eBay prices

[Lauren]

I hope so too, but then again... I have my degree in fashion design and I've been looking for jobs as an assistant designer. I've been surprised when the extra qualifications include "vintage knowledge". I don't mind

And now back to your regularly scheduled program...

 

[Vanessa]

One of my friends remarked at the fair that Maisie and I were talking about that she was stunned at the amount of (pardon my snobbery) "rubbish from the 70's" that was everywhere. I mean to be fair it wasn't a strictly pre 60's affair, but even so it really wears you out sifting through horrible Nylon and Poyester Kaftans by the hundred.

Yes! I know exactly how you feel. How many orange and green pieces can you go through before you just feel the urge to give up? I often spend most of my scrounging time mumbling about how much I hate the 60's & 70's.

 

[RetroModelSari]

The prices are really getting insane! I decided that I?Ǭ¥ll be buying more repros for sure cause I found a site where I can get handmade-repros made after my meassures for a reasonable price. Off course it is cool to have a piece and to know it has a real history, but I think I?Ǭ¥ll spend more money on vintage books and furniture and better keep my hands off the original clothes for a while.

If it is true that vintage will be big in fashion this year I?Ǭ¥ll be very happy and look forward to make a lot of good deals! We had a 50s fashion wave a few years ago and I still love the "cheap" pieces I got back than

 

[maisie]

The prices are really getting insane!

Well a couple of nights ago on ebay, there was a dress, you know the cotton house dresses that button down the front, it was nothing special or anything, quite plain and you would expect to be paying about $20 for it at most, it ended up going for $200!!!!
Then last night there was a plain cotton checked day dress, quite simple, it went for $308!!!! I couldn't believe it! I would only pay about $35 at most for something like that!!

 

[Kaz]

Insane prices

I agree with all the sentiments about silly prices. It really does pay to pick and choose the time to buy from ebay.

For the other Brits, if you're looking on UK Ebay I can recommend 'she loves vintage' as really good seller. She has been collecting and dealing in vintage clothes for 20+ years and works part time in Blackout 2 vintage clothing shop in Covent Garden. At least if you buy from someone like this you'll know you're getting the real McCoy with a fair description.

To the sarong dress lover don't give up just yet ... I brought a Shaheen sarong dress in near perfect condition earlier in the year for just under $100 which proves there are still bargains if you're lucky and persevere.

I'm not buying anything on Ebay now until after VLV but I am building up my paypal account by listing some things this weekend.

By the way apart from Re-mix does anyone know any other sites selling good authentic looking repro 40's or 50's shoes?

Kaz

 

[maisie]

For the other Brits, if you're looking on UK Ebay I can recommend 'she loves vintage' as really good seller. She has been collecting and dealing in vintage clothes for 20+ years and works part time in Blackout 2 vintage clothing shop in Covent Garden. At least if you buy from someone like this you'll know you're getting the real McCoy with a fair description.

Where is Blackout 2? Could you give me some directions on how to get there? I've heard quite a few people mention it but I've never been there myself!! And what are there prices like?

As for shoes there was a dance shoes website that had wedges in a few different colours, I will try to find the link, but I remember seeing someone in the summer wearing them and said how nice and comfortable they are!

 

[Trickeration]

Trix, and when is VLV so I can be sure to check out ebay then?

Easter weekend, Thursday thru Sunday night .

 

[ladyk]

Where is Blackout 2? Could you give me some directions on how to get there? I've heard quite a few people mention it but I've never been there myself!! And what are there prices like?

As for shoes there was a dance shoes website that had wedges in a few different colours, I will try to find the link, but I remember seeing someone in the summer wearing them and said how nice and comfortable they are!

Blackout 2 is on Endell Street in Covent Garden. It can have some real gems, but the stock went down a bit last year when they were overstuffing the racks a bit too much in the basement. Careless shoppers had torn fragile dresses. I haven't been back for a while so hopefully it will have improved.

I got a beautiful silk 40's day dress in there that needed a little fixing for ?Ǭ£12, which I thought quite a good deal. Some bits can be quite expensive, but they definately know their vintage. If you are in the area, try and pop in to Radio Days over the river in Waterloo, Lower Marsh Street. They are well priced and everything is taken care of as it should be. The fella that owns it clearly has a lot of respect for what he sells.

Wxx

 

[maisie]

Blackout 2 is on Endell Street in Covent Garden. It can have some real gems, but the stock went down a bit last year when they were overstuffing the racks a bit too much in the basement. Careless shoppers had torn fragile dresses. I haven't been back for a while so hopefully it will have improved.

I hate it when dealers over stuff the rails with clothing, you just can't see what they have and so in the end can't be bothered to have a look through!!

I got a beautiful silk 40's day dress in there that needed a little fixing for ?Ǭ£12, which I thought quite a good deal. Some bits can be quite expensive, but they definately know their vintage. If you are in the area, try and pop in to Radio Days over the river in Waterloo, Lower Marsh Street. They are well priced and everything is taken care of as it should be. The fella that owns it clearly has a lot of respect for what he sells.

