How to Buy Chanel Flats (at a Discount!)
Today I'm spilling ALL my tips and tricks for buy Chanel flats at a major discount. Who doesn't want to know that?! I'm building up my collection and continue to do so, now you can too!So I'll be 100% honest when I say I've purchased almost every single pair of my Chanel flats on eBay (one came from Poshmark and the other from TheRealReal). Some are brand new, some are gently used and if you don't have a problem with that, then we're good! eBay is my biggest secret in buying designer goods at a steal and it can be yours too!My philosophy is to always get the best deal you can, no matter what you're looking for. I have zero shame in shopping second hand (and you shouldn't either) because, 1. you don't have anything to prove, and 2. you might as well save some money, especially when they're big ticket items.If you think of it this way, I have seven pairs of Chanel flats -- all secondhand (some still new) -- and let's say they were all a total of $1,000 (they're obviously not but play along). Say the shoes would have been $500 brand new. Wouldn't I want seven pairs at $1,000 instead of two for the same price? I still have the money to spend, but this way I'm just being smart and have the ability to buy more. Are you with me?
My Story: Before living in New York, I was never a flat-wearing girl. I loved basically anything but flats and refused to wear them. I hated the way they made my legs look stumpy and flat so I always avoided them. Well, that was until I moved here of course because it's either flats or bust.I learned real quick that I needed to get a good pair of flats to walk around the city in. I started out with this random pair from Target. I just needed something to wear and these were super comfortable! It wasn't until I was wearing them so much that I realized for my type of lifestyle, I needed something with a little more oomph.Because I was balancing between work and blogging (aka events after work) I decided it was time to invest in a fashionable pair of flats and of course my go-to were the black and beige cap toe Chanel's. I remember I searched for months finding the perfect pair. I had never bought or worn any and I knew the sizing was all over the place so I was a little worried. I didn't know then what I know now!I snagged a pair off eBay for a relatively good price. The seller listed them as a size eight and I was good to go (so I thought). They were pretty big on me but since I bought them, I was stuck with them. I went to my local cobbler in the city and he put in a cushion that weirdly made them fit perfectly. Which really ended up working out to my advantage because now they are my MOST comfortable shoe! There is nothing worse than having shoes that are too small!
Finding the Perfect Pair:When I search on eBay I always find myself searching a couple different terms to make sure I have all my bases covered. Different people list it as different names so my usual go to's are: "chanel flats" "chanel ballet" or "chanel ballet flats." From there I like to filter by "US only" -- it's a little down on the left hand side under "item location." I find that most fakes come from outside the US (at least on eBay) and this is just an easy first step to filter any of those postings out. I also filter by "buy it now" at the top part of the screen. I do this mainly because I'm impatient and bidding on things gives me anxiety. This way I know exactly what I'm going to pay and I can buy on my own time.After that, you obviously want to filter by size. If you're unaware of your size or may think you're a couple different options, feel free to check more than one box (click "see all" to select more than one at a time). It's a little tricky because eBay lists sizing in US while Chanel only sell them in European sizing. If you need a quick conversion chart, I like this one! So just be aware of this when selecting. More on sizing/fit of the shoes below!One thing to note here (aka big tip) -- make sure to check out the "not specified" shoe size on eBay. Sometimes people just forget or don't list them, but that means there might be some good hidden gems in there!Since sizing is pretty off from the normal sizing we know and love, sometimes I find it best to try my search words with my shoe size in them like: "chanel flats 39.5" "chanel ballet 39.5 " or "chanel ballet flats 39.5." I do find that people list what the shoe fits like instead of the actual shoe size, which can be really really tricky. So you have to filter, look, search and be aware of all of these things when shopping!Most of the time I search it with my Chanel size in the caption, filter it and then stalk the images to make sure they're truly a 39 1/2. So much so that if they don't show the bottom of the shoe I won't buy them! It's better safe than sorry.
