Finally, after years of it being in the works I succumbed to the online phenomenon that is eBay. I sold my very first item over the summer – and it was one of the most confusing experiences of my life. The poor girl who brought my skirt received it 3 weeks after she paid for it, yes I did not realise I had to put in my account details on paypal, I assumed my email address would be enough, very blonde moment. Luckily my second sale ran a little more smoothly, even though I only made a twenty quid profit. However since then I am sorry to say that I have given up on my eBay selling skills, well it would have been a lot easier if people had bidden on my items in the first place.
Sticking to what I am best at, I just bought my very first item from eBay (a lot simpler). After three or four attempts at securing an item, usually getting outbid I settled for a vintage thick knit cardigan which was being sold for a set price. I won’t play down the excitement of bidding or receiving your purchase through the post, but there is much to be desired from the items themselves.
When I came to put the cardigan on one day there seemed to be something missing. A vintage piece is meant to have a history and tell a story, an owner being just one in a long line, living with it and passing it on. For this reason the cardigan quite simply did not feel like it belonged to me. I began to think about where it had come from, where it had been worn, by whom and what did they look like? All positive attributes for a vintage item, but not one for my wardrobe.
To invest in vintage pieces is obviously one that is an acquired taste, and requires one with a unique style. Personally for me though it doesn’t match up to the tingling feeling of walking into a shop and seeing the clothes neatly presented on rails, or folded on tables with the little labels popping out of the collars. Nor does it smell as sweet as unwrapping our new delivery at work, and hanging up the fresh items for the shop floor.
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