Plenty of celebrities have become aware of the one-of-a-kind fashion sense that a vintage wardrobe can offer. Afterall, celebrities have somewhat equal access to the top designers in the world, but who wants to be seen wearing the exact same runway look as the next girl? Many are opting for quality rare vintage finds to ensure that they won’t wind up in the “Who wore it best?” spread of any of those rather harsh fashion editorials. With the number of celebs sporting vintage on the red carpet as well as out on the town, the media has significantly sparked an exciting underground ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and ‘80s revival of fashion, not only in the U.S. but in Europe as well as around the world.
But the question for many is where to get a hold of some of these gorgeous quality vintage goodies when you’re not quite on the A-list?
Well, many discerning fashionistas are turning to the internet, and especially to eBay for its often overwhelming selection of vintage finds from across the world.
And these hip women will tell you, you’re missing out on if you’re not a regisered member or if you’re lacking a PayPal account.
There a hundreds, possibly thousands, and counting stores on eBay which specialize in the sale of vintage clothing, shoes, and accessories. And you may be interested to know that most of them are doing pretty darn well for themselves! I am talking over a thousand in sales per month!
How do they do it?
Well, it’s really as simple as to say that they are essentially using some of the same marketing techniques that trendy fashion magazines use- A pretty model-An aristically eye-catching and unique sense of design, and good ol’ trendy advertisement. They may use a catchy slogan like, “The cool kids shop at such-and-such vintage.” Many of these online vintage shops also tie in an “indie” musical element-as music often plays quite a large role in fashion, especially for young people who are very prone to use fashion as a way of social expession. These women sellers have an incredible sense of what people are drawn to. They can relate to their fanbase through music, and the arts as well as maintain an obvious appeal to the masses by way of their beauty.
The new breed of eBay clothing sellers are aware that people don’t want to see a wrinkled garment spread out across a kitchen floor or heaven forbid, some old patch of carpet.They want to see it on the human form, and an attractive model at that. An un-ironed ’60s white eyelet mini dress laid out on a ruddy old floor which doesn’t allow for display of the form or style of the dress, may easily be overlooked at auction, but that same dress on an attractive “hipster” model complete with vintage jewlery and accessories placed just so would very easily fetch a decent final bid.
In addition to having the look, vintage sellers on eBay have to be proficient in vintage terminology, for instance they have to know exactly what key words to put in their listing ad titles related to a specific style or vintage era, and they also have to be aware of key modern terms used to describe a genre of general fashion. Some basic examples of vintage terminology are:
“Tent”- a style of wide cut loose fitting dresses and blouses typical to the MOD era ’60s & ’70s
“Trapeze” – similar to “tent” this is a style of wide cut a-line triangular dresses typical to the MOD era ’60 & ’70s
Beatnik” – typical with brightly horizontally striped vintage clothing that represents a bold “punk or nonconformist” flare in style.
Terms that are often associated with vintage fashion are:
Boho (Bohemian)-often relevant to ’60s and ’70s hippie/folk fashions.
Indie-similar to beatnik in a sense that it’s a loose term representing “independence” from anything typical-something eccentric and possibly unexpected in the wardrobe.
Kitsch or Kitschy: in sense of fashion this term often implies something overally sentimental or pretentious in design, handmade or “crafty”-often deemed “cute” like oversized owl necklaces, or something with oversized brightly colored buttons, or big banana earrings. Whatever it is, it’s the essence of youth and childhood and in some cases the nostalgia of old age-things that remind us of our grandmothers closets.
But with all of this being said, women who sell vintage on eBay are very intelligent. They have incredible perseverence, and they understand that hard work pays off, and not overnight either. That is why they are successful…and if they are pretty, well by all means that’s a big help. However, on eBay as you are actually rated by the satisfaction of your buyers, it really all comes down to being a good sales person and a good communicator. It is the same for starting any business. Sure there is a lot to learn about being “hip” in this day in age, but having people sense can sure go a long way.
If you’re registered with eBay, and you’re not opposed to spending $10-$30 for a special piece of vintage clothing or perhaps you would like to help with the recycling process of clothing, and give an old garment, new life or even protest those horrible foreign sweatshops who make clothing for our malls and department stores, be sure to browse around eBay. There are lots of really sweet young women who would love to make some new friends to support their shops. They are working hard! It sure beats supporting bully cooperations and child labor and you’ll come away looking pretty chic for sure!
