Vintage clothing can be a valuable find. But some types of vintage clothing are more valuable than others. Here are a few tips to determine whether a piece of vintage clothing is authentic and valuable:
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Build
How the piece of clothing is put together can tell you a lot about its age. Garments manufactured before the 1960s often made use of metal zippers, pinked seams, bias hem tape and side-snap closures.
On the other hand, newer garments use invisible zippers and carry fabric care and content labels.
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Label
A union label tag which is printed in blue text indicates the dress is most likely vintage. More recent union labels carry red and blue text.
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Made In?
The country of origin can also give you a hint about the dress’s age. ‘Made in China’ garments are relatively new, while older vintage garments were either made in the US or imported from Italy, France or Hong Kong.
Read More: Reselling Clothing: Best Practices
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Feel
This one can be a bit tricky to master, but with practice, you will be able to feel the difference in texture between a new piece of clothing and vintage clothing. Also, colors that may be in fashion today were most likely not in vogue several decades ago at the time when the vintage dresses were being made.
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Quality
Once you’ve determined the authenticity of a vintage dress, it’s time to determine its value. Naturally, it’s rare to come across a vintage dress that has not been worn. Some amount of damage to the fabric is inevitable and not a deal breaker for collectors. More stylish clothes with unique designs are valued more, while large holes or stains devalue an item.
