Craigslist and Wedding Decorations

Knottie62167336

I have been looking on Craigslist for wedding decorations and have really been appalled at the prices that former brides are trying to sell their stuff.  A lot of them are asking prices that are comparable to what you can get online and are very rude if I try to negotiate them down.  I feel like these brides paid too much and now they are trying to recoup their costs, which is not what craigslist is about at all.  Anyone have any suggestions or similar experiences?

JediElizabeth

Knottie62167336 said:

I have been looking on Craigslist for wedding decorations and have really been appalled at the prices that former brides are trying to sell their stuff.  A lot of them are asking prices that are comparable to what you can get online and are very rude if I try to negotiate them down.  I feel like these brides paid too much and now they are trying to recoup their costs, which is not what craigslist is about at all.  Anyone have any suggestions or similar experiences?

It sucks that you can't find things for cheap, but craigslist is for people to connect with others who want to buy things they'd otherwise throw out...so things can be reused. It would be shitty if they were trying to make a profit off these things, but why is it so bad for them to want to recoup their costs? No ones obligated to give anyone their stuff for less than what it's worth...

spockforprez

I'm gonna disagree with Jedi. For DIY brides especially there is this attitude of, "Oh, you can buy it yourself for the same price as renting, and then sell it after!" Unfortunately it's not that easy. I agree with you - if I'm going to pay the same price as new, I want new items. Items drastically lose their value when used and brides should NOT expect to make all their money back.

Also, I've just seen some flat out crazytown brides. On weddingbee there was a girl who made branch centerpieces with crystals or something and was selling 12 of them for $85... EACH!!!!!! 

wandajune6

Agreed. Dresses are also funny. My sister liked a black David's BM dress that she couldn't find in the store in her size and color. It was marked down/discontinued from $200+ to $25. We found it online from someone who wore it in a wedding and she was trying to sell it for $175. She was trying to make most of her money back and was completely unwilling to negotiate.

My sister ended up with a dress she loved even more for $50- new. I still occasionally see that BM dress for sale on multiple sites (Tradesy, WeddingBee) from the same person. A year and a half later and she's still stuck with it.

CaitFins

One thing I've enjoyed experimenting with is using the garage sale section of Craigslist, searching for ones that include "wedding" in the description. Very quickly I found a wedding retailer that was going out of business and selling their leftover merchandise, and that way they were much more willing than I imagine other listings are to sell things for cheap. I acquired a ton of silk flowers in my wedding colors to experiment with as well as red tulle. They also had flower girl and ring bearer items, wedding albums, sashes, chair coverings, etc, but I wasn't ready to cover those things yet. I also bought an absolutely beautiful silk arrangement at another sale that is ample enough to be an altar decoration for $3 (and believe me, buying these flowers at a craft store would be much more), and I don't even have to arrange it myself! Wedding dresses are commonly sold - one church sale had well over a dozen wedding dresses donated from which to choose. It might depend on your area's affinity for garage sale styles, but it has been a great outlet for me. Perhaps something to investigate!
ETA: Oh, and I've found all sorts of miscellaneous decorations along the way. Rose decor, beautiful serving trays, vases of all colors and shapes, candle holders, romantic odds and ends.

marissaskisses

I plan on selling my extras after the wedding. However I am realistic. My mark down will be about 50%...and I got my stuff at GREAT prices, so unless you know where I shopped my prices will actually be about 80% off of retail. Sadly weddings always mean spending way more than one should have to....for everything. And all too many people try and make it a for profit business once the dress gets put away. During the planning and prep process I have found it has been cheaper to buy craft items bulk, then turn around and sell what I don't use.

Example - Those stupid paper napkin bands...they come in stacks of 2500 or something absurd...who in the world needs that many napkin bands?? I used 100, and turned around and listed the rest for auction on ebay for $1 plus shipping...that way at least someone might be able to utilize them, then pay it forward until that stack of (5000 for $12 originally) has been used up. 

I'm just hoping my plan isn't hijacked by someone looking to make a profit, who turns around and immediately sells to a bride for over double my total cost!