Top 10 Most Expensive Shoes Brands

    I recently came across an article by @financesonline which reviewed the “World’s Most Expensive Shoe Brands” for 2018. I’ve come across most of these designer’s shoes at thrift stores often. I always snag them up my size or not…. you might wonder why or you may already know but this is one way to make money on eBay and Poshmark. Yes, people do buy used shoes, especially the expensive ones retailing for thousands of dollars.

    So you’re probably wondering which designers to be on the look out for and here’s the list:  Walter Steiger, Brian Atwood, Jimmy Choo, Alexander McQueen, Miu Miu, Christain Loubiton, Gucci, Manolo Bhlanik, Louis Vuitton, and Stuart Weitzmann.

    If you’re looking to buy some of these brands check eBay first before shelling out thousands and if you already have then resell them when you’re done because styles change like the wind.

Current Shoe Listings

Sold out. Words of joy for some and words of tears for others. I myself have been through the emotional rollercoaster these past few months, both as a reseller and as a consumer. I personally wanted a pair of yeezy boost 360’s...sold out in less than 5 minutes. No yeezy’s for me. I really wanted the Tom Ford Boy’s and Lips Collection Drake lipstick that was selling during Christmas which also sold out very quickly but this time I was able to get 2!! And just like that my online arbitrage endeavors were reawakened from a long break. The lipstick was sold for $35 as it was a mini size. However, Tom Ford sold out, which created an underground market on eBay, Amazon and such. I was able to resell one for $215 pre-christmas and one for $100 after Christmas. I was very happy for that turnaround. I was also able to buy one on eBay after the holiday for $50 since the seller ended the listing in the wee hours of the morning and quickly resold on eBay again for $105, I really contemplated keeping this one but money calls. I ended up buying a cheaper similar color for around $5. After that ended I was able to find more items that were quickly selling out to replace Drake. It’s not only shoes and makeup that are selling out. Recently Jones Soda released a limited amount of “galaxy” soda which as you can guess quickly sold out. It sold for $3 but was selling on Amazon for $90. Hostess also released Keylime Twinkies, I saw them selling for $60 on eBay for 10 twinkies.

         Generally speaking I’ve learned that it is a good idea to buy “limited release” items and items created/sold by celebrities. Highly sought after items will be searched for on eBay once the actual seller sells out therefore inadvertently bringing more traffic to your eBay store/listings in turn creating more sales. The amount of eBay sellers that have these items listed are usually less than 100 since these items are hard to get, most don’t want to give them up. More importantly the original maker will put a limit on the amount sold to an individual thereby decreasing the likelihood that they would be resold and if so amounts are kept low.

         Inclosure highly sought after items with limited stock equal high search rate on third party sites and if you can get those in your eBay store they equal higher traffic, equal higher cassini results which equal more sales which equal more money in your pockets. The idea is that these items will bring more overall traffic to your eBay store not just to those specific listings. There are no guarantees but I personally have noticed that traffic and sales increase when I am able to get some sold out items. It’s online arbitrage at its finest! Happy Q4 everyone!

Store Rebranding Project with eBay and Vista Print

When I first opened my eBay store I used whatever template design eBay offered…..including the logo and banner, what was I thinking??? About a year later I paid some random person to design a logo (only) and I’ve used it ever since……6 years later (now) I was given a much needed and much appreciated store rebranding opportunity from eBay and Vista Print. I worked with Vista Print on the logo and banner design as well as business cards and postcard designs to gain a more professional experience for my customers. I sell quite a bit internationally so I wanted to focus on the world so “Bringing the world together” was perfect for my banner. 

                                                          Old Logo
When running a business it is easy to get caught up in the day to day activities, for me it’s listing, shipping, answering questions, blogging, marketing and such and easy to over look the bigger picture. Working with eBay helped me realize how important store design really is, it is important to make it easy for buyers to find your items. Therefore store categories should be used! Did i mention they are free with a basic store yet so many seller only have one category generally “other” Imagine having 700+ listings (like I do) and one category? How easy would it be to find all the shoes in a size 7? Most buyers do not want to go hunting for items so if you create a “shoes” category then create a “size 7″ subcategory potential buyers will only have 2 clicks to find ALL of the size 7 shoes you have listed! I have realized throughout this project that putting yourself in the buyers shoes does wonders. Combine that with social media marketing and running promotions will create more sales i.e. = end goal for me anyways. This project was such an eyeopener to branding as well, think about nike, what design pops in your head? It is the check mark? I bet it is. I think it is pretty safe to say that every successful company has a strong brand behind it making sure it is recognizable by the public. So why wouldn’t it work for an eBay store? Branding is branding and psychology is psychology.
                                                                       New Logo.

