Vintage Clothing Prices

[bettydarling]

Hi Ladies,

Just wondering what your experience of vintage clothing prices has been? Lately I've picked up some amazing vintage pieces in thrift/second hand stores around Dublin, some reproduction stuff and some original, and at great prices. Yesterday I was a vintage fair in Ballsbridge, (the second of its kind in Dublin). There was lots of great vintage clothing stalls but with such varying prices. There was some amazing stuff, like 50s black wiggle dress cinched at the waist with a gorgeous rose detail, which I tried on twice, was a perfect fit too, but cost €160, about $235 for you guys state side. So I couldn't bring myself to buy it and resigned myself to making a copy having taken a sneak snapshot to copy.

But, is that a normal/reasonable price do you think? I also tried on a pair of vintage Chole culottes, which were more like a skirt to the naked eye, gorgeous shape and style, they were on the Oxfam stall, they didn't fit just right but were made in paris and in mint condition, so I mentioned it to the stall holder who said they didn't want to over charge and take advantage! While on a stall nearby they were charging extortionate prices for not-so well made, poor condition 80s gear, where's the justice I ask you?

Let me know what you think, are we being taken for a ride because people put the 'vintage' tag on things or should we pay top dollar for quality stuff?

Betty Darling xx

http://bettydarling.blogspot.com/

 

[C-dot]

It really depends. For most quality items these days, you have to fork out. Here in Toronto, and in a few other major cities, we have The Clothing Show, which features a ton of rockabilly and repro designers. Some of it is pricey, some if it isn't; most of it is quality. Most vintage shops I've gone to will charge you out the bum, 'cause they can - One of them won't.

Indie designers, like the ones at the Ballsbridge fair, will often charge a ton of money because they need to make profit. Oxfam (Goodwill or St Vincente de Paul here) is not for profit, and will sell whatever people drop in. Sometimes people drop in amazing things, and you can buy it for the same price as tat. Very serendipitous.

Examine the quality of the goods. If its:
-Bad quality and a good price, proceed at own risk.
-Good quality and a good price, congratulations.
-Good quality but steep price, it depends on how much you want it.
-Bad quality and steep price, 'nuff said.

Bottom line, only you can determine whether you are the victim of highway robbery

 

[chanteuseCarey]

I wear and purchase vintage 40s primarily. Our children wear vintage reproduction 30s and 40s, my husband wears 20s and 40s vintage. I've paid from $35.00 to 65.00 for a rayon print dress, from $60.00 to $95.00 for a rayon crepe cocktail or fancy dress. I will consider buying dresses or jackets with minor flaws if it is otherwise really beautiful or especially unique. Some things can be repaired for a small cost and made as good as new. One thing I do not scrimp on is the fit of the garment.

I've had a few items from 30s and 40s original patterns made for myself, our son and our daughter. The price really varies depending on how detailed the garment is.

 

[Foofoogal]

as a dealer this thread almost makes me want to hoard some stuff.
Unless someone starts making quality clothing on a large scale I only see vintage going up.
I am stating as a former sewer first and foremost. Vintage clothing has lines and darts. Unless anyone has attempted to put in a banana dart they may not understand.
Such lovely fabrics also. I adore brocades for instance.
I feel the majority are underpriced.
Think of how fast modern clothing wears out and then think of how vintage could even last for 50, 60 even 100 years.
I never intended to ever start collecting and selling vintage clothing. I was a glass and doll dealer. I just found some years back that the estate sales seemed to have a room that no one ever ventured into and I had enough glass and didn't want to fight for the same ones.
When I found the flat pattern book I suddenly fell in love and really started looking at the lines on vintage clothing. Pure art on some.
I get a bit sad every time I have to sell some of my vintage that I have found and fallen in love with but cannot keep everything. Just this past month the universe brought to me 2 amazing finds. Just like my dolls they just found me. I am not kidding. Stuff comes to me somehow and someway. I appreciate it I believe is why.
http://sandysfancypants.blogspot.com

 

[sixsexsix]

Most vintage shops I've gone to will charge you out the bum, 'cause they can - One of them won't.

fftopic:
I have never found anything amazing at Courage My Love......I prefer King of Kensington. Stella Luna and some of the places on Ossington also have fabulous prices. Gadabout on Queen E also has a great selection, is slightly more expensive, but still pretty reasonable. Same with Cabaret - if you look beyond all the gorgeous $400 dresses you can find great deals on shoes, hats, and whatever is in the basement.

