I sell clothes and am thinking of using a mannequin...right now I lay things out on the floor...is it worth buying a mannequin?
I sell a lot of mens suits and womens plus size clothes..but do sell all types of clothes.
Does anyone have any recommendations? I see a lot of hanging plastic ones, they don't look sturdy...are they? And any recommendations on where to buy them at a reasonable price? I would think the floor models would be more versatile and sturdy.
posted on July 19, 2001 01:14:25 PM
I recommend using a hanging mannequin, which you can purchase on ebay for less than $25. This is basically s molded plastic body with a hollow back. You can use clothespins to fit clothing to mannequin. Hang the mannequin against a clear wall or screen. I have seen some sellers use a cheaper mannequin hung over a tripod, but I think the results look unprofessional.
I also have a regular mannequin which is a hassle to use. Full mannequins are expensive and bulky.
You will probably get higher bids if your product is displayed nicer.
posted on July 19, 2001 01:16:37 PM
From my experience (I sell lots of clothing), pics looks much better and sell for more when worn by a mannequin. I got one off eBay for about 20 dollars, it is a plastic one that hangs, it is a guy, but with a padded bra magically becomes a women.
This works great for average size clothing, but for plus size, you may want to get a plus size mannequin.
posted on July 19, 2001 01:46:26 PM
If you go one of those big hobby places (ours are called MJDesigns) they sell cardboard T-Shirt Forms (that you use when you are using paints to decorate a shirt) that cost about a dollar.
You can tie a string to it, take a picture off the wall, and hang your shirt on the wall. This also gives you a uniform color background.
This is what I do, for what it's worth, but it seems to work out ok.
posted on July 19, 2001 02:02:54 PM
I sell mainly plus size women's and men's clothing. For the larger clothing (after trying many different things over the past 2+ years) I use hangers. Big men's pants and T-Shirt I lay out.
I have the hollow back plastic body form (FREE from an under garment store, going out of business) that I have used only for swimsuit (misses, jr. size). Then I got (FREE from a friend) a floor standing very heavy, sturdy body form, Stands about 6' floor to "neck". I use this for my long formal dresses because they are usually size 3-18. Anything large then a 16 I think looks better on a hanger. Clipping, clothes pinning, whatever will change the "shape" of how it actually hangs and is deceiving (in my opinion).
Plus Size floor standing body forms and mannequins cost a small fortune and are rare and hard to find. You do not hardly even see them in Lane Bryant any more (they used to use "normal" size one and have done away with 'em).
posted on July 19, 2001 05:49:35 PM
Absolutely, you should use a full mannequin or hanging mannequin -- it makes the clothes look so much better! If you can't get a mannequin, use a nice clothes hanger.
Besides, I think clothing looks better when it is hanging (from a form or a hanger) because that's the way clothing is meant to be seen.
Maybe it is just a prejudice of mine, but never never never never take pictures of your stock on the floor. It doesn't matter how good a housekeeper you are or how clean your floors are - It still gives a bad impression and makes the buyer wonder where the clothes have been. When I see that (as a buyer) I think, "ewwwwww ... she puts her clean clothes on the FLOOR!!???"
El
"The customer may not always be right, but she is always the customer."
[ edited by eleanordew on Jul 19, 2001 08:24 PM ]
posted on July 19, 2001 08:12:34 PM
I use both the "backless" hanging mannequin (which is thin enough to hide under the bed) and a regular adjustable dress form that will take me up to about size 22-24.
The plastic one is very sturdy and works well for juniors and smaller misses sizes. Once I hit about a 12, I move over to the dress form. The dress form is hot pink, which looks kinda neat when you put clothes on it. For items that really clash, I use a white long-sleeved cotton turtleneck to cover it first.
Pants look best on a hanger; I've never figured out a good way to drape them on a mannequin.
posted on July 19, 2001 10:18:17 PM
Has anyone tried to make their own?
This is the theory: First you find a willing victim...er, friend of the appropriate size. Then you put them in an old disposable shirt (something like a longsleeved turtleneck I think), then you wrap them from waist to neck (minus the arms) in approximately 14 rolls of duct tape. Then you very, very carefully cut up the back (shirt and duct tape) and remove them from it. Then add some more tape to close the seam and voila, a torso mannequin.
I've never tried this, but I am curious if this would work or if anyone else has done it.
posted on July 19, 2001 10:28:19 PM
When I first started I used an adjustable dress form. Which worked great, except it could not display pants.
So I purchsed one of those hollow backed plastic things and I absolutely hated it. I know some people love it, but I could not stand it.
So I lucked out and found a live auction for a local Nordstrom store that was remodeling. I purchased 7 dress forms, 5 women and 2 men for less than $80 (you had to buy them in lots). I kept what I needed and sold the rest on eBay. The best thing is that my mannequins can wear pants and lingerie. Instead of having a pole that goes through the mannequin, it has a big ring on top and it hangs from an adjustable stand. I absolutely love it.
Here's a picture:
I wish I had a pic of my male mannequin, but I didn't take one, didn't need to sell any.
If you can get one at a good price from eBay, a live auction or a used store supply store, I highly recommend going for the high end dress form. I'm telling you, these things are soooo much easier to dress and present clothing on than the ones that are plastic and front only.
posted on July 20, 2001 07:54:06 AM
Recently I saw an eBay seller that was using live people to model their clothing. Only thing was, they were selling tie dyes and the models were super-scruffy looking hippie types with ratty hair, no makeup on the women, etc. Ick. Not my idea of good presentation.
posted on July 20, 2001 05:38:56 PM
I bit the bullet and spent $250 on a beautiful mannequin. I think it brings in far more bids than auctions for similar clothing, that don't use one. I also have three of those plastic ones without backs and their shape is all wrong. Can't get anything to look good on them.
I don't necessarily want word to get around since not a lot of people don't use them, but I really feel you would make your money back in no time, if you got a good one.
