How to Succeed on eBay; Stephen Watson Shares His Story

By Stephen Watson
October 22, 2010

Stephen Watson

Stephen Watson; Watson in his apartment, which was furnished using eBay

Stephen Watson is an "Inside Source" indeed. The former fashion director at Men's Vogue and a fashion editor at Vogue for 17 years, he's a skilled trendspotter, fashion fixture and talented writer—which is why we fell all over our keyboards when we signed him on as a contributor for The Inside Source. When he told us how he'd furnished and decorated his apartment using primarily eBay scores, we simply had to hear the story. Here it is: from Stephen's Brooklyn pad to your screen. — The Editors

The West Village may be one of the most desirable places to live, but getting by in a miniscule 12’ by 16’ apartment definitely has its interior design challenges. After 18 years in a small apartment that functioned like a hotel room and was outfitted like a dorm, I knew it was finally time to move on and grow up.

I settled in Brooklyn, but once I unpacked my things (at least the ones I'd decided to keep), a new set of problems appeared. The entire contents of my old apartment basically fit in the "office" of the new place. I had three decent-sized rooms to fill and not much of an interior design budget to work with. I knew it was time for a grown-up place— one where I could live and work, have friends over, and hopefully do both with a certain amount of style. Enter eBay.

Check out my loot.

Previous Next

A low bid for this brass bed frame turned out to be the winner!
Danish chairs by Dux seem to hold their value more than non-branded chairs in the same style.
The unexpected combination of cane with steel, won for a mere $50.
Invest in furniture with pedigree: This pair of Paul McCobb night tables has a value of four times what I paid for them on eBay.
Items in multiples always look great.
A couch found in my city, purchased, moved and into my apartment all in one day thanks to eBay.
A cabinet found locally on eBay with my collection of British & California pottery inside.

This intense eBay experience taught me some valuable lessons. A bit of hard-earned wisdom:

1. Educate yourself

The good thing about eBay is that there are a million choices. And the bad thing about eBay is there is are a million choices. It's easy to get overwhelmed. First, do your interior design research. Buy books and magazines; check out all the interior design blogs and auction catalogs. Let someone that is an interior design expert do the editing for you. Like a certain decorating style? Find out all that there is to know about that style of furniture; it will help you search for specific things and learn their true market value.

Check out the pricey antique stores in your neighborhood that sell your type of dream furniture. Research all the different makes and models and search online when you get home. Try and narrow down your searches to be as specific as possible. You'll be surprised what design ideas you'll can find... and chances are, your local antique store just might get its stock from eBay too—so buy direct from the source and avoid the markup.

2. Don't be afraid of a big purchase.

While there is a certain risk in buying interior furnishings sight unseen, if you are pre-armed with eBay buying tips, you should be fine. Ask a lot of questions of the seller. See something odd? Ask for more photos. If a seller is not being upfront or you think the item listing might be misleading, move on. Definitely read the fine print. Keep a tape measure handy to make sure the item is the size that you need it to be. I've made that mistake.

Don't be afraid to buy large interior furnishings from out of state; I've found that a seller dealing in furniture usually has the details of moving it already worked out. There are fleets of movers that deal exclusively in moving eBay purchases. If you live in a big city, you'll have even more options. I've had great experiences using online movers; it's surprisingly easy.

3. Search locally.

Looking for a couch, an armoire, or a dining room table? Using the eBay ‘Distance, Nearest First' search tool may help you find exactly what you want, located right next door. Not only will you save on the shipping costs, but if you're as lucky as I was, you may just discover a huge antiques warehouse located just a couple of subways stops away. This warehouse listed items for sale on eBay and also had tons of other great stuff to see firsthand — and I got first pick!

You can also shop eBay Classifieds for items in every category available locally.

4. Start a collection.

Like art pottery? Antique books about photography? Modern screen-prints by graffiti artists? Pick one interior design element to collect and stick with it. You'll learn more about your obsession the more that you collect it. And objects always look great in multiples.

5. Know when to stop.

A good indicator for knowing when to stop your design makeover is when you run out of money. I set a very specific design budget for myself and I made sure that I was able to purchase everything I wanted for this set amount. I broke it down per room and made lists. Set aside more for the larger items and fill in with less expensive objects. Though you never know... A table that is in the center of my living room was only $50. My bed frame was an unexpected win at $70. There are deals to be had on eBay; just know when it's time to bow out gracefully. It's easy to get caught up in a bidding war, so proceed with caution.

6. Think about investing.

Think about shopping as acquiring possible investments on eBay. While it might be easier and cheaper to buy items at a mass retailer, good antiques hold their value. While items with a certain name or pedigree might cost a little more, just think that down the road, if you tire of it, you can re-sell it. Items that have a classic design or are part of a limited edition will probably go up in price. A sofa or desk by a trendy designer with original labels will most likely hold its value... or if you are lucky, it might even escalate!

Tags: