Recycle, Reduce, Reuse vol. 1
My wardrobe inventory has come to the stage where I have to take the bull by the horns and decide which items to keep and which to toss. At the moment I have one big box full of shoes and two even bigger boxes filled with clothes waiting for a new home.
At first I thought I would drag everything to the flea market as I’m a flea market kind of girl myself. I had a flea market table last spring with my gal pal and I managed to sell almost all my stuff (which was five big boxes filled with clothes, shoes, accessories and home decor). Needless to say, I had only high quality items for sale and I kept my prices relatively low (for example, I sold a beautiful vintage burgundy leather jacket in top condition dirt cheap) as my aim was to recycle and reduce, not to make money. At that time I wasn’t aware of how online auction sites actually work for a seller.
Now I have a vague idea to put some of the stuff to online auction but as this would be my first time I’m not quite sure how to proceed. I have divided the stuff I want to let go to two piles. One is for online auction and another for flea market. I decided to trust my instincts and listen that gut feeling I have for what to sell online and what not. My key idea is to sell pieces I myself would buy online. For example, I decided that I won’t sell those shoes because I simply can’t describe all those tiny scratches and scuff marks my used shoes might have and I don’t want to deal with whiny customers afterwards. The fact that I very rarely buy shoes online myself was the thing that finally clinched it.
That said, which kind of recycled items you would sell/buy online?
If you enjoyed this post subscribe to the FinnFlair RSS! (what's this?)
Related Articles
Sanna 26. July 2007 | Inventory Recycling | Bookmark on: del.icio.us
Comments:
Comments closed.
I usually buy/sell online vintage items in mint condition. I think that those kind of rare items are stuff that people really hunt for from online auctions. That way my precious vintage clothes can find a new owner, who can truly appreciate their unique beauty.
The “regular” clothes (such as things bought from H&M) I rather sell at flea markets.
I have exactly the same approach than you do. When I scan some online auction sites I search specific items, not any mundane high street stuff.
I prefer buying recycled items on flea markets and second hand shops instead of getting them online. One of the simple reasons is that the fees of sending the items by mail make the prices a lot higher when you buy something online.
I also like it that I can touch the fabrics and see them close, explore the materials properly. In general, all the items are usually a bit more expensive online than in actual markets or shops, no matter the condition.
But it’s true that online you can find more rarities and also stuff that is better condition that on traditional flea markets where there might be only few pearls among loads of trash. As Ranna said people, who search for items online are willing to put a little bit more money on the stuff they buy (talking about vintage, etc.) than a regular customer of a flea market. Often the more expesive stuff just doesn’t sell on flea markets.
I would like to add something to Jenni’s comment above.
If you compare the prices of i.e. Finnish second hand shops and eBay, eBay usually ends up being the more affordable option. eBay sells loads of authentic quality vintage dirty cheap, you just have to know where to look. Even the shipping expenses aren’t half bad. Actually shipping a dress from the good old U.S. comes in some cases cheaper than shipping the same garment from Finland.
..And don’t even get me stared on the prices in some of Helsinki’s vintage boutiques!
p.s. Sanna, I don’t know if you noticed, but I didn’t get your email adress from your comment. So, I left you mine on the reply.
Ranna, you are probably right. I only have experience of the Finnish huuto.net which is full of crap and expensive prices. I will have to look into eBay in the future. :) I may have been too scared of the costs (shipping expenses and all that) but if you say they aren’t that bad, maybe I could try it too.
I’m also a touchy-feely person when it comes to clothes. Like Jenni, I also want to suss out the garment carefully before making the final decision. But sometimes the lure of some item has been so powerful to resist that I have chucked up all the shopping principles I have. And I must admit every now and then my online purchases demonstrate total lack of judgement on my part.
But I have to say that eBay is a great place for vintage finds, prolly the best I know. However, I’m a greedy bargain hunter and winning the bid on designer label doesn’t happen that easy anymore because everyone is very eBay savvy these days.
Ranna: For some reason I don’t see your email addy, but I noticed you have stated an address in your blog. I will contact you when I’m a bit wiser on the things we talked the other day.
Hi I’ve just come across your comments and wanted to tell you about a brand new initiative I have started called Buy My Wardrobe, it came about due to the reasons you are discussing here.
Buy My Wardrobe events are fashion recycling sales. I select a different group of fashion savvy girls with far too much in their wardrobes for each event.. next one is due to take place on May 10th .www.buymywardrobe.com
Sounds like a great idea! Looking forward to hear how it all goes.