Here’s an Exeter gal’s guide to finding secret gems on eBay

The rise of vintage clothing has come alongside the resurgence of the Y2K fashion which has been trending for some time now. At the beginning of this trend, I turned to eBay, as places like Depop started getting stupidly expensive (especially with all the resellers plaguing the site.) It became apparent that if you know how to navigate the website, you can come across one of a kind items at respectable prices. Ebay does possess the danger of being a very cluttered site, where the majority of the items matching your searches are something you wouldn’t even want your worst enemy to be seen in. However, most of my wardrobe staples have been picked up off the website. So, here’s the best ways to filter down your searches, and find those hidden gems that are indeed hiding in plain sight (I know you’ve been eyeing up buying a skinny scarf). Get off Depop Exeter, eBay is all the rage.

Utilise the filters

Ebay simply shows you all items that match your search. This means that a lot of junk can pop up, however, using the filters means you can refine and specify what you’re looking for. The first filter I always choose is under the “category” list. Here I select “Woman’s Clothing”. To specify further you can select specific filters further, such as “Dresses” or “Tops and Shirts”. Furthermore, select the “Item Location” as “UK Only.” This gets rid of items with satirical shipping prices from the likes of Japan and America. Finally, the “Condition” of the searched items should be “Used.” Before even scrolling through a search, I employ these filters to ensure the items shown are more specific to what I’m looking for.

Use keywords like ‘vintage’

Most Read

Love Island finalist Ron Hall has a new girlfriend – and it’s an Islander he was in the villa with!

Nathan breaks silence on MAFS UK split and reveals Lacey left him ‘heartbroken’

The heartbreaking reason behind Tulisa’s transformation and why she looks so different now

Despite using the filters, the pieces you’re searching for may not always present themselves. This is where you should put “vintage” before whatever your search is. For example “black cardigan “ to “vintage black cardigan.” This tends to present clothing more tailored to what a younger crowd desires. 

Item descriptions

Despite specifying whether or not an item is vintage, generally speaking, searches should be kept broader as there’s more potential of stumbling across your Wishlist item. However, certain adjectives should be utilised. For example: Embroidered, silk, asymmetric, statement, Italian or sheer will present the perfect items for a Cavern Tuesday fit.

Brands

If you are just wanting a cheeky scroll as a pastime activity during your two hour seminar and don’t have a specific desired item, there are certain brands that always churn out decent finds when searching: Karen Millen, Jane Norman, Guess, French Connection, Per Una, Monsoon, Miss Sixty and Laura Ashley.

Minus search

If your specific search seems to be including many items that are irrelevant to what you’re looking for, then you should minus certain words from the search bar. For example if you were looking for a pair of jeans you could add “-cropped” “-skinny” “-high waisted” to narrow your search down and remove any inadequate items. This means that items including any of these descriptions will be removed from the results. 

Here’s to another year of Exeter bringing some fierce fashion to forum, using these eBay hacks will take your TP Wednesday outfit from Peachy Dens and a Ralph Lauren jumper to a Y2K masterpiece. Safe shopping Exeter, don’t be spending dad’s money too quickly!

Related articles recommended by this author:

• Fashion in the Forum: Exeter is kickstarting 2024 with style
• Here’s a guide to absolutely every type of guy you’ll find on Tinder in Exeter
• If you got any of these presents for Christmas then you’re officially an Exeter student