With the holidays fast approaching we all want to get the best quality gifts for the best price. Sexy designer sets for men and women, luxury lounge wear for family & friends, in fact with only a few exceptions lingerie can cover most of your gift giving needs. So I would like to share a few bargain shopping tips!

Tip #1. Bookmark Knickers Bargains. We scour the web for the best deals on designer lingerie from all over the world. In just the past couple of months we’ve told you about Marlies Dekkers bra sets for 70% off, The Lakes and Stars cami & tap pants set $42 (rrp $140), Kiss Me Deadly’s Alouette suspender belt and thong set as low as £10 (rrp. £74) and Spoylt’s half price sale with free worldwide shipping. We’ve also secured special offers just for Knickers’ readers from A Little Lingerie Co., Madame Gigi’s, N De Samim, Modern Courtesan and SmartAss.

Tip #2. Be careful shopping on eBay. We rarely mention eBay and not because deals can’t be found (they can) but because you could end up overpaying! When we do find a great deal on eBay, we don’t just tell you about it, we tell you how to get it (see the archives 19 October post). I was shocked to see these stocking sell for £16, not because they aren’t worth it, they’re Cervin, the same manufacturer of Agent Provocateur’s hosiery. I was shock because the same seller had the same stockings “Buy it Now” (no auction/no waiting) for £7.50. I realize a LOT of people think the best deals are on eBay (they aren’t) and bidding can sometimes drive the price well above retail.

Tip #3. Search the internet to find out the actual retail price, this way you will know you’re getting a good deal. When shopping on eBay, please read the auctions carefully to make sure you know exactly what you are bidding on. For example, this auction pictures’ a bra, waspie and brief, but the picture doesn’t match the description, the auction is for the thong only. £30 for a 3 piece M|D set is fantastic, but it’s not a great deal for the thong only. Also search eBay using variations and description searches. eBay’s search engine is sensitive and misspellings can uncover hidden treasures. Fat Fingers is a brilliant site, their slogan is “Other peoples typos can save you money”. It does auto-searches on eBay based on misspellings.

Tip #4. Spend some time researching other sites. It’s as simple as checking Amazon.com (both Lauren Silva and Gigi’s Closet have stock listed there). There’s Froogle, Google’s online searchable and browsable shopping index tuned to finding products on sale online, or just do a Google search by product name. And of course feel free to ask us! If there’s something in particular you are looking for drop us a line and we’ll be happy to help!

Happy Bargain Shopping!