Armory corset

I am slowing down my bidding at eBay in order to close all the open deals. I have actually planned to stop bidding and place focus on organising the huge amount of stuff I have been massively collecting over the last 3 years. I've come to a point where I have gathered repeated items such as magazines and similar garments in different sizes, which is specially noticeable on corsets. I've decided I must sell a significant amount of footwear and latex wear but I do have to stop bidding. Otherwise I am falling on a dangerous cycle: investing the savings from selling items on new items. The process is complex and requires organisation.
I have previously sold a limited number of items on eBay for testing the selling tools at the auction site and see how the potential bidders would be interested in my auctions. By then I sold four pairs of long leather gloves which I had manufactured to me according to my own specifications in a local workshop. I've listed 5 pairs on eBay and ended up selling 4 of them on the first round. I’ve also listed a pair of front laced thigh-high boots in PVC made by Pleaser which sold on the second listing. All the 5 deals went very well but I've learned a significant amount of time is needed to follow-up all auctions, answer all questions and close the deals, meaning invoicing, receiving payment and item dispatch.
After that I sold a couple of items to a fetish couple friend of mine and a couple more items sold to some internet friends I've met through YahooMessenger.
Well, theory always works very well but it happens that in real world many other factors besides the ones you’ve pulled to build your theory have an important role. And, hélas (excuse me for the French) it happens I saw a latex corset from Armory selling on eBay Germany. I couldn't let it pass and went for it. Everything was very straight forward in the sense I had to place a first bid which made me the highest bidder and later the winner. I must confess I like eBay very much for its simplicity.
This particular corset is a high fashion latex garment and I've learned that myself from the previous Armory garments I’ve bought. The funny thing is I have bought the exact same model but in a different colour about two months ago. I have been overwhelmed with that corset, they have been able to manufacture a beautiful garment. They produce their latex collection by the process of sealing and stitching the different parts that make the final garment and use a higher grade latex. The result is superb since the final look is a high fashion garment carefully manufactured, comparable to what is being produced by well known fashion designers. The corset I have in my collection is made just like traditional corsetry being the panels glued and stitched. On the inside all seems are sealed with a latex strip and the garment is lined with a silky fabric. A true corset with front metal busk and back lacing made to perfection. About two years ago or maybe a bit more I bought a second hand latex dress from Armory. I was very surprised by their quality and kept it in mind until I recently got my first corset from Armory. Now I will take the appropriate steps in order to close the ebay transaction and get this other corset.
It is actually interesting the fact that Armory doesn’t have a big shiny website nor a lot of investment on advertising like many other companies, but I do consider them to be a must in fetish fashion, probably on the top 5.

copyright Armory

Donald Pliner boots #1

I am still struggling to organise all the pending stuff. One aspect about holidays out of town is the fantastic feeling of evasion. Just before leaving you realise there is a multitude of things to be taken care of, and the last days are usually very stressing. Then you leave out excited and exhilarating about the coming days. When you’re back and your mind is starting to work in a mechanic way you realise that there has been a lot of things pending which need to be taken care of.
Before departure I have been intensively enquiring an eBay seller from whom I have bough a pair of knee high boots from Donald Pliner. The last day before departure I have posted neutral feedback on this transaction. Despite the very good communication with the seller and the excellent feedback she had, I had to leave a mark for my discontentment; after all I have been waiting almost 3 months for the boots and did not get anything. Some times eBay transactions can be tricky.
Back in town I have checked my mailing box and found there was a note left there for 12 days from Postal Services. Regretfully, it came on the day I left and so I only got it now. I went to the post office to find what it was about but I suspected it would be about the boots. I had to go to another post office out of my area since in the summer they change opening and closure times and divert the mailing between other post offices. Bad luck, when I got there it was closed. The day after I run to the post office before going to work and got disappointing news: the parcel has been sent back to sender in the United Sates. Apparently the due time for collecting the parcel has expired the day before. Shit happens.
I went to work and sent an e-mail to the eBay seller stating it; the fact is I was not expecting the boots almost 4 month after payment. I haven’t got any feedback from her yet but I would really like to get those boots. The thing is I will have to cover the expenses she might have from getting back unclaimed mail plus shipping costs. I will have to work this out and see how much I will have to add so that she can re-send the boots. This might come up to a point it's not worth to try the process again. I really feel I have been very unlucky this time.
I have almost 300 transactions on eBay and despite the number I must say I have had very few problems with lost parcels or frauds. I would say I had 3 problems or maybe 4 with this one. But, you must bear in mind that the transactions I made represent much more than 300 items, since when possible I try to combine several items on the same transaction in order to reduce shipping and handling costs as well as costs derived from issuing payments. From these few less fortunate transactions I've learned that the rule is avoiding surface mail by all means. Surface mail is obviously cheaper than air mail but it will take very long time and it will bring a lot of problems. And this was exactely what happen with the parcel containing the boots. I do not know why but it must have been a lack of communication (or the seller tried to save money getting my payment for air-mail dispatch and sending surface) but I would never ask to send the parcel surface. When I found she has sent surface I got really worried and know I have the proof about my worries.
Let’s wait and see what happens; and I still have my rubber corset held on Customs for taxation. It’s a good thing the Euro is stronger than the Dollar but a simple transaction between an European country and United States might as well be a pain in the ass.