Actual eBay article

Do you buy Resale?

I came across some interesting facts about the amount of clothing that is donated to thrift stores. Just one single thrift store called Transamerica receives 17 million pounds a years of clothes and the Salvation Army on Quincy St. in New York receives 18 tons of textiles every 3 days. Moreover, second hand clothes are the #1 export by volume. So where does it all come from?

Most of us have at least one piece of clothing in our closet that still has tags on it that will be worn for that perfect occasion that just hasn’t come up yet, clothes that will someday fit, maternity clothes that we may need again. Then spring cleaning time happens, we move or decide that old clothes just need to go. So what do we do with the clothes? Apparently most commonly people donate. So I ask what other options do we have? Yard Sale? That requires more than just a quick drop off. Sell online? again that requires more work that most aren't willing to do, which explains the millions of pounds of donated textiles. There is also the option to consign or trade clothes, like at a Plato's Closet of Buffalo Exchange.

eBay and other resale sites like Tradesy, Threadflip, Mercari and such  provide a unique outlet that we didn’t have prior to the internet. Prior how did we sell second hand clothes internationally? We didn’t personally, large companies only and even then it’s new items not pre owned. In this aspect the internet has a huge impact on environmental sustainability. 

My mission at Premier Finds is to positively impact environmental sustainability through the online resale of pre-owned items. E-commerce was the obvious choice as our platform because online resale reaches a vast audience therefore broadening the scope of potential buyers. Not only do we have international buyers, but we can cater to those who do not have various stores nearby or simply do not wish to spend exorbitant amounts on fashion. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to contribute in the manner, helping people get items they otherwise wouldn’t be able to get and helping the earth. Fashion trends cycle throughout the years, therefore clothes are out there so instead of buying new, reuse!

Unsold Inventory

So I wrote this about a month ago and of course it didn’t get finished until now….procrastinator...who me? Not to mention that my last years resolution was to blog more and I think I wrote and posted all of 3…….it’s more than time to step it up.

Summer Slump?? Not the case because it has carried into Q4-- Holiday season. How does this happen? Lack of listing? Lack of social media marketing? Loss of TRS? Regardless of the reasons what do we do with unsold inventory? I know things need to change, that’s step one, step 2 is making the changes but most importantly knowing what to change, which is the most challenging and important part. Aside from listing and increasing social media marketing What else can I do to increase sales?

So , in addition to eBay I have added other resale platforms such as Tradesy, Threadflip, Vinted, Mercari and Bonanza. It’s been a couple months and I’ve had a great response when accounting for the time I put into each. Each platform is easy to use side from having to copy and paste the info from eBay to each. Most importantly getting paid on each was fairly simple, not instant like eBay but easy.

I’ve also spent quite a bit of time researching why items haven’t sold. I made a check list and started going through each listing one by one…..when you have over 700 it can be extremely time consuming but if it makes inventory move and doesn’t cost more money why not?

                 Check list: Title? Complete description? Price? Pictures? Shipping?

After redone I then end the listing and hit “sell similar” so eBay thinks its a new listing and bumps it up higher.

I’ve found that price fluctuations in the market are the hardest to keep up with, everyone’s looking for a deal so if another seller with the same item is selling it just a bit lower chances are theirs will sell first. And when several hundred of the same item are listed it’s difficult to keep up and time is not on your side. Flipping fast for profit is key.

In addition not only do I run sales but I add the “best offer” option throughout the month on items that have watchers. In attempts to stir up sales, sometimes I get crazy and raise prices when I have several watchers on an item, in hopes people will think the item will get away. When all else fails donate for a tax write off or have a garage sale.

Thanks for reading and I promise there will be more to come...sooner than later. Happy New Year.

Summer Sales Review 2014

These past few months sales have seemed slower than previous summers. Not only is it summer but eBay has been experiencing more challenges than normal as well. However, I do have a few (several) B.O.L.O's (be on the look out) to share.

