Determining the value of your item will help you set a selling price and my Last Post discussed some basic strategies for finding a selling price. In this post and future posts I intend to get a little more specific about patterns, styles and colours who both maintain and increase in value over time, seemingly regardless of the current market conditions. As I write this, I am convinced that it is a bear market, in terms of after sales. I have been selling things quickly at a discount from market price and I have noticed that items that have been priced at market value have not been selling. The main reason I believe that it is a bear market is that it’s Fall and Lululemon (as well as many other fashion designers) has been releasing many covetous items and serious collectors are stocking up on the new items instead of scouring eBay for deals on older items. This keeps prices low as people don’t have an infinite amount of disposable income to spend on their collection regardless of what pops up on eBay.
Some things retain their value better than others and of course, and I intend to cover as much of this as possible. Keep in mind however, that times change and markets are fluid, not stagnant. There are crazes and trends in this market as there are in all markets.
Let’s get started!
Fabrics: Some fabrics retain their value or go up in value better than others.
Herringbone: Herringbone looks like this:
These came in limited colors, with a few released over the years. They usually get released in Fall/ Winter and are super comfy & warm. They’re very soft. These sell for retail or slightly above anytime I see them at auction.
Pique: Pique looks like this:
Pique is also a traditional Fall/ Winter release. It’s exceptionally warm and soft. These also sell well after market. They’re gorgeous and very soft. In my opinion they also maintain their condition better than herringbone, which I find pills more easily.
Both of these traditional cold weather releases retail for between $72 & $82, depending on whether they are full length pants or crops. I often see these selling for around $90 on the Facebook pages. (Don’t know what I’m talking about? Check out my earlier post) On eBay, as of this writing “Lululemon Pique Wunder Unders” sell for between $70 and $120. Lululemon has also made other items in Pique, which also sell well, but I’d like to continue on a more narrow, specific path, for now. Herringbone Wunder Unders are priced the same in retail settings, but perform slightly better on eBay selling for between $60 and $180. I have also seen these sell on the Facebook pages for around $90. Please note, however, that many of the Herringbone Wunder Unders I saw fetching the highest prices were also “New with tags.” Although, in my experience, “excellent used condition” would fetch nearly as much as NWT with the proper advertisement.
Charcoal Wunder Unders
Charcoal fabric has come back again this year, and it’s deliciously soft & silky. I love mine, but they pill incredibly fast. I would only buy these new. I bought a pair on eBay once, and it was pilly beyond belief. Embarrassingly so. I returned them. These hold retail value well, but I’ve never seen them fetch much more than that, and these don’t sell as well as other Wunder Unders used. So, my advice is get them if you like them, but don’t expect them to increase in value.
Here’s an example of the fabric:
