Sometimes, bidding at online auctions can feel a little like playing retail Russian roulette. You never really know what you’re going to get when you open up your mailbox a week after the auction declares you the winner.
But starting Friday, eBay takes the guesswork out
of the process with the opening of its first eBay pop-up holiday store — a brick-and-mortar address where customers can browse more than 400 of the site’s most popular products in real life.
“The eBay pop-up store is like walking into a virtual reality of the eBay marketplace,” says eBay’s pop-culture expert Karen
Bard.
“You’re walking into over 200 million gift ideas for the holidays. It’s a place where people can come and shop, be inspired, hang out with personal shoppers, get what you want right then and there.”
The merchandise is divided into six categories — stylista, fashionista, techie, urbanite, gamer and youngster — over the 5,500-square-foot space.
The store boasts everything from
Zu Zu Pets (this season’s hottest toys, which have been sold out since September) and
Balenciaga bags to collectable Superman figurines and Leica cameras.
And don’t overlook eBay’s exclusive collection of one-of-a-kind celebrity collectors items — 800 pairs from DJ AM’s sneaker collection (proceeds go to
charity) and shoes and purses direct from Kim
Kardashian’s closet.
Covet a Tory Burch clutch but not sure exactly how it feels in hand? Woman-handle it in person.
Dying for a MAC holiday makeup brush gift set but curious about its bristle texture? Touch it yourself in the fashionista section.
Covet some art deco Lia Sophia jewelry but have never seen in it real life?
It’s there for the ogling.
“A lot of the items you see in the store are the
most popular search items on eBay,” Bard says.
“But there are also trendy items like
Tickle Hands
Elmo and designer handbags.”
When a customer
finds an item he wants from the selection in store, a personal shopper will help him locate the item on the eBay Web site.
On average, winning
bids on eBay are about 30 percent less than suggested retail price tags.
The eBay Holiday Store
is open to the public
tomorrow through Nov. 29 at 3 W. 57th St.
dlo@nypost.com