Helpful Tips: Ebay Edition

Confession: I love eBay.  If you can stand to wait a few days until you get something, I 100% recommend checking eBay for anything you're in the market for.  My most recent find: vintage brown leather mid-calf flat boots - $40.  I couldn't find any similar boots I liked in stores, but these were totally perfect and an absolute steal.

Based on this experience, my most important tip for buying vintage and over the internet: know your measurements, not just your size.  A lot of the boots I looked at said that they were my size, but when I got to the measurements section of the description, they were a few inches too long.  If the seller doesn't offer measurements, ask -- especially if the item can't be altered.

Tip #2, from a magazine (Glamour, maybe?): This was mentioned regarding premium denim, but can work for almost anything -- go to department stores and try on the items you're looking to buy so that you know your size and how different items fit, then look for them on eBay.  Again, though, know your measurements -- many people alter their jeans, decide they're not going to wear them, and sell them.  The benefit?  If someone has altered them to your measurements, you get a perfectly fitted item for a fraction of the cost.

I think my favorite thing about eBay, and thrifting, come to think of it, is that you never know what you might stumble upon, and it's almost always at a great price.  Some trips online might be a total bust, but your next great wardrobe piece might just be a click away.