In the interest of privacy, and so as not to violate
any HIPAA regulations, let’s call her Mrs. Williams.
Mrs. Williams has been a loyal client whom I met more
than 25 years ago when I was the manager of a For Eyes
Optical in Clearwater, Florida. She and her husband have
followed me from city to city and location to location.
I am grateful for their patronage and loyalty - which is
why I was a little frustrated and disappointed when, a
few years ago, I had trouble fulfilling one of Mrs.
Williams’ requests.
There’s something you need to know about Mrs.
Williams. You, see, Margaret has not yet exited the
early 1980s when it comes to her fashion sense. And when
her Christian Dior model number 2056 finally broke, she
made what to her was a simple, straightforward request:
“I just want to get a new frame.” For those of you
too young to remember, we used to affectionately refer
to them as “Batman” frames. Size 61 or 63 (I can’t
remember which), with a B measurement almost as big;
shiny gold front – Optyl temples. After explaining to
her that we’d probably have better luck finding spare
parts for her Studebaker, she reluctantly picked
something a bit more modern as a replacement. She left
my shop a disappointed consumer.
That’s when I started thinking. Whenever I wanted
to find something a bit obscure…something discontinued…something
from my past…I always checked on eBay – and rarely
was I disappointed. It seemed whenever I went searching
for a particular item on the perennially popular auction
site, somebody, somewhere in the world had one – and
was willing to sell it. Why then wouldn’t the same
thing be true for these long forgotten Christian Dior
eyeglass frames? I called Mrs. Williams and asked her if
she would settle for a “vintage” (used) pair of
frames if I could locate one for her. Settle? She was
ecstatic! Even the possibility of a replacement seemed
to make her happy. I told her not to get her hopes up
too high, but that I would be willing to search for her.
I never let on that my “exhaustive search” only
required a few strokes of the computer keyboard.
Not one person was selling a Christian Dior 2056. No,
not one…eight! That’s right, eight pairs were up for
sale or auction. After checking a few photos, I decided
that one looked like it was in better shape than all the
others. It was up for auction, but it also had a “buy
now” option for $36. I clicked. For just over $40
(shipping and handling), and five minutes of time and
effort, I found what turned out to be a near-new frame,
complete with an original, shiny silver squeeze case.
Everything arrived a few days later. After removing the
old ophthalmic lenses, running the frame through the
ultrasonic cleaner, and attaching a new pair of nose
pads, even the most discerning eye would have thought it
was brand new. I phoned Mrs. Williams and told her I had
done it! I’d found a perfect replacement for only $149
(which was way less than she had paid 25 years ago).
It was a total win-win-win proposition. She had her
favorite glasses once again. I had pocketed $100, and
Mrs. Williams would tell many a friend of what had been
accomplished. I don’t even think I could put an
accurate value as to what that positive word-of-mouth
advertising was worth.
Since then I have made more than one potentially
disappointed patient a happy camper. In doing so, I’ve
stumbled on a few incredible bargains as well. Several
years back while trolling eBay, I discovered someone who
had just over 100 Liz Claiborne 19 frames for sale.
Again, a bit of a history lesson: huge (63 eye) zyl
frame that originally came in a rainbow of different,
bright colors. Long story short, I purchased every one
for $1.25 a piece! Brand new, still in the original
packaging, they were ready for sale! I only have a few
pieces left. Vintage eyeglass frames are not the only
optical opportunity when it comes to eBay. From
time-to-time I’ll stumble on lots of eyeglass cases
that are selling at auction. Once I successfully bid
@$45 for a lot of 250 men’s clip cases. That worked
out to about 18-cents per case!
Many of the office decorations that hang on my
dispensary walls came via online auctions, including the
five framed Snellen eye charts – English, Arabic,
Greek, Chinese, and Hebrew. They have been great
conversation pieces over the years. Along the way I also
purchased a few vintage magazine ads – some that are
nearly 100 years old. Framed, these also make great
display pieces. These things, along with countless other
tchotchkes were all purchased at unbelievably bargain
prices.
Some eye care professionals I speak with regarding
the wonders of eBay are a bit hesitant. I try to allay
their fears. I have found that the self-policing rating
system of eBay is quite accurate. If you extend my
purchases beyond optically related things to include
personal items (books, CDs, toys, groceries, gifts,
etc.), I have never had a negative experience. I’m
sure some people have, but like the rest of life, 95% of
the people who participate as buyers and sellers on eBay
are good, normal, decent, honest people.
Notice I said buyers AND sellers. Never underestimate
the power of eBay when it comes to unloading some of the
slower moving items in your dispensary – frames,
accessories, or equipment. Just two seconds ago I went
to eBay and did a search for “eyeglasses.” The first
thing listed was a pair of old tortoise “Challenger”-like
frames that were probably sitting on some optician’s
shelf for the past 15 years without selling, simply
collecting dust. The auction is set to close in less
than an hour. The current bid is $98 and change. Buyer
or seller, optician or lay person: never forget the
power of the eBay auction.
