I have specific interests and often search both sites for terms like "Navajo", "southwest painting", "Hopi", "Native American art", etc. Of course, even within those parameters there is a broad list of items returned, so it's a matter of simply scrolling until something catches my eye. It's something I'll do when I'm otherwise just chillin', usually. That's how I've managed to come across most of the things that I've ended up buying. Although, as happened today, I had the name of a specific book that I was looking for (for Mum), and found it on eBay by simply searching for the book title. The eBay seller had quicker shipping than Amazon, so it often pays to look there for items that often can be found on both sites.

My latest obsessions, however, are Poshmark and Mercari. I've accumulated an entire work wardrobe from both sites (mostly Poshmark), and like that I can always make an offer that's less than the "advertised" price, and it's usually accepted. Both sites also have countless listings for home decor, art, linens, vintage/antique items -- and pretty much anything else you can think of.

Generally it's because I've got a bee in my bonnet about something specific I can't find elsewhere. I bought a cute handmade self-watering pot for african violets. I saw a poster for a particular national park that I couldn't find anywhere, but found it on Etsy. Shortly after lockdown I sent my staff little quarantine boxes that had a candle, succulent and a cup that said "life succs without you." That darn 'happy reading' thread reminded me how much I love the Jan Karon Mitford series so I bought the first 9 books used from Ebay to have at the cabin (for $30!!).

Currently I'm shopping Etsy for an RBG dissent tshirt that I can wear under suits. But trying to really identify a quality knit is really hard there.

There are certain items for which I have saved searches in eBay. I check those daily with the search set up to list newest to oldest. That way, it only takes a second to review the new listings. I use Etsy less and don't browse there. I only go to Etsy to find specific items that might be hand crafted. Occasionally, I look for something in one of my eBay categories on Etsy, but I'm not usually successful. I haven't tried Mercari or Poshmark and I forget to check Goodwill.

I buy and sell on eBay and have bought a few vintage patterns from Etsy. I rarely randomly wander through these sites because I'll never find anything.

I follow some sellers who's items I often like, for example Linda's stuff.

http://www.ebaystores.com/lindasstuff

I search for brands and items I like and narrow down to location = US only - (PS, shameless plug...you'll find a bunch of my stuff partway down the page in front or an armoire)

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=Chanel+44&_sacat=0&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=1

And then I search for some vintage items I like, again narrowing down to location = US only. Like vintage handbags.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=vintage+evening+bag&_sacat=175759&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=1

I only go there when I'm looking for something specific and can't find it anywhere else so rarely.

I didn't think about buying a book on ebay, good idea! I've been searching vintage english country and vintage english decor and I get a page of antique books. Grrr.

I've got the decor bug right now for little things. So far I'm thinking about putting some of my vintage teapots tucked in here and there in the LR.

Ida, have you seen these teapots before? I have the exact same teapot, and I think I got it from my dad, not sure. It's been on one of the kitchen window shelves and now I think she belongs peeking out between some books in the LR!

Spanish, I'd like to fall into your closet. :)

Lobby, what a fantastic thing to do for your staff.

Wish 3dogs would check in and tell me how she does it.

Am I 3dogs? :-) I HAVE 3 dogs.... What are looking for? I'd be happy to help search.

To be honest Oakley, I haven't bought much of anything except for craft supplies lately. And I probably do it like many others; when I get a bee in my bonnet about wanting something, I do a search on it just on Google to start, and then head to where I see it offered and check prices. eBay and Etsy are my favorite places, and I occasionally check Craigslist. I am the happy owner of a Handcock Moore tufted leather sofa that I got through CL years ago, when the sellers were moving to Switzerland! Old pic, living room colors have changed.

I also got this incredible Craigslist 'Hitchcock' leather sofa in Oct. 2005 for $125! I was the first person to see the woman's ad, and replied right away. There were many others hoping I wouldn't buy it, but it's now called the 'Magic Sofa' as it's so comfy and easy to fall asleep on.

Pic is from the ad on Craigslist

Oakley - Actually, most of it came from a friend, so it's just passing through my closet - or actually the rolling rack in my office because I don't have room in the closet. I did get a bunch of gifts though and those will never leave my possession!

Adding that I keep a list of interesting coffee table books and buy them used off eBay.

I adore that kitty teapot! I do not have one, but darn it all, now I want one!

