eBay

The Fashion Statement: Lanvin for eBay, I mean H&M

Filed under: Apparel, The Fashion Statement

Yeah, I did it. Early Saturday morning, I hauled myself out of bed and headed downtown to stand outside in the freezing cold for hours...just to get my hands on a Lanvin for H&M dress. I was in Washington, D.C., and that was good, I thought. The collection was going to be in only one store in the D.C/Maryland/Virginia area. Still, I'd have better odds at F. Street, NW, than on 5th Avenue in New York or the Bev Center in L.A.

An H&M saleswoman told me that the store would open by 8 a.m. and if I got there between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m., I should be okay. I arrived at 6 a.m. and was within the first 80 people. Not bad, I thought. I'll definitely get my hands on the dress I want. This is totally worth it.

Just before 8 a.m., they handed out colored wristbands and canvas gift bags containing a Lanvin for H&M scarf. Very nice. Each color wristband would allow 20 people at a time to shop the collection. They'd have 15 minutes. I was in the fourth group which would get me in by 9 a.m. Security everywhere. Very organized. Impressive.

Then the doors opened and, literally, all hell broke loose. Like Supermarket Sweep, people rushed the back corner where the collection was cordoned off, got through the metal barricades and started grabbing. The guards insisted nobody got in before their appointed time. But by the time order was restored and I got in, the collection was completely gone. I actually did walk away with a dress but only because it was too small for someone else.

H&M ostensibly enforces "a limit of purchasing a maximum of two pieces per product, i.e. not more than two sizes or pieces per product per customer." They're most likely trying to discourage people from flipping the merchandise for a profit. Lot of good that did them. I saw an army of guys walk out with armloads of dresses, T-shirts and shoes. You're telling me they're preparing for a New Year's Eve party?

Sure enough, Lanvin for H&M is a hot ticket on eBay. Page after page is filled with dresses and T-shirts. At the store, most dresses were tagged $199. On eBay, "buy it now" options are reaching $700!

As a Facebook friend put it: Lanvin should have just created a collection for eBay.

Did any of you go? Tell us your Lanvin for H&M story.

Tags: eBay, HM, Lanvin

Porto Vista Hotel Auctioned Off For New Year's Eve

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Auctions

Want to spend New Year's Eve in San Diego, California? You can celebrate in a big way at the Porto Vista Hotel in the Little Italy area. One night at the hotel is being auctioned off on eBay. The winner of the auction will have control of the entire hotel from noon on December 31, 2010 through noon on January 1, 2011.

The auction includes not just the hotel's 189 rooms and VIP suites but also the services of the Glass Door Restaurant with personal chef and customized menu for a meal for up to 50 VIP guests as well as a party on the Ripassi rooftop deck for 300 guests with a DJ, personalized menu, open bar and private luxury cabanas. The entire hotel staff will be at your disposal.

The "owner for a day" will also have his or her name displayed along the side of the hotel, receive customized business cards and employee uniforms will feature the owner's name. The package also comes with a personalized Web site landing page for guest reservations for New Year's Eve. The bidding ends November 26. Last time I looked there were no bids but the auction does have a Buy-It-Now price of $160,000.

[via USA Today]

Tags: ebay, porto vista hotel, san diego, san diego hotel

1959 Ferrari GT Sells on Ebay for $3.26 Million

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

A gorgeous, mint condition 1959 Ferrari GT sold on Ebay.com for $3.26 million. The car, with 52,000 miles on its odometer, was listed from an owner in Pittsburgh, Pa., and sold after 86 bids. The car's official designation is a Ferrari California Spyder 250 GT CS. It has a 12 cylinder engine, manual transmission and a cloth convertible top.

Designed for export to America, the California Spyder was Ferrari's interpretation of an open-top Gran Turismo Car. The concept was driven by California enthusiasts and a leading Ferrari dealer who prevailed on the Italian company to create a sports car for Californians who regularly drive with the top down.

