Once apon a time I was a so-so bookscout and I figure the world of vintage lingerie is like the world of antiquarian and collectible books in that books of specific informtion are more valuable that broad general tomes.  Ambitious guides to vintage lingerie have been done ad nauseum on ebay already, some pretty terrific and some terrible and everything in between. This guide will not tell you everything you ever wanted to know about your favorite hobby but If I've done what I set out to do, it will help you shop on ebay for your favorite authentic vintage lingerie pieces and foundation garments quickly and efficiently while avoiding condition issues, fakes and new "vintage style" items.  A collection of fine vintage pieces is an investment and the beautiful bullet bras, panties, girdles, corsets, nightgowns, sets, slips and babydolls are fun to hunt down and scout out on ebay and off. This is undie buying 101 and many of you old hands will have been doing this stuff long before I figured it out so you guys, just take what you need if anything and leave the rest ok?

Shopping effectively. Narrowing it down.

Every time we open an auction for a non vintage item, it takes time. Time wasted that could be spent looking at things wer'e really interested  in - the fine, true vintage stuff.

Use the "advanced search" link under the regular ebay search bar.

This opens a window giving you a miriad of search options that will help you narrow down the field. You can search by seller, by bidder (to see what your competitors have been buying and what theyve been paying), by completed auctions (by seller, bidder or general search tags). Example: on the advanced search page, type in "vintage rubber girdle" and then check the "completed auctions" box. You will see what the ending prices were for these pieces. Then try "vintage latex girdle" for any that were listed that way.

Getting the most bang for the buck. (The Bargain hunters zone)

Get creative and use your noggin.  A high speed connection helps : ) You'll make yourself crazy waiting for auctions to load with dial-up. If you can afford it, Upgrade! It will pay off quickly in a burgeoning collection of the best of the best with less "filler".  A few Examples to get you started: Search for "gridle" when shopping for girdles. Occasionally someone misspells it chances are no one else will find the "firm sexy gridle" auction and you can snap up a bargain if its a good one.  Try: vintage panty, vintage pantie, panties (of course) underpants etc.. when searching for vintage panties.  Search Bra and brassiere. You might not be able to find a great 50s bra in your size tonight to save your life but that stunning "vintage brassiere" might be one of those whatever-it-takes auctions : )

Use the "ask seller a question" link.

Read and look past the reams of sparkly pictures and gushy prose (yes, I was the first girdle gusher on the bay and am probably responsible for at least some of the craziness - sorry! I've been trying to tone it down. Maybe I need gushers annonymous??) and get to the meat of what the item is.

The big 5 to look for:  Vintage, condition, size, label and measurements. Aproximately how old it is, or even year of manufactor if known, what condition it's in (ask specific questions if the description is vague like "great vintage condition!" or "wonderful condition for age",  the brand/label/size and the measurements.

NWT doesn't nessesarily mean pristine/new looking. Sometime vintage deadstock or nwt items have been stored badly. They can have age spotting, rust spots and other storage discoloration from many sources. If it doesnt say and you can't tell from the picture, or you don't know the seller ( or know them but don't trust them lol -oops. did i actually write that down? Boy am I naughty. Anyway, you get the point. Use the ASQ link and be specific if you have any concerns or questions about the piece.

I've heard some folks say that vintage bras were bigger than today's bras. Some others say that they were smaller. I think they're both right.  The cups of a 50s-60s bullet bra are usually larger but the band size is usually smaller. Of course with some brands the opposite is true : ) Ha ha! tricked ya!  Use the ASQ and GET MEASUREMENTS  - and know yours. I wear a 34B in todays bras and can often wear a 36- 38A (if i can find one) in a vintage bra. Small breasted women didn't exist for some companys back then or at least they didn't think there were enough of us shopping to bother making bras that fit us : (

Slips:    Newer slips nearly always have plastic shoulder sliders. Ask the seller if the sliders are metal. If they are, you know youre bidding on a slip at least 20 years old.

Babydoll sets.  Almost all 60s babydoll sets are 3 pieces, panty, nightie and topper or robe/peignoir.  The nightie is awesome. The nightie with her matching peignoir is even better but add the panties too - heaven!  The panties that originally went with these sets were nearly always bikinis, hipsters or pouffy high waisted undies with the ruffled leg. A classic brief is possible but very rare. If you see a black set with a brief, it's very possible,even likely, that the panty isn't original to the set. But be careful especially when buying the black sets /- nightie/panties or nightie/robe/panties.   .. If you look carefully and have had 100s of these sets in the hand over the years, you will see in some auctions the panties don't match the set. Any old black vintage panties have been added to a black babydoll nightie to create a set which is of course worth much more than the nightie alone. Use the AKQ link and ask if it's possible the panties are not original to the set. When worded this way you can usually ferret out the real deal with the set. They will concede that it's possible that they aren't the original panties.

So, if you haven't been, using the Ask Seller a Question link can really save you from some bad purchases and enrich your ebay buying experience and enhance your collection!

THIS GUIDE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION. PLEASE FORGIVE ANY TYPOS ETC.. PLEASE EMAIL W/SUGGESTIONS, HINTS, IDEAS...  THANKS GIRLIEGIRLS.  CHERRY