Be Honest About The Dress Making Sure To Disclose Any Imperfections
To ensure that there are no issues with the transaction, make sure to disclose any imperfections, such as holes, tears, stains or fading. This will affect the sellability of your dress, but perhaps not as much as you think. If the hem is lightly stained, for example, you may attract a buyer who’s planning on having the dress shortened anyway.
Photo by Berit Alits Photography via One Fab Day
Make Sure Your Photo Quality Is On Point
Before you list your wedding dress online, youre going to need to have some good photos of it to post. If youve got some extra money, you can hire a professional photographer to stage and shoot it, or, if youre confident with a camera, you can do it yourself. Keep in mind some online businesses will offer to take photos of your dress for you, so inquire before you spend any money to get photos taken.
How Long Will It Take To Sell My Wedding Gown
There are many factors regarding how long it will take to sell your wedding dress. The popularity of the platform you choose to sell your dress will factor into how long it will take. It should take approximately 60-90 days to sell your wedding dress if it is no more than a couple of years old and in excellent condition. If the dress is not in demand or in poor condition, it could take longer to tell.
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Make Sure You Have Accurate Measurements And Other Dress Details
When creating your listing to sell your used wedding dress online, youll need to provide detailed information about your gown, including its measurements, fabric, silhouette, neckline, and more. If you arent sure or have questions about your gowns details, you might look on the dress tags or the receipt for sizing information or search online to find similar dresses if you arent an expert in silhouettes or necklines. Try to be as accurate as possiblea gown thats misrepresented online will likely be returned.
Make Sure Your Listing Is Truthful And Detailed
Brides buying secondhand wedding dresses want as much information on the dresses theyre looking to buy so they can make the right buying decision.
When creating your listing, make sure that you include who designed or who manufactured it, what year, color, collection, and which store you bought it from. Also, indicate if you had it altered in any way.
If you had the dress professionally made, make sure you indicate it, as well as the exact measurements.
All of the information you include should be the truth if you lie, your buyer will find out when they get the dress anyway. You dont need the aggravation and bad karma of a return or a PayPal dispute, so just tell the truth the first time around.
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How To Sell Your Used Wedding Dress Online In 8 Easy Steps
Want to sell your used wedding dress after the big day? Heres an easy-to-follow guide to selling your gown online.
You fell in love with your wedding dress and wore it on your best day ever. Now that the big days over, you loathe the idea of letting your dream gown collect dust in your closetand the prospect of selling your used wedding dress sounds pretty appealing. Not only can you earn back some cash, your dress will get a second life. The process of selling your wedding dress online might seem a bit daunting, but by following a few simple steps, you can give your gown a better chance of selling quickly.
The 5 Best Places To Sell Your Wedding Dress Online
If youre worried that your wedding dress is going to sit at the back of your closet and collect dust after the big day, why not consider selling it? If you have no intention of saving it for your daughter, altering it so that its more wearable, or framing it in your home like Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Adrienne Maloof, then chances are youll probably never take your gown off its hanger again. When it comes to selling your dress, the easiest, and most popular choice is online. There are many websites that make selling gently-used clothing a breeze and some even specialize in bridal. Flip through the slides below to discover the five best places to sell your wedding dress online and get a few essential tips on how to create a great listing that will entice possible buyers.
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Add Both Original And Actual Pictures Of The Gown
An attractive picture immensely helps your listing. So, make sure you search out the original picture from the designer and add it to your advertisement. Brides also want to see how the gown compares to the picture, and more importantly how it looks after youve used it. So, it will be good if you can include a picture of the gown on a mannequin, after its been cleaned. Also add one or two of your best wedding day pictures to help them see how it looked on you. Make sure that you upload only good quality photos of high resolution. It should be clicked under good light, and the dress should be highlighted beautifully. If there are attractive motifs like embellishments or signature design elements that make the gown attractive, add pictures of these too. Also, remember to include pictures of the gown taken from the back. If there are any damages that couldnt be rectified during cleaning, make sure that you mention these and where possible, add pictures of them. Your potential buyers can understand the extent of damage based on this, and can decide if it will affect their decision. Just think of what you would like to know when you have to buy something as important, and tailor your listing to meet these expectations. This will improve your chances of making the sale.
So Youd Rather Donate Your Wedding Dress
Photo by Christine Grace Photography via Bridal Musings
Search specifically in your local area for any bridal shops that run off dress donations. While local thrift stores are a great option, places like Brides For A Cause sell donated dresses and raise funds for women-focused charities. While they may have specifics that they do or dont accept, its a great way to clear up space in your own closet.
With multiple locations on the west coast, they accept most gently loved gowns within the last 5 years. Dont live nearby? They accept gowns shipped in, too! About 80% of their net profit raised is donated to local and national women-focused charities. Theyll take care of cleaning for you, and provide you information for tax deductions as well.
They boast an exquisite, hand-selected collection of unique and designer pieces as well as rare and vintage gowns. About 30% of proceeds from each sale goes toward charities that empower women and end child marriage. So youre contributing to a more sustainable climate, and also sustainable change.
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Be Patient And Adjust Pricing If Needed
It can take anywhere from a few weeks to a year to sell a used wedding dress online. If its been a month or two and you havent received any interest, you might consider lowering the price, adding new photos or adding more information to the listing. If your dress doesnt sell in a reasonable time frame , you can always take down your listing and keep your dress.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, some of which may be sponsored by paying vendors.