Of the approximately 51 Long Wheelbase (LWB) California Spyders made, at least 10 were built for competition and nine of these were made with aluminum bodies. 1627GT was one of them. This rare California Spyder features a Tipo 508 D frame, which was one of nine created. 1627GT is also one of the initial California Spyders to be equipped with disc brakes, an innovation for its time. A replica of this car was featured in the film, Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Gallery: 1959 Ferrari GT Sells for $3.26 million on Ebay.

Tags: ebay, Ferrari, Ferrari 1959 GT, James Coburn, Nicholas Cage

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J.D. Salinger's Toilet Offered for $1 Million on eBay

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

The new owner of late reclusive author J.D. Salinger's compound in Cornish, New Hampshire is apparently selling off some of the house's fixtures with an eye towards cashing on on his literary reputation. The Vault of Forsythe, Inc., a collectibles dealer based in North Carolina, is handling the items and has just listed the toilet from Salinger's home on eBay with a "buy it now" price of $1 million, though other offers are being accepted and five have apparently already been made. This could well be a hoax aimed at those who are overly worshipful of the Catcher in the Rye author, but as the vendor seems legit we doubt it. We won't speculate on the process of authentication however. The full listing for the curious commode reads as follows:

Source

Tags: author, collectibles, Cornish, eBay, J.D. Salinger, literature, memorabilia, New Hampshire, North Carolina, The Catcher In The Rye

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eBay Fashion App For The iPhone Further Entices Spending

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Gadgets

eBay is a treasure trove of fashion items. In addition to their massive volume of auctions - for both new and used items, they have stepped into the direct selling game by offing exclusive deals and offers during special sales events. In fact, there is so much eBay offers for the spend-happy fashionista, it can be confusing trying to figure it all out. There are a few eBay Apps for the iPhone and the iPad, but a new app is out exclusively for those shopping for fashion items and accessories. This includes clothes and related stuff for both men and women, as well as children.

The eBay Fashion App is quite streamlined and easy to use. You can easily search through eBay's auctions via special selection tools oriented to finding clothes and related matter. The menus and search tools are dead simple, and the standard eBay auction layout has been thoughtfully adapted to the iPhone screen. This means you can easily switch between viewing the item images, description, and auction information with out lots of scrolling.

Aside from enjoyable item browsing as well as details searches, the eBay Fashion App has some other interesting features. One is called the "Vault." Regular users of the app can learn about upcoming sales on select new items from certain brands. In the image above, there is an example of an upcoming Brooks Brothers sale, that is due to go live on a specific date. This is like an eBay version of a invitee only discount sale. During the sale period, you can view the items, and new sales are scheduled all the time.

The Closet feature is fun as well. You can use a small heart icon to save items and keep them in your closet. When viewing the closet, you can look through your saved items, and virtually put them together like you are choosing outfits to see how they go together. The system isn't terrible sophisticated, but is a fun tool for when you want to see how a top goes with a bottom, etc...

Because eBay wants you to use the app to buy items and bid on auction, the app is of course free. If you are keen on searching for new and old clothes, and other fashion items (really anything from shoes, to handbags, and watches), the app is ideal. Plus, while it is designed for the Fashion crowed, the app of course doesn't limit your searches to eBay's fashion items. I am pretty sure you can search anything on eBay with the app. Check out the eBay Fashion app here via iTunes.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: app, ebay, fashion, iphone, review

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The Classicist: 'Take Ivy' - The Original Preppy Handbook

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Books, Men's Style, The Classicist

Take Ivy, with photos by Japan's T. Hayashida, is truly the original preppy handbook, first published way back in 1965 – in Japanese. In the early 1960s Kensuke Ishizu, the founder of an Ivy League-inspired clothing line called Van Jacket, commissioned Hayashida and three other Japanese disciples of clean-cut American style to go on a "fact-finding mission" to all of the States' eight Ivy League colleges – Havard, Yale, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown and Cornell – chronicling every element of the students' style along the way. Hayashida took tens of thousands of photos at the colleges, then went on to document the stores the students patronized, the cars they drove and even Ivy League grads working on Madison Avenue. When first published in Japan the book sparked a huge trend for Ivy League fashion among Japanese youths who frequented Tokyo's hip Ginza shopping district.