😻

I was going to say that I thought My3dogs bought more local than Ebay or Etsy. I have recently discovered Marketplace and have bought two armchairs - one is wood and one is an upholstered back and seat with wood arms and legs - gorgeous carving - I paid less than $100 for the two of them!!! I had been looking for antique chairs that would work with my oak pedestal table (not antique but had for some time and it's solid wood). I found a set of 6 chairs with a somewhat similar table that the sweet older man thought was antique. LOL The chairs certainly are, but the table is not that different from mine. I bought the set and gave the table and my existing chairs to my brother, who will be moving in the future. It was still a great deal. I am currently watching for a LARGE armoire for our bedroom. I want a larger one than the one we currently have. On Etsy I buy all kinds of things I collect, antique silver, antique green glass bottles, ironstone, transferware, etc. I've bought ribbon, fabric, etc. on Etsy also. I've bought some of the antique items on Ebay too. I've bought custom pillows and shower curtains from two different seamstresses on Etsy. Currently looking for some linen ruffled skirts from dining chairs. I've bought books on ebay also. Hubby has bought items for his business, certain tools, etc. and he has bought several technical manuals. I always have a flag hanging out front and use a garden flag in an area in the back, and those almost always come from etsy or ebay. I've bought several wreaths for my MIL on Etsy. I could go on and on LOL!!

ETA - I do not like to shop, but I do like to buy so the majority of my shopping is done online. I do enjoy antique shopping, and have missed that since the pandemic, but ebay and etsy have helped out LOL. Just don't ask what all I buy on Amazon!

M3d, that's you! I'm glad you checked in because I stumbled upon this website yesterday while looking at flowers.

Sister from another mother? lol!!

Didn't you find some vintage hunting dog lamps on ebay? I remember a couple of years ago I asked how in the world do you luck out?

Our Craigslist and Marketplace encompasses too large of an area because of our rural location, but we're not far from OKC so it might be worth a shot.

Ida, there are a lot of fun vintage cat or cat head teapots out there, many at low prices.

My love of unusual cat ceramics, which I only have a handful, began when my mom went to NYC for the first time and of course had to visit Tiffany & Co. She bought me the most inexpensive item in the store, for around $25.

One of my girls I keep her in the curio cabinet.

Like 3katz, I only go when I am looking for something specific. I dropped my Emerilware 10" skillet a few weeks ago on the kitchen tile floor and put a good dent in it to the point the lid wouldn't fit, so I found one on eBay. I did keep the old one because sometimes it would be great to have a second 10" pan, as long as I don't need a lid. That set was a wedding gift, and it has held up very well considering we cook it with all the time.

Now I'm looking at pre-owned Keiser spin bikes, but they're too expensive there. I've talked to a vendor in GA who can ship. My main problem is that we have no space for it! Since I didn't buy a new car, I can treat myself to a Spin bike for my promotion.

Etsy can be a good place for interesting Christmas gifts. Other things I've found: a Game of Thrones "Hold the Door" doormat, bought some cloth facemasks, and some of my Ghost band costume stuff.

Oakley, love that little Tiffany cat!

Thanks for the link to that website...Seeing those dogs made me go 'Awwww'.... My three are right here in my office/craft room with me all day long, which I love. It's 40 degrees outside this AM, and I didn't know that before I put on a T-shirt and shorts! I'm ready to cuddle with Riley, who pulled down the throws on the back of the Magic Sofa, and is laying on three of them.

@1929Spanish-GW how are clothing sales on eBay right now? I’ve got some St John knit suits I need to get rid of. They are just taking up space. I’ll save the black and the navy suits for funerals and if I ever again need dressy business attire. Every time I think I need to list them, I start thinking ”that is a cute top. I could wear it with .....”

It’s definitely slowed down and prices have come down as well. I‘ve also had a number of non-pays, so I’ve switched to BIN with immediate payment. No offers. People who are really interested at a lower price contact me directly. And I drop prices from time to time. I’ve sold several Chanel jackets (one went to Europe) for $1,500 - 2,500 each - so some people are still spending.

Adding that the Chanel and some Hermes is what is really selling for me. I’ve never sold St John. I have brand new Michael Kors Collection (the designer line), Akris, Valentino and some others that are sitting at 90% off original pricing. The MK sweater is ticketed at $995 and it’s sitting at $65 + shipping. Because of that, my pricing strategy is experimental at best.

I buy off eBay, Etsy and Poshmark, less often Craigslist. Lately my obsession has been looking at auction house listings Have not taken the plunge on buying from any of those yet, but there are some beautiful things ending at very reasonable prices. Need to be very picky because I just do not have room for many new things right now. Still fun to window shop

Like Ida I have my favorite terms that I use to search for things in my wheelhouse. If I do not have much time, my search is more specific. When I have more time my search might be a broader term or a category at an auction house. Of course the broader the search the more likely you find something unexpected that you want, but it maybe like searching for the needle in the haystack.

As far as eBay, I am a former eBay seller. I had a store and sold Buy It Now for 8 years or so when my kids were in primary school and high school. Thinking of opening up shop again to sell some of my mom’s estate items. She was also was a St John lover, have basically a closet full of suits. Hers suits are a bit older at this point, but appear to still be worth the effort to list.

Sorry I'm just now getting back to the thread. I got sick! I think it's allergy related but no sneezing. Fingers crossed.