   Calvin Klein Women's Career Suit sold for $69.97 + shipping/paid $6.99
   K'nex  Screaming Serpent Roller Coaster sold for $95 free ship/paid $10
   Moosetivity Ceramic Set sold for $89.99 free ship/paid $5.99
   Ipu Heke MKH productions 2005 sold for $125 free ship/paid $3.99
   Bratz Sweet Dreams pajama Party Felicia sold for $79.96+ship/paid $7.99
   David Scotti Leather Purse sold for $65+ship/paid $5.99
   Ooma Internet Phone sold for $75 free ship/paid $7.49
   Frankie B. Zipper Heart pocket jeans sold for $55 free ship/paid $7.50
   Gucci Guccissima Travel Bag sold for $69.97 free ship/paid $9.99
   All American Rider Leather Bag sold for $65 free ship/ paid $1.00
   (YES...a whole dollar)
   K'nex Shark Run Roller Coaster sold for $124.96 plus ship/paid $9.99
   Adidas Adipure Adizero Basketball Shoes sold for $69.98 plus ship/ paid $9
   Kung Fu singing hamster sold for $35 free ship/paid $1.99
   Calleen Cordero Heels sold for $85 plus ship/paid $14.99
   Tsubo Mary Jane Heels sold for $49.96 plus ship/paid $7.99
   Hard Rock Cafe Bahrain Bear Plush sold for $49.95 free ship/paid $2
   Brighton Basket Purse sold for $35 free ship/paid $3
   DVF tweed coat sold for $52 free ship/paid $3.99
   Miss Me Carpi's sold for $55 free ship/paid $5
   British Hong Kong Sandwich British Isles Blazer sold for $42.96 free ship/paid $3.99
   Jewelry Music Box Made in Italy sold for $67 plus ship/paid $5.99

ALL of these items were purchased on my hour lunch break from my 9-5 job.....and listing didn't take much with eBay's handy app and my iphone :) Shipping can be tricky until you get all your supplies lined up. The USPS will provide free shipping supplies for those item shipped in flat rate boxes, above all their padded flat rate envelopes are the best for shipping and my tape comes from my local Dollar Tree. I love making extra money and treasure hunting is my adrenaline. Moreover I live in the perfect city to accommodate my addiction....lol. Hope everyone is doing well, and remember please ask questions!

Wait! That's not Trash, it's selling on eBay

Trash? YES – literally garbage. Believe it or not some people use items we unconciously discard because we, personally have no use for them. BUT others do and they re willing to pay, not a lot but why not put it in the mailbox instead of the trash and make a few bucks while you’re helping the environment.

I was recently cleaning out my kitchen drawers when I noticed hundreds of beer caps and my eBay brain kicked in. I recalled people using beer caps for art projects on Pinterest so decided to list them and …… here are the results:

                                           

I was very please with the results so I decided to look for more trash that I could sell and I discovered that people also but cardboard toilet paper holders and wine corks too…who would have thought??

Want to be an eBay Power Seller?

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eBay Buying Strategy Tips

Certain techniques can be utilized in order to get better deals on items eBay. Keep this list handy whenever you are shopping on eBay. I like to keep things brief and to the point, after all we have shopping to do :) Enjoy.

1. Using sites such as typohound, fatfingers or misspelledauctions can be useful for targeting misspelled listings, which happens often to sellers who rush (I'm guilty of this).  

2. If you want the best price you have to price shop. I like to compare Amazon to eBay, but it depends on what you're searching for. A general Google search is also a must.  

3. Often times buyers don't think about the sellers location, i.e. buying from people closer to you saves on shipping, as long as the item doesn't qualify for free shipping of course.  

4. A huge money saver is auction ending times. Do you think more people are likely to bid at 3pm or 3am? eBay allows you to set notification on auctions also so you don't miss out, incase you're sleeping that is.  

5. Some sellers allow "best offers" Use it! Negotiate and if it doesn't work out, at least you tried.  

6. Sort your search by "ending soonest" and use the sniper bid technique. Basically just wait until there is a low amount of time left on the listing like 40 seconds or so then place your highest bid. The item may not reach the amount but it secures your win and if it goes over then you didn't want to spend that much anyways. Example: bidding at $15 with several bidders within last seconds place your highest bid, $40, if the bidding reaches $30 that is what you pay not the $40 max. Make sense? I hope so, if not feel free to contact me.

