Make a statement...

If you're addicted to Pinterest like I am, I'm sure you have seen the J. Crew bubble necklaces (aka statement necklaces) floating around the boards (pictured below). 

As beautiful as these necklaces are, they cost $150 at J. Crew. Two things: 1) I don't have $150 to spend on a necklace from J. Crew, and 2) even if I did, I wouldn't. I'm a bargain shopper at heart; I always head for the sales rack wherever I go, and I usually tend to shop at more reasonably priced stores anyway. It seems that I'll love something one season and hate it the next, so to spend too much on clothes or jewelry is usually a waste for me.

I digress. Back to the bubble necklaces. I'm going to let you in on a secret. Well, it's a secret unless you already know about it; if that's the case, forgive me for being repetitive. For the rest of you...lean closer, and I'll fill you in. No, closer. Ok, now you're too close. Back up a little. Perfect. Here it is:

You can get bubble necklaces on eBay for anywhere from $11-$15. That's it. Now, when I first learned this, I was a little skeptical. We all know eBay can be a good source to get ripped off; however, if you shop wisely, you can get a good deal. I recently purchased two bubble necklaces that are "authentic J. Crew" from a seller in China, and the shipping was free. Too good to be true? Goodness, I thought so at first. Right after I hit "Pay" I thought, "Oh dear Lord, there's thirty bucks I'll never see again." But guess what? After about a month (yes, it takes forever to ship from China apparently...), I got my necklaces! And they are perfect! And they even have little J. Crew tags on them. Here is a picture of my bubble necklaces:  

I know what you're thinking, they're probably fake. Well, they might be. BUT, I did look on J. Crew's website, and the necklaces are imported. With that said, they very well could be the real deal. It doesn't matter, honestly, because they look exactly like the real McCoy. Plus, they're super cute. And at $15 a pop, you can get many different colors! As you can see, I got yellow and teal. I plan to get a couple more for football season (red and black...GO DAWGS!) now that I know I can trust the seller.

So, what should you do if you want to buy these on eBay? Here are a few tips. First, you'll need to just simply search for "J. Crew bubble necklace." That's it. Then, look around a lot. Don't automatically buy the first thing you see. We all know you can bid on items at eBay (that is what made it a famous site, after all), but for this, the "Buy It Now" option is the best way to go. In fact, you can even filter your search so that it will only display "Buy It Now" items. Next, you need to make sure you are buying from a trusted seller. Check their feedback. I usually get a little skeptical if they have less than 97%. No one who sells thousands of items is going to have perfect feedback, especially an international seller, but it should be pretty darn good. You also want to make sure the shipping is free. Why pay shipping to one seller when someone else will send it to you for free? When you choose your necklace, make sure you have chosen the exact color you want. Many of these sellers sell tons of different colors. Since you have to wait about a month, make sure you have the right color you want! It would be a shame to have to ship back the wrong item and then wait again for the right one. Finally, pay through PayPal. This might even be the only option available anymore, but it is the best one anyway. It's secure! Here's a nerd tip: anytime you put in any personal information, such as a credit card (or social security number), always make sure that the web address starts with "https://" instead of just "http://"; the little "s" means "secure." Also, look for the little lock at the top of your browser. That also means it's secure. Be careful! Paypal is a good site, and it's one that I have been able to trust. Just be safe any time you buy anything online! 

To sum, here are the best tips to buy your bubble necklace on eBay:

1) Search for "J. Crew bubble necklace."

2) Browse for the best deal.

3) Look for the "Buy It Now" option for an automatic sale.

4) Buy from a trusted seller who has excellent feedback (97% or greater).

5) Look for free shipping! Do not pay for shipping on this.

6) Pick the right color(s)!

7) Pay through PayPal and look for that "https://" in front of the web address before you enter any personal information (also look for the lock that lets you know the page is secure).

Now, to some of you, some of the tips on this post might be kind of obvious, especially if you're familiar with eBay. However, I thought I'd share. I'd hate to recommend you buy one of these necklaces (or anything, for that matter) and not tell you how to safely go about it. 

If you'd like to purchase from the same seller I used, here is a link to their store on eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/MQStyle. This seller gets consistent good feedback, and they will write you back if you have any questions. I plan to just purchase from them again. 

I hope these tips have helped you in some way, and I'd love to hear about it if you decide to get one of these awesome necklaces! They are super cute; hopefully the trend will last...but, even if it doesn't, you only paid around $15!

Please forgive me for being so long-winded with this post, but I am very passionate about a good deal! I'll leave you with this: if we can buy these necklaces for around $15, how much do they actually cost to make? And how on earth can J. Crew justify charging $150?!? Hmmm...

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