Sorry but I need to get this off my chest and see if others agree.
I've been looking at preloved dresses as reception dress possibilities (getting married overseas, having reception at home) and I cannot get over how much people want back from their wedding dress purchases!
From what I see, so many people want the 2nd buyer to cop the bulk of the payment! How is it reasonable to only pay 20 percent of the cost for a dress you went out and purchased for yourself and then sell your used dress expecting someone else to pick up 80 percent of your costs? You've USED the dress for all is worth to you!
It's irking me to no end that I see people excusing the high prices with "it's only been worn once" ... of course it's only been worn once! It's a wedding dress! And because of what it is, you've essentially used it entirely. You've used up its valid lifespan for you because that's what its purpose is and yet you're treating it like a garment you can wear more than once? Wearing a wedding dress and having it altered etc. is essentially like owning a car for a decade.
arggghh
Sorry! End rant. I will continue to look at dresses lol
Well, you getting it for 80% of the original cost is still better than having to pay 100%.... So I wouldn't complain too much.
@chasesgirl I guess my point is that a wedding dress isn't like a normal garment. It's just confusing to me that people buy a 1k dress for example and want you to pay 700. That means they want to, at the end of the day, only pay 300 for the dress that is now altered for their body, worn, and as I was trying to point out, essentially used up as much as a wedding dress can be for a person. Not bagging out preloved, I think it's great, I just don't understand how second hand works in wedding dress world. If you use a car up for its lifetime you're not going to sell it at 70-80 percent cost.
Guess what I was trying to point out doesn't resonate with you though :)
oh well, I got to buy my wedding dress new and only just ventured into preloved to look at reception dresses. Was just a bit confused is all. I'll stick with my dress, should stop finding an excuse to break the bank further and wear it for the reception lol
@nanacholito: I totally get what you're saying! Personally, if I'm looking to buy a preloved dress, I'm looking for a substainal discount. 20 or 30% off doesn't really make it worth my time if I have to pay for it to be cleaned and/or altered for me.
The "it's only been worn once" statement is comic, though...frustrating but comic.
If you live in the U.S. or a country that has thrift stores try one of those types of stores. I know I live near several like Goodwill Industries, St. Vincent DePaul, Salvation Army and Giant Village. There are also higher end second-hand stories to consider.
I think people just don't understand how to properly price things sometimes. If there's a difference of only $300 between a preowned 1K dress and new, I'm buying new. Why? Because it's worth $300 to me to have something brand new and fitted to me and not someone else. For $300 you aren't creating an enticing sale and I don't think they understand that. Yeah, it's not full price, but it's also used.
Things can usually be negotiated, I see this a lot on Ebay and jewelry sites too, where people will try to sell a ring they owned for 10 years and paid $2000 for $1950. Um, that's not a steal! Dress shopping is so buyer specific though, I feel like if you negotiate most people would rather sell it and recoup at least SOME of what they spent than risk not having anyone else be interested. You can always make a time sensitive offer as well, like "I'm interested in this dress but my budget is $550 and I'd like to have something purchased by Friday. Let me know if you can work with that number, thank you very much!" Then they know that you're serious, but you're not going to be paying practically full price for a used dress they probably don't care about keeping.
I agree. I would only buy a pre-owned dress if I were going to save at least 50% off the original price. That's how they are generally priced at the consignment shops I visited, anyway. I actually bought a dress with tags on it at consignment for 50% off the retail, so I'm not sure how people can get away with charging 80% when it's been worn!
FWIW, I feel the same way about anything I buy on craigslist. If it's used, you should only be paying 50% (max 60%) of the original retail- less if it's not "gently" used.
Except then you get to resell it as well, possibly for 100% of the cost you paid for it, so you might pay nothing in the end to wear it.
I really don't understand why you're upset.
Yes - I think this is hilarious, on any of those sites or kijiji etc. I think the only thing that can justify a somewhat higher price is never worn and designer, but other than that I roll my eyes when I see "Only Worn Once $$$$$" etc.