In subsequent decades the book developed a huge cult following among sartorial connoisseurs, with rare original editions selling for thousands of dollars on eBay. The New York Times called it "a treasure of fashion insiders" and cited its influence on a number of men's fashion designers in an article last year, noting photocopied versions were being passed around design studios helping to spark a whole new trend. Now powerHouse Books is re-issuing the book this month, with a long-awaited English translation; J.Crew has also printed 300 limited edition copies in a special case in celebration to be sold in select J.Crew mens shops, the perfect accompaniment to the Ivy-inspired clothing on its shelves; J. Crew men's designer Frank Muytjens says he was "obsessed" by the book and it's timeless appeal.

Gallery: Take Ivy

While The Official Preppy Handbook, which came out 15 years later, is rather tongue-in-cheek, Take Ivy's approach to the subject is downright scholarly. The implications of 'Ivy Style' "go beyond the group of eight prestigious universities that belong to the Ivy League, American football, or the vine itself that covers the buildings of Ivy League schools," the authors note. "It is also not simply about Madison Avenue, Brooks Brothers, modern jazz and folk songs. They do play a part in defining 'Ivy' as a whole, but each of them is only a peripheral component.... In order to understand the spirit of 'Ivy', you must appreciate and master all aspects of American East Coast culture." Thus the back of the book features instructions on building the perfect Ivy League wardrobe including how to wear key items along with a whole compendium of the Ivy League ethos.

Tags: books, Brooks Brothers, clothing, coffee table books, eBay, Harvard, Ivy League, J.Crew, Japan, mens style, menswear, photography, powerHouse Books, preppy, Princeton, Tokyo, university, Yale

Woman Discovers Cheap LeBron James Pendant is Worth Thousands

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Celebrity Shopping

Vaneisha Robinson bought a box of miscellaneous junk for $5 at a yard sale in Akron, OH 4 years ago and little did she know what treasure it held. Amongst the mix of stuffed animals and other trinkets was a pendant in the shape of LeBron James' number 23 jersey. "I used to go to high school with it around my neck, not knowing the value of it," she told an interviewer, "I just thought it was cool cuz it spins." Although she originally thought it was costume jewelry recently she became suspicious the gems might be real, based on how they were set, and after taking it to an expert for examination it turns out they were. The International Gemological Institute gave her a certified appraisal listing the pendant's value at $9,670.

The jersey-shaped pendant is stamped "King 23" on the front and "James 23" on the back and is made of 14k gold covered in 307 round brilliant diamonds totaling 2.15 carats. Robinson sold the pendant recently on eBay and plans to use the money to open her own gym.

Source

Tags: diamonds, ebay, jewelry, LeBron James

Exclusive Fisker Latigo CS for sale on eBay

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

Henrik Fisker is one of the most admired designers in the car business. The Danish designer's portfolio includes such lust-worthy sportscars as the Aston Martin DB9 and the BMW Z8 roadster. Since leaving the mainstream auto industry, Fisker is working on launching the Karma, an exclusive luxury hybrid. But in between, Fisker set up his own coachbuilding operation in California. And this was one of its products.

Called the Fisker Latigo CS, this car started its life as a BMW M6. Not a bad starting point, with its lauded 5-liter V10 engine. But from there, Fisker fitted it with unique bodywork, a custom interior and an engine tuned to 650 horsepower. Only 150 examples were made, and one is now available for purchase on eBay Motors for $90,000. Have a closer look in the gallery below or follow the link to the auction site if you're in the market.

Gallery: Fisker Latigo CS

Source

Tags: ebay, ebay motors, fisker, fisker latigo, fisker latigo cs

How Much Will Warren Buffett's Charity Lunch Fetch This Year?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Big Givers

It's time once again for Warren Buffett to auction himself off for a good cause. Each June, Buffett heads to eBay to offer up a lunch for eight people to benefit the Glide Foundation, an organization that provides social services to the poor and homeless in San Francisco.

