Looking for a red guestbook, scrapbook, and/or photo album?  Get thee to a Borders, stat!  I picked up this beauty for $2.99 in their bargain book section:

It’s 12” x 12” and acid-free, supposedly proven to protect your photos for 200 years.  The inside pages are matte black.  And, of course, you can switch out the photo in the front cover.   (Though I’m rather fond of it, as it looks an awful lot like our beloved Sheltie!)  Not bad for $2.99, eh?

As mentioned in Part I, in addition to brand-new gowns (which can be sold with sales tags (“NWT”) or without (“NWOT”)), there are 4 distinct categories of wedding gowns that show up again and again on Ebay.  Each presents a few considerations worth noting:

   + Bridal Samples:  Ever wonder what happens to the sample dresses that brides-to-be try on in salons across the country?  Once they are pulled from the designer’s line, many of the sample dresses end up on Ebay.  If you wear the sample size (often a bridal 10-12) or know a good tailor, you’re in luck!

Richard Glasgow Mikado Silk Gown, size 10, retail price $3,925, listed at $850 fixed price from seller Scarlett’s Closet. 

These listings may offer fantastic bargains on well-made designer gowns, but it is wise to pay close attention to the listing descriptions.  (Due to the specialized nature of the supply chain, the sellers of these dresses most often are professionals whose listings are quite thorough and informative.)  Some of the dresses have been tried on by brides who were less than careful, and the gown may have makeup smudges, dirty hems, missing beads, or similar flaws.  Most issues can be addressed by a good dry cleaner.

$1,100 lace and satin gown, maker unknown (no tags), size 10, listed at $9.99.

   + Secondhand Dresses: These days, many brides turn to Ebay to sell their gowns after the wedding is over.  In theory, you can save a bundle by purchasing a secondhand gown, and the fact that it has been worn one time should in no way detract from its beauty.  (Actually, some of the dresses in this category are even new, as a surprising number of gowns from canceled weddings turn up on Ebay as well.)  In practice, prices can vary in these types of listings, and some of these gowns are better deals than others.  Some women can’t seem to appreciate that the beloved gown that was $3,000 in the bridal atelier is no longer anywhere near a $3,000 gown once it has been altered, worn, and offered for sale on Ebay.  Other women just hope the dress receives more use from another bride than it would in a box in the closet.

Ulla Maija Couture Gown, Eur Size 6, listed at $3,000.

The main consideration with secondhand dresses is that the sellers are not pros and may not know how to list measurements, take well-lit photos, etc.  And measurements are particularly important for these dresses given that most secondhand gowns have been altered and may no longer conform to the designer’s standard measurements for the given dress size.  Do not hesitate to ask for more information — even better photos if necessary — on a dress that strikes your interest.

Melissa Sweet “Hallie” gown, size 4, listed at $1,200.

   + Vintage Dresses: For brides who like to showcase a unique style influenced by past decades, Ebay is also a source for stylish and inexpensive vintage wedding dresses.  In addition to the regular categories (mentioned in Part I), wedding dresses often show up in “Clothing, Shoes & Accessories: Vintage: Women’s Clothing.”

1960s Cotton Brocade Dress, 36” bust and 30” waist, $45 fixed price listing.

Vintage dresses are in many ways just a specialized form of secondhand gown.  One unique consideration of vintage gowns, however, is that — even if they show a manufacturer’s size (as handmade gowns do not) — you should be particularly certain to check your own measurements against those of the gown.  Standard sizing has gotten smaller over the decades, so that what was once a size 10, for example, now fits more like a modern size 6.  Also, it is especially important to read the listing description for disclosure of any holes, age or water spots, lace breaks, missing beads, or other signs of the passage of time.  And brides with visions of sleek satin 1940s gowns or sassy 1960s mini-dresses should be warned that the definition of “vintage” in an Ebay search now also includes the puffy lace monstrosities of the 1970s and 1980s!

Late 1930s / Early 1940s Slipper Satin Bridal Dress, 38” bust and 27” waist, $99 fixed price listing.

   + Custom-Made Dresses: Ebay’s bridal gown listings are also full of solicitations from tailors who are willing to custom-make a dress to your measurements.  This option can be ideal for brides who have a vision of the exact dress they want and know it can’t be found in a store, or at least not in their size or price range. This option also can prove quite inexpensive, particularly when you consider that additional alterations should not be necessary because the dress is made to your measurements.  A tailor might sew a gown of your own design, recreate something similar to a family heirloom, or follow a modern or vintage dress pattern that you admire.  The Ebay tailors also offer to recreate well-known designer styles at lower prices.  You often can spot these listings because they offer an entire range of sizes in the same gown style (e.g., “sizes 2-22”) or their prices are significantly cheaper than most gowns (often 99 cents or $9.99, though often with much higher shipping charges).

White custom-made dress, listed at $8 with $173 shipping from China. 

