Skip to main content

My eBay rules and the ethical dilemma of when to buy local

When it comes to buying off Ebay I have a couple of rules. The main rule I live by is "Everything for a £1 and always Buy-It-Now" I break it once in a while for clothing auctions or large items but when it come to nic-nacs and nail supplies I stick close. In fact, I'm pretty sure my epitaph will read "99p free post & packaging!" I say it so often when people ask me where I've bought something!

So here are latest in my bargain purchases. 

1. Hair Removing Exfoliator pads: I put a question to my followers on Instagram as to how many people recognised these. Surprisingly it was a pretty even split yes to no. I used them all the time as a teenager, although they didn't have the funky plastic handles. You rub the fine grit pads in circles across your hairy bits & it pulls the hair out and exfoliates your skin. Pain free and silky smooth. A great pre-tanning trick!
£1.05 

2. Golden Snitch Necklace: No it's not official merchandise & probably breaks a cauldron load of copyright laws but OMG super cute! I've gotten a tonne of complements since wearing it and it's actually a really nice quality piece. I know brands who charge £50 for a cut out bit of plastic with a plasticky chain. This is (in my humble opinion) far Superior. 
£0.99

3. Little mermaid clear iPhone cover: again the official Disney license is lacking here but look! She's holding the logo! Also available in Snow White which is just perfect isn't it? 
£1.15




I do love my £1 (or thereabouts) bargains. A small part of me goes through an ethical struggle knowing that these are being pumped out "en masse" in China and I should really buy local but times are hard and I need pretty things in my life. Which brings me to my second rule of eBay purchasing: "Rule 1 only applies when purchasing items for myself!" 
If I'm buying a gift for someone I'll look on eBay for specific items such as limited editions but most of the time I do a local search on Etsy or go to craft fairs. I've even been known to make it myself! You have to be careful with both Etsy and craft fairs these days; It's far too easy to employ the tactics of Rule 1 and sell it on for profit. How do you think I discovered these lovelies?! 



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Ordinary by The Abnormal Beauty Company (or how I dipped my toe in to Deciem)

  The Ordinary by the Abnormal Beauty Company ; If you haven't heard about this cult brand yet then you might not know they are hot shit right now and with their parent company, Deciem , being bought up by Estée Lauder they're only going to get bigger.   The internet has been a buzz for months now with beauty gurus far and wide raving about these high end products for low end prices. I couldn't believe it myself when I saw that there wasn't a product in the range that cost more than 8.00 quid!  So I joined the cult. I have to say that I was really impressed by the counter staff in House Of Fraser Belfast , they were friendly, knowledgeable and able to point me in the direction of the products I needed with just a short chat about my skin. I bought the Hyaluronic Acid 2% and the Niacinimide 10% Serums. If you have no idea what these mean then basically the Hyaluronic is for hydration and, whilst The Ordinary say that Niacinimide combats blemishes, I would actua

Faeriwood Eats: Six By Nico Belfast Review

Nico, surveying his diners Six By Nico . A new concept restaurant for Belfast, and a welcome addition to the cathedral quarter, brought to us from Edinburgh and Glasgow.  6 courses rotating every 6 weeks for only 28.00 and you’re going to want to keep up with them because once they’re gone, they’re gone. With themes such as Vietnamese street food and Parisien cuisine, even a Disney theme being featured in their past menus I am looking forward to seeing what Nico and his team will come up with for Belfast. From talking to them though I found out that their first 3 menus will be inspired by Northern Ireland itself and with some of the best produce in the world and one of the most interesting cultures and histories that will be something to see!  First up is their debut menu, inspired by the humble chip shop, The Chippie menu takes the old standards and modernises them to levels you may be more used to seeing in Michelin level restaurants but with a very un-Michelin price poi

Alita: Battle Angel

For all the hype about it's animated lead character, and the clashing of titans that is Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron, Alita: Battle Angel is the teen fantasy movie (potential) franchise you didn't know you were getting and I'm not sure you wanted.  Alita starts with Christoph Waltz finding her discarded shell in the trash dump of a mysterious floating city that lords over the world on the ground. He then take her back and, with the help of his *mayaswellbemute* assistant, rebuilds her with a teen shaped mech body he just happens to have lying around and gives her the name of his dead daughter. None of this is supposed to be creepy at all. When Alita, Rosa Salazar, starts to realise that she is not just your typical abandoned teendroid but actually a super slick alien android with secret ninja fighting skills she does what any girl would do... she throws herself at, literally, the first boy she meets and takes up roller derby. Oh but she's also a sassy vi