The price of vintage: developing a model for valuing vintage clothing

Pugh, Esther and Ripley, Helen 2025. The price of vintage: developing a model for valuing vintage clothing. Intersectional Perspectives: Identity, Culture, and Society 4 (4) , pp. 84-115. 10.18573/ipics.147

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Abstract

As vintage fashion evolves into a global phenomenon, the retail processes surrounding it are becoming increasingly professionalised, despite often being undertaken by individuals in the informal economy. However, one of these; the pricing of vintage garments, often remains largely subjective. Furthermore, pricing is neglected as a standalone subject in the literature, only getting a brief mention as one of the labours of ‘doing vintage’. This paper aims to address this gap, extending understanding of how vintage clothing is priced by UK sellers, so that a pricing model can be developed to support competitive pricing strategies, and the future development of the sector. It also contributes important academic knowledge on ‘vintage’ fashion from the point of view of its traders, rather than from the more commonplace perspective of the consumer. A mixed-methods questionnaire was used to gather data from fifteen UK vintage fashion vendors, selling clothes and accessories online and offline. Findings showed that three factors dominate in pricing: i) the scarcity, rarity, exclusivity and condition of the item, ii) the attitude and characteristics of the seller, and iii) the seller’s knowledge of the customer.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Publisher:	Cardiff University Press
ISSN:	2752-3497
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	13 October 2025
Date of Acceptance:	8 April 2025
Last Modified:	13 Oct 2025 17:14
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/181635

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