Where do you see the future of vintage going

Pauline,

Don't give up your hobby or love of vintage! The pendulum always swings....so maybe in the near future prices will drop a bit on vintage, as the things you like now, will perhaps go out of style for many the newbie collectors who seem to constantly set their sites elsewhere or another decade as Dame Fashion's whims change .

By the way, what is your favorite time period for buying vintage for yourself? There is no shortage of stock here on Southern California on 1960 to 1990s.

I know there are a few big companies in the UK that have been scooping up all the vintage from those donation bags (or whatever they call them). I disapprove of them!

Anyway, I understand your frustration and sadness, but hang in there, just when things look darkest, you might stumble upon a treasure trove of vintage in your size, all at great prices.

This is a place to vent your frustrations, and while we don't all agree with everyone, we love to get input from everyone.

Your avatar looks great by the way.
 
Yes, I agree, now may not be the time for you...but you know sometimes the best buys happen when you're not even looking for them.
You know what you like and what you can afford, so just keep an open mind and when fate smiles upon you again, you may just get
something you love and be able to enjoy it!
 
Personally I like pre 70's , if it did come to the point when only 80's + was within my budget I might go down a slightly different route with vintage collecting I not come to that point yet or given it any thought.
it's just me 80's and 90's thanks but no thanks.
At the moment both wearing and going out in modern fashions
 
I know you weren't having a go at dealers Pauline but here in the UK, as you very well know, we pay the highest price for driving cars anywhere in the world. I have to match my prices to reflect this as then I would be losing money and I make very little money on vintage as it is as everyone and their mama thinks they are David Dickenson when they come to trying to flog you some stock. I just can't get the stock like I could 10 or even 5 years ago and I refuse to go into 80's and later things. I went to an antique fair earlier this month, one where I've found things in the past but this time I was lucky to have found barely one bag of things to cover my fuel cost and entry fees plus a little profit to make the day worthwhile. Everything I looked at was badly stained or damaged in some way or just nothing special like late 60's/70's polyester and VERY overpriced and I thought to myself, "heck, they are asking more for this garbage than what I charge for my rare things in excellent condition!" I find with myself, that I am getting VERY picky about what I buy now too just because of all the over priced dreck out there now so I have to set C&C apart from every other "wanna-be vintage dealer". I went on a buy the other night and refused everything as it was either damaged or just nothing that special.
 
I haven't bought vintage clothing for the longest time. I bought it and wore it (!) back in the '80's when I was a size 12. My wedding dress in 1994 was a white linen from 1910 that I added gussets and lace to to "expand" it a little. I wore the correct corset underneath so it fit correctly. In buying, I concentrated on the Edwardian styles up to the mid 1920's and have quite a few cotton 1920's frocks that I used to be able to find for less than $20 in most antique's malls. I'm not ready to part with them yet, and don't think they'd sell now, anyway. I have put a few items of vintage clothing--nothing spectacular--in my Etsy store and have had no interest, other than favoriting. I am hesitating about putting any more up for sale because I don't know if there is anybody out there now who loves these eras' fashions like I do. Is anyone having any luck with Edwardian thru 1920's?
 
Not now the tea dresses were doing well on eBay if the sizes were right. But now the trends are designer, 70's and 40's.

Flappers are doing ok.

I seem to be doing well with handbags, shoes and jewelry.....
 
Pauline, why don't you try buying on ebay, people let some vintage gems go so cheaply. I know it's a gamble as you can't touch and feel the items, but if the person describes it well enough and offers a return policy it may e worth a go?
 
I totally get what you're saying Pauline, prices have gotten quite up there and I don't blame you for not buying vintage. I've gone through some shops that make me :jawdrop:

I suppose it really depends on the seller, some don't mind waiting for the right buyer and other sellers want it gone fast. Of course, it also depends on what the seller paid out for the item. A friend and fellow shop owner started selling clothing the same time I did, we had both started in jewelry. She made a big mistake by going to a local vintage shop and paying top dollar for some garments to get started. Unknown to both of us was the worsening economy and she ended up in debt with barely any sales.

Where do I see vintage selling going? Up, up, up. Like Nicole said, vintage clothing is becoming harder to find in good condition and as such, demand will always outweigh supply. Also a certainty - women will always want beautiful things.

My success rules:

Don't bother to sell unless you're willing to put effort into finding sources, going to people's homes, patronizing regularly secondhands, flea markets,
auctions, etc. Deals don't just fall in your lap, you have to hunt for them and if they're not deals, you make nothing. No profit will lead to apathy and fast. Passion is great but let's be real, so is profit. Double that effort for marketing, listing, photographs, emails, shipping, etc.

Be selective. Fancy labels are great but few can afford them (inc. myself) so I buy anything I consider to look stylish regardless if it's 30s or 80s. If it's unattractive or in unwearable condition, I leave it. I rarely have repairs done because I don't like to invest more money. Don't buy just anything because it's old or else plan on needing lots of storage space for the boxes of stuff that never sold.
 
I was in a vintage market this Saturday (one with individual booths under one roof set up)
For what ever reason there were about half the number of clothes on display compared with a few months ago , the space been occupied now by vintage house hold items,
Mine you I did find a couple of pair of vintage seamed stocking for £3.00 a pr so I can not grumble too much.
Something seams to be happening in the market in general but I not sure what!
 
That was a good buy on the stockings as I'm having to pay A LOT more for when when I find them. Long gone are the days when you could find them for 50p as people wanted rid of them. Now when people try to flog them to me or I go to sales, they quote MY website saying they are selling for that on "the internet". I just roll my eyes- I don't have the heart to tell them I am the owner of the site!:rolleyes:
 
I've been selling vintage for over 15 years and wearing it for almost 40s years (gulp!) and it is an ever changing market. Pricing for vintage fluctuates tremendously as well. In the 1980s there was a high end vintage store in Boston that sold velvet bias cut dresses for $300 - $500, no way they could get that now. Prices for some things have come down and for others they have gone up. It depends on what you are looking for.

As for future trends in vintage... if only I knew..... I do know there will always be a market for it and there will always be young newcomers who are passionate about past fashions. Us old timers will continue to provide the knowlege, history and a seasoned eye but the young bring a new perpective and adventurous approach that keeps it fresh. I'm very optimistic and excited about the future of vintage.

Melody
 
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