How to Buy a Pre-Owned Belly Dance Costume on eBay
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The straight-skirt style is very popular.
KNOW YOUR MEASUREMENTS. Before you search online for costumes, get out your measuring tape and take accurate measurements of your hips and underbust. For the underbust measurement, hold the tape taught around your rib cage---the tape should lay on the same place where your bra circles around your torso. For the hip measurement, place the tape around the part of your hips where you want your costume belt to lay. If you are shopping for a straight skirt belly dance costume, you will also need to measure the widest part of your thighs. Armed with these measurements, you'll be ready to search for costumes on eBay. - 2). SEARCH. Point your browser to eBay and search for "belly dance costume." The screen will populate with thousands of options. But you're looking for a pre-owned professional-level belly dance costume, so you should sort the list by "price: highest first." You can find professional belly dance costumes within the $60 to $1,000 range. The vast majority of designer costumes will be priced at $200 and above, but don't neglect looking down into the lower range. Some sellers will initially post costumes for much less, particularly if the costumes are several years old or are in need of minor repair.
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A typical belly bra and belt set
INSPECT. Once you've found a pre-owned belly dance costume that you like, take some time to scrutinize the eBay listing. First check the costume's measurements to be sure that it will indeed fit you. Remember that you can tailor a larger costume to fit you, but you can never make a costume that is too small any bigger. If you're sure the costume will fit, scrutinize the photos looking for signs of wear. Make sure the item pictured fits the description. - 4). PRICE CHECK. Before you bid on a designer costume, do a price check. Be sure that the selling price of your pre-owned belly dance costume is actually less than the cost of having that designer costume custom-made. Dahlal International carries most of the major couture designers, so a trip to http://www.dahlal.com/ will help you verify prices quickly and easily. If a pre-owned designer costume is selling on eBay for $600, but the same item in brand new condition sells on Dahlal for $700, you may want to pass. $100 isn't that much of a discount for such a big ticket item. Why pay $600 for a costume that was custom-made for someone else when you can have the same item tailored specifically for you for just $100 more?
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Madame Abla is one of the most famous couture costume makers.
BID. When you're satisfied that the item will fit, is in good condition, and the selling price is reasonable, go ahead and bid. You'll need an eBay account, which you can set up quickly and easily. You may also want to consider getting a PayPal account since most sellers prefer payment via PayPal.