The major pitfall of this option is that most tailors are located overseas, which means you will have little control over the process in between the day you pay and the day the gown (hopefully!) arrives at your door.  Your best safety net is to (1) look for sellers whose feedback offers positive raves, rather than just a lack of negative feedback; (2) use a credit card for payment (even on PayPal) because you will reserve the right to deny charges if necessary; and (3) if possible, leave plenty of time between your order date and your wedding, in the (hopefully!) unlikely event that you find yourself in need of an alternate dress.

“Jessica” silk gown from seller Gloria’s Bridal, listed at $240 fixed price with $55 shipping from China.  (Seller has slightly higher prices, but 100% positive feedback rating.)

Ebay can be a fantastic source for well-priced wedding gowns, with choices ranging from under-$50 bargains to couture gowns with prices in the thousands.  However, there are a number of potential pitfalls to buying a gown you can’t try on, so it pays to understand the system before you look.

As it turns out, I bought not just one wedding gown on Ebay, but three!  (There’s the probable actual gown, the one that was such an amazing deal I had to try it, and the vintage beauty I found while writing Part II of this post….)  Guess that makes me about as much of an expert on the subject as any bride, so I wanted to share what I’ve learned.

(My “such a good deal I had to try it” dress — a new $1,600 BCBG silk charmeuse gown that I got for under $100.  Turns out it’s not right for my pear shaped figure, but at that price it will remain a good deal for someone else when I turn to Ebay to re-sell it….)

    • First, it helps to know what you’re looking for.  The category “Clothing, Shoes & Accessories: Wedding Apparel: Wedding Dresses” generally contains well over 5,000 auction listings on any given day.  You can find thousands of other wedding gowns or wedding-appropriate dresses listed in the category “Clothing, Shoes & Accessories: Women’s Clothing: Dresses.”  Without some way to narrow your search, the sheer volume of possibilities will be overwhelming.  (And, realistically, even using some of the following methods to narrow your search, you should be prepared for lots of browsing.)

(One example of a dress near the top of the Ebay price scale is this $2,150 Jim Hjelm gown (new, size 10) — perhaps pricey for what traditionally has been a “discount” shopping service, but still a significant markdown from the gown’s original $4,200 price tag.)

   • One weakness of Ebay is that it offers no perfect method for searching these many options.  You can try using the Search bar to enter the name of a particular designer, attribute (“silk” or “lace”), design feature (“empire” or “mermaid”), etc.  The Search bar searches only the titles of listings, unless you check the small box underneath that brings in the text of the listings as well.  Initially you will be shown results for auction and short-term fixed-price listings only.  There are many more fixed-price items in Ebay Stores (thousands!), but you must generally click a link at the end of your results to view those listings.  The major shortfall of any search, and particularly a search of listing titles only, is that your results are limited to the actual words used by the seller in her listing.  For example, a search for “lace” gowns will miss those described as “lacy,” and a search for wedding dresses designed by “Watters & Watters” will miss listings by sellers who misspell the brand as “Waters.”

(Most common are the dresses costing a few hundred dollars rather than a few thousand.  For example, this new Mon Cheri “spun gold” color dress (size is listed at a “Buy It Now” price of $150.)

    • Another way to narrow your results is to use the “Dress Finder” menu on the left-hand side of the category page.  This is often most helpful for narrowing the field to your proper dress size.  However, not all sellers list their items using this feature, so it can be helpful to also run a title search using your preferred wedding dress size(s) to search for title descriptions containing that size number.  If you look to the bottom left of any listings page, you will find a section that also lets you check boxes to narrow listings to only U.S. sellers, which will weed out most of the foreign tailors offering to sew knock-off copies of designer gowns, or narrow results by price — especially helpful in weeding out those pretty Vera Wangs and making you stick to your budget!

(And then there are the real bargains, such as these final examples that were all listed for less than $10!  This new gown from an unknown designer has beautiful rosebud details throughout and was listed for only $9.99.)

    • Dress sizes vary considerably, so the most important rule is to KNOW YOUR MEASUREMENTS.  Take your bust, waist, and hip measurements as described here.  This is not the time to be vain; in fact, it’s best to add an extra inch or two of “breathing room” between your own measurements and those of the dress.  And (I know this battle from experience) be realistic when comparing your measurements to those of a dress that you love — you might be able to shave an inch or two off your waist with some shapewear or a last-minute diet, but 2 or 3 inches off the hips are unlikely no matter how much you love the dress!

 
(Casablanca A-line gown (size 12), store sample, listed at $9.95 with $38.70 shipping/handling.)

    • Finally, as with all Ebay purchases, pay close attention to all descriptions in the listing and to all details of the photos.  Check the shipping fees, because sometimes they’re unexpectedly high.  Note the seller’s feedback rating and the comments of previous buyers to be sure this is someone you feel safe doing business with for such an important purchase.  And don’t be afraid to email the seller to ask any questions.  You can even ask the seller to email more/better photos if appropriate.

(New Alfred Angelo gown (size 12), bridal store sample, listed at $9.95.)

Coming up: Part II will address the 4 common types of gowns sold on Ebay.  Stay tuned!