ebay Anxiety

So, the concept behind ebay is brilliant - I'm not going to deny it. Total genius. Plus it's like a form of recycling, and you know I'm all about that. But as a consumer, it does just that: consumes. Suddenly I'm obsessed with finding the best deal. I begin searching and researching, using slightly different words. I begin to wonder if now is the opporunte window to be purchasing my item. Perahps in a few days/weeks/months the spattering of hits will be lower priced. I start obsessing over specific items. Is this the one I want - or this one? Which one is better?! Then there is the argument of strategy: big high early and scare off other potentials, or bide your time and bid suddenly at the end? If you bid too high too early - you've blown the "deal" aspect of the purchase. But if you wait too long, you risk being auto-outbid in the final seconds. It's exhausting!!

And then after all that drama - to not win: heartbreaking. You have not only failed at shopping, but you've invested all this time into, well, nothing (quite literally). And to win? Despite the ads on tv touting the clever philosophy "it's better when you win it," in my opinion, it's not. I am instantly plagued by the notion that if I had been more patient/looked harder/waited longer I could've gotten a better deal. Buyer's remorse is swift and inevitable.

Ahh, woulda/shoulda/coulda - it'll kill ya if you let it. Moral of the story: ebay is only for the strong my friend.

And on a completely unrelated note, my new pair of Keens should be arriving any day now! ;)