I was recently in search of a very special kind of plastic bottle to use for my travels. Specifically, I wanted a pump dispenser for a plastic bottle with a capacity of no more than two ounces. And I wanted the dispenser to be the smaller kind you find for serum bottles, where you can put a cap over it to avoid accidentally pressing the pump when it’s in your toiletry kit. I also wanted an opaque bottle so I could decant some sunscreen lotion into it.
I found a few serum pump bottles on eBay, but they were capless (you close them shut by twisting them), which I wanted to avoid because I wanted to avoid any chance of accidental spillage in my toiletry bag.
After looking high and low, I finally found one that fit the bill. The eBay seller was packing it in groups of 4 bottles, which worked for me. They showed up today, and they’re just what I’m looking for.
…but I also noticed something else in the packing: A teeny tiny little plastic bottle with a threaded cap. No bigger than a little sample perfume bottle (I’ll be surprised if it holds more than 10 grams). The thing is, it was a little gift bonus and the seller had put it in its own little plastic baggie with a label that said “Free gift for you!”
The thing couldn’t have cost them but a few pennies, but it was a really nice gesture. That’s the kind of customer service that separates you from the rest, right? So I got curious, and went to look for other products they might be selling on eBay.
I get to their eBay store, and I see this:
“Hi, I’m Pat. My wife Willie & I have been traveling in our RV since 2002 and LOVE it. Willie is AGORAPHOBIC. So RV travel allows her to have her home, i.e. safe place, with her at all times AND enjoy her life. Our eBay biz makes this possible!”
Wow. Can you imagine being willing to change the way you live completely to help your partner better cope with their life challenges this way? They’ve apparently been doing this for 10 years; that’s pretty impressive! And it’s great that they’ve found a way to be able to fund their nomadic lifestyle. As it turns out, most of what they sell are empty travel-sized bottles and containers. Their description:
“We carry empty containers for travel, cosmetics packaging and samples. We specialize in travel size, sample size little plastic jars, lip balm containers, plastic dispensing bottles, mini spray bottles / atomizers, mini treatment pumps, disposable applicators, and tamper seals.”
I’m sold. I’ve never recommended an eBay seller outside of eBay before, but I’m recommending these folks, who go by the eBay name “BlueBonnetBeautySupplies2010.” Since this is their main venue, their prices are pretty set, and their inventory seems pretty stable. You don’t have to use a sniping service like Auction Sniper to try to snatch items at the last moment; they have set prices and you just use the Buy It Now option. They sell multiples of the same products so you can buy however many you want. Best of all, they don’t charge extra for shipping.
If you’re looking for little pump bottles and spray bottles to decant your liquids into for your travels, give their auctions a look.
Check out their auctions here: Bluebonnet Beauty Supplies