ebay Archives - Bargain Hunting Blonde

Valentine’s Gift Ideas for Her with eBay!

Posted on February 3, 2021 by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

I don’t know about you but when it comes to presents I can be a little (read a lot) picky. My husband knows this so he often “consults” me on what I might potentially like. To make sure it’s still somewhat of a surprise I normally give him some helpful hints in the form of emails with links, post-it notes, and showing him pictures on my phone. So this Valentine’s day he is getting another helpful hint and a little help from eBay!

As you all know I love eBay and buy a variety of different items from them. I have bought designer bags, collectible items and kitchen supplies from eBay. You also probably know that I have a tendency to like expensive things but that I also like deals. Because of this eBay is one of the first places I turn to and this Valentine’s Day is no exception. This year eBay is having a 15% off sale on all their certified refurbished items! Use code “PERFECTVDAY15” to get 15% off select certified refurbished item (which includes all the items listed below). This coupon can be used twice and for a max amount of $100 off. This deal does expire 2/7 so make sure you snatch up everything you were eyeing before then.

Below are some of the things on my Valentine’s day list this year plus some items I think you should buy if you do not already have them!

1- Apple 15″ MacBook Pro Retina Core i7 2.8GHz 16GB RAM 1TB SSD MJLU2LL/A (2015)– $1,399 plus 15% off with code “PERFECTVDAY15”

After using only PCs for years, my husband upgraded last year to a MacBook Pro and loves it. The MacBook Pro is a classic from Apple and is great for both work and personal use. I find that the MacBook Pro is especially good for editing as it has such a high resolution.

** If you are looking for a cheaper, but still as amazing, option I recommend the Apple MacBook Air 13″ 1.8GHz Dual Core i5 8GB RAM / 256GB SSD. This is the MacBook I use and have had for 5 years. It works great, is very light and comes in at a lower price point. It is $569 and then use code “PERFECTVDAY15” for 15% off. (Who would have ever thought you could get a Mac for such a reasonable price?)

2- iRobot Roomba 960 Vacuum Cleaning Robot – Manufacturer Certified Refurbished– $349.99 plus 15% off with code “PERFECTVDAY15”

This is number one on my list this Valentine’s Day. And I know a lot of you are thinking well this is not very romantic but it actually is. If I don’t have to clean the floor every day (two fur babies that shed cause this!) then that leaves me more time to spend with my husband! So see romantic…and practical, so naturally a necessity. Plus you control it with your phone so it’s easy too!

3-KitchenAid Tilt Back Head Stand Mixer 325 Watt 5 Quart Ice Rk150ic Ice Blue– $359.87 plus 15% off with code “PERFECTVDAY15”

You should buy this. If you are a chef, baker or someone who doesn’t cook at all but wants to get into it, you should get this mixer. This mixer can be used for so many things and works so much better than a little hand mixer. I do not have the tilt back head model but my best friend does and both styles are easy to use. I would pick this one because it’s on sale and I love the color but I did link some more colors below.

Some other pretty colors if ice blue is not your thing:

beautiful expresso colored one
stunning bordeaux colored one
amazing blue willow colored one
Pretty ice colored one (more of a mint and this is the style of mixer I have. It does cost a bit more than the tilt back head version)

4- Aroma 8C Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer-Certified Refurbished– $24.99 plus 15% off with code “PERFECTVDAY15”

When we first got the rice cooker as a wedding present I was thinking to myself do we really make rice that much? And am I going to use this that often? The answer to both those questions is yes. I use this rice cooker all the time because not only does it cook rice perfectly it also steams veggies in the steaming rack that comes with it. All that leaves is the protein for you to cook! Easy peasy way to make a healthy and easy dinner!

5-KitchenAid Exact-Slice Food Processor Attachment RKSM1FPA All Stand Mixers– $109.99 plus 15% off with code “PERFECTVDAY15”

If you read my entry for number three you know I love my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. It might be the best gift I have ever received (shhhh don’t tell my husband that) and as such I love buying attachments for it. At first I envisioned the mixer just being used for desserts but quickly came to realize that with the attachments you can make a variety of things. And since I do not have a food processor and desperately want to make homemade pasta sauce from scratch this would be perfect.

6- Wolfgang Puck 2.1-Pint 2 Cooling Chip Ice Cream Maker – Certified Refurbished– $139.99 plus 15% off with code “PERFECTVDAY15”

I think this is a close second behind the Roomba on my Valentine’s Day present list. I love ice cream and would love to whip up my own flavors. Could you imagine a cookies n’ creme and cookie dough blend?! I mean we are all making homemade bread during quarantine so why not add homemade ice cream to the list!

