Tuesday 12 March 2013

Lucky Dipping

I haven't bought anything on eBay since before Christmas and to be honest I hardly even look anymore. 
On a rare occasion I'll do a bit of window shopping, bang a few of my favourite search words in to see what they conjure up but the last thing I bought was another dirndl dress for my collection (I haven't actually shown it to you yet).
Back in the eBay 'glory days' I got to know my postman rather well cause frocks would arrive almost on a daily basis.
Postage prices were much lower then and you could get really brilliant vintage garments for a song.
That was before hobby sellers realized the importance of listing items properly & with a half decent picture.
I would indulge in 'Lucky Dipping' i.e. bidding on stuff with really dodgy pictures, you never quite knew what you'd receive; would it be a vintage gem or rags for the revamp box?!
However most of the time, I was very happy with my purchase and the lucky dip had paid off.
Nowadays most people are wise to the ways of eBay selling, I guess they spend a little more time on doing research and better grasp the concept of good presentation equals more profit.
So the really dodgy photos, where you can't even make out if it's a scrunched up dog blanket or a frock you are looking at, seem to be all but gone.
The last garment that I lucky dipped was the dress that I am wearing today...
the auction photo was so dark that you couldn't even make out the print but I went for it anyway and boy am I glad I did :) 
Vintage floral print maxi dress, faux-fur jacket, vintage hat, vintage faux-fur trim booties, gloves, Ankh necklace & handmade Kenyan earrings...two pairs of tights to stave off the chills.
I was more than chuffed to bits when I pulled this beauty out of the package I can tell you and I reckon that properly presented it would have fetched far more than the 99p that I paid for it.
Look at that awesome print :)
There were no bearded film dudes interrupting our pic taking today.
In fact we almost had the park all to ourselves :)
It wasn't quite as icy cold today but it's still a bit too chilly for bare arms. 
This frock got to travel with me to Egypt last year and was featured in one of our early morning desert photo sessions...
It such a comfy dress with a very forgiving cut which was great for my post all inclusive buffet belly... 
so much delicious food, so little time, so much unbridled gluttony ;) 
I bought the dress in 2011 and it quickly became a favourite, here I am wearing it on NYE 2011 just before heading off to BrewDog in Camden...
Now I would like to know...
Do you indulge in 'Lucky Dipping' & if so what was your best score?
Are you still buying heaps on eBay or have the ever rising postage prices put you off?
What was your latest eBay buy?
You don't have to answer if you don't want to, you are quite welcome to leave a comment  anyway.
Just because I love you here's the Brand New Heavies, enjoy :)
...and another one cause they are so awesome...
 Loads of love,
Jennie
xXx


13 comments:

Lucys Lounge said...

hello jennie. that is a a lovely post . ilove when you ask questions. thank you for all you're comments on my blog. i feel very supported.
your dress is gorgeous again it suits you so well. what a bargain. i am not an ebay buyer. i love to touch and feel everything before i buy. i also love to talk to the seller in shops. i get a bit confused by ebay. i have to say i love if the postman comes with a package for me. love lucyx

Rose&Bird said...

That's a lovely dress! I must be one of ebay's best customers! I still buy loads, but I'm selective - if I think the postage is too high I don't bother. I do sell a fair bit as well, so it balances out in the end. I do 'lucky dip' now and again. I've had some good bargains, though I can't think of specific ones at the moment.

Anonymous said...

The last thing i lucky dipped was a baby blue quilted jacket said to be handmade in 1964 it didnt have a photo at all and was well worth the risk aand the 4.99 it cost me. Im waiting on a usb dictorphone for recording notes at fashion events a blue bowler hat dark green velvet skater skirt snd 2 pairs of frilly socks it was my last ebay splurge now im limiting myself to 2 ebay buys a month. Love the dress and this post! : ) x

PinkCheetahVintage said...

The last thing I bought was a vintage Furby for my daughter's 3 year old birthday. For $20 (including shipping) it was a bargain compared to a new one for $60 in the store. Her old one (from a thrift shop!!) had broke...
Before that I bought a pair of JBrand jeans that are now sadly was too small :(
I usually only shop on Ebay for specific items. I don't browse because I don't enjoy the way they have their site formatted.
Fantastic dress!!!! Quite a score and I love all the pics of you in your dirndl post,
Becky :)

Mrs. D said...

What a score indeed!!!
I know the people at the post office very well too - I sometimes have to go and pick up loads of stuff. But I've been better lately and I haven't visited them as often nor brought home as many loads of stuff.
I sometimes like to try words like musical, for example - got a great dress with musical notes by doing that - and it was literally for a song!
xx

Panty Buns said...

Your luckily acquired vintage dress is lovely! The print is very pretty and the design is wonderful. What a find! The photography and your poses are terrific.

http://www.full-brief-panties.blogspot.com/

Trees said...

Such a lovely frock - I love seeing all the different occasions you've worn it :D

Vix said...

That's a lovely frock, such a fab fit and so very versatile. Love all the ways you've worn it over the years.
I haven't bought anything off ebay for ages but that's because I haven't looked and as three of our local chazzas charge less than £2 even with postage I couldn't get cheaper from ebay.
xxx

mispapelicos said...

Wonderful frock, dear Jennie. Magic you.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Perdita Tinsel said...

There are definitely fewer lucky dips out there than before, but the odd one crops up! I now use EBay for cheap new stuff and the odd browse, but postage makes 99p bids more like £4, might as well go to a car boot or chazza.

thorne garnet said...

Cool dress. The only thing I've ever bought off ebay is the Persian rug in the living room. The rug is 9x13 feet( yeah, the room is big) and I got it for around $900. Which sounds like a lot, but that was with a rug pad and free shipping. I'd looked on line at stores and that size rug is priced around $5,000. So, I did pretty good.

PS: I buy at shopgoodwill.com way too much. All the money goes to Goodwill Industries.

Curtise said...

I've done the Lucky Dip thing quite a bit, and usually been pleased, only the occasional disaster! But if you have only spent a few quid, it's not so bad, and I've won more than I've lost. I've had several 99p take-a-chance items which have proved to be fabulous!
I still peruse Ebay, and buy sometimes, but only if both the item and the postage are reasonable! My latest buy is a 1970s wool maxi skirt for 99p - even with postage, that's cheaper than charity shop prices here.

Your Lucky dress was a lucky purchase indeed! So pretty, and your cost per wear price must be infinitesimal by now! It's a great all-weathers dress and the print is beautiful. xxx

Miss Simmonds Says said...

I do lucky dipping and I've got a couple of great things, dodgy photos still put people off so if you have a good idea of what you're looking at it's great! That dress is a definite winner, it's so pretty and I love that button bodice detail, gives it a lovely 30s look! xxx