The idea of buying clothing at Target (NYSE:TGT) and then selling it on eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) for six times as much a week later seems crazy. In fact, I would argue that it is crazy: If you have enough money to spend six times as much on a skirt as it costs at Target, why are you buying a skirt from Target?

According to this article in the Wall Street Journal:

Among the items that have found buyers willing to pay substantial premiums: A Roland Mouret dress that sold for $108 at Gap in January appreciated 100%. A sweater dress from the limited-edition Stella McCartney line that H&M sold in 2005 went for more than six times its original price on eBay this past January.

This is a huge coup for Target. Not only have they succeeded in offering clothing that people actually want to wear at competitive prices, they're offering clothing people actual want and are willing to pay more for. Gone are they days when kids were made fun of on the playground for wearing clothing from the big-box stores. Call it Big-box chic.

Note to Lee Scott: the Journal article mentioned three pieces from Target's collection, and three from H&M, and none from Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT). There's obviously demand for budget designer clothes, and maybe Wal-Mart can capitalize. Signing a big name designer or two (looking for a challenge in creating affordable luxury) might go a long way toward improving Wal-Mart's image as a hick-store.

Hocking big-box couture on eBay -- Who's crazy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 24 Mar 2007 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.