7- Cuisinart GR-55FR Electric Grill Griddler Nonstick Combo, Brushed Stainless– $67.99 plus 15% off with code “PERFECTVDAY15”

Living in an apartment that has no amenities, I miss having the grill to cook on. At our old apartment, it was a nice way to give our routine meals a little bit of extra flavoring. While we do not have the outdoor space for a true grill, this indoor grill would work great as a substitute and would fit in our small apartment kitchen.

8- Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, Certified Refurbished– $279.99 plus 15% off with code “PERFECTVDAY15”

In the Bay Area we have been on some form of stay-at-home order since March 2020 and being around my husband, the cat, and the dog can be a little wearing. So having a pair of noise cancelling headphones to listen to my music or YouTube videos would be amazing. Plus these are actually refurbished and sold by Bose.

9- JBL JBLCHARGE4BLKAM-Z Charge 4 Bluetooth Speaker Black – Certified Refurbished– $95.99 plus 15% off with code “PERFECTVDAY15”

I love my JBL speaker and would highly recommend it to anyone that likes music. It syncs seamlessly with your phone and if you buy more than one you can sync them together to provide music throughout your home. This also would make a great gift for any person in your life- husbands, dads, moms, siblings, friends, etc.

10- Jabra Elite 65t Titanium Black True Wireless Earbuds (Certified Refurbished)– $39.99 plus 15% off with code “PERFECTVDAY15”

If the Bose headphones are too big for you (which I totally understand they can get heavy) these Jabra wireless earbuds might be a better pick. I love my wireless earbuds and find they are perfect for Zoom calls. Plus these are also refurbished and sold by the brand Jabra.

If the titanium color is not for you there is also the active version in gold and copper.

* Thank you to eBay for sponsoring this post.

Celebrating the Holidays at Home: Baking Cookies with eBay

Posted on November 20, 2020November 20, 2020 by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

I know 2020 has thrown a lot of us for a loop and the holidays are going to look a lot different. But there are some traditions I want to keep up this year and baking holiday cookies is definitely one of them.

For me, baking cookies is an art. I know most people say that you need to measure every ingredient exactly and follow the receipt to a T but I never do! Something about baking just makes me try new things and experiment. I have made some nasty desserts (sometimes you mistake the sugar for salt and the salt for sugar- oops!) and some fabulous desserts! But no matter what type of dessert I am making I always use my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. It makes mixing the ingredients so much easier and I find that the dough is mixed much more evenly mixed- no clumps of butter or brown sugar! Plus without my KitchenAid Stand Mixer I could never get my royal icing to the right consistency. Below is my favorite sugar cookie recipe- seriously it makes the best cookies!

Bargain Hunting Blonde’s Fav Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butter, softened

1 ½ cups white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Makes

48 cookies (but with using cutters and having thicker cookies I normally only get 24-30 cookies out of this receipt.)

Baking Directions

1- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2- In your KitchenAid Mixer Bowl, stir together all dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and baking powder).

3- In the same KitchenAid Mixer Bowl add in sugar and slightly melted butter. Mix till smooth.

4- Beat in egg and vanilla.

5- Roll dough flat on wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

BHB Tip: To get the most consistent shapes (so a candy can that actually looks like a candy cane) refrigerate the dough after mixing and before you use your cutters to cut out the shapes. This allows the dough not to spread out as much when baking.

6- Take dough out and create desired shapes.

7- Bake till golden brown.

8- Let stand until cool.

9-Then frost.

All the gadgets to make holiday cookie baking easier can get expensive but that is where eBay comes in to help. As you all know I love eBay so when I saw that they launched a new certified refurbished line of small kitchen appliances I was excited to share! Shopping certified refurbished small kitchen appliances is not only easy but also a smart way to save money. For example, the same KitchenAid Stand Mixer I use is $359.87 instead of $450. That’s a big savings! Think of all the other certified refurbished goods you could buy with those savings! I linked for you all my mixer as well as some other great certified refurbished small kitchen appliances below, including all the cool add ons you can use with the KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Also if you are purchasing between 11/17 and 11/21 make sure to use code “PAY10LESSCR” for 10% off your purchase ($50 max off). [Link Here.]

Thank you to eBay for sponsoring this post.

Buying on eBay: Sellers I recommend

Posted on August 16, 2020August 16, 2020 by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

*This is the second part to my eBay series. For tips and tricks please check out my last post.

