help - absoloute beginner

Hello everyone... a friend of mine asked me to sell some vintage couture outfits for her on ebay and I said no problem... and now I'm mildly freaked out as despite having bought tonnes of vintage clothing, I've never actually sold any before!

I've had a bit of a go at what I think I might put up on ebay, but wondered if anyone would be kind enough to take a look and either tell me I've made a mess or give me some suggestions.

Here's my first three attempts:

Psychedelic 60s medieval style evening dress

1960s Chocolate brown 20s/Flapper style dress

1960s aqua psychedelic butterfly evening dress

 

Ya, you have messed up horribly. I will send you $50.00 and take them off your hands...

Okay, no, you haven't messed up, although the last dress needs an overall view and I would like to see the label pictured from all three. Otherwise, I think you did a phenomenal job. You took a very organized straight forward approach to describing the dresses.

 

I agree with Jonathan. Awful!! But, I'll beat his price and take them all off your hands for $55!!!!!! hahahaha

What a great assortment of dresses. Wowwee!!

I only have 2 suggestions.
1. Make sure to include the designer's name in the eBay item title.
2. More photos of dresses 2 & 3.

The first listing was perfect, great assortment of photos and angles. I would suggest the same thing for the photos in 2 & 3.

Your descriptions are fantastic and detailed.

Adding the Hardy Aimes name to your listing titles will get you more hits - as a lot of folks only search the titles.

Otherwise you are rockin' there. Those are definately not 'newbie' style listings. You did a wonderful job!!!

Let us know when you actually list them, ok?!

Cheers ~ Maureen

 

I would say that Jonathan offering you $50 is a good sign. The last thing he offered to do me a favor and take off my hands for $50 sold for about $180.

Sue

 

You're a beginner? Yikes. What will your auctions look like when you get some practice. I'm afraid to look again or I'll bid.

 

You're a beginner? Yikes. What will your auctions look like when you get some practice. I'm afraid to look again or I'll bid.

 

thanks for the help, advice and encouragement... I've really overwhelmed myself with this task and was about ready to start hiding under my desk in a panic! LOL!

For some reason I can't get the main picture for the "1960s aqua psychedelic butterfly evening dress" to show up which is a shame as I'd put three views of the dress on that one.

I'll remember to keep up with the alternate views of the outfit---worried that I was overdoing it with all the images, so it's nice to know that I'm doing alright with that.

I didn't know if most buyers were as obsessed with labels as we are but on your advice Jonathan I will scan and include the labels with the sales... I was sure that this particular label was included on the resource but now I've taken a look it's not there. Strange.

I was a little wary of adding the name Hardy Amies to the title as it doesn't seem to be a name people go for at the moment... so I was being a little secretive and hoping people would take a look and then discover that they are Hardy Amies... is it still a good idea for me to add the name?

And I'm also glad that everyone so far thinks the wording is okay because I did panic and got a little caried away there describing things as though ther were in a 1960s fashion magazine! I think I'e been reading too many vintage editions of Vogue and Harpers Bazaar! LOL!

love, moons and starrs,
Senti.*

 

They all look great to me! - and yes, have the name in your titles!

Well done, you did a great job!

 

I think they look great and I also suggest the label pic in there.
I put a label pic in all my auctions even if not a common name.

The only other thing I would suggest is to add the length in the measurements on them. I am a stickler for measurements.

Other than that nice going for a first time!! You look like a pro!

 

Hi Senti!

I think you've done a great job both with descriptions & presentation - I think the pics are particularly good, and their quality will make a *big* difference on ebay.co.uk

I agree with everyone else - put a label pic in, no matter what. In this case, Hardy Amies has a significant residue of a good reputation in this country, even if people can't remember all the historical facts (and you've already backed it up by reminding them!). *And*, as this response has illustrated, he has a significant international reputation too.

Also, and I see this when I watch all sorts of auctions. Putting in a label pic somehow increases bidder confidence (and therefore bidder extravagence!)

And you *never* know even with obscure vintage labels, whether someone's already got one, really liked it, and decided to buy more.

These are a really great wardrobe, and with ebay being *very* slow at the moment, and inventive searching going right down, you might want to consider picking the most striking dress (say, that first one, which is fab!) and shelling out for a feature listing. Then, put your bit saying 'this is going to be a whole wardrobe' in bold, and it will benefit your other listings. It would be a real shame if these didn't get the attention they deserve (and it wouldn't be your fault either).

Good luck with them - your friend made exactly the right decision in asking you to sell these, since it's often the seller's own appreciation of their stuff which sells it <i>properly</i> to the right market.

;)
L

 

On everyone's advice, I'll add Hardy Amies to the title and will get some label scans done (admittedly I *have* to have a label scan on a Biba item I've seen on ebay before I'll bid, so that is a very good suggestion as the Hardy Amies labels vary greatly too).