Thank you for reading!

                                                           

Sunny Sunday

So last Sunday we decided to take a family trip down to Pacific Beach. Of course my husband wanted to go spear fishing and of forgets his mask.......he goes to buy a new one and lucky me, there is a Goodwill across the street so I hop on in....he won't leave me there so I take my time. I found a Jonathan Adler diaper bag, brand new with tags.....score! I also found a Jaegermeister tank, also new,  a motherhood maternity dress and a pair of reuse jean shorts...new with tags also, a shirt for myself, and a beach chair for the baby,  all for $28 dollars. So far I sold the diaper bag for $50 and the maternity dress for $15.......not including shipping of course. It was a nice Sunday....

Recent Finds and Sales

Well I cannot believe that it has been over 2 months since my last post, so much for New Years resolutions.........I have been extremely busy not only shopping and selling, but researching and learning from the best. I feel like my thrift style has dramatically changed, for the better of course. Now if I could keep up with blogging, all of you may also see this....lol.

A few of my memorable finds that sold are:

1. Tom's wedges. Paid $4.00 and sold for $ 45.00 

2. Vintage Christian Louboutins. Paid $2.50 and sold for $165.00

3. TOD'S moccasins. Paid $5.00 and sold for $100.00

4. Christian Dior Coat. Paid $7.00 and sold for $45.00

5. Frye Clog heels. Paid $15.00 minus 40%off and sold for $75 plus ship to Italy

6. Jeffrey Campbell heels. Paid $7.00 and sold for $ 75, practically overnight :)

7. Diane Von furstenberg Dress. Paid $4.25 and sold for $55 plus ship

I could go on but I need to get to listing.........

Inventory Sources for Resale Online

So just like every other entrepreneur I am always trying to find ways to increase sales, increase social media exposure, and find new inventory. Selling on eBay started as a way to make extra cash by selling things around the house without having a set schedule and has now snowballed into over 400 listings. I have found items for pennies and sold them for hundreds, it's not often but it happens. However, I am only able to hunt for items on my lunch breaks from my 9-5 job or on weekends or the occasional sick days.....but I often find items for less than a dollar and sell them for $20 or more after shipping and fees. I would like to ditch my job completely but until I am able to sell more and sell more quickly I will not be able to. Believe it or not every time you go shopping there is an opportunity to buy inventory. Have you ever looked over and seen a "clearance" section? Better yet, you see an item on clearance and you thought to yourself, "what a great deal, too bad it's not my size or I just bought one???" That right there is your inventory. I went to Plato's Closet recently and ALL of their clearance items were on sale for a dollar, yes a single dollar bill for 7 seven for all mankind, Joe's Jeans, Paige Jeans, Jessica Simpson heels etc...... I paid $26 for 20 items. Moreover, within a week I sold 2 items for $35 after all fees of course. When most people think "it's too bad it doesn't fit me.....if only........" I think "it's my job to find them a home, while making money, of course.

Best of 2012

         I haven't been blogging as much as I should, which is going to be one of my New Year's Resolutions :) 2012 was a good eBay sales year even though I slacked off quite a bit. One of my most memorable sales was for a Men's Brunello Cucinelli Cashmere Sweater purchased at a Salvation Army for $3.00 and sold for $200.00 plus shipping. It's sales like these that keep me on the hunt for more.

 

        I have learned so much this year about what sells and where to look for inventory that I am sure that 2013 will be a more successful year, as long as I FOCUS..............The good news is that Griff Host of the eBay radio will be conducting a lecture in San Diego on February 21, 2013. That should help my motivation. Visit http://www.meetup.com/SurfsUpeBay/boards/view/viewthread?thread=29834472 for more information. I am so excited, I wil be posting highlights from this event. Stay tuned.

Garage Sale Saturday

So I went out to a community nearby a few weekends ago and I have been meaning to write about it but you know how that goes........ better late than never I guess.  I spent $30.00 total and estimated to make about about $130.00. Since I've procrastinated quite a bit I have actually made $70 back and I've only sold the iCoaster, North Face Boots and the Abercrombie tank. 

Slow Summer Daze..........

Sales have been so slow lately, summer is generally a slow point of the year but this one has been slower than usual. Some blame eBay's rewrite of Cassini but who really knows. A positive result is that my listings have increased, my accounting is more up to date than before (not caught up, but I'll take it), more blogging has been done (written, not posted), more tweets and more pins. Since I've started doing all this sales have picked up....finally. Social Media has exploded so quickly every time I turnaround there is a new site I just have to use and they are not replacement sites, they are all unique and wonderful in their own ways. Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, FB....what's next???


Here are a few of my recent sales: 

Paid: .50 cents at SA
Sold For: $15.00 in 2 days!

Paid: $1.25 at SA

Sold For: $20.00

Paid: $1.25 at SA

Sold For: $25.00 plus shipping

Calling all Christian Dior Purse Experts

                                              Christian Dior Victim Purse- Fake or not?

A few weeks ago I was at my local Salvation Army I found a great pair of Guess Jeans with a name (always a plus) and a rastafarian muu muu, but when I went to pay I noticed this laying on the floor: 

It was priced at $15.00. I purchased it on a whim, I knew if I didn't I would always wonder if I missed that "needle in the haystack" us thrifters are always searching for, after all it is only $15.00 for peace of mind....right??

However, now I have no idea how to "authenticate" it. The nearest Christian Dior is several hours away from me, besides that I am left with the wonderful online community of Christian Dior experts to assist. I have searched online for this purse to no avail. I have been able to locate the Christian Dior Victim Saddle purse, which recently sold on eBay for a whooping $799.00. It was new of course.

In the past I have always avoided designer purses from thrift store and yard sales for fear that it would be fake and eBay would ban me for life. But this purse is different. Many aspects of this purse look real. The tags says "Christian Dior Paris Made in Italy" and has numbers, but I have some concerns. The purse is in very, very rough shape i.e. missing pin, missing rhinestones, and dull hooks. Which leads me to question if it were real would the hooks be done and rhinestones fall off? No matter how often it was used and abused??

Any advise and/or expertise will be much appreciated! Thanks in advance.

                                       

Missed Opportunities

            I have been thinking about blogging since my last post, yet I haven't done it. My week in review is a month past due and situations that have occurred between now and then that were once worth blogging about are no more. Moreover, I have been staring at my "to list" pile and while I do list daily, it continues to grow. I just can't catch up. On the plus side I am almost up to 300 listings from the 250 I've been stuck at for a while. But I still have another 50+ to go. Now if I could just stop buying until all my listings are done I'd be in great shape.....right, like that will happen. Am I the only one who cannot pass up an opportunity to make money?? 
             I have had consistent sales. One of the favorites is a National Geographic snuff jar I bought at a yard sale for a dollar and sold for $20 plus shipping. 

I also sold a pair of Lucky Jeans for a dollar at a different yard sale and sold them for 

                                                     $30 plus shipping.

I also sold a Teddy Bear that I acquired  while in Reno at The Goodwill for 25 cents and sold for

$13.00 plus shipping. 

    I came across what I thought was a mirage at my local Salvation Army, a brand new pair of Calvin Klein Jeans, with Macy's tags. I listed them right away and almost instantly sold them for another $30.00 plus shipping to someone in Bosnia. I paid $2.00 for those. 

                                                     Thanks for reading!

I just came across the best comic for all you opportunists' out there! It just sum's it up so well, I had to share. Hope it makes you smile.

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to go thrifting in Reno, Nevada with my sister-in-law. And today I had my first sale from that trip. I sold one of the coffee mugs I purchased at Goodwill, chipped and all. I paid .59 cents and sold it for $20.00 plus shipping. Thanks for putting up with me Summer! I love starting the weekend with a great sale......and my local Salvation Army is having a 75% off EVERYTHING sale today.

Twitter

I have a Twitter account!! I know it has been on my to do list for over a year now, But I never realized how important it was until today when I was reading "Blogging for Income: The fast Track Plan for High Traffic & Big Profits" by Brandon Connell. Yes, while working my 9-5 job I was reading or scheming on how to escape such a daily torture..... help me out and follow me on twitter!! Thanks in advance.

                    https://twitter.com/#!/premier_finds