


The bad news? The pink skull necklace she wore in the episode has been sold out in regular stores since July. The good news? I found it for a fraction of the price on eBay (grab it here) AND it's going to auction for as little as $1.04 for another 7 hours.

What were you loving about "PLL" fashion last night?

The Budget Girl's Dilemma

I love finding deals on all things fashion - it's what I do. Now I'm realizing that I may be taking deal hunting too far.

Betsey Johnson is one of my favorite designers, and I especially love her jewelry. Well, about a month ago I found this really versatile evil eye stretch bracelet.

I immediately fell in love with the bracelet! At the time, it was everywhere and for varying prices. So, naturally, I decided to wait on it since it was so available. As time went by, it slowly began to sell out. Then there came a point where I could only find it on Karma Loop for about $30. I waited longer because I thought it might go on sale.

Boy, was I wrong. Now that I'm finally ready to buy it, it's sold out on Karma Loop and the only place I can find it is on eBay for more than twice the KL price ($80). The upside is that the seller is taking the highest offer on the bracelet, so I don't exactly have to pay $80 if I don't want to. However, at this point, I know I'll be paying more than $30 - I can just feel it.

This brings me to probably the biggest dilemma facing the budget fashionista.

We are forever the deal hunters, and most times don't want to pay full price tag for something we know will be cheaper later. It's exactly what had me waiting so long to buy the bracelet, but now I'm stuck and bracelet-less.

To overcome this dilemma, you just have to know when to pull the trigger and that point is different for everyone. I knew I should have bought the bracelet two weeks ago, at least, but I foolishly waited...and waited. As a bargain hunter, you just have to know an item's price floor. You don't have to wait for it to be a crazy deal (like 80% off), but you do have to know when you're getting the best one. It's especially important to know the price floor for a hot item like this one which sold out fairly quickly.

Lesson learned: Do NOT wait to buy something you know you want when you find it for a great price in only one place.