Back before I started blogging, I was already a beauty product junkie. I would run out and buy stuff and when it didn’t work for me, or if I had stockpiled one too many back ups, wonder what to do with them. And then I discovered Ebay. At the time, things were more relaxed and I could sell lightly used cosmetics there. Then, they started clamping down on used products and charging high fees and I gave up. It was too much effort.
Then, I noticed that many people started using their blogs as an avenue to sell their lightly used cosmetics. I have purchased one or two items from such blog sales from blogs I read and trust to know how well they care for their products and items. But in the main, I am not a blog sale consumer. I have been asked to run a blog sale too, and believe me, the prospect is tempting.
I’ve chosen not to though. Primarily because of time and effort (I’m living in a time deficit!) but also because of the horror stories I hear from some bloggers – buyers backing out, bargaining over shipping costs, harrassment if packages go out late, allegations that products aren’t as described or that packages go missing etc etc… I think somehow, its about as bad as operating an online store, if not worse! With an online store, you sell for gain, but with a blog sale, its mostly making losses or making back just a fraction of what you paid for the item.
Yet, for buyers, blog sales are a really good place to pick up a bargain. Want to try a Chanel lipstick or blush? Maybe eyeing a limited edition item that sold out before you could get your hands on it? If it turns up on a blog sale, you could score yourself a bargain.
For sellers, its a good way to offload products that don’t work for you, that you don’t use, extra back ups or products that just don’t get enough love. You can’t recoup the full price, but at least get something out of it as opposed to letting it rot. Or maybe you went to a warehouse sale and bought too much stuff and are regretting it when you see your credit card bill. Been there, done that! Warehouse sales are evil. I used to go for them and end up with so much excess and if this happens to you, then blog sales could be the answer.
But my beef primarily, is when I see something a blogger proclaimed to love in their review go up on their blog sale. It makes me wonder if the review was indeed genuine or if we really do have such short attention spans? Also, there is no way of telling if a product was purchased themselves, or sent by a brand PR or from a goodie bag, in which case, selling it would be crass. Some people get lots of press samples, some of which may not see light of day as a review on the blog. So does that make it alright to sell? Personally I’d say no but will it happen? Yes it does. Sometimes, I know when it does and that really really bugs me! Don’t even get me started on people who sell items they win in a blog giveaway.
I realize this steps on a lot of peoples’ toes so I’m going no further. I like the concept, and I think its a win-win situation for everyone. But like many concepts, execution sometimes fails.
What do you think of blog sales, both as a seller or as a buyer? Any stories from either side of the fence?
To answer my question, I have never sold but as a buyer, I once picked up a limited edition blush I missed out on and I love it. One woman’s junk is another’s treasure after all. I think blog sales are a good way to get rid of clutter but really, I also question the perceived need for that much clutter to start. Food for thought? As Becca has pointed out before, I tend to rock the boat quite a bit and talk about taboo subjects. Lets hope my boat doesn’t spring a leak 😛
Paris B
In my knowledge, there are people out there who spend full time entering blog giveaways, department store lucky draws etc etc. Here, there are people who even made rubber stamps with their contact details that they just stamp on hundreds of lucky draw tickets. For those of us who sometimes thought we’d get lucky with entering lucky draws (yeah in my dreams) we have to write our names/emails/tel numbers by hand!!
Anyway, slightly drifting apart from blog sales topic… sorry. :p I guess doing a blog sales to get rid of a few items is fine. Doing it to get extra income so you can go out and buy more stuff is… not great.
I’m not a blogger, but I have been tempted in blog sales before… hahahaha! Sometimes I think that buying a new product is more worth the effort if the sale items have to be shipped from another country! After all, there are many promotions / discounts in online stores! 😀
Wow the rubber stamp thing is new to me! Yeah when I enter contests, I just try my luck once. I didn’t realise that people would buy 20 magazines so they can enter 20 times 😛 How naive of us eh? 😛 Worst, most of us who really want it may not win while those who do win may not even want the prize! 😛
I do sell lots of things in my blog 🙂 So, from a seller’s point of view (or maybe just mine) I do tend to sell stuff I bought in a hurry or a campaign or some sort of stuff and then find out that there are looooots of similar stuff. For example, Bath and Body Works makes great sales you might have heard. In one of those sales, and the brand was new here in Turkey, I bought loads of stuff. But after 6 months when I opened up my cabinet I noticed that I rarely used “some” of them and didn’t use “some” of them at all! Now, selling these on blogs or ebay or similar sites is a good way to get rid of those unused items. And, as for myself, I don’t have a beauty blog, so I don’t rave about the stuff I sell and I mostly sell stuff that are universally acknowledged like BBW lotions, Missha bb cream, etc.. I do believe blog sale is a good way for me to get rid of excess stuff and to earn a little money from my stash 🙂
Ah but Casey, you are selling new products, I’m thinking? Just maybe excess ones? So its not like you used it, raved about how wonderful it was then sold it LOL! But I think buying from a blog takes a lot of trust, and its good to know its working out for you 😀
The thought of buying used products gave me goosebumps…
I have lotsa pouch and bags from GWP. I was wondering what can I do to clear them all away or should I start a blog juz to sell them on blog sale… Gave 1 batch to my sister to pass to her co-worker but since then, have collected a few. Was thinking of selling them cheap cheap at pasar malam but only thinking, no action taken coz the thought of ppl juz touching and looking with no real intention to buy gave me goosebumps as well… XD
Any suggestion ?
