The Re-Seller Sin

I'm constantly on-line. If I'm not checking out bellydance websites then I'm probably checking out on-line boutiques that sell costumes. Costume selling is a major issue that I've been wanting to blog about, why because we have a lot of sellers trying to sell lies with their products.

Let me try to explain the lame tricks sellers try to pull. A wise shopper is a smart shopper.

Old/Used costume selling for the price as New/Unused costumes trick
Fair? Not at all. Why? Hello it's used!

Why do I keep catching sellers (even some sinful dancers) trying to sell old costumes for the same price they paid or more? Yes, selling a used costume that probably smells like b.o. or needs fixing/hemming is not right. I don't even care if the costume has been used only a few times, if the costume has been worn--- then it has been worn! Stop trying to have someone pay for a costume you have stuck your sweaty body into more than once.
It's kind of gross and not fair to the buyer.

Be honest to your buyers and be honest with yourself by lowering the price on that costume that you KNOW is not worth the same price you paid. Of course a few dishonest sellers will claim they paid more than what they are asking--- Oh please, That's a load of baloney.

My advice
Please, do lots of research on-line and compare prices. Too many sellers are selling costumes way off the price range that they are worth.
So if there is anyone who is looking to buy new costume: Use common sense and be careful.

Manufactured Costumes selling at Handmade Costume Prices
Fair? I think not. Why? It just doesn't make sense.

It doesn't make sense for a seller to sell a manufactured costume for the same price or more for a costume that has been handmade by a professional seamstress. When professional seamstresses personally designs and creates a costume, it takes a lot of man hours and personal attention. Each design is stitched by hand. When it comes to selling the costume, the profit goes directly to the seamstress and the seller. In some cases the seller is the seamstress and so all the profit goes directly to one person (who did all the work).

About Machine manufactured costumes...
For heavens sake a machine processed the costume. Do you now how many costumes can be processed by a machine? Plenty! What is the seller going to with the profit, is she going to buy the machine a brand new dining room set? The seller in this case is pocketing more money than they deserve. Even if they are purchasing the fabrics and materials, they still shouldn't sell their costumes at prices that make no sense.

I say Lower The Price. Sellers if lower the price and you'll sleep better at night.

Lying about what a costume is worth
Fair? Of course not. Why? It's cheating.

Now this one I know is a tricky one, even professional dancers can fall victim to this. The seller will claim the costume is worth ___ amount of dollars but now they are selling it for the low price of ___ amount of dollars is you buy it today. That's usually BS, the seller is just trying to build up the product so the consumer will feel they are getting a great deal when they really aren't.

My Advice:
The best thing to do is find out how the costume was put together whether or not the accessories have been glued or sown on. What is the fabric made of. Make sure you can see more than one photo of the costume. Then find similar costumes on-line and see how much they are selling for. You will always find a similar costume, you just have to do your research.

Claimed the Costume was made in Egypt when it was really made in Ohio
Fair? No. Why? It's just plain dishonest.

I've seen several ads on eBay and so forth about costumes made from Egypt when the product really wasn't. The reason behind this is simple: the seller wants to make the costume seem as if it was made from the mystical land of bellydance... la la la dream.

For sellers:
Vendors if you made a costume in Florida just say so and stop lying to buyers! It just makes no sense.

Ok, I've grown tired now of writing about these sellers and their stupid lies. I just wanted to vent out my thoughts and put it out there.

So I did.