The simple answer is: everywhere.
This means Apps, Auction sites, Facebook communities, even other Instagram accounts.
If you're looking to buy Liz Lisa, the biggest question is, "will the seller ship to my country" and the answer will depend on where you are buying from.
I like to categorize the sites and apps I use:
The first category is the "Japanese Auction" category.
This includes Yahoo Auctions, Mbok, and Fril.
These are Japanese based auction sites, meaning they only ship within Japan and you will need to use a shopping service in order to ship the items to you. These auction sites are FILLED with hundreds of pages of Liz Lisa and the point of a shopping service is to have someone from Japan buy the items for you, and ship them out to your country.I recommend using Chibi Tenshi's shopping service, since I have had great experiences with her!
The second Category I like to call "Worldwide"
I call this group "Worldwide" because you can buy pieces from sellers all around the world. There are three places to buy worldwide. Depop, Facebook, and Ebay.
If you use the App "Depop" it is up to the seller whether or not they will ship internationally. Most of the time, they will be willing to ship worldwide as long as the buyer accepts a higher shipping fee. That means there are sellers from the US, UK, Germany, Japan, China, Canada, etc. so it is possible to find a seller within your own country.
Much like Depop, Facebook Sales communities offer a wide range of sellers from all over the world. Often times sellers upload a whole album of clothing they are selling, so you can get some great bundle deals and save on shipping.
Lastly, you can find Liz Lisa and himekaji pieces on Ebay.
The third group is what I call "US apps"
This category includes Poshmark, Vinted and Mercari. These Apps only allow US sellers to sell to US buyers. I think its in the rules when you sign up. This is because these apps offer their own shipping labels. This ensures that the item is tracked, and the app knows exactly when the package is delivered. If you are a US buyer, be sure to check those out! Vinted and Mercari are App only, but you can easily shop on Poshmark from your laptop/computer.
Now, if you like to adventure on your own, go right ahead and explore.
If you'd like a more in-depth explanation on how I use each site/app, you may continue reading :)
Japanese Auctions
Yahoo Auctions
Mbok
Fril
Worldwide
Depop
Ebay
US Apps
Poshmark
Vinted
Mercari
Yahoo Auctions:
To put it simply, this is the Japanese Ebay. The site is in Japanese, but your browser should automatically translate the page to English or whatever your native language is. I use Google Chrome so it translates automatically, but I think if your browser doesn't, you can easily right click and there should be an option to translate.
Here's what Yahoo Auctions homepage looks like:
When you come to this site, you will notice that there is a banner at the top (or bottom) for Buyee. Buyee is a verified shopping service that will allow you to bid on items within Yahoo Auctions and will ship them to you. You could also use an outside shopping service, such as Chibi Tenshi's Shopping Service.
The difference between Buyee and Chibi Tenshi is that Buyee allows you to bid on the items yourself, where Chibi Tenshi would bid for you.
If you're using Chibi Tenshi's service, you will send her the url link to the items page along with your maximum bid. She even buys from Mbok and Fril as well, so if you would want to buy multiple items from different auction sites she will be willing to wait until all items arrive and ship them to you all together.
Please keep in mind that both Buyee and Chibi Teshi are shopping services. They charge service fees so it is best to calculate the total charge beforehand. Calculators and Estimators can be found on both of their pages.
I recommend Chibi Tenshi's shopping service. To be fair, it's the only shopping service I have used, but it went smoothly. It's very personal and I feel confident, as I would rather trust someone who has had experience bidding on Japanese auction sites as opposed to bidding myself. She also speaks Japanese, so she can give you a better translation than your internet browser!
If you're leaning more towards Buyee, it is best to browse the listings on Yahoo Auctions through Buyee's website. This way you can favorite and keep track of listings, plus you are in complete control of biding.
Heres What Buyee's homepage looks like:
To the right you will see "Register". Here you can sign up with your paypal/credit card, and everything after that is as simple as bidding on Ebay or any other auction site you may be familiar with. At the top left you will see "Auction", if you click there, you will be able to search listings from Yahoo Auctions. Once you search for an item and find one you like, you can Add it to your watchlist (may be a star icon) and be able to easily go back to that item later.
(^This is what an items page looks like. You can see the "Add to Watchlist" option to the right)
Now, if you would like to purchase from Mbok, you will also need a shopping service to purchase. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Mbok charges a monthly fee to use, so you cant sign up or even purchase without paying the fee. This is what Mbok should look like:
You can search for LIZ LISA or other brands in the search bar, and categories should appear on the left. Since you cannot "favorite" or save the item for later, it is best to bookmark the items page in your browser or copy and paste the link to a word document so you can find them later and send them to your shopping service.