Yeah I can’t imagine selling stuff and letting people manhandle them without buying either! I guess that’s why I’m not in sales LOL! 😉 I have no idea where those pouches can be sold, to be honest. A long time ago, I’d have said Ebay but I’m not sure how much of a demand there is there these days. I like to use these pouches sometimes, as gift holders in lieu of buying a paper bag or wrapping 😉
I actually did get some powder products in the past from my blogging friends in a blog sale and also some new cream products, too. It’s important to trust the person you are buying it from.
You’re absolutely right, Marina! Trust is the most important thing
Some blog sales are attractive because the products sold are high end brands and brand new, limited edition or some used minimally. While the price might be lower at times, the source of the products can be questionable at times – free sampling redemption, PR reviews?
There’s a temptation to purchase such products for a lower price to try, usually for first timers like me. I have read horror stories on how blog sales gone awry where the item received was in bad state and this was not clearly specified in T&C, postage, worse is to receive fake items etc. I quote “What is cheap is not good, what is good is not cheap” lol 🙂 Of course, some cheap items are good though, just need to be selective.
Since I can be a fussy pot sometimes, I rather not take the risk. I can imagine the pain of subsequent e-mails or phone calls or sms – the costs might tally to the “savings” I had hoped for.
I might buy from sellers that I know personally, recommended by friends or have good reviews online. Purchasing a new item may be pricey but I guess it is worth the extra dollar than a dollop of frustration. And sometimes purchasing from the counter entitles you to some GWP, ain’t a bad deal too I guess 🙂
Haha I’m pretty much like you. Swayed to buy in a blog sale but never making the commitment because of various factors. I tend to trust buying from an online store because I know that if something goes wrong, I can get it rectified. Its sometimes harder to rationalize with a person than a business entity 🙂
I heard people collected perfume samples at department stores and sold them on ebay. A coworker once bought counterfeit shoes on ebay. I had an unfortunate experience on Amazon buying a counterfeit hair product and Amazon CS doesn’t investigate unless you return/exchange…which makes no sense because if you do or not how does that investigate fraud? Sorry for the rant, I’m just saying consumers need not ever assume. Be careful.
I really dread contacting a seller about an issue with an order, but if the seller is a blogger that does not have a business then they might not know how to handle certain situations like a broken item from postal service error etc. I was tempted to buy a powder blush from a blog sale once but didn’t for the hygiene reasons already mentioned but also because
….like you said it’s pretty much a loss for the seller and all the blog sales I came across wanted payments “gifted” to paypal to avoid charges on the sellers account. Buyer protection is a hassle to exercise, but with gifting the purchase, there is no protection that sucks. Also I’m not an active reader I can’t keep up so I can’t say I can “trust.”
Hiya, Ollie I think sometimes, we just never know who we might be dealing with. A person can have so many aspects to their character and we only really see their online persona in one aspect – their blog. Its hard to say just how trustworthy a person can be. I’m sorry to hear you had a poor shopping experience online. I didn’t expect it of somewhere like Amazon! I tend to be a bit paranoid about where I shop too and stick to sites that are highly rated or which friends recommend.
OMG- I have been thinking about this the last couple of days and was wondering if I would comment on this on my own blog but decided against it. I noticed the same thing. I thought it was kind of strange too. If you are reviewing a product and think it is awesome but then why are you selling it in a blog sale and mentioning that you only used 1x or 2x. To me it just means your review was kind of disingenious. I definitely get the sense bloggers are buying just to blog about something, but when they never give negative, or lukewarm, reviews it means they are likely trying to establish a PR friendly environment. I’ve become less interested in certain blogs view points because they will never give a negative review and they will post PR samples that YOU KNOW THEY WOULD NEVER BUY. Honestly, I “read” very few blogs now, focusing more on pictures amd swatches. The few I read it is because I believe the blogger is still posting their opinions on a product. PS – I love reading your blog! 🙂
Hiya! I’m glad I’m not the only one thinking about this 🙂 I didn’t know that people were actually buying stuff to review just so they could get a foot in the PR door? Gosh! Talk about being sneaky! That’s part of the reason I get a bit suspicious when I see a highly raved product go up in a blog sale. If I really loved something, I wouldn’t put it up for sale! And thank you for supporting my blog. I appreciate it more than you could ever know 😀
I’ve gotta tell you that blog sales creep me out. Used cosmetics—-ewwwwww.
I’m not so fussed about used powder cosmetics, but when I see lipglosses and even mascara on sale, I give a shudder!
I’ve never bought from a blog sale before, but I have went to check out a couple of them. I guess I am just not used to getting used items.