The lunch is up for bid on eBay until June 11, 2010 at 7:30 pm PDT. As usual Buffett will dine with the winning bidder and up to seven friends at Smith & Wollensky in New York. All bidders must pre-qualify and the opening bid is $25,000. Last year the auction brought in $1.68 million and Buffett has made as much as $2.1 million for Glide with this annual offer. The Wall Street Journal reports that past auctions have raised about $6 million in total for the foundation. On June 11 the last hour of bidding will be broadcast on a screen for the crowd at a fundraising dinner for the organization.

Tags: buffett lunch, ebay, glide foundation, warren buffett

Buy Your Way Into the Ironman Competition

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Charity, Sports

Competition is fierce to qualify for the annual Ironman event in Hawaii but now for the 8th year in a row a few precious entry slots are being auctioned off on eBay to benefit charity. The Ironman Foundation has raised more than $3,500,000 for various charities through this program since it first started in 2003, and this year that number is sure to keep rising. Four slots are being auctioned in total, with one available for bidding each week starting April 25th. In addition to winning an opportunity to compete in this iconic endurance event winners will also receive private athlete registration in Kona and VIP packages that include special race-day passes and invites to race-week functions. The auctions will all open at $10,000 and at last check the first slot (already in progress) has 26 bidders and is up to $26,100.

Source

Tags: charity, ebay, ironman, ironman triathalon

Fashion's Elite Warming Up To Fashion.eBay.com

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Auctions, Shoes, Men's Style

You may already be wise to the wonder of fashion shopping on eBay. You might not get to try things on, but if you know, for example, that you wear a 38 in Louboutins, eBay may well be the cheapest place for you to get the latest pair. The same goes for knowing your size in various clothing brands and your measurements for vintage items (that's a little more risky, but you can usually return things that don't fit). Well, as Deidre mentioned earlier this month in Can eBay Capture The Fashion Market?, they've created a whole new section to try and do just that: Fashion.eBay.com.

On April 26, at a dinner hosted by celebrity stylist Annabel Tollman (shown), the site was unveiled to fashion's elite. Its features include style tips and buying advice from industry experts like Tollman herself, Kate Young and Britt Bardo, advanced searching criteria like color, fabric, and vintage, and help for sellers to make sure their items are properly described so that they can be found more easily.

Casual sellers will also probably be into the new mobile app -- you can literally take a photo of your item with your phone and post it to eBay in minutes. More advanced technology to actually show items on your body (like Cher in Clueless) is in development. Additionally, you will be able to shop on your phone and place items you like in your "Closet," which you can then share with friends to get opinions.

About 55 percent of items sold on eBay are now either "Buy it now" or "Best Offer," so you don't have to think of it as just an auction site anymore. If the whole thing seems a bit overwhelming and messy to you, I suggest checking out this new subsection. Fashion.eBay.com makes the whole experience easier, and can be very helpful for, as Tollman put it, "girls like me with champagne taste and a lemonade budget."

Whether it will it stand up to Net A Porter and Gilt Group remains to be seen.

Tags: annabel tollman, britt bardo, ebay, fashion, fashion ebay, kate young

Can eBay Capture The Fashion Market?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Auction website eBay is making a big push to get people to think of it as a fashion resource. The site has created a fashion-focused microsite, fashion.ebay.com that acts as an online outlet mall. Inspired by popular fashion discounters like Gilt Groupe, Rue La La and Ideeli, eBay has partnered with brands and retailers like Hugo Boss and Lord & Taylor to act as sellers. The site includes the "Fashion Vault" launched earlier this week, a short-duration sales area. The fashion vault will offer deep discounts on new designer clothes direct from sellers and shipping is free. As we mentioned earlier eBay has already sold clothes from Narciso Rodriguez and Norma Kamali through partnership deals.