This is the same with FRIL. FRIL's homepage should look like this:
FRIL is essentially the same a mbok, however there are a lot more items for buy as opposed to auction. This is nice because the asking price is upfront, and you never have to worry about bidding competition. I believe FRIL also has an app, which could be convenient for browsing on the go. Once again, save the links to the items you want and send it to your shopping service for purchase.
Now for the Worldwide category, you will not need a shopping service.
First, lets start with the app Depop. Depop is simple. You download the app, create an account, and start liking items. I think the apps primary language is english, but as long as you have a basic understanding you should be fine. The most important features of this app are at the bottom.
To the left you have your feed or "home". This will show the items currently being listed from the shops you're following. This will be in chronological order, so the newest listed items will appear at the top of the timeline. This is a good place to check up on, as you can see what your favorite sellers just listed. If you just signed up, you may need to search for some shops to follow. When you sign up, I believe Depop automatically makes you follow some shops, just to get you started. I didn't care for any of the sellers I had on my follow list, so I had unfollowed them before searching for any new followers. You can do this by taping the profile icon on the bottom right. Then go to "my depop shop" and you should see two circles, one saying followers and the other following. You will want to tap the number and when you get to the list, unfollow all the shops.
Now, to find shops, I decided to search for items and then check out the sellers shop to see if I like most of the items they are listing. To do that, go to the Explore icon at the bottom. This will lead you to the featured items page and a search bar at the top.
I searched LIZ LISA and decided to start there. Click on the picture of one of the items you like, and you will see the sellers name at the top. Click on their name/image view their profile/shop. If you like what they are selling, it's probably a good idea to follow them. Another advantage to following other people on depop is that you will get to see what items they like. I find a good portion of new items from what other people like. You can find that by going to the activity section. This will also show what items they have purchased, as well as what they have sold. Sometimes it's good to follow people who dont sell. You will get familiar with the usernames on depop, and you will see the same person over and over commenting on different items. If you think you have common interests, follow them and see what they like.
To find international items, search the item you want, and keep scrolling until you get to the bottom, and it should say, "Search the rest of the world" and if you tap that, it will show you all the listings from sellers in other countries.
To see if they ship internationally, one quick way to look is to tap the buy button on the item you like (no this will not automatically commit you to buying) and see what is listed under international shipping. If it says no, that means they may not ship overseas. However , usually if you message the seller, saying you understand that international shipping is expensive and you are willing to pay the higher shipping, they will usually come up with a shipping cost for you. Most of the sellers I ask agree to ship internationally. If their profile says "ships only in the UK/US/(insert country)" then most likely they are not willing to go through the trouble of posting internationally.
If under the buy icon international postage has a number like $99,999 (or some unreasonable number) then usually that means to contact them for an international shipping quote:
Pretty simple :)
A lot of users on depop accept offers and holds, which is also an advantage to Japanese auction sites because you can communicate directly with the seller.
If you want to buy something, the first step is to check whether or not the buy button at the bottom of an item is green or black. If it is green, auto buy is on and you are free to purchase. If the item has been listed for a long time, say over 4 weeks, it is safest to comment first and ask if it is still available. Like any other closet app, sellers abandon their pages and leave their items listed for a long time. You can also check their profile to see if they have listed any other items recently. Be sure to check feedback first, as buyers will be pretty honest. If you feel safe purchasing the item, go for it! It is probably best to pay with paypal, that way if there is a problem with the order and depop doesn't help you, Paypal will back you up.
I have never had a problem on Depop, but I hear their response time is quick and they seem to handle disputes pretty well.
If the Buy button is black, that means the seller does not have auto buy on. You will need to message the seller and ask them to turn on instant buy for you.
Depop is pretty reliable and you can find a lot of unique items on here. Be careful, as sometimes items will sell fast if its a good deal or hard to find :)
If you follow a lot of himekaji enthusiasts on Instagram, a lot of users have a depop listed in their profile.
The second Worldwide option is Facebook sales communities.
Here are a few I have joined:
GYARU SALE INTERNATIONAL:
GYARU SALE
Worldwide LIZ LISA Sales Community
These pages are private groups where other Facebook members list their clothes for sale. Please note that these are closed groups, which means if you would like to be a part of the community, you must hit the "join group" button and usually someone will accept you in to the group. ** edit: some of these groups may have recently become public, which means anyone can sell and buy.