Honestly, I haven’t thought as much as you about the stuff people sell. But I do agree that I myself find it hard to even give away items that I don’t like (gave a bad review), much less putting it up for sale.
LOL!! Yes indeed! If I hated something, chances are I’m not that keen to give it away, much less sell it!
Haha, I’m still loving these, Paris–don’t you dare stop!!! I think blog sales are great. I do agree and think it’s a bit tacky to sell press samples and, yes definitely, contest winnings….but what can ya do. I guess if people want them bad enough, it doesn’t matter. I DO get VERY weirded out though by people selling used lip products, though. Lipsticks that are LE and lightly used and sanitized after, maybe. But lipsticks used halfway and look grimy and nasty and are still available in-stores? Really? Just pay the extra $5 for a new one. And don’t get me started on lip glosses. Oh sweet Lord, ugh….no thank you. How would one go about sanitizing something like that?? I don’t know, maybe that’s just me though?!
Haha not stopping, Becca! 😉 Ahhh yes I agree with you about lip products. I dare bet that no one ever really uses a lip brush with their lipstick, no matter what they say! As for lipglosses, one word. Yuck! That and mascara.
I’ve bought a few times and had good experiences, but I’ve only bought from blogs that I’ve been a long time reader of, so I knew that I could trust the seller.
However, in the end I realized that I tend to overbuy from blog sales, so I try not to buy anymore, regardless of the size of the bargain – I just have too much stuff to begin with!
LOL I think we all work that out over time 😉 I tend to look at stuff from blog sales of bloggers I follow too. I just feel they are more trustworthy and if they are friends, all the better! At least I know how well taken care of their products are 😀
re: “when I see something a blogger proclaimed to love in their review go up on their blog sale. It makes me wonder if the review was indeed genuine or if we really do have such short attention spans?”
I used to spend a bit of time on specktra and some people just HOARD for example, I like this eyeliner I will buy 3 of it because it’s limited edition (as most cases with MAC). So I reckon some of the sales are because they need the cash. You should do a blog sale 🙂
Actually, selling off a spare or back up doesn’t grate on my nerves as much as someone selling off that one (used) item that they professed to love. That is what bugs me 😉 But no plans for a blog sale as yet. No time LOL! 😉
I’ve done a couple of very small blog sales and it was only ever stuff that I’ve barely used and only ever products that I had purchased myself. I’d never dream of selling PR products and if I do find I have no more use for PR supplied products I just pass them onto friends and family. I’ve never had any dramas with products going missing in the post but I have had people who don’t pay and then cut off all contact which can be a little frustrating. I have bought a few items from blog sales in the past but only from bloggers I know personally and who have been around for a long time.
The 2 or 3 times I bought from a blog sale, it was from people I was familiar with too. Its just easier that way 🙂 And yeah PR products. I prefer to just pass them on gratis because that’s how they came 🙂
Totally agree with LeGeeque, wont buy used/tested products due to hygiene issues and suitability of my skin. Cosmetics and skincare products are things that you want to touch, try, and smell for a while to see the compatibility. Unless its something that you’ve definitely used before and want to restock, thats acceptable 🙂
Yep, I prefer where possible to buy in person too but that said, I do buy a lot of stuff online too! 😀 But usually stuff I already am familiar with, or something we don’t get so I can’t try it out anyway.
I once bought a brand new item from a well known popular blogger. The product came pretty well packaged with bubble wrap, but once I pulled it out of the envelope she mailed it in, there was some sort of sand-like white dust inside. When I unwrapped it, the sand-like dust was stuck on the tape she used on the bubble wrap along with dog hair. It’s well known she has a dog from her videos.
I was disappointed because from her videos, she seemed like a clean person. I have not used the product I bought yet and I don’t think I will purchase from this person again.
Granted, she’s a very nice person, but I won’t purchase again.
I actually really like today’s blog subject.
Oh dear that wasn’t a very nice experience. I once received a swap package back in my swap days, that smelt of stale cigarette smoke. It was awful and I had to bin the lot 🙁
My situation could be different from hers, I can’t explain the sand part but I get dog hair everywhere and sometimes I don’t know how that damned dog hair might get stuck on the tape even if I’m really careful.
This topic is interesting and I wanted to add some thoughts. I don’t know if a person is being disingenuous if they sell a product they raved about or if they just soon got bored with it. I’ve purchased stuff I thought was fantastic and then never used. Am I disingenuous or fickle? Maybe I just have too many of the same things and reverted to using my old favorite in the drawer — you know the product that is easy to use and gives you a great look in no time flat. Although we seek novelty, we often are creatures of habit.
One thing I find useful about blog sales is that it helps me decide what to buy…just as much as reviews. Several products that were raved about turned up in blog sales so I decided not to buy. For whatever reason, they were not keepers. Discards as well as purchases can inform!
You have a point, Kay. Boredom might play a part I suppose. I guess that’s why I’m a little loathe to say that I really really love something because we are mostly quite fickle and our attention will wander. Also, that’s an interesting point about products that turn up on blog sales. I guess I just never paid enough attention to them but now I will! 😉