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Issue Date: April 3, 2005
Prep for prom ... on eBay
We can't promise you the $2 designer gown we found, but you'll be surprised by how much you can save.
By Leah Ingram
The prom is the ultimate high school rite of social passage -- and it gets pricier every year, as the 10 million teens who will attend this spring are now finding out. Primping, wheels and post-prom parties (yes, many of these cost money, too) account for an estimated $750 for girls and $400 for guys, according to Teen Marketing 4 U, an Englewood Cliffs, N.J.-based producer of after-prom events. As a senior last year, Angela Scott, 19, of Minneapolis, had to have a satin dress and gloves, a rhinestone tiara, a necklace, earrings and a black handbag. The prom tab totaled $1,100. So Angela worked 20 hours a week last year to pay for it.
You'll see clothes galore at amazing prices -- but also limo rentals and discounted dinners.
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But thanks to eBay and its wealth of bargain used and overstocked items, your teen may not have to take up part-time employment to enjoy a memorable evening. At least that's what I've found:
Dresses
Recently on eBay, you could pick from nearly 5,000 prom dresses -- definitely more than at the mall. I found a strapless chiffon dress from BCBG Max Azria, one of today's hottest makers, for $200 on a department store's site. On eBay, I spotted the same dress for $2 (plus $7 for shipping).
Shoes and accessories
Many teens shop for prom shoes at Payless, where satin slingbacks cost $12.99. But what if your daughter wants to wear trendy Jimmy Choo slingbacks to the dance? Those could cost $445. I found the same Choos for $199 during a recent hunt on eBay. And those Payless slingbacks were going for $5.99.
For accessories, I found traditional stores selling crystal tiaras for $128, a beaded handbag for $110 and chandelier earrings (da bomb for da lobes) for $98. On eBay, I found a crystal tiara for $22.95, a beaded bag for $3.99 and chandelier earrings for $12.99.
Other goods and services
It's not only the girls who can save a ton via eBay. Guys often pick up the limousine and dinner tab, and I found a slew of gift certificates of interest. A Sioux City, Iowa, limo company offered a $250 rental certificate for $175. How about a gift certificate to Macaroni Grill for a fine pre-prom dinner? Recently, a $25 gift card was going for $4.99. (If you bought the card at the Macaroni Grill, it would cost the full $25.) The gift certificate category on eBay is searchable by state, so you can track down deals near you.
Leah Ingram is the author of 2004's "Buying and Selling Your Way to a Fabulous Wedding With eBay" (Thomson Course Technology, $19.99), available at weddingink.com.
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