Some sexy suede stiletto boots get my attention

Although I usually don't blog about suede boots - they're harder to keep clean and don't have the sheen of smooth leather - these were just too sexy to pass up!

These size 10 knee-high brown suede boots sold for $71.00.  Made by Circa Joan & David, the style is "Dameranda."  Although I'm not a fan of the open area and strap detailing around the top, these are some of the sexiest stiletto heels I've seen in a long time. I also like the sharp lines of the foot and toe area - very sexy!

The photos showed a Nordstrom price tag on the bottom, which makes me wonder if they were purchased at a Nordstrom Rack store?

I think I'd have a hard time passing these up in smooth black leather!

REAL DEALS: Items I wish had been my size!

I'm starting a new feature here on the blog called "Real Deals."  These are items that sold for an unbelievably low price.  Also, these are often items I would have bid on had they been in my size.

These vintage Italian OTK boots have some of my favorite features in a pair of classic boots.  I especially like the tall, narrow stacked heels, the nicely rounded toes, and the fact that they can be worn cuffed or uncuffed for two different looks. Although they do show some wear on the soles, the seller indicated that these were in mint condition.  I only wish the seller had provided a few pictures of the boots being modeled, although they are a very small size.  Although these didn't sell on their first listing, someone got a real deal on these size 6 boots for their opening bid of $29.99 when they were re-listed!

I know from personal experience that Andrew Marc leather coats are very well made and usually feature buttery soft leather.  I also know from experience that they usually run large.  I've bought and sold a few Andrew Marc leather coats on eBay because they ended up fitting much larger than I'd expected.  That said, maybe I should have bid on this Andrew Marc black leather trench coat in a size Small.  Quite possibly the lowest I've ever seen an Andrew Marc leather trench sell for, this one went for $12.99!  Needless to say, this trench would look great paired with the boots above!

Another deal on a women's black leather trench coat in an extra small size 3/4.  This vintage 1980s leather trench by J. Walden sold for only $9.99.  Although not the leather quality of the Andrew Marc above, I like the classic styling, especially the large collar.  The rear flap detail is interesting as well.  At 44" long, the length is perfect for wearing with knee-high (or taller) boots!

Finally, these Casadei designer black leather knee-high boots with nice spiked heels sold for $19.99.  I'm not sure what kept me from bidding on these Italian-made size 9.5N boots, maybe because I thought the spiked heels got a little too wide near the top.  Also, the seller said they needed new heel tips.

A real deal on a North Beach Leather military style jacket

Someone got a deal on this vintage North Beach Leather military style jacket in a beautiful blue for only $78.00.  This size 7/8 jacket was listed with a much higher Buy It Now price of $275.00, so my guess is that the seller was disappointed in the much lower selling price.  This is one of the best deals I've ever seen for a North Beach Leather military style item, especially since it appears to be in very good condition.

eBay Saved Searches and Buy It Now or "The Early Bird Truly Does Get The Worm!"

I've been a fan of eBay's "Saved Searches" for years.  You can save search criteria for your favorite items and have the items which meet that criteria e-mailed to you on a daily basis. eBay recently changed this feature to "follow" searches and sellers.  This allows you to receive e-mail alerts when new items are posted which meet your criteria.  However, it also creates a "feed" which now appears on the eBay front page if you are currently signed in which shows big photos of the items you're following.  If I'm using a shared computer or checking eBay at work, I don't necessarily want others to know what items I'm following.  At least the e-mails allowed for some privacy when it comes to saved searches.

For years now, part of my morning routine is to check my inbox for what has come through overnight.  My eBay "saved search" e-mails tend to come through around 1am-2am, so unless I'm up fairly late, I don't see them until morning. However, I've managed to snag a few good deals when these items appear with a Buy It Now option.

