Ukay-Ukay Shopping on eBay

I have been buying and selling on eBay for years and I know a few big eBay stores selling ukay-ukay (thrifted goods). I love a good bargain (who doesn't?!) and I have nothing against buying or selling ukay-ukay. I just prefer to pay a low and reasonable price for them so I have completely dismissed buying from those big ukay shops on eBay and opted for the small, less popular ones where I got this Forever 21 tee, for example. Excellent condition, carefully packed, washed and it smelled of perfume - a pretty good deal for P99.00.

Forever 21 Do Not Care tee, EUC, 99php on eBay

There are currently at least three eBay shops that come to mind when it comes to branded ukay-ukay. They are big stores with feedback of over a thousand. I bought at least 1 item from each shop and here's my assessment:

Shop 1: I like this shop because the owner is nice and I always end up bidding on an item with no other bidders so I get it for a low, and reasonable price. Ex. A Zara dress for P499. The items don't exactly smell strongly of ukay.

Shop 2: I bought a top from them years ago and it arrived smelling like ukay with a hole on the side. I returned it. Return wasn't that smooth but I got my money back.

Shop 3: I bought two dresses and a jacket which smelled like ukay. One looked great in the picture but the thin, flimsy, almost slimy material made it look and feel like a black garbage bag, to be honest. It also had a snag at the back. The other dress was alright. The jacket had a big rip in the lining. I returned the first dress. I got my refund excluding shipping fee (of course) but it was also short around 50 pesos (she probably charged me the bank fee to send the refund).

The last two shops almost always have items that end in really high bid price (P1,000 up). Good for them but I wonder, do they treat those auctions differently? Do they actually wash the items so they won't reek before shipping since they got a lot of money for them?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with selling thrifted items as long as you state it on your listings or if you're omitting this info on purpose, at least wash the items so they won't reek of ukay. Also, always check them for snags, rips, tears and be honest about it on your listing. If it is obviously your mistake that the buyer chose to get a refund, at least, cover the shipping fee. It is only fair.

I love buying and selling on eBay, not only because of the feedback system but also because I feel more secure transacting through the site. I will write about online shopping comparison between sites in the next couple of days.

My Last Meal: Beef Stew

I wrote this entry after reading this interesting article, The Last Meals of Death-Row Inmates Photographed by Henry Hargreaves

If I'd have to pick a last meal, this would be it.
BEEF STEW and here's how I did it.

Ingredients:

olive oil
large onion, chopped
garlic cloves, diced
lean bacon, chopped
mushrooms, chopped
tomato paste
beef cubes
large potatoes, quartered
large carrots, cut up
beef broth, water
salt
ground pepper
bay leaves
Worcestershire Sauce
rice, mash potatoes, Naan bread or garlic bread and sour cream, to serve

Heat oil. Add onion. Cook until softened. Add garlic. Add chopped mushrooms until lightly brown.

Fry bacon in the same pan until lightly brown. Add beef cubes. Add carrots and potatoes. Add tomato paste. Add beef stock. I sometimes cheat and use Knorr Beef Cubes with water.

Season with salt, ground pepper, bay leaves and Worcestershire Sauce. Bring to the boil. Cover and cook in very low heat. Cook for 2-3 hours.

If sauce gets too low, I just add more water and I re-season. I love to have my beef stew with white, whole grain/organic rice and Naan. Husband prefers rice with slices of Naan/garlic bread and sour cream. It can also be served with mash instead of rice. Enjoy.

Notes:
I'm lazy. I don't take notes and I very rarely follow quantities indicated in recipe books/online recipes so I left it out. I always taste the sauce and re-season until I achieve the taste that I'm after. My frustration is, and this goes for all others I've cooked, when I think I've made the best tasting meal, I could never replicate it. Am I the only one?

I prefer cooking the stew on a stove top (than an electric slow cooker or pressure cooker). I cook it for up to 3 hours until supersoft. The room fills with the beautiful aroma of the stew every time and that alone makes this recipe to die for.