If it is a worldwide community, the members offer international shipping options. Prices will be listed along with photos. Shipping quotes may also be stated, but if not, comment and ask. If the seller doesn't respond in a few hours and the listing is getting popular, sometimes privately messaging that Facebook user is a great way to ensure your message was seen.
If you and the seller come to terms and you agree to purchase the item, payment is through paypal. Sellers will usually ask for your paypal address and send you an invoice. NEVER agree to pay through f&f (paypal friends and family) as once you send the money, there is no refund or help with a damaged/not arrived item. Always pay through Paypal goods and services (if they invoice you, it is considered a goods and services transaction) and they are required to update shipping information with a tracking number. This way, if the items does not arrive and the seller cannot provide proof of shipment, paypal will side with you and give you the refund. As a rule of thumb, I always ask sellers to send me an invoice rather than me send them a payment. Although its possible to send payment under goods and services directly to the seller, I like to make sure my seller knows right off the bat that I am not willing to pay through f&f by asking them to send me an invoice and I will pay once I receive it.
Many sellers on the facebook communities provide feedback, whether it be from livejournal or ebay. This helps in creating a reputation and determining whether or not the seller is trustable.
I have purchased from Facebook many times and have never come across an issue. If a seller (or buyer) is scamming others, the Facebook group has the right to remove them from the group.
If youre looking for any specific sellers, check out Ageha Gyaru Shop! Here you can find many Gyaru/Liz Lisa/himekaji pieces for sale at unbeatable prices. International shipping is also available. Use my code: AMARIE for 5% off!!!!
The last of the worldwide category is Ebay.
Most people have some experience with Ebay so I will make this section short. Search for the item you are looking for in the search bar and you will find all the most relevant results. If you're a shopaholic like me and you search "Liz Lisa" daily, you can search for the "newly listed" items by clicking on the drop down menu (may be to the right) and select it from the search options.
This will make the newest listings appear at the top.
One of the hardest things to do on Ebay is to tell whether or not the item is authentic. People usually take a bit longer to respond, so if the description and photos seem shady or lacking, it is probably a replica. It's always possible to ask for more photos, or even to ask where the seller had purchased it from, just know that it may take a while for the seller to reply if they dont check their notifications often. Most reputable sellers respond within the same day. Others may take 2-3 business days to respond.
The number one rule is: Do NOT buy from China.
When you scroll down below the item description, you will see the sellers location (right side is mobile):
Theres nothing wrong with Chinese sellers on Ebay, but if you care about the authenticity of the piece it is best to stay away from those shops. Even if they say the item is authentic, it is probably not. A lot of Chinese wholesalers trick people into buying unauthentic pieces, and they usually have a bulk amount of that same item to sell. I'm sure there are some sellers in China that have authentic collections and are trying to clean out their closet, but it's very risky. If the only photo in the listing is a stock photo, it is most likely not authentic. If the tags are shown and the seller is willing to upload proof of authenticity (wash tag, receipts, emails of purchase) then it may not be a dupe.
Be very cautions with any sellers, not just the ones in China. There are a lot of people from all parts of the world who list their items as authentic simply because they do not know if it is a replica or not. If you are worried about purchasing a replica, Ebay is probably not the best place to buy. However I frequently purchase from Ebay and I would like to say that I have only two pieces that are questionably replicas. (post coming soon on how to pick out a replica)
If you would like more instruction on how to bid, visit my older blog post: All's Fair in Love and Liz Lisa
Lastly, the US apps category.
These apps are only available in the United States. This is because postage is predetermined by weight and parcels only ship within the US by pre-printed shipping labels. This makes these apps very safe and secure. A lot of sellers on these apps sell their items for cheap, often times they do not know the true value of Liz Lisa clothes and you can find some pretty lucky finds (I certainly have!)
Most closet apps are the same, so I will not be giving detailed instructions on how to navigate these individually. The best way to find out is to just download them and give them a try. ^__-
(These apps also work very similar to Depop)
I would hope this very (very) long blog post helped clear up some of the misunderstandings about how to shop for used Liz Lisa. Yes, it would be wonderful to buy straight from the source, but some of us just cant afford to do that. I fully support secondhand shopping, and I encourage it as it gives others a chance to love the clothes others once had loved.....now I'm starting to make this depressing, but you get the point. Liz Lisa and himekaji is for everyone. It doesn't matter if you have a low budget, somewhere out there you will find the perfect piece for you. I have bought Liz Lisa for as low as $10 (shipping included) so believe me, it's possible!