Regular readers of this blog will know that the Stuart Weitzman "Hilo" OTK riding boots have been some of my favorites for a few years now.  They're, without a doubt, some of the most comfortable boots I've ever tried on.  And while I would never pay the original $650 retail, several pairs sold during the holiday season for anywhere from $200 to more than $400.  However, I rarely see pairs in my size (9.5).  Since the boots haven't been made for a few years, they're still highly sought after on eBay, especially when a pair shows up in a popular size at a great price.

So when I opened my eBay "saved search" e-mails this morning, I was excited to see a pair listed with a starting bid of $50.00 and a low Buy It Now price of $250.00 (with reasonable $10.40 shipping).

I can't say that I was surprised that when I went to the auction page, they'd already been snapped up using Buy It Now.  When I looked at the size and saw it was a 9.5, my jaw dropped.  When I saw that the seller said they'd literally been worn once, I was even more disappointed.  Plus, they came in that beautiful blue Stuart Weitzman box!  The seller said she'd bought them at Saks Fifth Avenue for $588.00.

Some very lucky person caught this auction early and snapped up an amazing pair of boots, in my size, with the original box for $260.40!  To say I'm envious would be an understatement!

An assortment of recent Leather Dress sales on eBay

Over the holiday season, there were a variety of North Beach Leather dresses for sale on eBay.  As you'll see below, the military style continues to fetch the highest dollar for NBL leather dresses.

This nicely modeled classic North Beach Leather dress (size PS) sold for $125.95.  This has always been my favorite North Beach Leather dress style with the two-way zipper, high collar, and padded shoulders.

Actually, I've always preferred this dress in basic black, and someone got a real deal on this classic North Beach Leather two-way zipper dress (size M) for $81.00!

This North Beach Leather military style dress (size S) from "leatherbill" sold for a deserving $309.00.  This leather seller from Canada always features very nicely modeled leather apparel!

 

This unmodeled North Beach Leather military-style dress (size M) in royal blue sold for an impressive $242.50.  I'm a little surprised that it fetched such a good price considering it looks fairly wrinkled.  However, it does appear to be in excellent condition.  Great details on this dress!

For a totally different style, eBay leather seller "shoesandglasses" formerly "showbidness" sold this black strapless bustier dress (size M) by North Beach Leather for $127.50.  Is it just me or do the black leather opera gloves really make the outfit?!

Wild Pair black leather crotch-high boots are plentiful on eBay this season

There's been a flurry of vintage Wild Pair black leather crotch-high boots appearing on eBay throughout the holidays.  What's especially interesting is the range of prices these super-tall boots are selling for.

eBay leather seller "rocannalea" sold this size 8.5 pair, which came with the original box, for an impressive $227.50.  As usual, nice modeling and photos from this seller.  I especially like how the boots are the perfect height for wearing with a blazer, in this case a quilted leather blazer.  I've often thought it would be fun to wear these with a black leather blazer as part of a very sexy Halloween costume!

UPDATE 1/20/14: Apparently, the first sale of these boots didn't go through, as "rocannalea" listed them again and sold them for an even more impressive $415.00!

These size 9 boots, which were listed at 35" tall, sold for their starting bid of $199.99.  These appeared to be in very good condition, although with the usual disintegrating heel tips.  The interesting placement of toe taps makes me wonder if these would sound even sexier walking down the sidewalk?!

This size 8.5 pair, which came with the original box, sold for $168.09.

This size 8.5 pair in good condition sold for their Buy It Now price of $150.

Finally, this size 7 pair sold for their starting bid of $100.  Interesting, as the seller pointed out, it appears these boots were re-dyed as red boots, then re-dyed again to the original black color.  Even more interesting is the addition of zippers where the cuff opens at the back of the boot.  As the seller indicated, these modified boots probably have an interesting history to them.

Why don't more eBay sellers use YouTube in their listings?

I've often wondered why more eBay sellers don't include YouTube videos modeling their items.  I recently came across this seller featuring Tom Ford over-the-knee boots, very nicely modeled in a YouTube video.  Although I would have preferred a little more walking, I suspect the seller didn't want to put too much wear on these brand new boots, which by the way, were listed for $3,200!