I appreciate nice things, but I am super cheap so I have developed this method to get the best deal on anything with eBay.
I am fairly big at 6’7” 225lbs and still reasonably fast so I burn through basketball shoes. I’ve blown out 3 shoes (Zion-style) and I often have to replace them every few months if I am playing a lot.
So I don’t like spending much money on basketball shoes and cheap shoes aren’t an option (not worth the injury risk). I am also a weird size at 14.5 which Eastbay and Nike don’t carry, which is how I ended up on eBay and discovered this method.
- Know your shoe and size. You don’t want to deal with returns on eBay.
- Search for new shoes in your size. I am partial to Kobes, but go for whatever you want.
- Select for "Accepts Offers”. This is the key. Auctions can provide great deals, but they take too much time.
4. Offer everyone $40-$60 including shipping. It depends how much you want them. I often try for $45. Don’t worry about what the listed price is. Sometimes I add a note saying that I am happy to pay today. Cash in hand is more appealing than a theoretical payday in the future.
5. Pay the sellers that accept your lowball offers. Something like 30% of people will generally accept. I often end up with 2-3 pairs of shoes out of this, which covers me for a while. If you don’t want more than one pair you can space out your offers.
6. Enjoy your ~$200 shoes at 80% off.
I use this on shoes, but it is broadly applicable.
If you have something specific in mind you can set eBay alerts for when they are listed in the future. I have many alerts set for a variety of shoes and clothes in my size. I have gotten $500 Oak Street Boots for $70 this way as well and just got some Common Projects for $150 (normally $538).
Happy saving!