- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
Hi deluscious! I bought my wedding dress at www.preownedweddingdresses.com without any hassels. The site listed the dress size, the owner's street size as well as the owner's measurements. I exchanged multiple emails with the owner for more specific details (like her height, if any alterations had been made). To be honest I didn't even go to a bridal salon at all to try the dress to be. When I received it--it was just as beautiful as it was online and fit perfectly!! I got 15% off the original price in addition to the sale price that she had bought the dress at--which is excellent considering the dress was never worn and is a higher end designer!!
I bought a used gown on Ebay and only paid $36 including the shipping. I am going to use it for a trash the dress session. It did have some dirt at the very bottom of the hem, but obviously for my purposes I didn't care. It is strapless, satin gown with beading and a long train and bustle. I don't know what she originally paid, but obviously she didn't recoop most of her costs.
I am actually in the market for dresses... and have found myself at savethedress.com several times. The dresses on that site seem to run for about half or a little more than the original price if they are a "hot designer" and less if they are just a pretty dress without the pretty name. (i/e: A couple weeks ago, there was a Melissa Sweet Fern that was orig 4000, selling for 2500... but an equally pretty dress that was purchased for 1500 was selling for only 200) I actually notice that on this site the sizes matter relatively as much as they would in a department store... with the 5-8's selling quickly and the smaller and larger sizes lingering a bit longer. Hope this helps!
-Danielle
I have a used wedding dress success story! I actually found my dream dress at a bridal salon but it was way out of my price range. After experiencing THE dress, nothing else even compared. I couldn't, in good conscience, pay full price so I started stalking the style number online. Eventually, I found the exact dress for sale on Weddingbee classifieds! (I'm not making this up!) The bride also marketed the dress on eBay and preownedweddingdresses.com. I am a size 2 and the dress was not only my size but the measurements were spot on. Apparently I could play the stunt double for the previous owner if she were to star in an action flick -- it fits perfectly. I don't think I would have been so eager to buy a used gown if a lot of work was needed to make it fit. I paid about 60% of the retail price, but since I found one that fits so well, I also saved on ordering to length and the cost of alterations.
Some advice:
1. Sell the dress while the style is still fresh. I purchased my used dress because it's a current style and still available in stores.
2. Market the dress as much as you can. Advertise online. I was looking for a particular style and did a google search to find potential sellers... popular sites are listed first. You can list it on some sites before you wear it... just be sure to describe it as such.
3. Don't go in over your head. There's no guarantee that you will be able to see your dress in a timely manner or get the price you feel it deserves. Be prepared to have your investment tied up for a while.
I wish you the best of luck!!
CenterpieceInspirationBranchesWithHang.jpg (62.1 KB, 53 downloads) 3 years old HangingVotiveHolder.jpg (14.7 KB, 41 downloads) 3 years old
I actually bought two used wedding dresses, both from craigslist.
The first fit fairly well, but would have needed alterations in the bust. It was a really good deal for me, considering the price of wedding dresses (currently in the weddingbee classifieds).
The second one was PERFECT. It was more my style, and it fit MUCH better, didn't need to be cleaned. It was a litte more expensive, but well worth it.
I'm trying to sell one right now in fact, and then I'll actually do a TTD session with the dress I'm wearing in the wedding.
I tried craigslist with little luck, all I got was some spam guy wanting me to cash his check and send the reaminder back to him - big illegal scam.
I haven't re-listed, but when I do I plan to use
http://www.preownedweddingdresses.com/
you list for $25 and it stays up until it sells.
As for your concerns and questions, I think that depending on the style of your dress someone could buy it for a prom dress or for a costume in a play.....they may need an dextravagant, beautiful gown you know?
To tell the size, list your size specifically, street size (regular clothing) and how this dress was fitted to you, since that's the size it is.
Make sure you have lots of pictures, good not blury pictures and list the price accordingly.
Good luck. This reminds me I have to relist the dress....lol.
I bought a preowned Monique L'Huillier from a weddingbee blogger!
Her story on the dress was that retailing at $5k, the bridal boutique wanted to sell it to her for $1500. When she explained she needed to do alterations on it, they dropped it to $1100 and walked away happily.
My story on the dress is that after her wedding, she posted it for sale for $990. Her pictures looked familiar and when I confirmed her identity, I read up on her entries and realized she took really good care of it and had it professionally cleaned and everything. I negotiated the price for $750 and she happily accepted it!
The plus side was that our measurements were very similar (probably with an inch off here or there) otherwise the length was perfect.
Success!
what great, useful responses! It sounds like the gowns that fetch the best percentage of their retail value are famous designer brands with styles that are currently being sold in stores. Sellers can increase their chances by posting in all the most popular sites online and providing clear, detailed photos and evidence of responsible care for the gown.
This is encouraging, but I was considering an expensive gown by a little-known designer so I doubt her gowns will have good resale value. I said goodbye to the gown on Saturday and have settled on a simple gown which costs <$500 that I'll modify with a seamstress.
i102-2.jpg (92.6 KB, 166 downloads) 3 years old I102.jpg (114.2 KB, 122 downloads) 3 years old You must log in to post.
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| Lyndzo | 23 |
| Ms. Salamander | 18 |
| LammChop | 17 |
| fivemonthsnotice | 17 |
| Mrs. Chai | 14 |
| ticatica | 14 |
| kat2014 | 14 |
| mypinkshoes | 14 |
| his chippymunk | 14 |
| beargoose | 13 |
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| vreelans | 5 |
| janetsnakehole | 5 |
| princesswedding | 4 |
| couawilou | 3 |
| countrygirl62312 | 3 |
| Lyndzo | 3 |
| aussiebee | 3 |
 jen 42713 |
3 |
| lila2012 | 3 |
| emily.denovan | 3 |
I like to tell myself I'll offset the cost of my wedding gown by re-selling it afterward (I'm more practical than sentimental), but I am skeptical that anyone will want to buy my dress.
My main concern is that I'm petite (5'0" and size 0-2 street), so that severely narrows the field of brides who can buy since it's not as easy to up-size a gown as it is to down-size.
Are there any success stories out there? Did you buy or sell a used wedding gown? OR, did you also expect to sell your gown and have had no takers?
Here are some questions I have:
Was it your size? Or, if you're a seller, was it the right size for the buyer?
What % of the original price did you pay?
Where did you buy it? ebay, preownedweddingdresses, weddingbee classifieds, knot boards, friend?
Thanks!