I’ve had it happen before, but I’m usually not completely shut out across the board like this time. I picked up 6 pairs of brand, spanking new classic men’s size 7.5 E and D medium wide Johnston Murphy Aristocraft and Passport loafers from an estate last week. They are gorgeously built shoes, unworn and absolutely pristine.
They normally retail for around $200- $250 or so. I started them at $70, then $60, then $50. Not even a nibble at auctions close tonight. All the small feeted/footed men are apparently saving their pennies. I realize 7.5 E is not the most popular men’s size, but this is bullshit!
I think I’m going to offer them as size 8.5 wide executive loafers for sturdy women if this keeps up.
7.5 E is a rather tiny size for a man. The average women’s shoe size is around an 8, and possibly bigger; 9.5 is an average size for a man. Female fashion models (always exemplars of “sturdiness”) wear from a 9 to a 10.
Maybe I’m just odd but I couldn’t imagine buying shoes over the internet. I have such hard to fit feet (11EEE) and sizes vary so much from maker to maker that it just seems pointless. YMMV
Still, I’d’ve thought that one of those people who just buy and resell stuff would have taken a gander. But I guess the lack of interest probably sqashed that.
Also, I agree with everyone else–of the people whose shoe size I know, I don’t know any adult male who wears that small of a shoe. Even my friend who had size 7 feet forever (and was somewhat made fun of for it) eventually moved up to a size 8.
I think the problem is that most men really wouldn’t think of looking for shoes on eBay. Also, the fact that there’s a huge difference between retail and what they’re going for would make most people wary.
Well, the shoes are an odd size, and how often do people go looking for shoes on eBay? I’d never buy a pair from that place. I MIGHT consider buying a pair of Berkies from their online store, if my local B&M store didn’t carry the kind I wanted and wouldn’t order it. My feet are short and wide, and I have a very high instep. This means that I really do need to try on every pair before I buy them. I believe that Birkenstock is very consistent in its sizing, so I’d be OK with ordering online from them. But I probably wouldn’t buy a pair from some unknown seller on eBay.
So you have to count on someone who wears that size actually being able to find the listing, and also count on that someone being a person who will actually buy shoes online. The odds are really against you.
True, and it’s only a weekend hobby, but I usually sell the hell out of shoes in ebay, that’s why getting skunked with what I thought was a great deal was frustrating. The key is to measure the shoes precisely, stay with top brands, do lots of photos, and only sell very good quality to near new shoes. If people know their size in a specific brand getting near new (ie worn once or twice) name brand shoes for 25% to 30% of retail is a win-win.
Per the suggestions here I’m selling them under the category of women’s shoes.
That wasn’t my intent of the link in the last message showing the men’s shoe being (now) sold as a woman’s, it was to show I had taken the doper’s advice in this thread and that I thought the notion was kind of amusing, but point fully noted that any link to a for sale item could be contsrued that way, and it was inappropriate.
