10 Places to Sell a Wedding Dress
Wore it Once
If you perform an internet search for “sell wedding dress”, Wore it Once is likely to be one of the top results. Although this is quite a new platform, this marketplace has immediately garnered a great reputation.
You’ll need to sign up for the platform, which does carry a $20 fee. You can then create a store where you can list items for sale. This can be a great option if you have other items you want to sell, in addition to your wedding dress. You can add descriptions and images to your listings to showcase them at their best.
Although you may be wary of paying a sign up fee, there is no sales commission on your items. So, this could actually end up saving money compared to other platforms. However, you will need to deal with all the other aspects of the selling process. This means communicating with potential buyers, shipping the item and taking a payment will be done outside the platform.
Nearly Newlywed
Nearly Newlywed aims to make it easy to sell a wedding dress. The only caveat is that the company needs to accept your dress.
To apply, you’ll need to create a listing with images and a description. You can then upload it to the Nearly Newlywed site. If the team thinks your dress is great, they will take care of the complete selling process. This includes promoting it, dealing with buyer communications and accepting the payments. All you need to do is ship the dress when Nearly Newlywed agrees a sale.
This convenience does carry a cost. There is a $25 listing fee. Additionally, the site takes a 40% commission from the selling price of the dress. There is an optional extra to pay for professional cleaning services. While this is more than other platforms, you may consider the convenience worth the cost.
Wedding Bee
Wedding Bee is a blog and community with a wedding focus. There are lots of articles and resources to help you plan a great wedding. There is also a classified section to sell wedding dress items and accessories.
The great thing about this platform is that there are no fees. It is free to post an ad for your wedding dress on WeddingBee. There is also no sales commission. However, you can pay a fee from $4.99 to have your dress be a featured listing.
Unfortunately, this does mean that you will need to handle all the aspects of the sale. You will need to work out what payments you can accept. You will also need to deal with shipping and returns. So, this can be a good option if you’re willing to put the time and effort into the sale.
Stillwhite
Stillwhite Summary
- 0% commission
- No ongoing fees
- Listed until sold
- Finalize sale on your terms
The Stillwhite marketplace specializes in wedding dresses. This company has a solid track record with over $36 million in sales.
There are two selling options on Stillwhite:
- Standard Plan: This costs $20 and allows you to upload up to four photos
- Premium Plan: Costs $30. But, you can upload up to eight photos and a video. Additionally, your listing will be more prominent in the search results.
On either plan, you can list your wedding dress until it sells.
However, other than the listing fee, you’ll pay no other fees. There is zero sales commission. You will need to take care of the rest of the sales process.
OnceWed
Once Wed is another platform specializing in all things wedding related. This is a great place to sell a wedding dress online. There are high street and designer brand clothing. So, even if your wedding dress was not couture, you can still find a buyer.
The most attractive feature of this platform is that there is no sales commission. You will need to pay a listing fee for your items.
- Wedding dresses: $19.95
- Other items: $5
Where this platform differs from many others is that most of the selling process can be done on the site. There isn’t a built in payment system, but you can easily use PayPal or Escrow. The only area where Once Wed doesn’t offer help is with shipping. So, you will need to take care of this yourself.
Once Wed has a strong social media presence, with over 100,000 Facebook followers and a popular blog. So, there is the potential for your dress to be seen by thousands of potential buyers.
Sell My Wedding Dress
As its name suggests, Sell My Wedding Dress is a site that allows you to sell a wedding wedding dress online. You can also sell your unwanted wedding accessories.
In essence, this is a classified website where you can list your items. But, there are no other selling features such as payments, buyer protection or delivery options.
There are two listing options:
- Basic: Costs $19.97 for a dress. You can add five images and place up to five ads.
- Premium: This costs $27.97 for a sell wedding dress listing. However, it doubles the number of ads and images permitted. There are also options to increase ad exposure, increasing your chances of making a sale.
Wedding Recycle
If you’re looking for where to sell wedding dress options, consider Wedding Recycle. This platform allows you to sell almost everything you would use on a wedding day. This includes tableware, decorations, accessories and dresses. You can even sell your pre wedding party items.
Where Wedding Recycle is unique is that it asks for newly married couples to upload inspirational photos of their wedding day. This not only helps to create a nice social vibe to the site, but it can help you to sell your items.
You can sell directly through this site. This incurs a 4% fee. With this option you will need to pay for shipping. But, you can add this as an additional cost to your dress listing.
The other option is to sell your items offline. You can meet up with your buyers and complete the sale in person. There are no fees with this option, since Wedding Recycle does not charge for creating listings or signing up to the platform.