Dunno, I'm a firm believer that if something is priced too high, the seller won't be able to sell it. I don't let it irritate me; I just move on to buy from someone else.
But on the "only worn once" thing... there are plenty of brides who wear their dresses to a photo shoot a few days or weeks before/after the wedding, and sometimes those photo shoots take a long time and are in "offbeat" locations. If I'm scanning an ad, i'd like to know that the dress has only been worn for a few hours in the ceremony and reception, and not for half a day's worth of photos in Central Park, or to the local reception of a DW, and such. Yes, most brides do only wear it once, but there's enough that don't that I don't mind having it called out.
haha thank you previous posters, I thought I was the only one who felt you should get a bigger discount for knowing someone's most likely had a raunchy night of wedding bliss already in the dress.
@crayfish I'm not upset, just weirded out :) I find there are a lot of dresses priced ridiculously on used websites. As I mentioned, the lifespan of a wedding dress is very different to other garments and that should be considered. Also, if I ever resold my dress I'd keep in mind what I preach and wouldn't sell it at 100 percent. I feel it's sort of different for the white dress :)
@nanacholito: I agree with you 100%... I'd have a big problem with the idea that I'm actually paying MORE for a dress that has already been worn, than the bride who bought it brand new. Also, the chances of selling it a second time are pretty slim...it's already hard enough to sell a second hand dress, never mind a third hand one.
Used dresses should be less than half price.
I couldn't agree more! The person selling the dress wore it new. The second person wearing it wears it used. If a woman pays $1000.00 for a dress and sells it for $700.00, it essentially cost her $300. So she wore a dress that was tailored and altered to her size, and paid $300.00 while the second person is wearing a used dress for $700.00.
The response I have for you is that, if someone is willing to pay for the bulk of the cost, why not ask? I totally agree with you, but if someone wanted to buy my used dress for only a small percentage less than I paid for it, I'd do it!! Ha ha!
I found a dress I love pre-owned for 60% off the paid price. Granted its a size bigger than I need, I haven't found a better deal so I'm definitely keeping that as an option. If only I could choose between dresses.
Haha. I saw a post on eBay the other day for a VS Bridal tank that said "NWOT" (New Without Tags) and in the description, she said that she listed it as NWOT because it was worn once on her honeymoon. My reaction was "How is it 'new' when it's been 'worn once'???"
When you look at the listings of sold dresses on preownedweddingdresses.com, you'll see that the selling price is often a lot less than the seller's asking price! It's probably like pricing a house - and for a buyer it doesn't necessarily hurt to lowball your first bid, because it could pay off!
I think the same thing when I see dresses that are 20% off and have been worn. When I see that kind of a discount on dresses new with tags I don't mind, but when it's been worn I think it's fair to ask for 50% of what you paid for it. Why should someone getting something second hand pay more than what you did when you got to wear it brand new? Not to say the dress isn't in great shape, but it is still used.
As @sweetcrackers said, I think a lot of people make an offer and the buyer accepts it because no one wants to pay a high asking price and they probably don't get too many offers.
I agree that it should be marked down more than that, however just because it's been used up for all it's usefullness to 1 person, doesn't mean it's been used up as a garment. As long as it's not stained, ripped, ect, it's just as useful to the buyer as a new dress. It's really only the seller's business how they price their dress. If it doesn't sell, that means it was overpriced and they'll either have to change it or just not make a sale. If it does sell, obviously the demand for that dress was great enough that someone felt it was worth it to purchase the dress at 80% of the original cost. If you're frustrated by not getting a deep enough discount on a used-once dress, all you can do is wait for one to be sold for less, or negotiate!
The used wedding industry is almost as frustrating at times as the wedding industry itself.
I see it all the time on the Weddingbee classifieds...by the time you pay shipping, you're better off running down to the local craft store and buying the thing new.
