Ambria Miscia, Tara Muscarella, Karina Lepiner and Wilson Payamps are consigners at Second Time Around in NYC.
Fashion Hunters is the show that follows their purchase and sales adventures. Helpful if you are a buyer, collector, in the business of selling designer vintage fashion.
If you'd like to learn how to spot copies, not if you wish to learn how to price. Some items may be overpriced, like the Louboutin black flats in the last episode.
Some under priced.
The green pair were in excellent condition but the black were too worn to price at 350.
Bravo even went as far as to guesstimate a retail price of $600. ^^ huh?
I noticed that pricing on some of these shows sometimes get a little crazy. The auction buyers attempting to over-compensate for what they spend on storage units is one such example.
Who, in their right mind, shells out over a grand at a thrift store for a worn dusty sofa - when most, specially those outdoor units, are mice...vermin infested...*shudder*.
I dont have a clue who they think they are trying to fool.
Of course, Im not suggesting the pieces in FH come from these types of places..although one could never predict where treasures may be hidden...recalling the lady who dropped by STA with the Chanel bags found at a yard sale in a previous episode. I think I was hyperventilating during that one. Can you imagine?
Sometimes I may answer a call at a posh neighborhood with great anticipation only to leave disappointed versus having found granny's closet brimming with breath taking beauties.
If there are several things Ive learned from years in the vintage biz; the hunt is highly unpredictable - that's what makes it fun and interesting. Good quality vintage is usually one of a kind. You might hit the jackpot and find a similar one in a different size years later, but the reason desirable vintage is coveted and priced accordingly is that quality, well cared for, restored, curated vintage is rare.
The value of Fashion Hunters is how they teach to examine a garment for authenticity. How to turn it inside out to look for finished seams, straight edges, stitching, label, how the logos are positioned, the quality of the fabric/leather.
If an investment piece is your interest Fashion Hunters is for you.
I would like to end this blog entry with a final note.
Please don't forget that most purchases are often negotiable. Price tags are not always written in stone, specially when the item has glaring flaws.
Happy vintage shopping!
