Delving further into the topic of vintage wear, I am stuck with what feels like an ethical dilemma of how much I should be paying for designer and non-designer vintage wear. As I speak to more vintage connoisseurs, traders, antique jewellery collectors, the experts behind this rather delicate topic, the wealth of knowledge and curiousity of this ongoing journey has been endless and enriching. A wise and true aficionado of all things vintage once told me “When they question my prices, I tell them back ‘then its not for you'” – and rightfully so.
BAZAAR has combed through the world wide web to bring you a power list of the best resale vintage e-commerce platforms. Fly with the winds of #BAZAARVintageView and you might wind up with a 1980s Chanel power suit, an item you would not have even considered. Word of caution: vintage is addictive.
A vintage 1980s Chanel gold chain belt, available on Etsy for RM 4,515.94
Vinted
Best for: getting rid of all your high street cast-offs
It’s easy to sell on Vinted, you just take a photo, write a description then upload. Hundreds of items are listed on the site everyday, with brands such as River Island, Missguided and New Look proving popular. There’s emphasis on the ‘community’ – so buyers might chat you for more info or follow your profile. There’s also the option to swap clothing with one of Vinted’s 8.5 million users.
Costs: the seller pays a 15 per cent commission to Vinted, with a £1 minimum fee.
Vestiaire Collective
Best for: Discerning followers of fashion and those wanting to reap back their outlay
France-based site Vestiaire Collective has around 100,000 fixed-price items for sale at any one time, and a buyer spends an average of £200-£250. Co-founder Fanny Moizant advises selling seasonal purchases. “The new fashion mantra is: play with fashion but don’t own it anymore, your wardrobe is no longer static – it’s a living, moving thing – use fashion and then sell it on.” Luxury brands Burberry and Mulberry do well, but customers are also mad for Topshop and ASOS. Sellers submit photos and descriptions for approval and price fixing, then have them collected by courier.
Costs: You pay fees only when your item sells (you can reduce the asking price quite easily) and costs start at £15 plus a percentage commission based on the price of your sale, which can be anything from 33 per cent to 13 per cent.
Ebay
Best for: DIY selling and buyers who love a good root around
It’s up to the seller to take and upload photos, write a description and optimise the listing – and then deal with shipping queries from Timbuktu. It’s worth downloading the app for ease. If you’re not sure how much your item is worth, stick to an auction-style listing and you might just get lucky.
Selling tips: Sunday is eBay’s busiest day, so it pays to list auctions that close during that evening. Then there’s the three key elements: the picture, the title and the description. The title is the first thing buyers will see, so choose your words wisely; ‘vintage’ is better than ‘second hand’.
Costs: To list something at 99p or under is free. You then pay 10 per cent of the final sale price plus a fee to payment service Pay Pal, who take between 1.4 per cent and 3.4 percent, plus 20p for each transaction.
Hardly Ever Worn It
Best for: Fashionistas who can’t normally stretch to big brands
Hardly Ever Worn It has a strong celebrity presence with Sienna Miller, Chloe Green and Harry Styles listing their items for good causes (the latter’s Burberry T-shirt went for £3,002). Perhaps because of this, when sellers opt in to make a donation to charity, items tend to sell better. Bags are the most popular items on the site with Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Christian Louboutin attracting the most demand.
Selling tips: Mention any imperfections such as marks, stains, buttons missing etc… to protect yourself from returns and earn the trust of buyers. Include the original retail price of your item in your listing to highlight the discount you are giving.
Costs: The company takes 15 per cent plus VAT of the price paid for your item, or 30 per cent if you use the VIP service, via which Hardly Ever Worn It will collect the goods from you and do the rest.
