Buy or Sell New & Preowned Wedding Items

This J Crew Lucienne Polka Dot Gown is listed at $600 off the retail price.

When you start shopping for wedding gowns you may quickly realize how expensive your dream dress is. But not to worry, we have a solution for you! If you don’t want to comprise style because of your budget, a great alternative is to buy a gently used wedding dress. Not only is it good for your pocket book, but also it’s an easy way to make your wedding more eco-friendly. We’ve complied a list to help make sure your once loved wedding dress is the right one!

1. Compare prices

Compare the seller’s price with the retail price of the item so you’ll know that you’re paying a fair amount. Here are some helpful pricing guidelines:

• A discontinued style of dress should be priced lower than designer items still in stores.
• For new items, 25% off the retail price is a good idea.
• The older the item, the greater the discount. For a dress that’s five years old or older, for example, 60% off the original retail price would be appropriate.
• For used wedding dresses, we recommend a 50% deduction from the retail price.

2. Ask questions

Don’t be shy about asking your seller detailed questions about the item you’re interested in, such as:

• When did the seller acquire the item, and did they buy it new or used?
• Is there proof that the item is authentic?
• Has the dress been altered in any way?

3. Get lots of photos

Ask the seller to provide photos of the actual dress, not stock images. If possible ask to see the seller’s own wedding photos so you can get an idea of what the dress looks like when it’s being worn. You’ll want to be able to see exactly what you are buying. Also ask if there are problems or imperfections with the gown. If there are, ask the seller to take close up photos of the problem areas.

4. Know your seller

Making a large purchase like a wedding gown online can be a bit intimidating. Get to know your seller. She or he should be able to provide you with their contact information such as their name, phone number and email address. Don’t just correspond through email, give the seller a call to ask any detailed questions or voice any concerns you may have.

5. Making the payment

This is the most important tip I can give you. Be very careful when making a payment for your gown. There are thousands of scams on the Internet, but it’s easy to protect yourself.  We recommend using Escrow.com, an online payment service. For a small fee they act as a secure third party to protect the buyer and seller. After the buyer inspects and accepts the gown, the funds are released to the seller.

With these tips you should be well on your way to find the perfect used wedding dress. Remember, not only are you saving money when you buy a pre-owned wedding gown, but you’re also making the Earth-friendly choice to reuse and pass along. And that’s just a little something extra to be happy about when you walk down the aisle.