Suzanne O’Connor’s Bargains LA

Why I Hunt for Deals on Ebay

I bargain hunt because I enjoy the chase. I enjoy finding a quality item at a superb price and then pouncing on it.  It’s not always about the deal but about the accomplishment. This is especially true if I had been hunting for a particular item for a while.

When I transported my moms 1870 Victorian bedroom set from her place to ours, I somehow lost one of the drawer pulls. Knowing we had places like Liz’s Antique Hardware in L.A. and Crown Hardware in Pasadena, I wasn’t worried about replacing it.

That is until both dealers said they had never seen drawer pulls like these anywhere.  So, I bought a similar drawer pull at Liz’s Antique hardware for $25 just to make due until I tracked one down. That was back in April ’08.

During my year long hunt, I visited antique hardware stores in Orange County, way out in some desolate area of Riverside, I drove up to Ventura and visited architectural hardware and fixture stores throughout LA and the Valley. I scoured the web finding several sources that had a ton of old hardware, but never the one piece I was looking for. I also searched daily on Ebay. Every night before I went to bed I went through the newly listed auctions.  One auction came up back in January with several hardware pieces including mine and I was out bid at $50. But I didn’t give up and kept hunting.  Just last night I came across the drawer pull for $9.99. It was a Buy It Now sale…. So I immediately pounced.

Giddy with the thrill of the win, I went a bit overboard and also bid on and won a Nanette Lepore silk blouse for $37… okay so I got a little over excited. But that’s the point. It’s the thrill of the chase and the joy in the accomplishment.

Both items were bought at a price that was great deal less than the retail market price.  One I really worked for and the other purchase was just a great opportunity. Both will be put to good use.