The new fashion site has a zippier design and an easy-to-use search engine that makes it more of a rival for other online fashion sites including Net A Porter, the fashion site recently acquired by Richemont. What makes the eBay fashion offering different is that the used goods from resellers (traditional eBay fodder) are part of the mix. Given eBay's legendary battles with luxury brands over resellers and counterfeits it will be interesting to see how this new site is received. Once the fashion site is established eBay plans to use a similar model to sell home goods and technology.

Tags: ebay, ebay apparel, ebay fashion, fashion e-tailer, fashion ebay, fashion retailer

Narciso Rodriguez Now At 20 Percent Off

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Last month we mentioned that fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez had introduced the Narciso Rodriguez for eBay Collection but the deal just got a little sweeter. The eight-piece limited-edition collection is made from imported Italian fabrics in a red, black and white color palette. The streamlined and classic creations include a scoop neck matte jersey dress, a denim jacket, a reversible and water-resistant black and white trench coat and a sleek asymmetrical sleeveless black and white jersey dress. The collection was already a steal at accessible price points ranging from $65 - $350 but now we can bring you a little more shopping relief. You can save 20 percent on all Narciso Rodriguez for Bay Collection pieces now through March 31.

Rodriguez is a three-time Council of Fashion Designers of America winner and a celebrity fashion favorite who regularly dresses the likes of Michelle Obama, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rachel Weisz, Claire Danes and Jessica Alba.

Gallery: Narciso Rodriguez for eBay Collection

Jersey Top with asymmetrical seam detail

Python Printed T-Shirt and Denim Slim Skirt

Source

Tags: ebay, Narciso Rodriguez for eBay, shopping, Shopping deals

Narciso Rodriguez Designs Exclusive Line for eBay

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Celebrity Shopping

Fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez introduced the Narciso Rodriguez for eBay Collection on the online marketplace yesterday.

Called a "capsule" collection, the line will be sold exclusively through the Narciso Rodriguez for eBay Collection redefining how and where savvy shoppers can buy designer fashion. It is the designer's first direct-to-consumer online retail venture.

"I am extremely excited by the possibilities that this new online sales channel brings to my business long term," says Rodriguez. "For me it's always been about dressing many women of all ages, all types, all sizes, and this special collection on eBay is a unique opportunity to reach a broad global audience."

Gallery: Narciso Rodriguez for eBay Collection

The eight-piece limited-edition collection is made from imported Italian fabrics, and bears Rodriguez's signature streamlined look and sophisticated color blocking created in a red, black and white color palette. The collection will be offered at accessible, fixed price points ranging from $65 - $350, in sizes 0 to 14, or extra small to large.

Tags: claire danes, ClaireDanes, ebay, jessica alba, jessica alba style, JessicaAlba, JessicaAlbaStyle, michelle obama, michelle obama fashion, michelle obama style, MichelleObama, MichelleObamaFashion, MichelleObamaStyle, narciso rodiguez, narciso rodriguez, Narciso Rodriguez for eBay, NarcisoRodiguez, NarcisoRodriguez, NarcisoRodriguezForEbay, rachel weisz, RachelWeisz, sarah jessica parker, SarahJessicaParker

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Oprah Winfrey's Closet Going on eBay Again

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Celebrity Shopping, Charity

When you are one of the world's richest women your closet fills up pretty quickly. Oprah WInfrey has cleaned out her closet several times and auctioned off the proceeds on eBay before. She also sold her cast-offs at the Oprah store in Chicago. Well, she's at it again. The NY Post reports that Oprah enlisted O magazine creative director Adam Glassman to help her select 150 items to auction on eBay starting March 1. Oprah's treasures include a Bottega Veneta bag, designer shoes and clothing. Those interested in Oprah's hand-me-downs should known that she's a size 9 shoe and that her clothing sizes usually run from 10 to size 14 (like the purple Carolina Herrera dress she's auctioning off). The proceeds will benefit the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy in South Africa.

Gallery: Celebrity Auctions