Is Vintage More Expensive Than The High Street?
November 15, 2011 by Arash Mazinani
Filed under All Content, Ladies, Readers Questions
I’ve posted something similar about vintage fashion before but I thought I’d give it another go after a discussion me and my friend were having today. I need a new weekend bag kind of like a holdall but I’m on a budget so I looked around the regular high street retailer’s online stores. But I also thought I’d give the vintage shops a go around my city as well as I feel I might be able to pick up a nice leather one on the cheap. My friend thinks that they’ll probably be the same price if not more expensive. When I talk about vintage clothing I don’t mean true ‘vintage’ as in something from the period between the 1920s and 1960s. I’m referring to the generic terminology used for second hand clothing.
Although what I’ve found is a lot of vintage shops also sell their own brand or unbranded brand new clothing now as well. As I’ve explained in the past my experiences with vintage clothing are quite limited. I’m open to give it a go and I’m definitely going to have a look around in the stores to see if I can get a bit of a bargain of a bag. But I’d still love to get your opinions on what you’ve found when it comes to pricing of vintage clothing compared to the high street.
Is vintage more expensive than the high street?
I guess it really depends where you buy vintage. There are some places like Beyond Retro (Brighton & London) that have pretty affordable prices in general, there is a lot of junk too, but normally it’s very good quality, at least the times I’ve been there.
Then this summer, I went to Berlin, and there, vintage or anything second hand was ridiculously over priced. They were even selling New Look shoes with price tags starting from €20, which I thought was daylight robbery. Then there were dresses, some in the thousands of euros, which were simply from a particular label, but nothing over the top.
Then In New York, i remember coming accross a classic Vuitton dress, and it was priced at over a thousand dollars. Went to a different neighbourhood, found a Chanel dress for “only” 200.
I really think it’s all about the “where” in vintage. Some places have become seriously abusive with their pricing just because vintage has become a synonym for cool. Personally, if I have to have an overall opinion, I would say that yes, vintage is generally more expensive.
€20 for new look shoes is expensive!
It totally depends where you go, in my experience (including my limited one of London). In general, though, getting the “good stuff” in the vintage/used market is much more likely if you are a regular browser, and if you take the time to get to know your sources.
However, in many cases, if you go to the trendy “vintage boutiques” that are springing up like hipster weeds, you ARE going to get ripped off. It sounds as though your friend may be thinking of those, and I’ve also seen plenty — in Toronto’s fashionable Queen West district, for instance, loaded with overpriced shrunken wool sweaters and geeky dresses that were ugly in their heyday. Some such boutiques are more reliable than others; some are run by owners who really know their stuff (and, in general, specialise in particular types of items) — those will also be, relatively, pricey for used items, but at the same time, the pieces will be carefully curated, and those kinds of shop owners often have “ins” on impeccable sources (very often private collectors or estates, I’ve found). Again, you need to learn which is which.
The best sources of true bargains are the plain old “used” shops. Charity shops. Op shops. Here, Value Villages and Salvation Army stores. The staff there, especially in locations in less fashionable areas, very often just don’t know their goods. They’ll price known mid-level brands — Gap, American Eagle, Banana Republic — way too high, but when real designer goods wander in, they’ll get shuffled in unrecognised with everything else. But still, grabbing those gems is a matter of regular visits and plain old serendipity (and also YOUR eye for quality when you see it).
It can’t hurt to have a look around. But another thing I’ve found about vintage shopping is that the stars very rarely align to provide you with specific items! You may find a designer coat for a pittance, but not a sign of a leather satchel of any kind.
Yeah I find that it seems the ones who are regular shops end up getting the great finds, because I never put the time in and go looking for something specific rather than just going for a browse I never have any joy. I’m going to look tomorrow so I’ll see what I can find.
I think in the States vintage is pretty comparable, if not more expensive at times, than brands like H&M or Forever 21. The commodization of vintage has definitely seen prices soaring and the limited quantity definitely puts a premium on it.
Yeah, I think there are some vintage shops that have their own ‘lines’ where they’re not even vintage just brand new but made to look vintage…they’re the worst.
It’s funny, most people today call many items “vintage” when they actually aren’t, so I am happy to see that you called out ‘true vintage.’ Well, I’m an avid vintage shopper/thrifter so I think since I’m always on the hunt, scouring shops seeking I tend to grab it if I can. I shop vintage for work sometimes, yet depending on where you look I’ve noticed that items are priced quite a bit higher than high street, or other places/brands.
I find that many items in the States can also be higher … relating to specific vintage items, perhaps it’s because so many people are into acquiring it these days. Then again, if you visit a very popular vintage store in UK I’ve found odd items priced relatively high as well. I guess it’s circumstantial really! Knowing w h e r e to look for certain items, each location even sometimes a few blocks away oddly makes all the difference. I’m also recently into vintage vendors online like zou zou, and several others, and have found some great deals!
I hope you find the perfect bag you’re seeking, have a great weekend.
I ended up getting a bag from top man the one in the vintage store was the same price but broken so I didn’t think was really worth it.