Wholesale which websites are genuine

callansdad

There is a woman who has a fancy dress hire business about 40 miles from me and she runs it from a big loft connected to her home, you have to go through a garage to get it. Everyone goes there for fancy dress hire but the thing that i find most inspiring about her is that she makes all her own costumes. I really couldn't tell, they are brilliant. She must have hundreds of them now and her hire prices are really good. You could maybe do some kind of dressmaking course and maybe aim towards that in the future if it is something that really interests you.

soolin

Actually making something unique would be a real niche market, that's a great thought. I do buy costumes a lot and usually buy from the US where they seem very geared up for pageants and re-enactments etc.

I recently bought two outfits, chemise, overskirt, boned bodice etc sold for Autumn pageants, on both occasions the auction was for a standard item in a standard size (small , medium large) but the winner had the item completed to their actual measurements. So for example I bought a small one (I love America as I'm petite there but not here!) and the smallest and largest measurements possible were stated in the auction. All I had to do was send my bust/waist and shoulder to floor length and the dress would be finished and sent out to me. These items are professionally made in good material and are heavy wearing as they are meant to be used, rather than just used once for a fancy dress party. In total including airmail expediated post I paid £46 for one and approx £57 for the other dress.

Previously I had been looking at fancy dress quality ones that tend to be flimsy, in the UK for approx £35-£40.

Soo

Bewhoyouwanttobe

soolin wrote:

The problem is I don't think fancy dress is a niche market, a basic search brings up over 20,000 items.

Also, if you know that sellers are making a huge profit you must know how much they are buying their stuff for, if you know that it seems logical you must also be able to approach the same stockist that they do.

A big turnover does not necessarily equal a large profit, on occasions I've sold tons of stuff at near cost just to shift it. A casual look would assume i was making a fortune whereas the reality is sadly different.

Soo

Soolin I don't mean to be rude, but I wish you would read my posts properly.

I never said that fancy dress was a niche (I said that it is hard to find a niche and to be honest I am not that fussed) and I said a couple of posts back that I found a 1/2 decent supplier and I am even in touch with some manufacturers now, that even if I sell it cheaper than others I can make a small profit. I appreciate your advice, but now I feel as if you are overstepping the mark. I originally asked if anyone could help with a supplier, not pull my choice of things to sell to pieces, I kind of wished I hadn't said what I am going to do now.

I have already said in a prvious post I am not interested in being a millionnaire, if I make £10 I will be happy. I am starting to wonder if you have a motive behind your posts!

Thanks everyone for your suggestionsl, I really appreciated the help and advice.

Bewhoyouwanttobe

callansdad wrote:

There is a woman who has a fancy dress hire business about 40 miles from me and she runs it from a big loft connected to her home, you have to go through a garage to get it. Everyone goes there for fancy dress hire but the thing that i find most inspiring about her is that she makes all her own costumes. I really couldn't tell, they are brilliant. She must have hundreds of them now and her hire prices are really good. You could maybe do some kind of dressmaking course and maybe aim towards that in the future if it is something that really interests you.

This is what inspires me about this - I love making up fancy dress stuff for my kids, but I am not good enough to create my own, maybe I will do a dressmaking course in the future.

There are soem on ebay obviously selling their own stuff and it really is amazing

callansdad

The way that i see it is that if you have an interest in something it would be much easier to turn it into a business because at the end of the day it would give you a greater sense of achievement. Good luck with finding a wholesaler, sorry i can't help out with that.