The number one request I have gotten since revealing more of my handbag collection on Instagram is “where did you get that bag?” Inevitably once I say eBay people have many questions including what sellers I recommend. This is NOT a comprehensive list of every seller I have purchased from and just because a seller is NOT on the list does not mean that they are not reputable or a good seller. Most of the sellers you see below are Japanese resellers but I have also mixed in some of my favorite US-based resellers as well. As noted in my previous post, I highly recommend that (regardless of where you purchase) you should get the bag authenticated. I recommend Real Authentication. Use code “E0D81C3” for $5 off your first authentication.

brand_jfa– This Japanese reseller has been on eBay since 2012 and has a 99.4% positive feedback. As you can see in the picture above they have over 20,000 items listed for sale. To me all of these things are good things to see in a seller.
atlantis-tokyo– This Japanese reseller had more of a curated collection but you can still find some very unique pieces in excellent condition. They have been on eBay since 2010 and have 100% positive feedback!
brandoff- This Japanese resale company actually has a couple different brick and mortar stores in the APAC area. This eBay page is linked to their Tokyo store where they have been selling luxury goods since 1993. They have a great selection of both vintage and new pieces.
brandoff_hk– This is the Brandoff page based of their Hong Kong store. Same great service and reliability as the original Brandoff in Tokyo.
marqueluxury– This is a US-based reseller who is actually based in Irvine, CA. They normally just work in the wholesale business but through their eBay page they sell to everyone. They often have some really interesting, rare pieces so be sure to check them out.
rebagofficial– This is the eBay page for Rebag, a resale site like Fashionphile. They normally have similar stuff to what they have on their site but I always check both to see which has the best price. They are based in the US, with stores in CA and NY.

This post is not sponsored by eBay. I have previously worked with eBay. If you are interested in those posts, which contain even more information about buying luxury on eBay please check out these posts: post 1, post 2 and post 3.

Tips on How to Safely Buy Luxury on eBay

Posted on August 12, 2020 by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

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!

Finding the One that Got Away- Handbag Edition

Posted on October 21, 2019 by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

Sometimes I overthink a bag purchase. Or other times its not the right time for such a big investment. Or I have even bought the bag to then return it thinking I didn’t like it. But all I know is that at the end of the day I wish I still had the bag in my collection. Whenever I try to locate the bag again in a boutique or a department store I am always met with the same “sorry it is sold out.”

So what is a handbag addict to do in this situation? Clearly giving up is not an option so I turn to the preloved market- specifically my favorite place to shop preloved eBay!

Why Shop For Handbags on eBay?

The variety! Whether you are looking for a brand new bag, a limited edition piece, or a vintage item it is likely that an eBay seller is going to have it!
The security! I know you are all probably thinking but wait this is eBay, it is not know for being a super safe place to buy luxury goods. My response to that would be that is so not true! Not only is eBay very buyer friendly with the ability to return a good if it is fake, they also have luxury pieces that are guaranteed authentic and are part of eBay authenticate. Already authenticated goods= no need to worry!
The savings! I mean let’s be real all of us luxury addicts know that we need to save money whenever possible- I mean the more money saved the more items you can buy right?

My Favorite Unique Pieces from eBay

I have been shopping eBay consistently for a couple of years and I have been able to find a lot of pieces that I missed out on. Some of my favorites include:

Louis Vuitton Totally GM in Damier Azure– This bag was discontinued by LV in 2016. At the time I was still a student and besides my one vintage LV speedy 25 I did not have any other high-end luxury bags so the price tag on the bag was shocking to me. I was lucky to get this bag for $648 in February of 2019.
Dior Saddle Bag (pictured above) – I loved the Dior saddle bag when it came out in the early 2000s but at that time I was in middle school and high school so my lifeguarding income definitely wasn’t enough for a new bag. Fast forward to 2018 when Dior re-released this bag. I still loved the bag but the sticker shock was intense, especially when months before you could get the bag preloved for a couple hundred dollars. After stalking my saved search for a Dior saddle bag I was able to find a brown and raffia version of the bag with vintage gold hardware. This bag was such a steal at $425.
Louis Vuitton Monceau- This bag is the vintage version of the very popular and very hard to get Pochette Metis. I was lucky enough to add the red epi leather Monceau for $612. That means I now have this bag in the monogram, epi noir, epi kenya fawn and epi red- clearly I love this bag!
Chanel Paris Edition Medium Flap– This beige lambskin flap bag is from the 80’s in amazing condition. The hardware is both silver and gold. I got this bag to remember my engagement in Paris since it is the Paris edition flap. I would never have been able to purchase this bag without eBay as I was not even born in the 80s! I purchased this bag from eBay for $1,100 in May of 2018.

