What price should I sell my dress for?

Figuring Out What Your Wedding Dress is Worth

It's important to consider if a future bride could walk into a store and order the same gown for a similar price. Buyers coming to NearlyNewlywed are looking for a deal on their dream dress and they may skip right past your listing if they see no savings or only 5% (even if the tags are still attached).

This is a general guide for dresses that are less than 3 years old since being purchased, it does not take into consideration things like current style trends or designer brands that are in high demand:

• New (un-altered):
  • 10-20% off retail.
• New (altered):
  • 10-25% off retail and alterations price if you added to the dress (added bustle, added a corset, added sleeves). 
    If you significantly altered the dress (shortened, taken in, removed things), you may want to consider a larger discount down the road if you aren't getting any interest.
• Sample: 
  • 15-30% off retail - clean, no damage, not worn for an event
  • 25-45% off retail - used or if there are damage/marks from being a sample that was tried on by a lot of brides, depending on how expensive the fix may be.
• Used (once):
  • 30-60% off retail, whether you wore it for 2 hours of photos or 8 hours of dancing. 
• Used (twice):
  • 60-85% off retail.
• Older/Vintage:
  • 80-95% off retail.
    We typically see older/vintage dresses priced between $100-$300, but they can be sold for more if the gown is by a high-end designer and is a timeless style that would appeal to today's modern bride. Likewise, having a higher-priced vintage gown may deter brides if they don't know who it was made by.

Things To Consider When Pricing Your Dress

Choose a price that is fair, competitive with the current market, and reflects the condition and age of your dress. We do find our buyers more willing to spend a bit more to take advantage of our 5-day risk-free return policy.

1. Current Market
   If you feel lost trying to determine the value of your dress, a little online research can help! Survey the internet and see how much your dress or ones similar to it are selling for. It’s always a good idea to make sure you’re not pricing yourself out of the market.
2. Designer
   High-end or in-demand designers will usually fetch more than lesser-known designers.
3. Retail Price
   Most brides usually price their used wedding dresses for around 50% off, though we often see ranges from 15%-80% off the original retail price. This is a big range because it depends on the age, condition, and style of a wedding dress compared to today's trends and demand. The bigger your discount the quicker your dress will sell.
   
   If your dress is still available at bridal boutiques, make sure to check out what a new one is selling for when you list.
4. Professionally Cleaned? Blemishes?
   A professionally cleaned dress is going to be much more appealing to buyers, sell quicker, and fetch a higher price, than one that isn't - the buyer has to consider a minimum $200 cleaning cost AND they have to worry about the dress having permanent stains or marks since so much time has passed. 
   
   Dresses that have noticeable (and possibly unfixable) wear and tear should be priced lower in consideration of the reduced value of the dress and possibly the buyers' future cost to repair. Be honest with your listing, your buyers, and post pictures of your dress as it looks today.
   
   The longer you wait to clean your dress after your wedding day the more you increase the risk of your dress yellowing or having permanent stains or marks.
5. Alterations
   Many of our brides have spent a  small fortune on their alterations, but your buyer may still need to pay for alterations when she purchases your dress. We don't recommend including your alteration cost in the price of the gown unless your gown has custom added elements like sleeves or a bustle, otherwise, you may price yourself out of the market. 
6. Age
   The older a dress is, the more outdated the style and desire for it may become. This isn't always the case, but it is worth doing a little research to see what dress styles are being brought out this year by bridal designers.

Adjust As Needed

When you price your gown lower, it will probably sell a little quicker. If you’ve listed your gown and you haven’t seen a lot of interest, you may want to try lowering the price to attract a wider selection of brides. You can also provide "best offer" option for your gown if you’re really struggling to garner interest.

We know that pricing your gown may be difficult, but if you follow these tips, it should be a little easier! Please reach out to our time if you would like our help in deciding what to set your initial price for.