I hit pay dirt last night. I'm proud to say I got my 12 year old grandson interested in European history, knights, kings, wars, castles, and he fell head over heals in love with the ships they used back then. lol

He's into Roman history too. So smart, just like his granny who loves European history. :)

He has several model ships (pirate, etc), and he likes miniatures. I've found miniature Roman figurines & English knights for him, and last night I found the ships!

The whole set is on it's way!

I've bought three English watercolors off of eBay this year. Two from England and one from the U.S. Two are approx. 100 years old and one is 26 years old.

The 26 year old watercolor is by an English artist named Lesley Holmes. I first learned about her in a Victoria magazine article from the 90's. I kept that article. I decided to check on eBay and found one of her paintings listed. I made an offer which was accepted and I bought it.

I went on to buy two other English watercolors, both seacapes.

I've also bought three Scottish Caithness paperweights off of eBay.

And I've bought a couple of Talbots blouses off of eBay and some jewelry.

i've bought used books off of eBay. One was out of print and the others were fiction books that I didn't plan to keep and didn't need a new copy. I do try to buy books that are listed in "very good" condition.

I've bought a few things from Poshmark, too. Mostly jewelry. My first Poshmark experience was bad. The girl never shipped the bracelet despite emails telling me that she shipped it.

Poshmark actually canceled the order before I did.

I have found that some people list an item on both eBay and Poshmark. It is sometimes cheaper on eBay because the seller can set the shipping price whereas on Poshmark I think they are tied in to Poshmark's shipping price.

Poshmark scores! Got two suits (bundled by the same seller), Talbots brand (one of my faves), preowned but in excellent condition, for $20 with $4.99 shipping. They can both be dressed up with scarves or jewelry, camisoles worn beneath, etc. These are perfect for my line of work, and an absolute bargain! This is why I'm more than a little addicted to the Poshmark app.

The black suit has silk blend, wide leg pants.

WOW, IC! You scored a couple of great outfits!

DGD has a particular type of shoe she likes to wear to school. All of the usual websites were out of the color DD wanted. Yesterday, I bought a brand new pair on Mercari for $50, which is a 1/3 less than usual! It helps that we know the exact brand and size.

I sell the grandchildren’s clothes online, sometimes. There are Facebook groups for selling kid’s clothes. Many of them are limited to certain brands. They are good because there is no fee to sell. Generally, the group requires that payment be made using PayPal and that shipping is included in the price. Sometimes I also list the clothes on Poshmark, Mercari, and eBay, but I have to increase the price to cover the fees.

bbstx - How do you like selling on Mercari? Is there an advantage to Mercari? Do you list on all 3 at the same time?

Mercari is ok. The limitations on conditions kind of annoy me. Your choices are “New,” “Like New” which is defined as NWOT and unused, and then it drops to “Good.” I have things that were worn once. I would list them as EUC or VGUC, if I had a choice. I generally will put the true condition in the description. Unfortunately, that doesn’t show up on a quick perusal of items.

Sometimes I list on all 3 at once. And when something sells, I’m in an absolute swivet to get the item deleted from the other sites ASAP.

I have found it slightly easier to sell on Mercari. I guess it depends on what you're selling, but for many clothing items, Poshmark is absolutely saturated and much too competitive. Mercari seems to have a smaller audience, but maybe that's merely perception based upon what I've sold there.

IC, I agree with your “saturation” comment. I’ve listed things that are waaaay down on “just listed” within moments of listing. I also think Poshmark is a bit “full of themselves“ expecting thank you notes, special packaging, and little “gifts” with sales. I don’t do it. I may stick in a card that says “thanks for your purchase,” but all of my packaging is recycled from things I’ve bought. Have you ever watched any of the YouTube videos on how to sell on PM? Have a big glass of wine ready.

I have never really explored how to sell on Poshmark like the big players do. I don't understand the listing sharing and promotion, which seems to be a way of building some kind of a following. I have no interest in that sort of thing anyway. I recently listed a lot of 7 like new Victoria's Secret bras on Poshmark, and within a matter of minutes had dozens of shares or promotions or whatever they're called. One person messaged me and asked me to split out the lot and sell individually for less $. Um, no. I listed the same items on Mercari, deleted the Poshmark posting once I realized how tremendous the competition was, and sold on Mercari for what I was asking within an hour. So for me, Mercari is the place to sell, but Poshmark more often the place to buy.

Off topic somewhat, but I have had several nice notes from Etsy sellers recently for my purchases. One had a nice "small business thanks you" type sticker on the tissue paper in my package. I have never tried to sell clothing, although with kids, I can imagine there are many items like new - they grow so fast.

Yeah, I don’t get all the liking/sharing/following folderol on PM either. And I HATE having to remember to make my photographs square.

Tina, I recently purchased wobble boards for the twins on Etsy from a guy in Alabama. They were each shipped separately and each had a nice handwritten note included thanking me for supporting a small business. I had to giggle, though. It was exactly the same note printed to look like handwriting. Nevertheless, I appreciated it.