Maximizing The Chances Of Selling Your Wedding Gown Online:
Some of the most important aspects of selling your wedding dresses are finding out- places that buy used wedding dresses, when to sell your wedding gown, how to sell wedding dress online, and where to sell wedding dress online. The most important aspect of selling your wedding dress is to not wait too long. You can be swooning over all the emotions and high on love for weeks after your wedding day, but if you plan to find how to sell your wedding dress fast, the insider tip is to list it on your favorite used wedding dress websites two weeks before the wedding. Even if it sounds crazy, it is reasonable to list your wedding dress online prior to your wedding because newly engaged brides will take time to find your dress, and hence sooner the better. Getting your wedding dress listed before or immediately after your wedding or within two to three years of buying it will enhance your chance of selling as the bridal style will still be popular and current.
What to do with the wedding dress after your wedding?
Your dream wedding is over and if you are considering what to do with your wedding dress after the big celebration, there are several options to choose from instead of tucking away your wedding dress under the bed or in your attic. If you don’t know what to do with your wedding dress after the wedding you can consider these options.
Preserve your wedding dress
Pass down your wedding dress
Trash the dress
Frame your wedding dress
Thank You!
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Local Wedding Consignment Shops
If you want to sell your wedding dress locally, the best option is a wedding dress consignment shop.
Since these shops specifically focus on selling wedding-related items like wedding gowns, accessories, and shoes, this is your best chance for getting your dress in front of local buyers looking specifically for a wedding dress.
One of the big downsides of local wedding dress consignment shops is that they charge fairly steep fees for helping you sell your wedding dress, similar to some sites on this list.
Many shops charge a commission rate in the range of 40% to 60% of the final sale price of the dress.
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Is It Best To Sell My Wedding Dress Locally Or Online
There are clear benefits to both selling online and selling locally. If you choose to sell online, you gain access to a nationwide audience, which increases the chance of someone liking your dress. Of course, the competition is also stronger.
Selling online also means you wont have to meet someone in person. This can be a positive if you are busy or dont want to deal with strangers. Many sites provide you with some form of selling assistance, whether through payments, dealing with shipping and returns, or advertising your dress.
Selling locally has its benefits too. Sites such as Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are entirely free to use, so you keep all the profits. Additionally, you dont have to worry about your dress getting lost during shipping, because youll physically meet up with the person buying the dress.
Meeting up in person also allows the buyer to both see and try the dress on. This can increase the chances that they will be happy with their purchase and less likely to request a refund.
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Be Smart And Steadfast
Act fast when you find what youre looking for, but dont be shy when it comes to asking questions. While coveted designers and styles tend to get snatched up quickly, be smart when it comes to shopping and negotiating one of these sought-after gowns. Request even more photos of the dress’s condition and consider asking the seller to allow for a return should the dress not fit or be as described.
Determine Your Style Beforehand
The first step in selecting any wedding dress, whether second-hand or not, is to try on gowns. Head to your local boutique to narrow down styles, designers, and sizes. Once you know what youre looking for, sign up for alerts to be notified as soon as someone puts your dream dress up for sale or search for similar looks.
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Use The Correct Categories:
When listing your dress, ensure that you use all the correct categories. Many platforms often have fields such as neckline, silhouette and other details. These fields are how buyers will search for items. So, you need to be accurate. Additionally, when creating your listing, make sure you include your zip code. This will allow buyers looking for a local item in your area to find your listing.
Wedding Dress Myths Debunked
We figured that theres got to be plenty of other wedding dress superstitions, so we hunted them out to debunk for you:
- Its bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress before the ceremony: false. In the past during arranged marriages, contact was prevented beforehand to prevent the groom from seeing the bride and changing his mind about the marriage.
- A bride who sews her wedding dress will cry the same number of tears as stitches she sews: false. Its good luck to not make the last stitches until she walks down the aisle though.
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Tips For Selling Used Wedding Dresses
Whether you aren’t the sentimental type or you’re just savvy, selling your used wedding dress is an easy way to recoup some money from your wedding. If your dress is in good condition, consider listing it online over selling it to a thrift store, where the piece will reach a greater volume of potential buyers and can be more easily shared and promoted.
A used wedding dress in great condition and under two years old can usually sell for 50 percent of the retail price. And, if your dress is by a more recognizable brand like Oscar de la Renta or Vera Wang, you could make closer to 60 percent of its retail value. Some consignment websites also offer tools to help you decide what to charge.
Since there’s a large demand for all kinds of secondhand wedding dresses, a designer label doesn’t necessarily mean your dress will sell faster. But presentation does matter. Put your best foot photos forward to show off how amazing the garment really is. And consider getting it professionally cleanedNearly Newlywed, a leading used wedding dress resale site, says it could sell twice as fast.
IVKateFoto/Shutterstock.com
Have A Fair Returns Policy
Be considerate of the fact that wedding dresses are a large purchase, and think about the returns policy youd be drawn to if you were buying a second-hand dress.
Youd probably want to be able to try the dress on at home, then send it back if it wasnt quite right, so mention that youre happy for other brides to do the same in the listing. Its likely to mean your dress will attract more attention, even if it does take a little longer to properly sell.
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