What a day (or two)……

The last two day have seen some very significant finds. There’s not a lot more to say but to list everything I’ve found. Here we go!

Diane von Furstenberg jacket, The White Company leather skirt, Privatsachen jacket

Doriani jacket
Eskandar jumper
Alembika dress
Ralph Lauren down gilet
Marks & Spencer cashmere jumper
Pure Collection cashmere jumper
Privatsachen top & jacket
Privatsachen jacket
Comptoir des Cotonniers peacoat
Spirit of the Andes cardigan
Anne Fontaine shirt
Merinomink jumper
Chesca cashmere jumper
Diane von Furstenberg jacket
The White Company leather skirt
ME+EM t-shirt
Kew Fair Isle jumper
Whistles cashmere jumper
The White Company Fair Isle jumper
Equipment shirt
Avec ces Freres sweater
Agnona cashmere jumper
Carven dress
Theory dress
Yacco Maricard coat
Yacco Maricard shirt
Sweaty Betty coat
Marks & Spencer cashmere cardigan
White company top
Zoe Karssen trousers
Hush leggings

Things are picking up again…

No big hitters today but things are picking up again!

Essentiel Antwerp jumper, vintage Karrimor jacket, Mint Velvet trench

Today I bought:

Essentiel Antwerp jumper
vintage Karrimor jacket
Mint Velvet trench
Annette Gortz jacket and top
OSKA silk top
Peruvian Connection cardigan
Save the Queen dress

I will keep you posted with how well the Karrimor jacket does – I’m never sure but hopefully I can tap into the the youth Y2K market.

Should you buy vintage?

By vintage I mean true vintage, not just secondhand. It’s a difficult question to answer but I generally find that items still need to be designer, even if they are vintage. You may have more luck on platforms such as Depop with high street vintage but I don’t think there’s that much money to be made.

With some care, you can do well from vintage Laura Ashley (the real ’80s stuff), and some Benetton styles are sought after too. Outdoor brands like Patagonia, Karrimor etc. can fetch a good price for their vintage items. As always, check sold prices on eBay before buying. I’ll try to write a longer piece on this topic at a later date.

Today I did pretty well and bought the following:

Eskandar dress (particularly thrilled with this, a bit of a secondhand holy grail!)
Joie jumper
OSKA jacket
Jaeger coat
Vintage Laura Ashley jumper
Vintage Macy’s cardigan
Zadig & Voltaire top
Max Mara skirt
Cath Kidston dress

‘Of the brand…..’

Not much bought today but I did find a super cute Cath Kidston London bus cardigan.

It’s easy to snap up items just because of the label, but often things don’t sell for much unless they’re very ‘Of the brand’ – like this Cath Kidston cardigan. A Cath Kidston garment without a cutesy floral print or retro pattern won’t interest many buyers.

Likewise, when people search for Moschino they usually want something brash and bold. A plain pencil skirt won’t sell for much despite its high original price tag.

On the other hand, a buyer looking for Margaret Howell or Jil Sander will be after understated elegance, or something more utilitarian. This theory applies to lots of high end brands. Bear this in mind before purchasing and you’ll minimise losses.

Gym Wear?

Would you buy secondhand gym clothes? Having been in the secondhand clothes market for so long I personally have no problem with it – give it a wash and it’s good to go. However I know plenty of people who wouldn’t touch it! What’s your view?

Today I bought very little but I did pick up a gorgeous little MM6 tunic dress and a Gymshark jacket, along with a classic The White Company merino sweater.

Some long overdue menswear

Robert Noble tweed suit and a Favourbrook tuxedo jacket (RRP £995!)

Two decent days bargain hunting. Purchases include:

COS jumper
COS dress
AllSaints cardigan
Temperley jumper
Robert Noble tweed suit
Favourbrook jacket
Paige jeans
Sarah Pacini skirt
Rapha jumper
American vintage jacket
Jigsaw jumper

It’s worth mentioning that country sports attire has a big following on eBay – tweed shooting jackets, hunting waterproofs and premium equestrian labels are all worth buying second hand. Check the condition as they’re often vintage but buyers are often willing to overlook a bit of wear for this type of clothing.

Floaty dresses and designer rainwear

Secondhand shops have started bringing out their spring rainwear so lots of treats in store. In a single village charity shop I spotted an Aquascutum translucent mac with silk lining, an Aquascutum trench and a fab Uniqlo raincoat.

Plus – gorgeous designer skirts by Raoul and A.P.C., and a floaty silk Reiss dress…….

Look out for luxury knitwear moving on to the sale rails too – don’t forget that small holes or bobbling are easy to rectify on most knitted items so don’t be put off (just don’t sell them on if you’ve mended holes).