My friend and fellow Lucky blogger Emily Hsieh has been on the hunt for one of these delicate chain-mail purses for months to no avail. Yesterday, we decided to take a look for them on eBay and lo and behold: exactly what she wanted. Emily, who's one of those women with maddeningly impeccable and effortless-looking style, says she loves how these bags are dainty, but not too twee, and that they're the perfect size for everything she'd need on a fancy night out—an ATM card, keys, phone, and lip gloss.

Maybe it's to combat the fact that it's dark for about 20 hours a day, but I become a little bit of a giddy freak around this time of year. I put lights everywhere, blast Darlene Love Christmas songs, trim both a silver and green tree, and invite people over for even the flimsiest excuse of an occasion. EBay is an amazing enabler for my obsession: It has the most crazily expansive selection of vintage holiday decorations and housewares imaginable. Would these aqua-and-gold tumblers not be fabulous party glasses? How fun (but still understated) are these silvery starburst ornaments? Or this intricate glass set from Poland?  If I had a kid how could I resist this sweet '50s advent calendar?

I'm not much of a fragrance girl, but the other day my friend Marissa was bemoaning the loss of her favorite perfume, the discontinued Safari by Ralph Lauren. Apparently she loved this scent and had been wearing it exclusively since we were teenagers, but as hard as she's tried, she's found it impossible to replace. It got me thinking: Would eBay be a good place to buy perfume? Turns out, there are tons of discontinued (and in production) fragrances on the site. I quickly found several auctions for Safari, and at these prices, I'll definitely buy my friend a backup bottle or two.

Here's the thing about leopard-print coats: With the right fit and pattern, they can be the best of everything?completely glamorous, sexy, and even ladylike (I imagine wearing one buttoned up over a '50s-ish party dress with matte red lipstick, like Julianne Moore in Far From Heaven). But if you go wrong with a leopard print coat, you risk looking like Pebbles Flintstone, or worse still, a member of the oldest profession. Of the 353 options currently on eBay, the following three caught my eye: this plush Sonia Rykiel style, which is subdued enough to wear every day, this pretty double-breasted version, which has a built-in belt and cool vintage buttons, and this neat-but-swingy belted look. They're all quiet enough to feel classy, not trampy, and each has the kind of cut that you can wear for years.

Though there are many great vintage boutiques on eBay, I've found it can be a challenge to find one that consistently stocks cool accessories.  This is why I have become obsessed with the truly awesome Sunflower Chicks Vintage.  They're based out of Niagara Falls and carry a vast selection of everything I want: bright, festive jewelry, classic 30s-ish bags, and majorly sexy heels (they also sell beautiful clothes). Other selling points include the fact that most of the items are for sale with a Best Offer option and everything you win is sent out wrapped like a present, replete with bow, card, and even little pieces of delicious candy.

I hate our coffee table.  It's glass, shaped like a sharp boomerang (not like a designer-ish kidney), and it lures and holds both dust and fingerprints to the degree that I've considered chaining a bottle of Windex to it. In addition, I bump into it nearly every time I leave the couch.  No matter who else is my house claims this piece is "perfectly fine," I know it has to go.  Because they are relatively lightweight and not as expensive as say, an armoire, coffee tables are actually a smart thing to purchase on eBay. You have a great selection at good prices and, in most cases, you won't take a beating on the shipping. I've had my eye on these mid-century slat bench-tables for a while now—I like how they're sleek, but still sort of earthy and Zen-inspired. Their other selling point is neat,  ever-so-slightly rounded corners, which, even if they don't entirely eliminate them, will at least alleviate some of my attack-of-the-coffee-table calf bruises.

Though I spend a lot (a lot) of time logged on, nevertheless, every once and awhile, eBay surprises me. The most recent example of this happened yesterday when I was surfing its home page and came across the Giving Works section. Turns out, eBay has an entirely separate cataloging system where you can search for the things you want—clothes, books, electronics, anything—solely from sellers who donate part of their proceeds to charity. You can also buy from specific nonprofit organization's auctions (such as the American Red Cross, UNICEF, Make a Wish Foundation). Each of these for-a-cause sales is easy-to-find: They're demarcated with a blue-and-yellow Giving Works tag, and in this season of gratitude and giving back and generosity, it just feels like a good thing to check out.

I have long been insane over NYC indie designer Wendy Mullin's hip, unique, and amazingly fun Built By Wendy line. It's one of those labels that I'm constantly looking out for on eBay—you never know when some fabulous past-season item is going to become available. When I searched today, there were 23 Built By Wendy pieces being auctioned on the site, among them this downtown-cool plaid bomber, which would look incredible with jeans and ankle boots. I equally love this simple, white angora sweater—it would be great for work with dark tights, pointy flats, and a tweed pencil skirt.

