The eBay Rules
Don't See Red
In many ways eBay is a miracle. How many other places can you find a Braun coffee pot, Belgian Shoes, canvas bags, faded rugs, Lamy pens, Wheatley fly boxes, Japanese stoneware and Ludwig Bemelmans books? Well, my apartment and possibly yours. But not many stores!
I buy a fair amount of clothes on ye olde Bay. Generally nothing too expensive ($30-$50 feels about right). I wrote about general tactics and strategies a few years back. But I thought I’d get even more granular for the obsessives out there (you know who you are!).
The idea is to keep good objects in circulation, fill a niche in your life (and possibly your soul) and go slightly overboard. And you want to balance this while not overburdening your various collections (also known as hoarding). There’s a natural amount of uncertainty with eBay. I call that eBay Roulette—five things work, the sixth doesn’t (that’s promptly given away or donated).
So here are some ways to avoid the mistakes I’ve made in the past.
1/ Avoid Interesting Colors. Oh this subtle rust knit tie. Behold this curiously beige linen shirt. Uh oh. You can’t trust photos in interiors under fluorescent light. Don’t get carried away with something too far off the beaten path.
2/ Be Wary of Strange Brands. Certain categories are hard to mangle, like knit ties, or even old hunting jackets (many of those outfitters are long out of business, but that jackets are still good). But with other things, like proper tailoring or fishing rods, I don’t want surprises. I don’t know how they fit, I don’t know how they cast. I probably don’t want to find out.
3/ Look for Private Labels. Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman and Louis Boston all made great private label clothes in their day. They often worked with good factories in Italy (sometimes the same factories from famous brands). You can find shirts and ties and sportswear if you’re a little strategic.