The Ebay Queen: Pandora Sykes
WHO? We’re very
own features assistant and office go-to for all bidding wars tips
“The first thing I bought on eBay was a See
by Chloé dress, to wear to my sixth-form ball when I was 17. It turned out to
be far too big and I had to resell it, but by then I was hooked.
“I’ve saved a list of sellers I trust and I
stick to buying from them. My best bargains so far have been a Louis Vuitton
bag that was about a third of the price it should have been and a See by Chloé
silk shirt, complete with its tag, which cost me $80, but was probably worth
around $240.
“My favourite-ever purchase is my
electric-blue velvet trench coat - $48 from a Canadian brand called Surrey
Classics. People stop me in the street to ask me where I bought it. That’s why
eBay is so great – you can pick up things that are really different.
“My buying tactic is not to bid on an item
until five minutes before the bidding is due to end. If that bid gets beaten
immediately, I will wait until one minute before the end and put in a maximum
bid that I know nobody will be able to top because they can’t type fast enough!
“I never buy jewellery on eBay, because it
generally breaks and I’d also rather try it on. The clothes are usually shown
in quite a few different photos, with plenty of close-ups, so you get a good
idea of how they will look. You don’t tend to find that with the jewellery.
“Personally, I stick to buying designer or
vintage on eBay, but I’ve found that high-street clothes sell ridiculously well
too – particularly if they’re from Topshop. In fact, I’ve just sold two pairs
of Topshop boots and made a profit on them.”
Pandora’s tips for thrifty ebaying
Don’t put in your maximum bid
straightaway
“You’re bound to be outbid if you do. I
often set my alarm for 3 am just so I can get up and put in a bid at the very
last minute.”
Read the description carefully
“One of my friends thought, she’d bought
a table, but when it arrived it was actually a doll’s furniture. She had not
read the dimensions properly and photos can be deceiving.”
Check out the “super-sellers”
“Selling on eBay is a full-time job for a
lot of people. They’re selling vintage items from a warehouse, so they tend
to have really good stock.”
Check a seller’s feedback before you
buy
“If they’ve had any negative or neutral
feedback in the past six months, check why. Sellers are really well-policed
on eBay, so make sure you take advantage of that.”
Don’t limit yourself to buying clothes
“eBay is amazing for furniture bargains –
last week, I bought a huge cowhide rug for $240, rather than $560. It’s also
fab for stocking up on cosmetics from America – I buy lots of Essie nail
varnishes, as they’re half the price they are here.”