Is it too weird to buy bedding on eBay? I've been mulling this question over for months. Then, a few weeks ago, I broke down, bid on and won this bright Anthropologie quilt and sham set. I was nervous about it for sure (Will it be used? Will there be bedbugs?), but the seller—who claimed it was never opened and in the original packaging—had a good customer service rating and I decided to take a chance. When it arrived in the mail, it was just as described: all wrapped up and pristine and even had that "new" smell. I still had it cleaned before putting it on our bed, but I would do that with any bedding from a store. The end result is I am in love with the way it looks and also the fact that I saved more than $150. So, should you buy bedding on eBay? I think yes, with a few strict rules: Never bid on anything used (obviously), only buy from sellers with high feedback scores, and always wash everything in hot water before you use it. If you follow these guidelines, there are some truly amazing deals to be had. For example, I like these pretty golden-floral printed pieces from the ultra-modern design company Dwell. Today, just the bedskirt and duvet are available, but if you looked long enough, I bet you could find the whole set.

Boots were my first love on eBay, and once I started buying them, it quickly got to the point where my (far more orderly than me) boyfriend was scooping them up by the armload from around our apartment and looking at me with concern and maybe a little disgust. I've backed off considerably since then—I have a relationship to consider, after all—but I think it's about time to start making some more purchases. It's just too hard not to, because there are so many amazing, affordable boots on eBay—big name designer, vintage, ankle—it's staggering. And they're super-easy to find by brand, color, and style. Right now, I've only been searching for long, slim riding styles, in either black or brown. I want to wear them with long skirts and a camel coat and channel the buttoned-up beauty of pre-pregnancy Elizabeth McGovern in She's Having a Baby.

I've been thinking a lot about entertaining lately, and because of this, I've been on the hunt for new serving ware that actually matches and is not my Princess Diana commemorative plates. Beyond all the dish-fork-bowl necessities, I'd also like to own a few really unique, fun pieces that will brighten up the table. That's why I love this mod-looking tea set. It comes with six cups, a cool, poppy-but-subdued pattern, and a generously sized pot. I like the idea of serving an unfussy but elegant tea and delicate dessert with it, or, if it's a different kind of night: hot sake, edamame, and board games.

This morning, while frantically trying to figure out how to wear a puffy, patterned shortish skirt that I bought on sale and have never worn, I decided I need to attempt something that truly terrifies me fashionwise: tucking things in. Specifically, I want to start tucking thin-knit turtlenecks into slightly voluminous skirts (I may also want to tuck button-down shirts into high-waisted jeans, but let's not get ahead of ourselves). What this skirt-tucking feat requires, I discovered, is a belt. A wide belt with maybe a little flash—like this brown patent leather one or this interesting, earthy-looking style. Both would do a good job solving my tuck-in dilemma, but neither is so loud that it would make me look like I'm a superhero.

Even though I'm kind of outraged and disappointed by the fact that I'm already seeing commercials for Christmas, it is getting me thinking about how much fun holiday parties are, which is, in turn, making me think about cute dresses and sparkly makeup and warm, slightly teetering, boozy nights with friends. It's also making me want a big, fancy cocktail ring—yet another item that's so much easier to find when you have eBay at your disposal. I narrowed down this search by looking under "Costume Jewelry Vintage" and then typing "cocktail ring," which got me down to 127 options. From there, I picked the following four: This clean, smoky-topaz emerald cut, a crazily tall, 18 karat gold woven style, a sculptural Bakelite and Lucite version, and this dazzling, will make-a-plain-outfit-look-swanky black rhinestone option. They're also all under $30, which means I could overindulge with a different accessory each week.

One day last week, associate fashion editor Noria Morales was wearing perhaps the most perfect top of all time. It was silky and dark navy blue, covered up, but still kind of sexy with asymmetrical buttons and three-quarter-length sleeves. When I confronted her with something along the lines of, "Noria your shirt is awesome, I need to own it," she responded a little sadly with "Oh... It's last season's Marc Jacobs." I immediately started searching eBay for Marc Jacobs' blouses (an incredibly simple task, as it turns out), and today I found it. Sure it's in black, and this picture isn't the best, but trust me, this shirt will look amazing with menwearish trousers and pencil skirts and jeans and I can't wait to pair it with little patent leather heels. If I wanted I could hold out for the navy blue version, but as with most things, I kind of want it now.

Last Thursday morning, starting at 10:00 am, legions of shoppers mobbed, yanked, and kicked through the country's H&M stores hoping to score a remnant (or, depending on their propensity for aggression, a heap) of the limited-edition Roberto Cavalli capsule collection for the Swedish discount fashion chain. By noon on Thursday, there were 19 items from the collaboration on eBay and, as I write this, there are 686 Cavalli for H&M dresses, tops, cardigans, and accessories available on the site, some actually really stylish, and all much easier to view in the privacy of your computer screen rather than an insanely chaotic store. I've bought a couple of pieces from H&M's big-designer lines on eBay—a really beautiful Stella McCartney silk wrap dress and a belted sweater-tunic from Viktor & Rolf—and I've learned that if you're interested in these sales, the key is patience. It's a numbers game, and if you wait, say, a week or even two, the market will be flooded, there will be tons of options, and the bidding frenzy will have subsided to the point that you'll be able to find nearly anything you wanted at an actually reasonable price.