 

[SayCici]

I think there are multiple reasons for fluctuation in price:

- Things end up at thrift stores or flea markets when people usually don't know the value of what they have or they do, but don't have the effort to find or research their market (for example, getting a steal of a dress on eBay that probably would have gone for more if they seller cared to take multiple, good quality photos and describe the dress in more than one sentence).
- A middle tier of people who seek out those forgotten items at flea markets, old antique shops, estate sales, thrift stores, and sell them for a more moderate price. (Priced higher than something you would find at a mall, but not priced like designer clothing of any era.)
- Highest tier of people who buy and then re-sell things like prom or special occasion dresses and carry more designer. They find these things at thrift stores or antique markets as well, but maybe also frequent more auctions and estate sales (of people who were high middle class or above).

Location is a factor, too. People who tend to live in highly populated areas like Southern California or New York City may have higher prices because their cost of living is higher, but they also have an audience that has more money to spend.

SO, €160/$230+ may seem unfair to us because it is so far out of our budget for clothing, but the seller theorizes that someone will come along who has the money to spend freely, can't live without the dress, etc., even if it means holding on to the dress for a couple months instead of having less money but sooner.

That only goes for certain kinds of items, though. I feel like I've seen average, run-of-the-mill nice but not great shirt dresses at prices over $60 and I don't think that makes total sense, but it's the sellers prerogative.

Lastly, because I feel as I have been going on forever, some people sell vintage for a hobby, others as a living. I sell vintage on Etsy for extra spending cash. I try to price things fairly, considering how old the item is, quality, style, details, demand, uniqueness, etc. So far the only dress I've priced over $50 was a 1930s purple rayon crepe with velvet accenting. I want to appeal to people like me, which means I don't price things so that you have to save up for three months and eat nothing but beans and rice for a while.

I will add that vintage clothing doesn't only have the value of how it was made, details, the fact that it is now rare, etc. etc. but the perceived value vintage lovers place on items as well.

Oh, and pricing pulled off the thrift store rack, tacky butterfly sequined things for $$$ is crap, but it's seemingly trendy and that's why they can do it.

Personally, sometimes I like looking at the $100+ day dresses some people sell, but I've never lusted after those things. If I bought one I'd never want to wear it in fear of ruining it, and, I don't know, the price alone makes it 'special occasion only' wear for me, because there's no way I'm just going to bake some cookies in it. That's just me, though, I have never been the type to care about designers or labels nor have I ever wanted $200 shoes.

I hope this makes sense.

 

[C-dot]

fftopic:
I have never found anything amazing at Courage My Love......I prefer King of Kensington. Stella Luna and some of the places on Ossington also have fabulous prices. Gadabout on Queen E also has a great selection, is slightly more expensive, but still pretty reasonable. Same with Cabaret - if you look beyond all the gorgeous $400 dresses you can find great deals on shoes, hats, and whatever is in the basement.

Really? I've found some great stuff at Courage My Love! Gadabout never impressed me... And I agree with you about Cabaret. I've never been to any of the places on Ossington though, must go!

 

[Lauren]

I think there's two ways to think of this one:
There's the people who love the thrill of the hunt and the bargains- they want to grime through lots of 70's and 80's clothing or through a grimy old house because there might be that amazing 1950's or earlier dream outfit that they can keep or pass on to someone who will love it. That's me. I have combated mold, cat pee, and nasty people just to find a treasure, and sometimes (more often than not) there's nothing but every once in a while there's a gem that makes it worth it. And then, if you're not keeping it yourself and want to sell online, you get to get it home, make sure it's all nice and repaired, press it, photograph it, and find all the flaws and note them and describe it on the internet, then box it up nice and sent it off to the new owner.
Then there's the folks who admire old style but want to go to a store, take something off a hanger, try it on, and just walk to a register and buy it. Or search the web for pictures of a dress, noted with flaws and measurements and click to buy. Those are the ones who pay more money because they pay the first person to do the first part.
I do both, I admit, but I'm more the first kind. I don't necessarily like listing things for sale and mailing them, but I love hunting down things and finding them and then passing them on to people who are so excited because they found the dress or whatever they were searching for! It's like the little outfit that was forgotten gets to get rediscovered twice.
It's just up to you how much you'll pay. If I have the money for something stellar and it's super rare, and it's in my size I'll spend the money if I can afford it (which I'm usually just contented these days to know one exists somewhere cause I don't have the funds). It's just all about putting the extra time into it to learn about what's rare and what's not and what's worth spending the money on. If you go searching for a cheap "diamond in the rough" at flea markets, estate sales, thrift stores, etc that will meet certain expectations of style and size, you'll probably be disappointed or have a very long search- but if you're not in a hurry it can be worth it. On the other hand, if you decide this weekend or this month even, you need a perfect black dress with a v neck and side drape and 3/4 sleeves in your size- sometimes it's better to pay a little more and just have it