Pre-Owned Wedding Dresses
Preowned Wedding Dresses has been operating since 2004. The platform claims to be the largest online marketplace for buyers and sellers of bridalwear. You can sell sample, new, or used wedding dresses.
There is a one time $25 fee to list your wedding dress. After this, you can create your listing detailing your dress and featuring images. Then you just need to wait for a buyer to get in contact. The company sends all potential buyer contact via the email address you provide.
This does mean that you need to arrange payment and delivery. The company recommends PayPal or Escrow, but you are free to accept other payment methods. There is no commission on any sales.
Poshmark
You may already be familiar with Poshmark. This popular platform is a great option for selling designer fashion. However, you may not be aware that there is a wedding dress section. This allows you to list wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses and other formalwear.
To begin selling, you need to download the Poshmark app. You can then create your free listing. The platform does provide a number of features to make selling easier.
This includes:
- Payments
- Buyer communication
- Pre- addressed, pre-paid shipping labels
For this convenience, Poshmark does charge a fee. For items below $15, there is a flat fee of $2.95. For items over $15, the fee is 20%.
Tradesy
Tradesy is a peer to peer marketplace where you can sell high quality items including clothing and accessories. This includes wedding dresses. However, there is a caveat. Your item needs to be by a well known brand.
The great thing about Tradesy is that it aims to make the selling process very easy. When you make a sale, the company sends out a shipping label. This is pre addressed and prepaid. So, all you need to do is stick it to the parcel and mail it.
However, there is a cost for this service. The commission for items over $50 is 19.8%. Additionally, you need to wait 21 days before you can claim your funds via PayPal, debit card or checking account.
How Much is a Used Wedding Dress Worth?
There are over two million weddings every year in the USA. While it is possible to have a small and quiet ceremony, most weddings have lots of expenses and costs. One of the most significant is the wedding dress. The bride will be front and center of every wedding picture, so it is important that she looks and feels great.
The average cost of a wedding dress is $1,631. So, you may feel reluctant to have your wedding dress gathering dust in a closet.
If your wedding dress is under two years old and in great condition, you can usually expect to sell it for approximately 50 percent of its retail price.
If you’re looking to sell a wedding dress from a more recognizable brand, you may be able to recoup closer to 60 percent.
Where Can I Sell My Wedding Dress Fast?
If your wedding dress is in good condition and relatively new, any of the platforms I have listed should be able to help you to sell your wedding dress online and quickly. You’ll just need to decide whether you want to have the platform deal with all aspects of the sale and pay a higher fee or just list the dress with a classified ad.
If you’re looking for hassle free, Nearly Newlywed is a great option. But, if you prefer to save money Wedding Bee can be a low cost way to sell your wedding dress.
Tips to Sell a Wedding Dress
If you want to get the best price for your wedding dress and want to sell it as quickly as possible, there are a number of tips that can help you.
Be Realistic About the Value:
The most crucial factor that will influence if you can sell a wedding dress is your asking price. While you may have extremely fond memories of your big day, a potential buyer is not so emotionally attached.
Bear in mind that if your dress is a couple of years old, you can expect 50 to 60% of the original retail price. However, the dress must be in a like new condition.
If your dress is older, the value will decrease. This is more likely if there is less demand for your style of dress. For an idea of an approximate price for your dress, look at current listings. Alternatively, sites such as Stillwhite and Preowned Wedding Dresses have calculators to get an approximate value.
Make Sure it is Clean:
Even if your dress has only been in storage for a few months, it may have become a little discolored. So, it is a good idea to have your dress professionally cleaned. If you do discover any stains, marks or other damage, be sure that you are honest about this in your listing.
Take Good Pictures:
Most buyers will check the pictures before they ever read a description. So, it is crucial that you take good pictures. Most of the platforms I’ve included in this list allow multiple pictures per listing. So, use as many as you can. Photograph the front, back and any detailing of the dress. If possible take the pictures on a person or a dressmakers dummy rather than a hanger. Choose the best picture for your thumbnail.
Provide Detailed Information:
To avoid potential problems, it is best to be as detailed as possible in your listing. Include the fabric, measurements and brand of the dress. Also discuss any unique details or features.
Assume that a buyer will know nothing about the dress unless you inform them. It is also a good idea to include how you cleaned and preserved the dress. You should also inform the potential buyer of any alterations made.
Use the Correct Categories:
When listing your dress, ensure that you use all the correct categories. Many platforms often have fields such as neckline, silhouette and other details. These fields are how buyers will search for items. So, you need to be accurate. Additionally, when creating your listing, make sure you include your zip code. This will allow buyers looking for a local item in your area to find your listing.
Share Your Listings:
If you have social media accounts, be sure to share your listings with your contacts While your immediate friends and family may not need a wedding dress, spreading the world will promote your item.
