Hey pals,
I sell a lot of items online, across different platforms, so I’ve had these questions below multiple times about different items across the platforms… and I wanted to talk about why these questions are stupid and how to ask a similar question and actually get an answer that would help you as a buyer and the seller.
(note: this is an abrasive and rant-like post because hearing these questions so often is extremely frustrating especially considering I am selling my items relatively cheaply to try and shift items and make at least a little bit of money)
‘Have you tried it on to know how it fits compared to a women’s dress size?’ (about a mens blazer)
Men’s sizing is in inches, it’s not a stupid made up number like women’s, so knowing the size (which was on the post) she could measure herself and decide if she thought it was too big. I said something along these lines but a bit more polite. Her response was: ‘oh it would definitely fit i am only a size 8 which is a 36” chest i just wondered how big/oversized it fits, how it hangs, if the shoulders might look silly etc’
My response was: i dont know, I wear a mens 42 and i’m a 14/16. Each jacket has a different style/cut and each body is different, I wouldn’t be able to advise on your body and how this jacket would look sorry
I have never been a true size 8, I have no idea what that life is like. My waist is about the size of her chest, for reference. I’m tall, broad, big boobed and have unusually long arms. I know from experience with my body that things don’t look the same on everyone. My mum for example is the same ish weight as me, 2-3 inches shorter than me and carries her weight on her bum whereas mine is on my waist. We might be similar clothing sizes, but we look totally different. Also I’m selling this blazer for £10 including UK postage, so either buy it to see if it’ll fit coz its way cheaper than any other blazer you’ll find, or fuck off?
People offering lower than the price im selling an item at, getting my response of sure I can post on this day shall I change the price on the listing, and then they say: ‘cant buy until…’ (insert a day of the week somewhere between 4 and 10 days away)
I often reply with: okay well message me again on the day if it’s still available.
This one replied: ‘okay not 100% sure yet tho’
Why are you messaging me if you don’t even know if you want it? What a waste of everyone’s time here.
‘Do you have a pic of this on?’
I sell lots of items of all sizes either because family or friends have given them to me to sell or because I’ve changed size so much over the years. Most of the time I’ll try to add a picture of it on if it still fits just to avoid this question, but if I haven’t I also will not go out of my way to take one because it’s a dumb question.
This particular instance I said: no it’s not my size. What are you looking for from a photo of it on? I might be able to give more information.
Coz yanno i still wanna sell these items so if I can measure the length of something for you, sure I will, but I’m not putting it on coz we probably don’t look anything alike!
Her reply: it was just really the length of it
So i said: i can measure it for you tomorrow if you like (it was nearly midnight and i wasn’t gonna get up to do it now)
She replied the next morning: thanks
I couldn’t reply til the evening: sorry for delay i was a bit busy today, it’s 31 inches long
Didn’t even get a reply of thanks but no thanks, which is super fucking rude.
‘Hello your shirt caught my attention and i would like to see it before buying if you happen to live in (enter city here) by any chance?’
For starters the location is on my posts (which is not exactly where I live but that’s the town on my address, and needless to say it is not in the city this person was asking about)
I said: no I don’t live in ______. About half an hour drive outside. It’s as it looks in the photo. It’s been worn a couple of times, practically as new.
No reply.
The question was stupid because you can see my location and it’s just wasting time asking something like that, and getting my hopes up for a sale to just not even bother responding. Also £5 for the t-shirt, do you need to come see it first?
There are many many more situations like this and worse. I face many rude people regularly and many silly questions like the ones above which mostly never end in a sale, which makes it even more frustrating because I am not even getting paid for my time answering. Occasionally I get really lovely buyers or really quick and easy transactions that do make this worth it (I once sold something to someone at 2/3 of the price because they were so nice and respectful to me, remember politeness always pays) and I do appreciate those buyers so much!
Leave a comment with your worst or best experiences selling (or buying) second-hand so I don’t feel so alone! I’ve told a lot of these to a friend of mine who literally cannot relate at all and has never had an issue…
Check out my depop where I sell most of my things now!! I am unable to work as I am chronically ill and disabled and making sales really does help me afford travel, petrol, private health care, etc.
~ Artie
ArtieCarden 