Secondhand / vintage / charity / ethical and slow fashion chat

[madamceladon]

Can we have a chat thread for this?
Tips and ideas, blog and podcast recommendations and latest finds?

I'll start. I think 80% of my stuff is secondhand, from charity shops eBay and vinted. I've got more into this in last five years and never go in fast fashion shops. I feel a bit ill and overwhelmed if I do now.
If I do need to buy new I try to find a company that is ethical and made in Britain.

I've got really into maintenance and repair as well. I love watching a film while I debobble and darn knitwear.

Recent efforts, I had some nice black fine wool trousers but they were too loose and unflattering on thighs, I've improvised and put in my own pleats at the top and pleased with how they came out.

I wanted a black polo neck after I saw some women looking very stylish in a black and white 1960s film and found a perfect one the next day in the charity shop: lambswool, old m and s, made in Britain.

I love this website
vintagefashionguild.org/label-resource

And this podcast
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dressed-the-history-of-fashion/id1350850605

Oh & agree Vinted is cheaper than ebay but much less hassle which is why sellers use it

I went into a charity shop and was quite surprised to see tags on clothes saying rrp £200 now £50 it was a barbour jacket or a timberland jumper rrp 100 now £20. Such a shame because the shop was empty because most of it was expensive.

Oh me please, I decided earlier this year to see how little I could buy new. My best second hand things have been a fab warm parka for £7, my new favourite woolly jumper, a flowery dress, a maxi skirt, and some leather trainers. I'm not very good in actual charity shops though. I tend to go to the shop/online when I'm after something specific. It's just blind luck isn't it. I have had to buy a couple of things new, t-shirts and a pair of walking boots.

@ambereeree

I went into a charity shop and was quite surprised to see tags on clothes saying rrp £200 now £50 it was a barbour jacket or a timberland jumper rrp 100 now £20. Such a shame because the shop was empty because most of it was expensive.

What do you think the price should be on a Timberland jumper? I think there’s a difference between a relatively high price because of the brand/condition and unrealistic high prices eg primark items marked up at retail prices.

@ambereeree

I went into a charity shop and was quite surprised to see tags on clothes saying rrp £200 now £50 it was a barbour jacket or a timberland jumper rrp 100 now £20. Such a shame because the shop was empty because most of it was expensive.

A decent Barbour wax jacket would be an absolute steal for £50

@ambereeree

I went into a charity shop and was quite surprised to see tags on clothes saying rrp £200 now £50 it was a barbour jacket or a timberland jumper rrp 100 now £20. Such a shame because the shop was empty because most of it was expensive.

How much would you price them at though? I think a lot of people don't realise that whilst yes, the charity shop has received the goods for free, they still have to try get the best value out of the items for the donor. If I gave BNWT item for £200 and saw it marked for sale for £5 I'd be a bit miffed. I think those prices seem fair tbh.

What do you think the price should be on a Timberland jumper?

I think there’s a difference between a relatively high price because of the brand/condition and unrealistic high prices eg primark items marked up at retail prices.

@ShanghaiDiva It wasn't worth £20 considering it was well worn.

How much would you price them at though? I think a lot of people don't realise that whilst yes, the charity shop has received the goods for free, they still have to try get the best value out of the items for the donor. If I gave BNWT item for £200 and saw it marked for sale for £5 I'd be a bit miffed. I think those prices seem fair tbh.

@covetingthepreciousthings it wasn't brnad new. the shop put the tag on after looking up the price.

@ILoveShula it was a barbour international with a belt not a waxed one.

I'm usually delighted at the prices the charity shop puts on my donations, but I tend to donate the items where they will get the best price

If it's something from a high street fast-fashion shop it goes to he local CS. Something a bit more upmarket goes to a shop in a nearby town

Books usually go to a charity bookshop unless they are bestseller types, those go to the nearest shop

[quote ambereeree]@ILoveShula it was a barbour international with a belt not a waxed one.[/quote]
How much would you price it at?

Depends on the condition, if it was obviously used, about £15. It probably would not appeal to me at any price

If it was waxed, then they are repairable, and in a decent condition would easily be worth more than £50

They need to sell things cheaply or they won't shift them

agree with @covetingthepreciousthings
The objective is to raise money for the charity.

