stevejobs
Senior Member
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- Dec 6, 2007
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I know many of you frequent the Buy and Sell forum hoping to score outrageous discounts on designer fashions. Prices there are marked down upwards of 70-80% off of list, so consumers are getting a steal.
But for sellers, it's hard times. One recent seller tried to sell a new Zegna cashmere sport coat that retails for $2000, but couldn't get a sniff even though he dropped the price to as low as $250 or an 87.5% discount. For those who have overstuffed closets and need to raise cash, you'll find similar tales of woe.
However, I was browsing ebay and came across some Abercrombie & Fitch listings. What amazed me is how many bids they got (most 5+ and some 25+) for what is consider decent, but not anywhere near luxury clothing. Moreover, looking at some of the successful auctions, most of the winning bids bought the A&F merchandise from anywhere from half to a third off retail, which is respectable, but not insane bargains like the one I mentioned above.
Furthermore, in comparison, Ralph Lauren auctions frequently had few bidders per item and to get any traction even for the luxury Black and Purple Labels, sellers had markdowns that were almost always greater than 60% to start. It was not unusual for a new Ralph Lauren jacket that retailed for $1500 to get winning bids that topped out at $200-300 if it sold at all. This was also true in percentage terms with comparable luxury brands like Armani and Zegna.
So, it seems that there is a disconnect. Even though it produces an inferior product compared with the luxury brands, A&F retains a higher resale value if you are selling its apparel to others even in these economically challenging times, while higher end fashion goes wanting.
But for sellers, it's hard times. One recent seller tried to sell a new Zegna cashmere sport coat that retails for $2000, but couldn't get a sniff even though he dropped the price to as low as $250 or an 87.5% discount. For those who have overstuffed closets and need to raise cash, you'll find similar tales of woe.
However, I was browsing ebay and came across some Abercrombie & Fitch listings. What amazed me is how many bids they got (most 5+ and some 25+) for what is consider decent, but not anywhere near luxury clothing. Moreover, looking at some of the successful auctions, most of the winning bids bought the A&F merchandise from anywhere from half to a third off retail, which is respectable, but not insane bargains like the one I mentioned above.
Furthermore, in comparison, Ralph Lauren auctions frequently had few bidders per item and to get any traction even for the luxury Black and Purple Labels, sellers had markdowns that were almost always greater than 60% to start. It was not unusual for a new Ralph Lauren jacket that retailed for $1500 to get winning bids that topped out at $200-300 if it sold at all. This was also true in percentage terms with comparable luxury brands like Armani and Zegna.
So, it seems that there is a disconnect. Even though it produces an inferior product compared with the luxury brands, A&F retains a higher resale value if you are selling its apparel to others even in these economically challenging times, while higher end fashion goes wanting.