EBAY

This is, needless to say, an incredible resource for bargainistas. I’ve gotten everything from Arche sandals to Chantelle bras at lower-than-low prices. It does take a little effort. You have to study the measurements carefully, or better yet, know your size in each label because all brands vary. High-end European labels tend to run small: yet another reason to hate the French.

One neat little trick is to deliberately misspell the item you’re looking for. You’d be surprised at how many sellers list Chanel as Channel, so you can bid on that bag without much competition. I personally wouldn’t wear Chanel since she was a Nazi collaborator, but not everyone is as politically correct as I (sometimes) am.

CRAIG’S LIST

You can find anything on this site, from a one-month sublet to a gently-used coffin. Some of the listings, though, are quite poignant, and I often wonder about the back story.

• “WEDDING GOWN, Cost over $5,000.00. Asking $750. NEVER WORN.”

• “HUGE DIVORCE SALE – FORTY YEAR COLLECTION – EVERYTHING MUST GO”

There’s a lot of human drama going on here.

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