Favorite Vintage Pieces

Favorite Hard to Find Pieces

So what is your handbag that got away?

Thank you to eBay for kindly sponsoring this post.

Buying Vintage Chanel with eBay

Posted on July 22, 2019 by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

One of the best places to buy vintage Chanel- ebay!

Places to Buy Preloved- Fashionphile

Posted on January 10, 2019January 10, 2019 by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

It’s no secret that I love to purchase preloved items! There are many reasons to purchase preloved but the big three for me are 1-save money, 2- unique pieces , and 3- sustainable fashion. But just because I love to buy preloved does not mean that all preloved sellers and places to purchase are equal. Each week I am going to review a different preloved retailer including the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Fashionphile

Fashionphile may be one of the best known preloved resellers in the business. Voted the number 8th most googled brand in 2018 along with the likes of Louis Vuitton and Gucci, they have grown exponentially since I started purchasing from them in 2016.

I had heard of Fashionphile in 2015 from the lady who worked the front desk of the building I lived in. She mentioned it to me when she saw me getting a package from Tradesy. We quickly bonded over our love of designer handbags and she mentioned Fashionphile. I took note of it but didn’t really look into it until I ordered my Celine Micro Luggage for my 25th birthday present to myself.

Since then I have ordered 17 bags from them. Of the 17 I have returned 5 of them with no problems. Only one of those returns was from description issues.

Cheat Sheet

Descriptions: Excellent written descriptions and pictures

Shipping: Free ground shipping

Return Policy: 30 days from delivery and free return shipping

Authentication: Done before the item is listed on the site

Pros and Cons

Pros

Fashionphile is undoubtable one of my favorite preloved sites because of all the information they give you. They give you the year the bag was made, the date code (if applicable to the brand), accessories (if the bag has any), and a full tab stating the description and condition of the bag. They include a lot of pictures and normally zoom in on any major flaws.

Every item is authenticated before it is listed on their site and they have a 100% money back guarantee if something is found to be a counterfeit good. This is true for the handbags, shoes, jewelry and other designer accessory they carry.

Fashionphile also has a buyback and selling program. Within 180 days of your purchase Fashionphile will take back your bag for about 70% of what you pay. Fashionphile also purchases preloved bags either outright or on consignment.

They do have a section of their website where goods are marked down 10%, 20% and 30%, as well as a last call and an outlet. Even better is they do have sales which can often be combined with the already discounted prices.

Cons

Fashionphile is known for having higher prices then a lot of other preloved resellers. I think this is due to the fact that they do have good brand recognition and they are in tune with the market. For example, Fashionphile will know that an item is hard to find (like the LV Palm Springs Mini Backpack) and will markup the price to more than retail. This practice angers a lot of people but honestly I just think its being smart.

Recently I have also seen a lot of complaints about Fashionphile and their customer service. Since I have never had a truly bad experience I was intrigued to learn more. I found our that Fashionphile has a D rating by the Better Business Bureau and often has customer service issues, especially when it comes to international orders. Their customer service is known for being unresponsive and unhelpful. I will have to say the one time I emailed Fashionphile because my bag came without the Fashionphile dustbag no one responded.

Cheaper Pochette Metis? The LV Vintage Monceau

Posted on October 2, 2018October 25, 2018 by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

If you have been following me for awhile you will know that I love my Louis Vuitton Pochette Metis. I bought my initial one about 4 years ago from France but last year that bag had glazing problems as was replaced. Since then I have had no issues with the bag and still love it. But I know before LV got rid of the waitlist that the Pochette Metis was like impossible to get. So in comes the cheaper Louis Vuitton Monceau. A lot of people call this the vintage Pochette Metis. And for all you bargain lovers this bag is much more reasonable as well (all are under $1,000)!

Louis Vuitton SLG

Posted on May 5, 2018May 5, 2018 by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

After voting on my insta stories, Louis Vuitton SLGs won out over a Senreve review (which don’t worry is coming.) I personally find myself only buying LV SLGs. (If you are wondering what SLGs are they are small leather goods- wallets, cardholders, pouches- basically anything that is not a handbag.) Luckily for us pre-loved lovers (or anyone who likes a good discount), LV SLGs hold up well and are prevalent on the market.