 

[Lady Day]

I totally agree with Lauren

For those who thrive just as much on the hunt as they do with fining that one special thing that only they would find on the hunt, then nothing can compare even price wise to that.

And that person does tend to be the middle man for that person who just wants the pretty dress in decent repair to have.

The prices are always going to go up, because items are becoming more and more rare. Just something we gotta face.

LD

 

[LizzieMaine]

The prices are always going to go up, because items are becoming more and more rare. Just something we gotta face.

LD

This is the biggest single factor right here -- the further we get from the Era, the more diminished the supply of vintage from the Era is going to be. When I started in the '70s, it wasn't even "vintage," it was "old clothes," and it was coming out of attics and cellars in bundles as the Golden Era generation retired and moved to Florida, and being sold for peanuts at neighborhood yard sales. But now, those undisturbed caches are fewer and further between than ever -- most vintage on the market today has already been sold collector-to-collector multiple times, and every time it sells, there's a markup.

I got priced out of buying actual vintage about ten years ago, when our last local second-hand-clothing store closed down -- if I buy anything now it's accessories and patterns for sewing my own. And even those are getting expensive unless you get lucky.

 

[Lauren]

Very good points, gals! I started in the 90s and just since then the prices have gone nuts! I remember finding 40s and 50s stuff all the time, and now most of it is 70s and 80s! Supply and demand, too. If you have patience and know your stuff you can still get decent deals- they're just fewer and farther between these days. Probably better for my pocketbook that way, anyways

 

[C-dot]

This reminds me of what John in Covina said in the Observation Bar thread "Does vintage make you look older?"

In a few months it will be 2010.
The 1960's were 40-50 years ago
1950's were 60-50 years ago
40's -70-60
30's - 80-70
And so on.

Rarity is definitely an issue for us!

 

[Foofoogal]

I got in the vintage clothing market a bit later than sooner but have been a dealer since 1996 and online since 2002.
Most all items are like this. Supply and demand. I started mainly as a doll and glass dealer.
For me it is definitely the find and the history. I love, love cleaning up stuff.
I have even found glass in a chicken pen before.
Business online or brick and mortar has overhead. Lots of overhead. Fees to be in a mall online, fees for promotion, sales tax, city tax, county tax, federal tax etc. All these things factor in.
Personally I love doing shows best and my second choice would be my own shop in a nice good area with lots of traffic where they appreciate vintage.
I have been taking photos and listing and uploading and writing descriptions for at least 7 different venues since 2002. Learning the different rules, changes etc.
At a show or shop one can work with the customer more and especially as a repeat mainly. It truly gets harder online. Most people will not take the time to see what the dealer really is willing to do.
The main thing though is the supply and demand and what the dealer has in a piece also. It is getting harder to find many choice things. I try to have a wide range but if I could do it again I would be a very specific niche dealer. They always seem to do better.
As glass or pottery or vintage clothing gets shipped back and forth there will be less and less. I have said since the beginning I am like the turtle instead of the hare.
http://sandysfancypants.blospot.com

 

[bettydarling]

Thanks for all the feedback gals, great discussion. Its definitely very difficult to come across quality stuff in Dublin, but when you do its usually in little thrift and charity shops and as many of you said its the thrill of the hunt that makes it so exciting and rewarding to find a great piece and at a good price!

I certainly don't mind paying for good quality authentic clothes, but they have to be just right, almost perfect, if I have to spend time altering something its not worth the investment. Seems like I should get myself over to the states or canada, you guys seem to have oodles of great shops.

With such sparse finds in Dublin, I think I'll be concentrating on making my own clothes more often, and making the perfect fit too boot, nothing beats the satisfaction of wearing your own threads!!

Betty xx