Making Sure They're Authentic:
This is one of the biggest concerns people have with eBay -- how do I know my item is authentic? eBay goes through a lot of steps to keep counterfeits off their site and protect the buyer. A long, long time ago (before I was an eBay pro) I bought this pair of Tory Burch miller sandals that, once I got them in, realized they were fake. Super random but of course I called my mom freaking out. She told me to contact eBay, tell them what happened and that they would take care of it, which they did! They refunded my money and punished the seller. It was really awesome and helpful of them and I pretty much never looked back after that. Now when I gauge authenticity, there are a ton of things I check over first. Of course you filter by US (or wherever you're based) and then start looking. I open new tabs of the shoes that look nice and the research begins. You want to always first take a look at the sellers rating. I don't trust anything under 90% and if it's a little below, I'll dig in a little further to see what's up. 100% rating = trust! Top Rated Plus (an eBay honor) = EXTRA trust! I also don't trust anyone with a number lower than 20. Means they're new and don't have enough reviews to make an informed decision. If a seller has anything less than 100% rating, look into it. Clicking on the number will take you to their page. Scroll down a bit to see what their ratings are from 1-12 months as a buyer, seller or both. See how many positive/negative/neutral ratings they have and read them! Buyers are so great at leaving helpful and in depth reviews so you can get to know the experience you'll have with this seller.Once you've done this, it's time to check out the actual listing. I go for the photos first. Full screen and up close then look at what they have to say in the description. Are they worn down? With or without box? Where did you get them? Why are you selling them? How do they fit? Good sellers will tell you most of this and more. Read and re-read to understand what they're making sure you know before you buy.After ALL of this checks out, I then add the shoes to my watch list and keep shopping. I like to compare, see what deals I can get and if there is something else I like more. Never pull the trigger right away (unless they're your dream shoes!) it's always best to sit a few days on the decision.If you're around a size 8 I think these are really great options from reputable sellers: Rose Gold Cap / Black and Tan Patent / Brown Leather / Bubble Gum Pink Patent
What's My Size? I wish there was a clear-cut way of answering this! I own seven pairs and they legitimately all fit differently. I'm normally a US size eight in everything so my European shoe size would be (depending on the shoe) a 38.5-39. Why the conversion is so difficult is beyond me. One thing I can tell you is that Chanel shoes run small. I've asked all of my friends who own pairs and they've said the same. The only difference is sometimes it's a half size bigger, sometimes it's a full size. I will tell you though that the leather fit completely differently than the patent. I don't have any quilted pairs so I can't speak for them.But I do know that the patents are pretty true to size throughout and I've sized a half size up in them (all 39). The leather I have two pairs both 39 1/2. One fits perfectly and the other is huge. Ugh.So what I would do since this is really such a toss up, is to ask the seller to measure in centimeters how long the shoes are. Then you can measure your shoes/feet and try to compare. That or just take a guess! Chanel flats have a great resale value so it's not the end of the world if they're too small. If they're took big put in an insert. It really helps!
My Go-To Pair:Obviously my first love are my classic cap toe pair. They actually go with everything and with my inserts they're extremely comfortable. With that being said, I honestly couldn't live without my black ones either. Of course you need a good black flat in your life. I have the black in a patent color! In addition to these two, I also have a nude patent and two red patent ones I love. Any pop of red is fine by me.What Else?
Just some last things to note here. It's weird but Chanel shoes get pretty dirty on the inside and outside. I've had the same problem with all of my flats. I hope it's not just me but the inside get these weird dots. I just try to clean my shoes every other week and I can really tell a difference. It's easy for the patent pairs to also clean the outside too.
For the leather pairs, they seem to pick up dirt easily (like on the outside). For this I just take them to my cobbler every six months or so and have them cleaned and recolored. Just make sure to take it to someone you can trust and who has had experience with designer items!
I created a public collection on eBay of Chanel ballet flats I think are from reputable dealers and a good steal in ALL sizes to help your search.
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