Scaasi Boutique - need appraisal help
- Thread starter DanielleB
- Start date
B
bartondoll
Guest
Hi Danielle,
This is very, very pretty! It would date from the 80s - probably
mid to later. Scaasi started his boutique label in 1984.
As for appraisal, Scaasi seems to be one of those designers who has not yet garnered the respect that is owed him. There is a collector
base that love his clothing and I've seen dresses similar style to this
with price tags of around $150 - $250 on vintage on-line websites
(do a search for Scaasi on Google). When you do an Ebay search for
completed Scaasi items though, they are not hot sellers.
This dress has a dynamite print and colourway and very retro
50s styling with the fitted bodice, belt cinched waist and circle(?) skirt. For your $12.00 investment I think you did well. If you bought this for
resale, I would be tempted to put it away for abit and keep your
eye on the market. The 80s are predicted to become very popular
over the next little while and Scaasi was an important 80s designer.
Hopefully someone will be along with more info for you.
In the meantime, here is a link with some info on Scaasi:
[a href=http://dept.kent.edu/museum/exhibit/scaasi/scaasi.html"]scaasi[/a]
Sue
This is very, very pretty! It would date from the 80s - probably
mid to later. Scaasi started his boutique label in 1984.
As for appraisal, Scaasi seems to be one of those designers who has not yet garnered the respect that is owed him. There is a collector
base that love his clothing and I've seen dresses similar style to this
with price tags of around $150 - $250 on vintage on-line websites
(do a search for Scaasi on Google). When you do an Ebay search for
completed Scaasi items though, they are not hot sellers.
This dress has a dynamite print and colourway and very retro
50s styling with the fitted bodice, belt cinched waist and circle(?) skirt. For your $12.00 investment I think you did well. If you bought this for
resale, I would be tempted to put it away for abit and keep your
eye on the market. The 80s are predicted to become very popular
over the next little while and Scaasi was an important 80s designer.
Hopefully someone will be along with more info for you.
In the meantime, here is a link with some info on Scaasi:
[a href=http://dept.kent.edu/museum/exhibit/scaasi/scaasi.html"]scaasi[/a]
Sue
Jonathan
VFG Member
There are many vintage clothing stores in your area that would probably love to buy the dress for resale, and they aren't necessarily going to be the best place for you to take the dress because they will likely underestimate its value in the hopes of purchasing it, or will require to be paid for their services, in which case you will likely get a top end evaluation which may be unrealistic if you don't have the number of a client you can call who you know will pay whatever they need to in order to get the dress.
Realistically, the dress is from the 80s, and although your Scaasi looks to be very nice, Scaasi is not as desirable from the 80s as his earlier stuff is. Neiman Marcus is, of course, a good label so the dress must have been expensive in its day.
Vintage clothing is a volatile market and with few exceptions, like Pucci dresses where there are enough of them out there on a continual basis where you can get a pretty accurate "going price" for them, evaluations can be tricky. If you want a realistic fair market evaluation, one sure way is to put it up on ebay with a high reserve, and pay the feature listing option. You should get a good audience to see it and bid on it up to a level where the value would be. A lot is dependant on condition, material and size as well.
My gut feeling is the value is somewhere between $125.00 and $200.00, certainly not less, but possibly upwards of $400.00 if you got the right people wanting the dress and bidding against each other. I imagine the dress was originally in the $400 - $600 range to begin with.
Realistically, the dress is from the 80s, and although your Scaasi looks to be very nice, Scaasi is not as desirable from the 80s as his earlier stuff is. Neiman Marcus is, of course, a good label so the dress must have been expensive in its day.
Vintage clothing is a volatile market and with few exceptions, like Pucci dresses where there are enough of them out there on a continual basis where you can get a pretty accurate "going price" for them, evaluations can be tricky. If you want a realistic fair market evaluation, one sure way is to put it up on ebay with a high reserve, and pay the feature listing option. You should get a good audience to see it and bid on it up to a level where the value would be. A lot is dependant on condition, material and size as well.
My gut feeling is the value is somewhere between $125.00 and $200.00, certainly not less, but possibly upwards of $400.00 if you got the right people wanting the dress and bidding against each other. I imagine the dress was originally in the $400 - $600 range to begin with.
Sue & Jonathan,
Thanks so much for your help. Think I'll hold on to it then. I'm dying to try it on but am 8 months pregnant (will have to wait awhile as I understand this sz 12 will more likely fit like a sz 10 and was probably custom made for someone).
Will research the material in the mean time. There aren't any labels inside to give fabric info, just a "Dry Clean Only" and a Ladies Union label.
Thanks again, take care.
Best,
Danielle
Thanks so much for your help. Think I'll hold on to it then. I'm dying to try it on but am 8 months pregnant (will have to wait awhile as I understand this sz 12 will more likely fit like a sz 10 and was probably custom made for someone).
Will research the material in the mean time. There aren't any labels inside to give fabric info, just a "Dry Clean Only" and a Ladies Union label.
Thanks again, take care.
Best,
Danielle
I think the prices that are being stated are a really nice return on your investment...hot or no right now : ) If of course, you are looking to sell it vs insurance purposes. The neckline is great on this one, by the way!
But other than monetary value?
Potentially priceless, because if you chose to wear this (or someone else did), nobody else is going to show up wearing anything similar. The best part about vintage that is not asbsolutely hot hot hot right now as far as collecting or people are not racing for it because they saw something simililar retro inspired on the pages of vogue, is people have the opportunity to find some really unique things for their wardrobe. If you are not the type for holding onto things which may or may not increase, I would enjoy it if it fits you. (and it is not out of the range years wise for someone to have owned and absolutely loved this dress, just fall over and die that they found a replacement)
Chris
But other than monetary value?
Potentially priceless, because if you chose to wear this (or someone else did), nobody else is going to show up wearing anything similar. The best part about vintage that is not asbsolutely hot hot hot right now as far as collecting or people are not racing for it because they saw something simililar retro inspired on the pages of vogue, is people have the opportunity to find some really unique things for their wardrobe. If you are not the type for holding onto things which may or may not increase, I would enjoy it if it fits you. (and it is not out of the range years wise for someone to have owned and absolutely loved this dress, just fall over and die that they found a replacement)
Chris
V
vintageclothes-line
Guest
I think I have a Scaasi I will have to dig out. It's black. Not as colorful and pretty as yours.
Jonathan
VFG Member
When it says "boutique" on the label that means its off the rack, so its not made for a particular client, or couture. It is a really nice Scaasi. A lot of his stuff in the 80s was not good, and this one thankfully doesn't reek 80s either, its a nice subtle 50s retro dress that should do really well. It reminds me a bit of the Oscar de la Renta pink dress that was in EVERY fashion magazine this spring and that Carrie Bradshaw wore in Sex and the City. In fact, this one could be modernized a titch by replacing the self material belt with a little black patent belt, although I would certainly sell the original belt with the dress.