Thursday, March 19, 2009

Do these shoes look used to you?

I love Brighton shoes. I've owned Brighton sandals, loafers, heels, mules and cowboy boots -- and rarely have I paid full price. Even in the best of times, I am not a person who can justify spending $150 or more on shoes. So I watch... and wait. My local retailers usually drop the price on Brighton's to 50 percent. I've bought a few pairs this way, but even so, $75 feels steep to me. Sometimes, if I wait long enough, the price goes to 75 percent discount - but usually by then, my size is gone. The best deals for shoes are on ebay, especially if you can get past the idea of wearing used shoes. I know, sounds icky. But guess what? Many of the women who have no problem spending $150 on shoes tend to buy a lot of them, take good care of them and not wear them very often. These are what typically end up on ebay. The best sellers make it easy to determine whether their "gently used" or "worn once" shoes are in good shape by showing photos of the shoe beds and soles, as well as tops. You can definitely tell the condition of a shoe by looking at the bed and sole. And for the occasional scuff mark, a black Sharpie can do the trick (on a black shoe, of course.) Today I was browsing for sandals. Each year I try to find a pair of Brighton sandals that can be my go-to, show-off-a-great-pedicure shoes in warm weather. I decided to place a bid on this pair for $29.99. So far, no one else has bid. Photos to the box accompanying the shoes indicate the original price was $150, later marked down to $75. I may be able to get them for half of that. Stay tuned.

1 comment:

  1. Ah.... the Brightonista does appear to be 100% correct in her analysis of the footwear-aholic buyer/eBay seller split personality.

    In fact, just last summer I purchased a gorgeous pair of Brighton sandals -- the "Omega" style -- adorable white strappy things with a big, bright flower and silver rivet over the instep. Just the cutest sandals you've ever laid eyes on!

    When I saw them on sale at Von Maur, marked down from $110 to $27, I simply couldn't resist. After all, they were Brighton! And more than 75% off!!!

    Well, summer passed and the sandals stayed in my closet in their original box. I guess I just don't "do" white sandals, no matter how cute they are...

    I just looked on eBay this morning, and a pair identical to those in my closet are listed. The bidding is already up to $55, with 48 hours left until the auction closes. And unlike my pristine, never-worn sandals, the ones on eBay are listed as "EUC." The seller actually wore them one time!

    I'm thinking I can unload my impulse purchase this week, pocket at least $30 profit, and improve my closet's feng shui by reducing clutter.

    Brightonista -- Keep those words of wisdom coming and best of luck with your auctions!

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