Where eBay Stories Go to Get Told

By The Inside Source
July 28, 2011

Combining its author's obsession with vintage fashion, her talent for trolling eBay and her passion for the stories behind the clothing people own, Sentimental Value is Emily Spivack's virtual collection of the most intriguing eBay listings she finds on the online marketplace—those product descriptions that not only include a price and item condition, but also a more personal account of the piece at hand. Almost two years ago, we asked Spivack, whose personal favorite eBay search terms of late include mourning rings, vintage Unisa shoes, and Arabia of Finland Anemone Blue dishes (they're the ones she grew up using), to share a few posts from her blog. Here, we invite her back for another go-round.—The Editors

By Emily Spivack:

Emily Spivack A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon an original 1960s Playboy Bunny uniform on eBay. Not only were the puffball tail, stockings, and stilettos for sale, but the seller also explained that the owner’s name had been handwritten inside the uniform and that the outfit was accompanied by the original owner’s ID card, also pictured. The ensemble was amazing on its own, but it was learning the original owner’s name (and seeing her face) that made it truly remarkable.

It was then that I realized that eBay isn't just a place to buy stuff; it's a place to uncover the personal stories attached to those things. As someone who had been hunting down vintage clothes on eBay for years and who was as obsessed with the former lives of the dresses and tops I found as I was with their cut and color, this really struck a chord.

Since 2007, I've been collecting interesting stories people tell about clothing in eBay listings. I use the site like most people, only instead of hunting down things, I'm hunting down the cathartic, personal, unusual stories about those things. It’s not always clear why people decide to go into as much detail as they do (does knowing that a stunning Monique Lhuillier wedding gown was never worn because the wedding was called off make you want to buy it any more, or less, than if you'd just spotted the dress among the listings?) and I could speculate as to why they might, but what’s most important is that these anecdotes offer a rare glimpse into the relationship people have with their clothing.

I wanted to share all the stories I was finding. The result is Sentimental Value, an online repository for the stories about clothing I cull from eBay posts.

While working on Sentimental Value, I’ve seen all sorts of themes emerge from the stories I’ve gathered—transformative life experiences, nostalgia about the good ole days, relationships gone wrong, celebrity infatuations, history lessons...

I've been posting these stories on Sentimental Value’s website, but I've also been buying some of the items with more unique provenances with the intention of putting together an exhibition or gallery show. Showing the garments alongside their stories is exciting because it’s an opportunity to highlight common themes and draw connections that might otherwise be challenging to make in an online format. Plus, how satisfying to have a chance to see the actual physical garment alongside its story!

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. GIANNI VERSACE VINTAGE SUNGLASSES (SAD STORY INVOLVED)

The eBay listing: "This is a pair of original Gianni Versace golden medussa head sunglasses, purchased by my aunt Anat Klein in the 80’s , in one of Versace’s stores in Rome. She always took pride for this purchase ($400 originaly), and she was wearing them when she was killed by a suicide bomber attack in Netanya- Israel, in 2003. My cousins don’t want to see them anymore (brings them bad memorys. One of my nieces, of 8 years of age, says they are haunted with Anat’s spirit)."

My take: The story itself is distressing and alongside the image, it becomes even more haunting. I’d probably want to get rid of these sunglasses as well, but I don’t if I’d share the same level of detail as to why.

2. VERSACE HOT Pink Pants Jeans sz 24 NEW NWT Couture XS

The eBay listing: "I am a real estate agent in the Minneapolis area and one of my clients was a back up dancer for Jessica Simpson when she 1st started her career. She gave me these pants for helping her find a house and she told me they were Jessica’s. She said that whatever clothes Jessica didn’t want she gave to her."

My take: From Jessica Simpson to her backup dancer to her backup dancer’s real estate agent to me. Yes, now I own these hot pink bell bottoms.

3. Red Hand-made Vash The Stampede Anime Coat (Trigun)

The eBay listing: "Way back in High School I was big into anime, and chief among my favorites was Trigun. At the time, my brother and I were running our own little geeky anime group and we were a fairly tight-knit bunch. One girl in the group and I had long been attracted to one another. We had tried the dating thing, it hadn’t worked out, but we remained very close. I’m still not sure if that was good for either of us, but that’s what happened. She thought I was sort of like Vash the Stampede (which is absurd of course, I’m just a very normal-looking nerdy sort of dude). Nonetheless, she took it upon herself to construct this coat from scratch, using only pictures from the series as guides. It took her several months in her spare time, but she managed to obtain my measurements surreptitiously and then present it to me as a complete surprise on my birthday. I have a picture somewhere of me triumphantly wearing it and then nearly killing her with a bear-hug. It was a spectacular birthday present, and the fact that it was so true to the series made it even better. I wore it to two Ohiocons (I have naturally spiky hair, so the Vash look came easy) and then never wore it again. She and I are still good friends, and I’m not sure she even knows how much I appreciated this gift."

My take: The puppy love that emanates from this story of a handmade anime costume is palpable. Also, if it meant so much to him, you have to sort of wonder why he is selling it...

4. VTG Authentic 20’s Green summer dress XS-S Mob Story

The eBay listing: "It belonged to my Great Aunt who was very colorful. We have saved it “as is” because of its history. Her haunts included New York and New Jersey. She had gone to a wedding in Atlantic City where she claimed that the hotel was so glorious that there was real fur on the windows for drapes! She was a beautiful slender bleached blond who loved life and played hard. She could sing and dance. She also had a notorious boyfriend. They were out with friends and a killing took place. This dress got some blood splatter on it. Two small velocity spots on the back, which show in the photo if you look close because they are small and a few more on the front and back of the bottom of the dress. You can see where a spot near the knee had been attempted to be wiped off but her friend had told her to leave it as the dress would be her proof if she needed it. Not sure what that meant but that is how the story was told to me. One relative had tried some CSI research and was told it looked possible."

My take: This is an absolutely priceless story about a gorgeous 1920s-era gown complete with blood splatter from a gangster murder.

5. COACH KIRBY SATEEN TENNIS SHOES — size 7.5

The eBay listing: My best friend is a gorgeous redhead who is a nurse at a local hospital. Although she is happily married, a doctor at the hospital has been vigorously trying to woo her for months. His latest attempt was this pair of Coach shoes, which he purchased at an airport while traveling with his wife. My best friend tried to refuse them, but he left them beside her car in the hospital parking lot anyway. Mortified, my friend quickly threw the shoes in her car and brought them to me. Unfortunately, my monster-size-9-feet won’t squeeze into these beautifully expensive shoes, so I devised another plan. I told my computer-illiterate best friend that I would sell them on ebay, hopefully earning us enough money for a Girls’ Night Out, which, I reasoned, was the least my friend should get for having to put up with this Neanderthal hitting on her all day long.

My take: A story of unrequited love, a persistent doctor, and a best friend who was trying to take one for the team, all via a pair of unattractive Coach sneakers.

Tags: