Designer Dresses. Low Mileage.
If you’re in the market for a secondhand… or shall we say pre-loved designer wedding gown, you should have a look at SmartBride, a site offering a simple and free means to buy and sell wedding dresses.
What’s great about SmartBride is the interface, which allows brides to set and save search parameters for everything from sleeve styles to train lengths. What’s less great is that there aren’t currently that many wedding gowns for sale. Case in point: I set my search to include just about everything in sizes 10 to 15+ and only got 15 results. The good news is that the site’s creator is actively soliciting for gowns on her blog, so there will hopefully be more inventory in the near future.
It’s a good idea in theory, but a secondhand David’s Bridal dress for $850? I don’t think so.
Toni, I think that would depend on how much that David’s Bridal gown cost when it started out, whether it’s still in production or not, and how much alteration the bride in question would need to make it fit her properly.
While one of David’s Bridal’s major selling points is the ubiquitous $99.00 gown sale, the fact is they carry gowns in all price points made by a wide variety of manufacturers. So if that $850.00 gown started off costing $1700.00, which is not considered a particularly expensive wedding gown these days, then we’re talking half off. That’s a more than respectable deal for gently worn second hand clothing. If it started out at more than two grand with a popular designer name or is no longer made, then it’s a hell of a deal.
Now if that $850.00 gown started at $900.00 and is still in production, well, that would be an entirely different kettle of fish. I think this is a case where the potential purchaser needs to acquaint herself carefully with the full-price market before proceeding. Then again, I would advise anyone about to make any major purchase (car, home, wedding gown, pedigree pet, fine china, scuba equipment, etc.) do some research before deciding where to put their money. It’s just good sense.
Well, the dress I was referring to was this one…
http://www.smartbride.net/buy/details/598#
…which they want $850 for. According to the David’s Bridal site, it was originally $499 and is on sale for $99.
Now, the seller might have paid more originally, I know how prices can fluctuate, but it just confirmed my suspicion that some of the dresses seemed priced a bit, er… “optimistically.” I think the idea of the site is a great one in theory, but some people just need to learn about resale value. (Not that my comments reflect on the site, as they don’t set the prices.)
Toni: Like Twistie said, it does depend on the wedding gown in question. However, as you’ve demonstrated, there is no way anyone should be spending that much on that particular dress! Hopefully potential buyers are as smart as you and will search for the model number displayed on the tag before making a purchase. (As an aside, I used to live in Wantagh, NY)
This is a great idea for those people who want more bang for their buck. In these time of financial burdens, you may want to opt on more important things for the future of your family (your child’s education, your career/business and your house). Purchasing or making a designer do a new bridal gown may could really be one of the most expensive items you’ll have to spend on and you’ll never wear it again (unless you get married again). This site is great also to get more options while just sitting at the comfort of your own home.