Cheap S%$T Pick of the Week: eBay

This is a fun little story about the worlds of two recessionistas colliding.

While working at the Union Club of Boston, I managed to do a lot of people-watching (standing behind a bar for three-hour-long private parties will do that to a girl).  I didn't just observe awkward people in social situations, I observed shoes.  Bags.  Dresses.  Jewelry.  A lot of jewelry.  One necklace, in particular, caught my attention back in April or May this past year.  I'd seen it recently on a mannequin display at J. Crew in a different color, and I knew it was quickly becoming a trend.  Here it is on the J.Crew website for a whopping $150:

Upon handing her her fifth or sixth glass of champagne of the evening, I complimented her for her necklace and asked where it was from.  Her response?  "eBay."  I couldn't tell if the booze was catching up to her or if I had heard wrong, but I couldn't wrap my head around it.  eBay?  Really?  For a necklace?

(For the record, this chick is totally normal and offered to help me get a job in PR.  Love ya, Shannon.)

Thus, my eBay jewelry research began.  To my disbelief, I found A TON of really really cute and trendy necklaces on the website, and immediately began shopping.  My final purchase consisted of four necklaces, two of which were this bubble bib necklace in yellow and teal, for under $40 including shipping.  Unheard of, right?

I got my jewelry in the mail (which took quite a while due to the fact that the bubble bib necklaces were being made in China) and had two realizations.  One, they're IDENTICAL to the J.Crew necklaces.  I beat the bubble bib necklace system.  And two, I realized I hated the yellow.  HATED.  I became a huge fan of yellow this summer but this necklace was just too much.  After reading a blog post about painting costume jewelry with nail polish, I realized the task ahead of me.  I would paint the yellow necklace a fall color.  The necklace cost me $8 at most, and I knew I would wear it if it was a different color, especially if it was a nice purple-ish grey for the fall.  I AM THE MOST BRILLIANT.

Before:

During:

 

So, I chose a nail color I had that I didn't wear often but really liked the color, Smokin' Hot by Essie, and painted the entire necklace.

It took a few days to paint one half of a bead, wait a few hours, and then paint the other side, but it looks fantastic.  You really wouldn't know unless you looked WAY up close and saw that I couldn't paint underneath the metal part of each bead.

After:

This HUGE website with endless options may get a bit overwhelming, so eBay shoppers, be weary: make sure you know what you're looking for before you start searching, and start by Google-ing some search terms so you know exactly what your piece is called.  I had to Google "bib necklaces" for quite a while before I actually found what I was looking for.

I like to think that I've done an eco-friendly deed by following the Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle mantra.  Instead of throwing out my yellow necklace and buying a new one, I'm making an effort to "reuse" as well as save myself some money.

Do you have old jewelry in need of a fresh coat of paint?  Is it worth painting over old pieces, or would you rather buy a new piece of jewelry with a whole new feel and look?  Comment away!