Below are some tips for selling a bridal gown online. I own and operate a successful retail bridal salon, in addition to a successful bridal gown website outside of eBay. (Ebay does not permit a link, sorry!). I have compiled a list of specific things you should include in your auction to avoid misunderstandings with your buyers, and to help the process go quickly and smoothly.


SELLING TIPS:

1. Make sure your gown is photographed from all angles, including the train, the back, the bodice, the side, and with the train up if the gown is already bustled.

2. Accurately describe the gown. If the gown has been worn, it is not "New without tags", it is "used". The description is crucial. I can't tell you how many times I've seen gowns for sale where the most important part, THE SIZE, is obviously misrepresented. Many, many times I have seen gowns advertised as "size 6-8", and in the photos the wearer is clearly a size 16+. Bridal gowns are sized differently than street clothes, and buyers know it. Advertise your gown by it's true size, not the size that you wear in street clothes. You may have a very unhappy buyer (and a big huge neg) if you misrepresent the size of the gown.

3. Accurately represent it's true value. Internet buyers are savvy shoppers, and they know what certain brands are worth. If the gown is a polyester satin gown by Alfred Angelo, it was not $4000 new. Ditto with anything from David's Bridal. If you dont know what the gown was worth originally, do some research on google about the designer. In general, gowns that are made of polyester are lower-end gowns with prices under $1000. Silk gowns with big names such as Vera Wang and Monique Lhuillier command a higher price.

4. In general, a used bridal gown is worth about 30 - 40% of it's retail value if you sell it within 2 years of the date it was made. There is a bit of wiggle room on couture gowns, even when used, because they retain their value longer due to their designer names.

5. Most people do not bid on reserve auctions.

6. Research the cost of shipping the gown to your buyer. Charging $120 to ship a wedding dress within the US is ridiculous, but some people try to do it. One of two things will happen: Either your gown won't sell, or you will get NARU'd (kicked off) of ebay for charging excessive shipping. Ebay sees this as "fee avoidance", and punishes it by removing your auctions and suspending your account.

7. I can't say it enough...research, research, research. If you are not sure if your gown is designer or not, or you are not sure of the true brand, do not advertise it as such. Selling counterfeits and fakes is against the law and is not permitted by ebay. Fellow sellers will notice if a gown is listed as a Vera Wang when it's really from David's Bridal, and they will likely report you. Play it safe and find out what your gown is really worth before listing it.

8. Use the word "couture" carefully. Couture means custom-made and high-end. Bridal gowns made of polyester that are mass produced overseas are not couture. Just because the label inside says "couture" does not mean it is really couture. Maggie Sottero gowns, for example, are not couture. They use this word as a clever marketing ploy to make you believe that you are buying something high-end. David's Bridal does the same with their "Oleg Cassini" gowns. Oleg Cassini sold his name to David's bridal, he doesnt design their gowns, and he sure as heck doesnt hand make them.

9. Be careful when representing the price you paid for the dress. Time and time again I have seen sellers claim that they paid several thousand dollars for a gown, only to look at their feedback and see that they really paid a few bucks. I'm all about getting a baragain, but not at the expense of lying to my customers. You are better of not putting in how much you paid for the gown instead of potentially misrepresenting it. This is also important when seller certain brands. Your buyers have at least a vague idea of what gowns are worth. For example, a listing I saw earlier this week for a David's Bridal gown that is at least 6 years old:

"Beautiful Couture gown by Lady Eleanor. I paid $4500.00 for this gown 1 year ago."

Davids Bridal owns the brand "Lady Eleanor", and it is one of thier low-end lines topping out at $700 retail. The gown in question is a high neck gown with a huge bow on the back, and huge bows trailing down the train. It is not a current style, so that gives you an idea of the age. In this case, the lie is blatant, and the gown will likely never sell. This is why I stress that the gown needs to be represented accurately.