Buying a Pre-Owned Gown Online?

arianah401 · December 2013

Okay ladies! I need some advice! My dress budget is $1500 max including alterations and accessories. But I'm always looking for a bargain! I've visited $500 sample sales with no luck, but found the ONE at a local bridal salon and totally fell in love. I didn't want to take it off and haven't been able to stop thinking about it! Unfortunately, it was full price and over budget

This Martina Liana gown retails at this store for $2485, which is doable but considering I'm only wearing it once...it just doesn't feel right to spend that much money on a dress. I've called other salons asking if they can order the dress so I can compare prices and try to get a better deal, but have had no success.

I saw this gown on Oncewed.com, Preloved.com for closer to $1100 and there's Tradesy.com as well. The gowns all say that they are in good condition with no rips or stains, only slight alterations made...but my concern is that like buying anything on the internet, I'll be disappointed when the dress arrives. Has anyone used these sites before or have any advice for buying a used gown?

uclatweety · December 2013

Hi

I have sold a dress and am currently selling a dress on these sites.I have also pur chased a dress on a site.You can get incredible deals but I would keep a few things in mind.1.Make sure it has been dry cleaned as there could be staining or clear stains that don't show up but will.2.I would only purchase a dress that has been altered length wise only hem that is,that is easy to compare.when ppl start taking it in here and there fit could definately be an issue once you receive it so id be a bit concerned.Make sure there are pictures of the actual dress and bit just stock photos in the listing.

hyechica81 · December 2013

where are you located google bridal consigement shops in your state and if there are any check them out they have often sample gowns that were disontinued. also check out i found the gown the tlc show bridepower.com they have a lot of dresses

hnkirk81 · December 2013

I purchased my dress through preownedweddingdresses.com and had a great experience. Just make sure you have lots of communication with the seller. You can always ask for more information on exact alterations - the one I bought was taken in at the bust, which was fine for me. You can also have the seller send you pictures of the tags, any stains, or maybe a pic of the dress with today's newspaper or a sign with your name on it to show that they really have the dress. Definitely use PayPal or escrow.com to help protect your money. Good luck, @arianah401 !

hellish88 · December 2013

Check out Church Street Bridal on Facebook. They receive sample gowns from salons and designers, and resell them at a huge discount. They post the actual pics with notes about condition. I purchased a gown by phone with a credit card - it was in immaculate shape as promised and the staff is great. All proceeds go to women's services/charity.

As for Tradesy, the two bridal items I attempted to purchase were a bust -- no communication from the seller, and never shipped. Tradesy staff are great - they also attempted to contact the sellers for me, and refunded me with no hassle.

lightbluegem · December 2013

I purchased my gown on Ebay from a seller in NJ who it appears has a gown shop, and sells her older samples online. I was really nervous, but the prices were incredible for brand new dresses. I got a 2013 Pronovias gown in perfect condition for $100 plus $30 shipping. I knew the measurements were close, but when it came it fit like a glove. Crazy luck. This is my second wedding, so I have a small dress budget. The giant, beautiful, expensive Maggie Sottero that I wore in my first wedding is wadded up in a black plastic bag in the garage. I can't bring myself to spend that kind of money again. There are deals to be found if you start early. Good luck!

hyechica81 · December 2013

@lightbluegem you are saying you got a brand new 2013 gown for 100.00 sounds like it could be a china nockoff and she is sewing in designer tags i have seen sample gowns that low but those were much older samples floating around at bridal consigments that are from like 2007-2010 collections

lightbluegem · December 2013

I considered that, which is why I wouldn't have paid more for it. It could be from an earlier year, and was just in the shop in 2013. My guess is that it was an unpopular style; it has long sleeves. Almost like a lace bolero sewn on. I'm having them removed, but the lace and beading are incredible. Obviously very, very high quality. I've tried an a lot of dresses

But you are right, it could totally be a knockoff. If it is, it is incredibly well-made.

Buying on eBay is a total dice-roll. I couldn't bring myself to wait to have one made by one of the Chinese sites that do custom knock-offs, even though I was super curious. In this case, it wasn't the brand that really sold me, and I got to see actual photos of the dress from every angle, plus measurements. I am 6' 1, so that was definitely a consideration. Most of the dresses on pre-owned sites have been altered to be too short. It was a US seller, which was a plus, too.

I really just care more about having a dress that looks and feels well-made, fits well, and is a style I like. At $100, I figured I couldn't go wrong. Especially since I was considering one of the Chinese shops, and we've all heard the horror stories about those.

Good luck with the hunt!

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