{"id":3171,"date":"2020-02-11T07:00:39","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T14:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/estatesales.org\/university\/?p=3171"},"modified":"2020-02-12T09:05:11","modified_gmt":"2020-02-12T16:05:11","slug":"estate-vintage-fashion-tips-identify-sell-vintage-clothing-labels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/estatesales.org\/university\/estate-vintage-fashion-tips-identify-sell-vintage-clothing-labels\/","title":{"rendered":"Estate Vintage Fashion Tips \u2013 Identify & Sell Vintage Clothing Labels"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you heard? Vintage fashion is in! There\u2019s a nostalgia about vintage clothing with people throughout the country and for various reasons.<\/p>\n

Vintage clothing<\/a> from estate sales and accessories are gaining in popularity, creating a sense of style that recycles past styles to create today\u2019s new aesthetics.<\/p>\n

Vintage Fashion Styles<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve been, you know the nineties gave us grunge, while the eighties gave us prominent shoulder-pads. Glam rock and punk came in the seventies with lots of flares, and who can ever forget the sixties, the era of free love and miniskirts. The classic feminine fifties and the red lipstick of the forties.<\/p>\n

As we move forward, these styles lose their meaning but become a way for us to romanticize about time and get away from today\u2019s elements.
\nNo matter what the obsession is with vintage fashion and accessories, if you\u2019re an estate sales professional, this guide will help you identify, price, market and sell vintage clothing labels by using tips to help you as you organize an estate sale<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How to Identify Vintage Clothing Tags?<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t automatically look on the back of a neck for a label. Some vintage clothing pieces will have the tags sewn in on the inside along the bottom or side seam.<\/p>\n

Not all vintage fashion pieces have a label or tag. Many true vintage fashion pieces were handmade and will not have a tag at all. You will need to use your experience and online guides to help you date the item and price it according to your local area.<\/p>\n

Many estate sale companies<\/a> find it more efficient to place clothing in categories and bulk price.<\/p>\n

If you choose to do this with everyday clothing items, you may be fine, but if there\u2019s a large number of vintage clothing pieces, you may be affecting your bottom line and not getting the best value for your estate sale client.<\/p>\n

Spending the time to identify and properly price items is an expected part of hiring a professional estate sale company<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here are some definite things to look for on vintage clothing tags.<\/p>\n

Copyright on Vintage Clothing Tag<\/h3>\n

The copyright year is not the year the item was manufactured, but when the brand was copyrighted. You can assume the garment was made approximately that year or a few years after. Any garment made prior to 1992 is considered a vintage garment. You can then do a quick search for the brand to see if it\u2019s a desired high-end brand or use your experience and the style of the piece to price it accordingly.<\/p>\n

Estate Vintage Clothes Made in the USA on Tag<\/h3>\n

If you see an American flag or the words \u201cMade in USA\u201d on the front of the tag, it\u2019s more than likely the clothing piece was made prior to the 80\u2019s.<\/p>\n

We all know that in today\u2019s market a very small percentage of garments are actually made in the USA. Today\u2019s items do not have the country of origin prominently shown on the front of the tag, but rather on the backside.<\/p>\n

Address on Clothes Tags<\/h3>\n

Vintage tags on clothing often have the brand along with the address. If you only see a street address and a city, you\u2019re looking at an estate vintage clothing piece from the 60\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Zip codes were not used until 1963. Clothing manufacturers in New York and other cities at the time, only used their street address and city, because they had no zip codes when they made this piece.<\/p>\n

Vintage Wool Coats and Clothing Tags<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re holding a wool coat and it doesn\u2019t have a label identifying it as wool, it\u2019s made prior to 1939. In 1964 manufacturers began placing a wool label on their garments. It was used as a marketing technique to get consumers excited about buying wool instead of polyester.
\nThe wool label logo did change over the years and here\u2019s an example of all three.<\/p>\n

\"estate
\nThe first Wool Mark trademark was used in 1964 and is 100% wool. The second logo identifies a wool blend of 60% and the third a wool blend of 50%. Both the second and third logo date between 1971 and 1999.<\/p>\n

DID YOU KNOW THAT A VINTAGE GARMENT WITHOUT A CARE LABEL DATES TO PRE-1971<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Where It\u2019s Made?<\/h3>\n

There are labels on vintage clothing that name countries which no longer exist. Yugoslavia, for example, was divided in the \u201990s. So any items identified as made in Yugoslavia were obviously made prior to the \u201990s.<\/p>\n

