How To Shop For 90s/00s Brands On EBay

Some of the 90s vintage pieces I've picked up on eBay

I've had a ton of you asking how I manage to bag such cool pieces off EBay. So I thought I would put together a cool kind of how to on hunting down 90s/00s brands and things you should actively do. In order to fill your wardrobe with awesomeness that didn't cost you an arm and a leg. This is exactly what I do, and how I've managed to build a cool collect of pieces when shopping on EBay. As I was a teen in the 90s and a hoarder I kept a lot of my things, but there were pieces that back then I couldn't afford so I love hunting down things. I should probably be over the 90s, and I'm sure there are people who would say I'm 'too old' to be wearing this stuff. I'm 34, and I'll wear what I bloody well like thank you.

So here's the 411

So the best way to find true vintage is always know your brands. This will cut out a whole lot of time going through the pages and pages, your usually find. I guess it all depends on what style your looking for also. I tend to love the bright funky prints, but will mix it up  with chunky boots. Anyway so it's really not hard, to research a little into the styles you like for brand names. If someone say you follow on Instagram/twitter/ real life has the name of the brand on their vintage item don't be afraid to ask. Or a quick google search will help you track down, the brands people were wearing in your country at the time. Because everywhere will be different, I drool at the vintage from australia & the US hello Micheal Simon cardigans!

In the U.K for example - Morgan, United Colours Of Bentton, Jane Norman, Sketchers, Shelly's, where all popular. But there are a ton more, so doing a little research will cut that out massively. My favourite brands to search are Ringspun (they don't have the best fit but still), The Sweater Shop and the ones listed above. There are more, but like i said this may not be your style. So don't be afraid to ask people, they literally have to look at a tag. Search for deadstock, this is another great way to narrow really cool pieces down. Most are also brand new and may have tags or packaging, but double check as some sellers just use this term without knowing what it means. Also sometimes a seller can have an item in more then one colour .. I know right amazing! Deadstock is basically stuff that the shops couldn't sell, it got removed from shelves and has been sold on. Usually because then it was outdated. Now it means you can get a vintage item in perfect condition. 

Don't add in size, sizing has changed a lot from then. I'm a size 12, so like most vintage tend to size up. Ask your seller about sizing, sometimes if an item is in a stretch fabric you can even go smaller. This will all depend on  the fit you want, I recently purchased a listed size 8 jumper and it fits comfortable and looks like it's from UNIF. So don't limit sizes, and don't be afraid to ask question and if there is a 'best offer' button then try and knock off some of the money while your at it. Sometimes an items price can be off putting, but it's worth a haggle as most sellers just want rid of stock. 

Know your style or cut, it helps when doing a search to know what style of jeans people where wearing for example. Or what pattern they where rocking, plaid was massive back in the day because of grunge bands. If your more of a 00s person get your Y2K on, this helps find those terry towelling Juicy tracksuits or tinted square pink shades. Wording is key on eBay. It seems obvious, but sometimes we can get in that habit of thinking it will sort the best items for us. So a little effort will narrow your search for that dream item.  Misspell things too, sounds crazy but I've bagged some amazing items because of no one else is looking for them. It doesn't work all the time, but sometimes you find gems. 

Once you find a great shop, follow them. I usually go back to the same sellers for my items. This saves me so much time, plus you build a relationship like you would a shop and know that your buying an item that's in good condition and it will turn up. Great for if you need a quick find, say for a festival or party. Also another way to track down more brands for that era. Some shops also offer discounts on multi buys, I've find this with a lot of the vintage shops. 

So I hope this was helpful, if you have any tips I would love to know.