Not a day goes by lately that I don't see some fellow subway rider and think, "Oh my God, why is that girl's coat so cute and how can I get one like it?" Thankfully, there are abundant outerwear options on eBay—actually more than is manageable. Type "coat" into the women's clothing finder and you'll get 31,759 matches—obviously ridiculously too many to navigate. I narrow it down by searching under specific designers whose coats I've loved (this slick Max Mara cashmere number comes to mind), a style that I've always liked (parka, as in this ultra-warm-looking Banana Republic version), or, if I really wanted one just like the girl on this morning's F train, specific details such as vintage, hood, and toggles.

I rather masochistically volunteered to have our family Thanksgiving at my apartment this year, which means that besides dining on my novice attempt at a roast turkey, my parents and grandmother will be seeing where I live for the first time ever. I'm in a bit of a panic about this, of course—I don't even have enough forks—but have been trying to stay calm and quickly purchase the grown-up furniture items I need to make the place look respectable. There are so many excellent sideboards and credenzas on eBay, it's hard to focus on just one, but at this moment I'm loving the storage possibilities of this sturdy-looking Danish cabinet. The wood is a warm, caramel-ish color, I like its cool metal feet, and the drawers are deep enough to hide lots of my junk now, and maybe, if I ever get there, store my fancy linens later.

Over the weekend I happened upon a new feature on eBay that's so exhilarating and addictive, I feel a little worried. It's called Best Offer, it's available on a lot of the eBay Buy It Now sales, and it's a great way to get ridiculously good deals on otherwise set-price items. Here's how it works: Click the "Best Offer" button on the auction you want, type in what you think would be a reasonable price, and press send. The seller has 48 hours to accept, counteroffer, or reject what you've put forth. You then have the choice to counteroffer again. This part can go on for a while.

For example, I've wanted to buy this vintage Coach purse for weeks, but I thought the $72 Buy It Now price was a little high. I offered $15, negotiated back and forth with the seller three times, and wound up getting it for just $38—nearly half off. Right now there are two highly desirable, big-ticket pieces that would be good Best Offer candidates: this glossy red Chloé bag and this will-be-sexy-forever Chanel halter dress. Both are listed at well above $400, but with careful bargaining, could be had for far less.

There aren't many things Courtney Love goes about in a quiet fashion, and yet yesterday I discovered that she is rather stealthily—through a woman with the eBay handle "coolkitten26"—selling her stuff on eBay (with 10 percent of the proceeds going to Chrysalis, a L.A. charity for the homeless). Each of the items available right now is surprisingly, consistently beautiful and elegant—Jimmy Choo pumps, a 30s-ish Alberta Ferretti dress, a lacy-sexy Mandalay blouse. They look like they came from Love's glamorous The People Vs. Larry Flynt period, rather than the ultra-thin, kind-of-sad-for-those-of-us-who-used-to-care style of late. Coolkitten26 says she will be posting more of the singer/actress' pieces this week—some at super-cheap prices—and plans to auction off around 150 in all. Stay tuned: Immediately after selling off C. Love's wardrobe, she will start working with another charity and another fabulous, as-yet-unnamed celebrity.

Historically, November has been my most difficult month for getting dressed in the morning. It's when the weather starts to actually get cold; I haven't quite figured out what I'm doing for winter clothes; and nearly everything I wore last year—pieces that were perfectly acceptable a scant eight months ago—has turned uninspiring and tragically off the mark. In order to avoid my usual pull-on-look-in-the-mirror-tear-off-in-disgust-repeat morning ritual, I have vowed to fill the holes in my wardrobe right away with a few well-made, stylish pieces. Some of the items I'm leaning toward include this gorgeous red Prada skirt, a simple but pretty Phillip Lim blouse, and a pair of soft Ferragamo flats. They're all kind of posh (but, since it's eBay, affordable), comfortable-looking, and the kinds of things I'll turn to again and again—hopefully for years.

It's almost embarrassing how much of a sucker I am for the Anthropologie catalog's willowy-romantic, dreamy-feminine style (so pretty! so blossom-filled! such incredible patinas!). Lucky for me, there are heaps of wonderful, brand-new Anthropologie options on eBay. Right now, I'm particularly smitten with the dresses—all 773 of them. You can choose from sleekly patterned Anna Sui designs, soft sweater tunics, and my favorite of the moment, silky, faintly Asian-inspired shifts. EBay sellers are also offering an amazing variety of the catalog's past-season housewares, so you can replicate its earthy glamour at home for a super-affordable price.