I can understand PP frustration...but I can also see the other side, and after you dish out thousands of dollars for the wedding, it's nice to have something (the dress) that you might be able to make some of that back on and it's hard not to be selfish and make the original asking price high. Although at some point, you need to come down to earth....there's been an ad on our local Craigslist since the beginning of the year for a $500 used dress bought at David's bridal. The last time I checked, you were able to buy it at David's bridal new for $499...
Yeah, I hve to agree, OP.
I think it's the attitude of "oh, I'm going to make my money back" that bothers me. I mean, you can do whatever you want, but in the end, I think that most brides should see any money they get on selling the dress as a bonus, not as "recouping the cost"--especially because unless someone else buys it, it either sits in the closet or gets donated, neither of which make money. For most brides, a savings of a few hundred dollars is not enough to NOT buy it new.
I guess it's one thing if you have a one-of-a-kind Vera that is no longer made or something, but I'd often get on the site and think, "Are these brides crazy?? The dress was altered for the original wearer. That means that if I buy it, I'd probably have to get alterations on it myself. And pay for cleaning (because no matter what you claim, I'd still probably clean it). And any repairs. And shipping. And when you add all that up, it's probably going to be close to the original sticker price.
I agree that people have very unrealistic expectations of what they can sell their used wedding items for - especially since many brides are starting with a marked-up bridal salon price to begin with. For instance, the bridal salon I purchased my dress at charged $450 more than Pearl's Place was selling it - also brand new! If I were to try to sell it used for 80% of the marked-up retail price, I'd still be charging more for it than someone could buy it for NEW if they were a smart shopper!
(BTW I did bring the pricing to the salon's attention and they kindly gave me a price adjustment for the difference of $450 - so bargain hunting does pay, and even the salon pricing can be negotiated)
I do think it's kind of crazy to discount a used wedding dress 20% and act like it's a 'steal' (most brides I think would rather pay the extra hundred or so bucks and get a brand new dress; plus, that means the former bride only ends up paying 20% for her wedding dress!) The ones that are 60% or so off; heck yeah! Those are awesome. I do understand people only taking 15-25% off dresses that are new with tags, because they've never been worn, so they're losing money by selling the dress for less than a store would!
I purchased a preowned dress because I'm an encore bride and didn't want to couldn't invest a lot. I was very fortunate to find the dress of my dreams. I am a very petite bride so I felt lucky to find a dress which ended up being a perfect fit. All I had to do was have it hemmed, which ironically cost almost as much as the dress itself. I offered the seller a little less than she was asking and she gladly accepted. She said size 2 dresses aren't in demand and she had a baby on the way so needed to sell the dress. It worked out for both of us.
I may try to sell it now that my wedding is over, but don't have high hopes of finding a 5' 1" bride who needs a size 2 wedding gown. I had it hemmed to wear barefooted on the beach. Either way, I'm happy, even if I keep it. I think the preowned dress sites are an amazing idea and I strongly encourage you to ask the seller if she is willing to negotiate. You may be pleasantly surprised. Good luck!
@kscaggs: My sister sold her 5' size 0 gown pretty quickly...I was shocked. She had even had it taken in slightly because the 0 was too big for her. You'd be surprised.
I just figure market economy. If it's priced too high, they'll never sell it. It has to be worth it to both sides. For example, I bought a casual wedding dress to wear reception night and changed my mind. Original it was $250, I offered it for $50 never worn, but someone wanted $35. I choose not to sell because at that point, it was getting to where it wasn't worth my time to take it to the post office - I'd prefer to donate it instead. Do I still have it instead of $35? Yes. Am I ok with my decision? Yes. I can always see about selling or donating it post wedding.
@les105: That is encouraging! Thanks for sharing! I'd be happy to sell it for 20% of what I paid for it.
People negotiate price.
I'm selling my gown for 650 with two veils and those, all together, cost me around $1200. That's almost half off. I think that's a great price. You can get a cheaper version of my dress for that, but it wont look the same, just a cheaper version.. and you can go to the bridal shop and get it for 4000-5000.
