Lately I have been posting more and more vintage luxury finds on my Instagram in both posts and stories. Inevitably when I do this I get questions about how to safely buy authentic luxury goods on eBay. Below are my tips and tricks for finding a good authentic deal on eBay.
- SEARCH– Run a search for what you are looking for. I would recommend thinking like a seller. For example, typing in “vintage Chanel” is likely not going to yield what you want. But trying “Chanel flap bag” or “Louis Vuitton Speedy 30” (basically any search with more detail) will probably lead you to what you are looking for. Also in the course of reviewing your search you may come across different phrases that you should add into your search. For example when looking at vintage Chanel flap bags you will often find the word “metalasse” in the title of the item. Try adding that into your search so now instead of just “Chanel flap bag” you are searching for “Chanel metalasse flap bag.”
- CHECK the Seller’s Information– Once you find an item you are interested in check out the seller’ s information. I check to see how many items the seller has sold which normally indicates if they are a “top seller.” Plus I look to see their overall ratings as well as their recent reviews. I find that sellers that are from Japan and have thousands of listings and reviews are the best to purchase from. I rarely (if ever) go with a sellers that has only 0-10 reviews, especially if the reviews are only on the sell side.
- READ the Details– Looking at the pictures is a definite must bust so is reading the description. The description will tell you what other accessories might come with the item you are looking to purchase, like the dustbag, authenticity card, ribbon, box etc., as well as point out flaws that may not have been very clear in the photos. For example you might comes across a Hermes bag at a steal of a deal. But when you read the description it has been re-touched and likely not by hermes. For me this is not a deal breaker but for some it is as Hermes will no longer repair it. Plus in the description there is often even more pictures!
- TRUST You Gut Instinct– If something seems too good to be true then it likely is and this applies to luxury goods too. If you are worried about an item feel free to message the sellers and ask for more pictures. Or you can go right to step five and authenticate the item in the listing. (This is not always the best option since items can sell quickly so you might authenticate a listing that sells before you can authenticate and purchase!) A positive thing about eBay is they have a money back guarantee that can save you if you do purchase a fake.
- ALWAYS Authenticate– eBay does have their own verification program for luxury goods (which is great!) but I always get my bags authenticated a second time. That stands true if I buy from eBay, Fashionphile, Poshmark, The Real Real, etc. It’s worth the little extra money to know your piece is authentic. I personally like Real Authentication. I find them reasonable, very fast and their phone app is very easy to use. (Use my discount code “E0D81C3” for $5 off your first authentication!)
If you want to see more posts about my eBay finds please check out this post about buying vintage Chanel on eBay or this post about more tips and tricks.
This post is NOT sponsored by eBay and these tips and tricks are just what I personally do. Please always be cautious when shopping online and use your best judgment!