How do second-hand/vintage stores operate?

[melt977]

What about e-bay sellers? I think that many of them are willing to make a deal for whole sale buyers.

 

[Lena]

merged with existing thread, please browse back for feedback

 

[Indacloset]

Im new in TFS! hello everybody!

Im Paloma, Im working as a fashion assistant in a fashion spanish magazine, but it´s so difficult to find a job wellpaid in this country...
I want to release a second hand clothes store in Madrid, but I dont know can I begin, i dont know who sales the clothes and where can buy them.
Somebody could help me?

Sorry , but my english is not good

xxx
Paloma

 

[BetteT]

Hi Paloma,

Welcome to the Fashion Spot!

I don't know anything about finding vintage clothing to sell ... especially in Spain. Maybe someone else has information for you.

But, I did want to direct you to this other thread about opening a retail clothing store. You might find the other information about opening a store helpful. Of course, how you get the clothes to sell would be different. Opening a Designer Boutique: Store and/or On-Line

 

[Indacloset]

Thank u BetteT!!!


I m going to read the thread.

But I dont necessary want to get the clothes in Spain, I think it will be better if I get the clothes outside of my Country. Somebody told me there are markets in Germany or somewhere..I dont know :S , where you can choose the clothes and buy them.

I have contacts in Spain because I´m working in this industry and I have the money but I dont know can I begin!

Anyway, I´ll read the thread.

Thanks so much
xx
Paloma

 

[glamrockgal]

I am planning to start vintage selling on ebay and such in London.this thread is a great inspiration and info for me.

anyone owning a vintage shop online or store? I have a blog so ı think that might also be a good help to start my own bussiness.

 

[Selfportraitgrl]

^ I wish I had tips for you. I used to have an eBay store where I sold clothes that I found in a really nice local thrift store, but I gave up after a while because my sales kept declining and it was more trouble than it was worth. I think a big part of the problem was that I wasn't choosing the right merchandise. Comparing my store to the clearly successful vintage stores on eBay, I definitely wasn't going in the right direction. But part of my problem also was that I live in a fairly rural area and had a hard time finding "trendy" vintage clothes... and I had a hard time trying to determine which decade pieces were from. Sure, you can find tips on-line, but they're only a starting point and I didn't know where else to go to learn.

If anyone has any advice or knows any good resources for selling/dating vintage, please let me know. Coming across this thread has sort of piqued my interest in selling clothes again. I haven't worked since I closed by eBay store last December and I've since been trying to find what to get into next. Perhaps I should just take my time to learn the basics and then try to start over with my eBay store.

 

[quimby]

^ I wonder what you mean by going in the wrong direction? What are the successful vintage stores on eBay like?

I've learned a lot from reading the blog posts that come up when you google, "how to date vintage." I am by no means an expert, and there is a learning curve. But it might help to approach it as a process of elimination. For example, if the zipper is plastic, you know it's likely after 1960 or so (but don't quote me, as I'd have to consult my notes to figure exactly when). Then you look at other things like seaming, style, and union labels to narrow down the range of dates even further. I also write down these notes in a notebook because it's too much to learn all at once, and you will come across garments with contradictory clues.

I've also ordered a few books about vintage shopping that should prove helpful. My library has a good book on fashion trends in the past 70 years that I'm slowly going through.

I've just started my vintage shop on Etsy, and I'm learning as I go. I hesitated to start it for a long time because I wanted to do it right, but at some point, you just have to learn by doing, I think.

If you have any tips from you stint as a seller, I'd be most interested!

 

[Selfportraitgrl]

I don't know, it's hard to say exactly what I was doing wrong. If I knew, I guess I would've improved it and would still have my store, lol. I just think that I wasn't focused enough on what kinds of vintage people are looking for--like, maybe I'd find a crazy 80's top with a funky print that might be interesting, but not necessarily something someone wants to pay $20-$30 for.

I also had trouble styling pieces. I think it's definitely important to style pieces in a way that appeals to buyers in your photos, and I didn't always have the resources to create a great look for a piece. It's not like I could pull stuff from my own wardrobe, because I don't really have much of one.

I've noticed that a lot of successful ebay sellers use models. I definitely don't have anyone who'd be willing to model for me. I'd thought about doing it myself, but it felt pretty awkward. I do take self portraits, so it's not that I'm just awkward in front of a camera, but modeling clothes is another realm. Instead I used a silver headless mannequin in my studio. I'm not saying you have to use a model to be successful, but in my personal opinion, it is more appealing to see clothes on an actual person.

Here are some ebay stores that I think seem to be pretty successful:
American Archive
The Kissing Tree Vintage
Bustown Modern
Hellhound Vintage
Crush Vintage
Mama Stone Vintage
Vantage Point Vintage
The Vintage Clothing Gal

I've definitely read a lot of tips for dating vintage online, and have a good bit of info printed and saved in a binder, but like I said, it's really just a starting point. I'd often find stuff with no tags, so I didn't have any RNs or WPLs to guide me. And the care instructions and garment content tags can be misleading. If you know of any good books to buy, please let me know. I swear sometimes the internet is too vast. It's like, you search Amazon for books on vintage fashion and you get so many results... but where to begin? It's nice if you can find someone who can point you in the right direction.

I don't know if I have any specific tips, but if you have any questions, I might be able to answer them. I had my ebay clothing store for almost a year, and I've been selling on ebay for a couple years, so I do have some experience.

 

[quimby]

I know what you mean by the use of models to highlight the clothes. I see perfectly ordinary pieces made to look spectacular through styling. I also think that models are helpful in giving the store a particular attitude or style. Many of the stores I see use edgy models with piercings and modern haircuts, for example, to lend their pieces a bit of edge.

At the same time, like you say, I'm not sure that models are necessary. Well lit photos can be adequate. And the use of props or lighting can help give the store an atmosphere as well.

Thanks for the list of eBay stores. I'm looking more at Etsy myself, but it'll be great to reference those eBay stores for ideas.

I have a few books that I came across that might be helpful. I haven't finished reading them yet, so I can't vouch for them. There's Antique and Vintage Fashions by Barbara Johnson, The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping by Melody Fortier, and Virtual Vintage by Linda Lindroth and Deborah Tornello. What I can say so far is that the first one is a good reference for changing trends that might help you date the vintage. Each year has a list of the trends that became popular that year. Virtual Vintage is a bit dated in the "basics" section that I've just started, but the other sections seem helpful.

 

[Selfportraitgrl]

^ Well, thank you, I'll have to take a look at those books. Do let me know what you think when you finish them.

I had looked at Etsy, too, but ultimately opted for eBay because I think there are so many more options--like auctions, customizable templates, etc. I also like how they handle shipping--as long as you enter the weight and size of your package, it calculates postage costs for your buyers and you can print the labels straight from eBay.