Pauline - *fabulous* idea about adding the length, being a mini-skirt girl I'd never even considered adding the length! I always feel that my only asset appearance wise is my fabulous legs so as long as things look short I buy them! LOL! Am trying to train myself into long skirts now though thanks to some divine Dollyrocker maxi-dresses I couldn't resist, so I need clueing into this whole new world (you have to walk differently and everything!).

...only thing is, where should I measure from? (complete bewilderment of absoloute newbie! Fashion philistine alert! LOL!!!) Waist to hem, arm to hem, waistline on dress to hem... should I measure the arm length too? Any other measurements I should be taking? I'm not at all used to this. Like I said when I'm buying if it's short enough and the chest - waist - hips are okay I'll buy something!

Lin - I hadn't even considered trying a feature listing, but it's a super idea on the first go. And I love that medieval-ish dress so much I don't want to part with it, so hopefully other people will fall in love with it too, so that would be a fab start. There's more chance of someone seeing it and loving it if I put it out there with a big flashing "look over here!" sign on it, so I shall go with the feature and use that dress as a sort of flag ship for the rest of the collection as you suggested.

Thank you *so* much everyone, your advice and support is really deeply appreciated. I feel almost confident now..but only almost. LOL! Thanks so much everyone. I'll let my friend see what I've come up with and once I've done that I'll get it up on there!

love, moons and starrs,
Senti.*

 

you can do a few different things on measuring skirt...

measure the dress shoulder to hem, then also include a shoulder to waist measurement. The person can subtract the bodice measurement from the overall measurement and arrive at the skirt length. That way, shortwaisted or long waisted gals will also know if it fits them.

I don't know how many people search by skirt length in numbers, so if that is what you were concerned about, i would measure the whole length and then measure the waist to hem and let them do the math on the bodice.
I usually do the top one more often because a skirt can always be hemmed an inch if someone is very petite, but the waist can't be raised.

It is also critical to let people know in words if the item is empire or drop waisted so they will take that into consideration on measurements.

If the dress doesn't have a very defined waist, use where it "nips in" at about the natural waist.

HAve i confused you yet?

 

I am a little confused, but it's fun learning!

I'll do shoulder to hem and shoulder to waist if that's best?

Could someone explain to me the different waist positions cos that's where I'm getting confused. I assume drop waisted is when a garment has a waistline below the natural waistline? Is empire actually on the waist? What is it called when the waistline on the dress actually happens just below the chest like on a babydoll dress?

This will be quite important on Hardy Amies because I can remember reading repeatedy that he was particularly fussy about waistlines. He lowered jacket waistlines on women's suits, thought all elegant clothes should have low waistlines, cut his clothes just above the hip... and then went completley backwards when he designed for 2001: A Space Odussey and made the whole wardrobe incredibly high waisted. So I need to get this right really don't I.

...I could do with a fashion-terms resource to go with the label resource! LOL!

Sorry to ask so many questions, but I'm an information junkie, I like to do things right... and besides all that, it's fun learnign about fashion!

love, moons and starrs,
Senti.*

 

Empire is a high waist like a babydoll waist.

Drop waist is like those 80s prom dresses where its below the natural waist like closer to the hip.

natural waist is your natural waist and a lot of clothing items "nip in" at that point if its a sheath or shift sometimes.

I take the hip measurement 7" below the natural waist and i tell people where i take it and not to be confused with the widest part of the thighs.

 

Thank you *so* much for explaining that to me, that'll be really helpful!

...and I've finally managed to get the main picture on the third dress to come up. I'm so upset that I've found tears in the material there, it's such a fabulous dress. :( But hey, if no-one wants it in the condition it's in, I'd gladly keep it and would wear it myself!

love, moons and starrs,
Senti.*

 

Senti,

I am going to email you some charts I have that show different waists, collars etc. They are a great referance tool that I use all the time!

~Maureen

 

Maureen, those charts are fabulous, you are an absoule star! Thank-you so much!

love, moons and starrs,
Senti.*

 

i would make one more suggestion... the purple background is rather hard to read with the black text. i know colors are fun , but when one presents a lot of information (measurements, condition, why the piece is interesting or important, as you have done), you want to give quick-to-click browsers every reason to stay on your page reading about your wonderful item.

i love the first piece especially. the photos of the labels will be worth it; this gives emphasis to your expertise, and your knowledge of your clientele.

cheers and good luck tamara

 

don't worry, the background and text colours are just ones I used to display what I'd come up with as I already had the webpage set up. These will go on ebay in plain black text with a white background.

Thanks very much for the advice though, and for the good luck wishes.

love, moons and starrs,
Senti.*

 

Senti your pics are really good - haven't anymore to add really because everyone else has said it already but - well done.

Anne