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I’ve got all sorts of stuff in my eBay saved searches and if I’m patient, I can usually get exactly what I want at a pretty good price. A fun story I have related to saved searches is that awhile ago, a friend’s apartment was burgled, and very specific pieces of heirloom jewelry were taken. I saved some keywords and forgot all about it. A few months later, I got an alert and saw a piece that looked vaguely familiar, so I checked the seller’s items and realized they had EVERYTHING! I emailed my friend, and she ended up retrieving all of her jewelry. It was so nice to be part of a happy ending where I was crucial, but didn’t really do anything.
May 10, 2022
Related Recs
From the thrill of discovery, making bids, the buzz of a score or anguish of a could-have-been, a random box showing up that has been packed by some dude in Minnesota… I love it. The best way to shop is either setting a hyper-specific alert for something and finding it five years from now or by typing in all the potential typos it could have, or either searching for a vague combinations of names and details and seeing what comes up. Embellished pearl sweaters? Art deco servewear? Plastic organizers? There’s probably also something good about reuse and sustainability here too. The only thing I don’t love is that my saved searches and watchlist are full so I have to keep deleting and replacing, but never change, eBay.
Jan 26, 2024
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because then it emails you when new listings show up under those search terms! I once snatched up a $125 book for $13 because the system notified me right away! also helpful for saving money on items you don’t need right away—since i slowly buy a lot of academic books and they’re usually pretty expensive, this helps me save on average $20 per book
Feb 28, 2024
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After weaning myself from an increasingly enshittified Amazon (or trying to!) I remembered I had an eBay account and have been finding a lot of good deals on hiking and outdoor gear. Most of this stuff is really well made but expensive to begin with, and a lot of people sell hiking clothes they never used or that don't fit them anymore so you can buy them for a fraction of their original cost (and can in turn sell them on eBay yourself once they no longer fit you ... the cycle of life continues!) A pro tip is to limit your searches to fixed price/"Buy It Now" sales and add anything that captures your eye to your watch list. Most of the time — like 90% in my experience — the seller will message you an offer for an additional 10% or 15% off your purchase, making it an even better deal, and you don't have to worry about some jerk sniping something you've had your heart set on with a last minute bid that's bigger than yours. You save money, old clothing doesn't wind up in landfills, and you're not supporting Amazon anymore. Everybody wins!
Apr 8, 2024
Top Recs from @christopher-chang
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When I have a friend coming into town for a birthday, work, or some family trip, a thing I love to do is to leave a little gift with the hotel concierge to leave in their room prior to their arrival. Flowers, a bottle of bubbles, a joint, a small tchotchke…anything, really. Just something small that says welcome home. It’s not very much effort for a really big payoff because it’s thoughtful, and what’s better than being thoughtful?
May 10, 2022
🐶
Bad Dog is a love letter to Los Angeles. While LA is pretty segregated based on race and socio-economics, each neighborhood is within driving distance of each other, so eventually the subcultures of each marry one another in some beautiful mess. Zoë, the brains behind Bad Dog, is a pretty good anthropomorphic model of this subculture stew, I think, and she isn’t afraid of sentiment or being a fan, which is what makes Bad Dog so special. BAD DOG FOREVER!!!
May 10, 2022
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I don’t know if Sweet Charity is actually a good movie, but I know that Shirley Maclaine whips ass, and I know that I like it, so I’m recommending it. It’s the first movie Bob Fosse directed, and I think you see him leaving behind “show business” Bob Fosse, and coming into sticky, pill-fiend, All That Jazz Bob Fosse. The first time I watched it, I thought it so electric I actually muttered “what a picture!” aloud to myself…What a picture!
May 10, 2022