When setting up an estate sale<\/a> that has a variety of items, you couldn\u2019t possibly spend a lot of time one very piece of estate sale vintage clothing, however, many estate sales are specifically filled with vintage clothing and designer accessories.<\/p>\n

Vintage Designer Fashion Sale<\/h2>\n

We spoke to Martin Codina with Fine Estate Sales serving the Bay Area<\/a> to ask him about a sale he recently held that\u2019s filled with evening garments, vintage designer shoes, designer purses, and high-end intimate apparel.<\/p>\n

We asked Codina “Most Estate Sales have a variety of items, but this particular sale mostly had vintage clothing and designer fashion items. How labor-intensive was it compared to other sales you\u2019ve held?”<\/p>\n

Codina said “Our most recent sale had a very large collection of either gently used and in some cases new in box designer fashions. Sales like this, because they are so category-specific and niche, require a significant amount of research and valuation. Is it really a Louis Vuitton bag or a pair of Chanel shoes? A company\u2019s research and competent valuation lead to greater buyer security that they are not making a purchasing mistake.”<\/p>\n

Codina continued, “Any sale that contains a large collection is labor-intensive, but when accomplished well, lead to a greater market share. Engaged buyers become more frequent and loyal shoppers. The question we get most often while we are doing a fashion-focused sale is, when is the next one? Vintage and Designer fashions draw enthusiastic crowds to sales.”<\/p>\n

Does Estate Sale Location Matter?<\/h2>\n

We asked Martin Codina, “Being you\u2019re in the Bay Area, the center of the most culturally diverse area, where individuality, style, and fashion are quite prominent, have you noticed more interest in this sale than other sales you\u2019ve held?<\/p>\n

Codina said “In our humble opinion, the success of a Vintage or Designer fashion sale is not dependent on the cultural diversity of the area a sale is taking place in. Everyone wants to look good and find clothing to suit their sense of style and individuality.\u00a0 However, what can be charged for an item has geographical implications; the closer these sales are to major metropolitan areas, the higher the price these items will sell at.”<\/p>\n

He added, “Vintage and Designer Fashion Sales, always do well, when the items are clean, well-priced and attractively staged.”<\/p>\n

Any marketing tips you can share with another estate sale professional that may run into a sale that has a large amount of vintage clothing and accessories?<\/p>\n

“A well-composed picture<\/a> taken with proper lighting is worth a thousand words. For our last Vintage and Designer Fashion Sale, we took over 700 photos. We categorically posted those photos on our website as well as posting them to Estate Sales.Org. Also, learning how to effectively use Facebook advertising is key to a successful marketing strategy.”<\/p>\n

\"Marketing<\/p>\n

Marketing Estate Vintage Fashion Items<\/h2>\n

We\u2019ve written many articles about marketing and advertising your estate sale. Adjust your marketing strategy to fit the type of estate sale<\/a> you\u2019re holding.<\/p>\n

Start Marketing Early<\/h3>\n

What may make a sale filled with vintage clothing, shoes and accessories a bit difficult is the size of the items. If they all came from the same estate, more than likely the clothes and shoes are all one size. To find interested buyers, you have to start advertising<\/a> as early as possible.<\/p>\n

Run Paid Targeted Ads<\/h3>\n

An estate sale that has a large amount of vintage clothing and accessories will require you to change your targeting criteria.<\/p>\n

Focus your target market on specifics as much as you can. Facebook will allow you to drill down with a lot of detailed targeting options such as people interested in high-heeled footwear, vintage clothing, etc..<\/p>\n

List Your Estate Sale Online<\/h3>\n

By listing your sale on Estatesales.org<\/a> it\u2019s automatically shared across multiple websites at no additional cost to you.\u00a0 The key is to list as early as possible, with a lot of photos in order to gain traction with your audience<\/p>\n

Reach Vintage Fashion Influencers<\/h3>\n

There are many fashion bloggers that specifically focus on vintage clothing and designer fashion. It would behoove you to spend the time and contact them to possibly write about your upcoming sale and share it with their audience.<\/p>\n

Writers are always looking for new and exciting topics, just getting in contact with a few will boost the hype around your fashion heavy upcoming sale.<\/p>\n

Where to Find Vintage Fashion Bloggers?<\/h2>\n

A quick search online will lead you to a slew of online fashion bloggers, you can drill down by area to focus your efforts locally.<\/p>\n

Here are a few top fashion bloggers you can easily contact:<\/p>\n