It wasn't exactly a Cindarella moment

Speaking of used shoes. ... I have been forced to come to terms with the fact that these shoes do not fit, will not fit, no matter how much I love them. These are the Whitney-style shoes that coordinate with the extremely popular Crystal Heart jewelry. I wanted them from the moment their sparkle captured my eye at Aida's, my local Brighton retailer. I believe they were $160 originally, and I just couldn't manage that at the time. So I waited til the end of the season. I was thrilled when I finally saw them on sale, and not so thrilled when I saw there were none left in my size. Like Cinderella's stepsisters, I ignored the obvious in favor of oblivious optimism: I tried on the 9 narrow, declared them good enough, and bought them. Two wearings (or should I say, trippings) later, I surrendered and put them away. And today they are on ebay, along with a diamond ring and a pearl ring, two family heirlooms. Let the record show that I did not hesitate to auction family heirloom jewelry, but these shoes I put up for sale last.

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.