@covetingthepreciousthings an exact same one sold on ebay at £28 with £5 postage.
I would say £30 is fair in the shop and yes the objective is to raise money but I think prices should be realistic as well.

Our objective is to raise money but we can't have items hanging around on the shop floor for any longer than a couple of weeks. Nobody wants to come into the shop and see the same garments hanging there week in, week out. So if that Barbour was BNWT, we'd Ebay it but if not, it would be £20 max and we'd probably put it on our shop's Facebook page too.

We don't want people thinking we're overpriced. It's all very well pricing something at Ebay rates BUT if it isn't shifting and we haven't got the space to put other stuff out then what's the point? We may as well get some money for it and make space for more items. Regardless of what things are priced at in the shops, they are only 'worth' what people are prepared to pay.

Does anyone have any ideas on where to sell good quality vintage? I inherited a lot of fab stuff from my great aunt but it no longer fits. Some I'm keeping for my daughters just in case but some really needs to go. Quite a lot was made by a court dressmaker so not the labels for Vestiaire. I'm not prepared to put in on ebay due to the number of scammers these days. Also all my stash of vintage 1980s Laura Ashley and Droopy and Browns (hides head in shame).....

@londonmummy1966

Does anyone have any ideas on where to sell good quality vintage? I inherited a lot of fab stuff from my great aunt but it no longer fits. Some I'm keeping for my daughters just in case but some really needs to go. Quite a lot was made by a court dressmaker so not the labels for Vestiaire. I'm not prepared to put in on ebay due to the number of scammers these days. Also all my stash of vintage 1980s Laura Ashley and Droopy and Browns (hides head in shame).....

Vintage Laura Ashley sells very well now, I'd do some nice pictures and sell on Vinted I think? That may be your best bet.

Thank you coveting - how safe is Vinted? I'm a bit wary after almost being stung on ebay (luckily they sided with me not the buyer but I know that is unusual).

@londonmummy1966

Does anyone have any ideas on where to sell good quality vintage? I inherited a lot of fab stuff from my great aunt but it no longer fits. Some I'm keeping for my daughters just in case but some really needs to go. Quite a lot was made by a court dressmaker so not the labels for Vestiaire. I'm not prepared to put in on ebay due to the number of scammers these days. Also all my stash of vintage 1980s Laura Ashley and Droopy and Browns (hides head in shame).....

I buy a fair bit of vintage Laura Ashley (and occasionally other vintage bits) - prices have been very high over the past year or so - especially for early (60s/70s) stuff. I usually buy on eBay, occasionally on Vinted (but I wouldn't pay as much there because I'm not really confident in their customer protection) or Depop. If I'm selling I use Etsy or eBay as I find the prices tend to be better.

Incredible sounding collection @londonmummy1966

I'd never heard of droopy and browns : intriguing!

You could look for a high end vintage dress agency to sell for you and take their cut? Lots in London I remember a couple invv BC angel.

This one came up when I searched droopy and browns:

www.whispersdressagency.co.uk/collections/droopy-browns

Saw a jaegar sleeveless cardigan type thing yesterday and felt very nice quality, think it was 60% wool. But not my style really. But I've started to think more about it and now I hope it's still there on Tuesday so I can have another look. I never find labels!

I did get a gorgeous men's Next cardigan that is so comfy on me, for £5 like new.

Thank you @madamceladon - one of the things I have is the red jacket in that link (plus the black dress that goes with it)! It was my Christmas Day go to outfit for a few years. Droopy and Browns were a York based firm that had a shop opposite the Colosseum on St Martin's Lane (now a Starbucks). Every season they would send out a series of postcards with pictures of their new offerings with a letter that said "this year you've worn droopy and browns at..." followed by a list of glamorous locations. DH used to jokingly add a few extras like - to my murder trial at the Old Bailey/ to visit my DH in Pentonville etc.

I’m sure Droopy and Browns also did wedding dresses.

@Rhannion - yes they did fabulous things with huge trains... mine was made by a lady who'd trained in their workshop in York and then set up on her own (and cost about half the price......)