Lolita Tips for New Lolitas | Where to Buy Lolita: Part 2 - Secondhand (Lace Market, Mercari, etc.)

[@P.eac.h]

I don't buy stained items but if you know how to repair clothing getting damaged dresses from Lace Market can be such a money saver. As you said, people want new or close to new dresses so ones which have been damaged are heavily marked down. One of my favorite dresses is a $140 Chinese indie brand OP that I got on Lace Market for $40 because some of the lace on the bottom of a side was damaged. After a few hours of work you can't even tell it was damaged without inspecting it incredibly close. It is also really rewarding to bring dresses back to their full glory lol However, I wouldn't do this unless you have the sewing skills to fix it, know the material well (how it "behaves"), the knowledge necessary to know when a markdown is worth the time/labor/materials, and can tell what it will look like once it is fixed. I tend to not go for dresses where the print is damaged or there is damage anywhere which would draw the eye because those repairs tend to be more noticable. As well as structural damage since that can be a pain to fix correctly. Don't buy a dress that is missing a button without knowing you can find a good or an exact replacement or planning replace them all. Same rule applies to missing bows, ribbons, belts, etc... All of this pretty much just means have a plan you know you can follow before placing a bid.

[@diamondthestorm]

Very good point! Many Lolitas are actually very good at sewing and repairing their dresses! But for me, and others like me, probably best to make sure it's in a condition we're comfortable buying, as I can't sew to save my life! Thank you for sharing your advice and experience!! :D

[@sakuraa1770]

Thank you for the recommendations! I'll be sure to look into these. Love the dress btw!

[@diamondthestorm]

I'm glad they were helpful to you. And thank you! :D I've loved it a lot more since buying it!

[@beatrizaurorapinzonsolano7319]

Sweet moment lolita is a very good site their prices are very affordable, and I live in Brazil and even for here their prices are very fair, thanks for you recommendation

[@diamondthestorm]

Yeah, they're a great site to use!

[@leaf_eater72837]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SO FUCKING MUCH I CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD LOLITA NOW HOLY SHIT THANK YOUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!! 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶

[@elizabethsnyder9678]

Im being patience for a Chocolate Rosette green color way and ivory. As of now getting accessories and blouses and shoes and bag or purses socks for my coords.

[@diamondthestorm]

Good luck! Hopefully you will get them soon!

[@fancypenguin_kpop]

Do you know how long it takes to get verified on Lace Market? Its been quite a few days since I sent my verification request email and there's a dress I really want T^T

[@diamondthestorm]

It usually does take a couple days but if they're taking too long, I recommend sending them a message on Facebook letting them know you need to be verified!!

[@fancypenguin_kpop]

Ok! I'll try that. Thanks for the reply!@@diamondthestorm

[@user-ct3si6nl3c]

Can you ask buyee to label the item a lowers price to avoid customs?

[@diamondthestorm]

As far as I'm aware, you can't.

[@sherrythebirthdayclown3634]

How to buy things if you don't have a PayPal account on lace Market

[@diamondthestorm]

I'm not sure you can without Paypal

[@noodlesoupyy]

Just wanted to put this out in case this can help anyone. I've used closetchild, mercari, xianyu and wunderwelt. Generally I would trust closetchild and wunderwelt more than secondhand platform sites like mercari and xianyu mainly because there's still a chance of scammers being on these sites, since it's based on individual sellers. But that's not to say not to use them, in fact i love mercari and xianyu, i managed to get some really affordable pieces from there. In my opinion the pricing system on closetchild and wunderwelt are more standardized, wunderwelt is more pricey and they also resell some secondhand taobao items for higher price. Some items are definitely marked up especially for popular prints like sugary carnival, little bunny strawberry etc., but the same can be said for mercari. As for xianyu, as far as i know they've separated from taobao and is an individual app now. The only payment method supported is alipay, so i get a friend to buy stuff for me and i pay her 10% of my purchases. Some sellers in xianyu also do shopping services to buy items directly from Japan, although this is subject to availability in the physical stores. Taobao sellers also offer similar services. Regardless where you buy your lolita from, always be careful and try to scout multiple sites for the same/similar items, and cross check with lolibrary to see if the items are legit or to compare the original price. You also need to be mentally prepared in case the item you're after sells out before you can get it. Happy shopping 🎀

[@diamondthestorm]

Thank you so much for sharing! :D