I've been to Radio Days, its great and all the stuff is in nice condition! Last year I got a gorgeous 1930's long crepe evening gown from that shop and there is loads of lovely items in there, and they also sell a bit of repro stuff.

 

[Kaz]

Vintage in UK/shoes

Thanks Maisie I would appreciate the link if you can find it.

I went to Blackout 2 a couple of weeks ago and there is now not quite so much stuff in there as there used to be. Radio Days is also cool, great stuff in there. Any other Brits got any more great placs to share?

Kaz

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I'm so sad, the prices aren't just going up on e-bay, they are now going up at the great little vintage shoppe down the street from my house. Hemingway Jones took me there today to cheer me up after I spent the past week in the hospital, and when we walked in I was shocked. The place was PACKED! Penny, the nice woman who works there, was so flustered. I found 2 dresses that I really loved, and was very surprised by the prices of both of them. They were higher than I expected them to be. I used to be able to get suits from her for $40, and she's now actually doubled the price of them!! Little black dresses that were $20 are now $70. I asked her to explain the price hike, and she told me that the items I was looking at were on consingment from some estate, and they were all in excellent condition. HMPH. I managed to get the 2 dresses, but didn't even bother trying on the suits. Perfect condition or not, I wasn't paying those prices. I'm hoping that the owner of the shoppe will re-think her prices, since HJ and I usually walk out with much more than 2 items, she's going to lose a lot of business!

 

[Lauren]

I can't even believe this hat pattern went for $115.49. It's a PATTERN! A piece of paper! Thus said, I wish it was mine
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8259435453&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I can't even believe this hat pattern went for $115.49. It's a PATTERN! A piece of paper! Thus said, I wish it was mine
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8259435453&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

That is a great pattern, but the price sure is unbelievable. I guess I should say ridiculous! It is, after all, a piece of paper. I don't want to think about what vintage inflation is going to be like a year from now. I hope this fad goes as fast as it came, so we can get back to buying beautiful clothes for the little prices we used to pay.

 

[maisie]

Over $100 dollars for a pattern!!
That is ridiculous!!
I mean if you waited and looked around you might find an original for a little more than that!!

But the weird thing is some of the nicest stuff on at the moment isn't going for that much more??
I got a lovely 30s brown crepe dress, with gold brooch for about $30, which I think is VERY reasonable!!

 

[AllaboutEve]

I'm so sad, the prices aren't just going up on e-bay, they are now going up at the great little vintage shoppe down the street from my house. Hemingway Jones took me there today to cheer me up after I spent the past week in the hospital, and when we walked in I was shocked. The place was PACKED! Penny, the nice woman who works there, was so flustered. I found 2 dresses that I really loved, and was very surprised by the prices of both of them. They were higher than I expected them to be. I used to be able to get suits from her for $40, and she's now actually doubled the price of them!! Little black dresses that were $20 are now $70. I asked her to explain the price hike, and she told me that the items I was looking at were on consingment from some estate, and they were all in excellent condition. HMPH. I managed to get the 2 dresses, but didn't even bother trying on the suits. Perfect condition or not, I wasn't paying those prices. I'm hoping that the owner of the shoppe will re-think her prices, since HJ and I usually walk out with much more than 2 items, she's going to lose a lot of business!

Don't let it get you down, what we need to remember is that this is a passing trend and once it's all over all of these dresses etc will suddenly reappear in the shops at once.......and if the demand has fallen the prices will have to fall too. Lets just hope that they are not being badly treated!

Lauren that pattern price is appalling! Like you say it is just a piece of paper! What a shame that people are so greedy and have to push the prices up like that.
Hope you find something else at a reasonable price soon

 

[maisie]

I can't believe it $406 for a pair of shoes!! But they are nice!!

 

[AllaboutEve]

They are very lovely shoes, but that's got to be a ridiculous amount of money. Did they sell in an auction for that, or is that the asking price?

 

[maisie]

They sold on ebay for that! I think the starting price was about $9.99, but they were going for $150+ in the first couple of days!

 

[Matt Deckard]

I may be a bit biased here. I haven't seen a pattern like that on ebay or in person before. I think of it more as a piece to save than a piece to use... something to copy.

The price as rediculous as it may seem in this case I think was justified by the buyer. I know if I run into rare items like that I can't let them go.

 

[AllaboutEve]

I may be a bit biased here. I haven't seen a pattern like that on ebay or in person before. I think of it more as a piece to save than a piece to use... something to copy.

The price as rediculous as it may seem in this case I think was justified by the buyer. I know if I run into rare items like that I can't let them go.

In all fairness everyone has the right to spend according to their means and according to the significance and rarity of an item, I can't pass judgement on that.

Without wishing to cause any offence I think that the general feeling amongst the posts on this thread is that environments such as the major internet auction sites unwittingly create false market values for goods. This in turn pushes the sales price up in other areas of retail, as Ebay is often still used as a valuation resource.

I suppose the real difficulty for most people is that they are simply being priced out of the running. Maybe that's inevitable...........?????

I don't know that I would spend over $400.00 on a pair of shoes however rich I was though!