Gucci shoes #1

I have been away for 2 weeks on holidays with my family. At this time of the year being away from daily routine and work, enjoying the sun and swimming in the sea brings a load of energy for the coming colder and shorter days. Hope to have enough energy for the dull rainy time.
Once back I have been struggling with several Mbytes of spam and sat down in order to organise my e-mail accounts. Had to dedicate some time running the web forums as well as the yahoo groups I am registered to.
During my absence someone has tried to hack my eBay account. These people can really be a pest; they have actually developed some sophisticated computer techniques in order to get illegal access to your data. Bastards!
Next step consisted in organising my eBay account and keep it tidy, as well as checking for the open deals. Before leaving for holidays I have won several auctions and I have struggled to complete all transactions by sending payment for the sellers.
I have also won an auction for a rubber corset from Tentacle and there were news from it on my mailing box. Unfortunately, not very pleasent: it was a letter from the Customs Office stating they had stopped a parcel from the United States with a rubber corset which would be subject to custom taxes. So I have to fill in the papers they have mailed me and declare its commercial value for taxing. In practice that means I will have to pay about 30% more on that item.
Another item I have bought on eBay before holidays was a pair of Gucci shoes for my wife. I cannot consider us being fashionists or fashion victims, nor a sophisticated couple but I sure am a footwear collector. This would be the first pair of gucci's in my collection and I decided to get them because they were being sold at a very reasonable price. No way I could find them at a local store and even if I could be able to spot them at a shop window I would be paying about 3 times more than what I have actually pay. Nevertheless, you can argue that there is a significant risk of getting a fake and not the original designer shoes. Well, that is true but I believe most of the people buying and selling at eBay which have gained experience with many transactions intuitively will look at the original items and skip the fakes and Asian copies. Still, there is a risk but with some precaution you will be able to minimize it down to a negligible factor. Just before I left on holidays I got the Gucci shoes I was so anxious about. I was rather disappointed when I opened the box and noticed the left and the right shoe were of a different colour. Not really a shocking difference but I could never conceive it on a pair of genuine Gucci shoes. Apart from that the shoes seemed to be original and very well manufactured. Leather was superior and the details were very well done. I have concluded there has been a swap, being the shoes mixed from two different pairs; one from black colour and the other one from dark brown (ebony). I had to contact the eBay seller and inform about the situation. The deal consisted in keeping the dark brown and sending the black one back to the States so that I could get back the correct shoe matching the one I kept. Finally back in town the parcel sent from the States was already at the post office where I went to pick it up. At the end of the day I run home in order to carefully compare both shoes. Bingo! Very beautiful shoes: a classic design sandal with a 3 1/4 inch heel very stable, wide and covered in leather, a slight platform of 0.75 inch descending to 0.5 inch in the front of the shoe also covered in the same supple leather and a ankle strap with a metal buckle. What I like most on Gucci is that they have managed to keep it classic and add modernity to their models. Working with the finest materials and using specialised hands for the manufacturing.