The first time I almost sold it, but pulled out, was for 1000, but I wasn't going to be wearing it.
If you like the dress, but don't like the price, then negotiate! Don't complain.
I agree with you that sometimes sellers can be quite ridiculous on their asking price BUT it is just an asking price, if they are willing to negotiate you can score deals. I definitely would not buy a dress worn that would save me 20%, I would buy it new with coupons thank you very much.
@kimberlyr22-I have seen some of the same posts in my area, I wonder if it is the same poster? What is absolutely funny to me is the old dresses from the 80's and someone wants $1000 for it? Really $1000 when clearly that version is in the thrift stores for maybe $20 at the most but hey that is ny opinion and it is what it is worth to that seller. Just in case you needed proof http://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/clo/2946962972.html
I agree. Unless the dress is obscenely priced to start with, I'd rather pay 20% more and get a brand new gown. Girls trying to make the money back they spent on their outrageous weddings is just . . . kind of polluting the preowned dress market.
Hell im selling my brand new dresses..never worn and still have tags on them for literally half off or buy one get one free because i want them out of my house.
@Genesis31: That's priceless! We have those too...is there still a market for those gowns? I laugh at the ones that are $300...I can't imagine trying for $1000. It reminds me of going to yardsales and seeing 27" tube televisions for $100...sure it still works, but if you want to get rid of that thing it needs a "free" sign on it. My favorite is when they advertise those dresses and mention, "will include the hat for free!". Maybe the 80s/early 90s will come back in style soon and she can get her asking price.
i think 40- 50% off of what a bride originally paid is good deal for a pre-owed dress. what do you think is fair?
I saw one on Craigslist that said..."I have a wedding dress that has only been worn once. It is a large white gown with a beaded bust. Paid 300.00 for the gown. Asking 250 or best offer. I am 5'0 and weigh 132. Its a slim fitting dress.Still in bag."
I know it's just a starting point, but still! lol.
Personally I would rather buy a used dress than a sample that has been tried on multiple times. Several of them were so dirty and missing beads by the armpits.
It's your prerogative to not purchase the dress if you don't agree with the price. I don't think they should part with it for less than they want.
I looked at a bunch of websites that had preloved dresses and the price was still too high for me. The only place I really considered purchasing was from Church St. Bridal. But, I ended up buying a custom made gown off ebay. Brand new, and made especially for me. :)
The reason the ads say "only worn once" might be to imply that it was purchased new and has only had one owner (so far).
I honestly wouldn't buy a preowned wedding dress for anything more than half the original selling price, if that. Why would I pick up more than half the cost for a dress that you've worn (as much as you're ever going to) and had altered to your body? Also, if I buy a preowned wedding dress, I'm taking a risk -- I can't take it back to the store if it ends up not as described. I probably won't even have been able to try it on to see whether it looks good on me. That's a pretty scary proposition.
So, the discount had better be steep. I can see paying around 35-40% of the price for the dress -- as I see it, it's sort of close to splitting the cost, with the 10-15% deduction because the seller got the benefit of having it as a totally new, pristine item, and also most likely had it altered to her specifications, so it's not really the same as a new dress in that regard, either, and because of the risk of buying a dress I've probably never been able to try on, that might be difficult to re-alter to fit me, from someone who is not a store.
There's a well-documented tendency (it has a name, but it escapes me just now) for people to overestimate the resale value of things they already own. Not just wedding dresses (although it definitely applies!) but cars, houses, a musical instrument, whatever. The original owner tends to factor in the original price plus all their emotional investment in the item, and they set an unrealistically high selling price. Secondhand buyers, on the other hand, have none of the emotional attachment, and all of the power in the world to negotiate an offer they think is fair. Like PPs have said, it's fine to make a lowball offer and set a timeframe for negotiation. It's also good to remember that sellers often pitch their offering prices high because they *expect* to negotiate, and it sets a benchmark in the direction that favors them.
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