posted on November 29, 2000 09:25:54 PM
Anyone have info on them? The ones I have are very old, all hand stitched, some silk, some embroidered. I know the long scarf thingy is called an OBI, and I have 3 of those. I also have those "pants" they wore with the kimonos themselves, also 3 pair. My question is, should I list the obi's separately, or all 3 together? And the "pants" (whatever the term is for them), should they go as a lot of the 3, or separately? I have 12 kimonos in all. Im stumped on these, and need assistance with what to do with them. HELP!
But with your references to the "long scarfy thing" (obi are generally quite heavy and stiff, not "scarfy"} and wearing "pants" with kimono (unless you've got all men's kimono) and your mention of "embroidery" - I'm wondering whether what you've got are actually Indo-Pakistani salwar kameez. Nah. I think you'd know the difference. Wishful thinking on my part, as I'm in the market for some.
Anyway, back to kimono. There is one really fantastic kimono dealer on ebay, and if you do a search for kimono for $100+, I'm sure you'll find several really good examples of how to shoot, describe, and list.
Personally, I had a terrible time selling a couple lovely vintage ones two summers ago, but the market seems to have picked up (maybe because more good-quality kimono are being listed). Damaged kimono also sell very well - I just parted with a small lot of rayon scraps for over $25.
posted on November 30, 2000 10:45:44 AM
>>cut and paste from the ebay outlook>>
Random un-caffienated thoughts on kimono buying, and selling..... I have a collection of over 100 vintage kimono (some inherited from my grandmother, who was a much more knowledgeable collector than me, alas---I only buy what I like and pay no attention to "book values" at all). I'm not really an expert because I only buy, I don't sell (one of the few categories where I am *just* I buyer).Regarding selling on eBay, I have seen kimono go for very high prices and I have seen them go dirt cheap. There are a lot of homely kimono out there. I do not buy on eBay since I go to kimono shows twice a year where the prices are more standardized and I can feel the merchandise (since I display and wear my kimono, I want them to be ones I really like and enjoy the feel and colors of).
There are two main types of buyers of kimono. One is the collector and wearer (I fall into this category). The other is the fabric artist who dis-assembles the kimono and uses the parts in quilting, wearable art, and other textile arts. The latter group is of course very interested in the kimono pattern and color. There seem to be large numbers of both types of collectors on eBay.
There are a number of different categories that kimonos fall into...the ornate and costly wedding kimonos, the long flutter-sleeved furisode of the unmarried girls, the light and airy yukata (which are my favorites to collect--they often come in lovely vivid patterns and colors of cotton although blue and white patterns are traditional)...men's kimono, haoris, inner robes, outer robes, nemaki (sleeping gowns)....and the list goes on and on. I fully intend to be learning about the kimono and its variations until I am an old, old lady.
Perhaps you could post a picture or give a general idea of the colors that are used in the kimono? That will be a big clue to what type of kimono it is. There are also style clues. Generally, on womens' kimono, the more formal the outfit, the larger the sleeve. Informal kimono tend to have smaller or more tubelike sleeves. Men's sleeves tend to be shorter than womens'( they often end between the elbow and the wrist) and they tend to be in black, blue, quiet stripes, gray, ikat (kasuri) or other patterns (not always, but often). Women did wear some types of pants (mompe)since WW2 according to John Marshall in his books on kimono designs...however these were for working in (agricultural or factory work) and I tend to think they would be neither very interesting for their color or nor in good condition. So it seems likely that your pants are mens' pants. however I would judge more from the color of the item. And there are exceptions to everything I have said.
I do not collect obi at all, so, cannot help much except a few basic thoughts. Ornate or decorative obi are in great demand with fabric artists and can fetch hundreds of dollars. At the shows I go to, there are many people who go just to buy obi (I was almost crushed once just trying to take a look at the obi rack!!) Not so exciting obi will go for less money, of course.
Dating kimono and obi is often difficult. Many people automatically assume their kimono are very old, but since the refinements in this form of fashion were subtle and the basic design remained the same for hundreds of years at a time, it's often hard to say, even for me, a long time collector. There are obvious ones like the horrid printed tropical polyester kimono I have seen (!!!) or the 60s Op-Art prints. But for silk, cotton, rayon---it's often hard to tell without a thorough knowledge of the evolution of the kimono. If these kimono you have are patterned ones, someone like HartCottageQuilts who has a great eye for identifying patterns on textiles would be a good resource for dating, I think. HCQ, can you weigh in on this topic?
I would love to see you post pictures of your kimono, and try to further help you. Good pictures (both longshots and laid in the scanner type pics) will be a must for bringing a good price on your items.
This may be my longest post yet. Somebody stop me!!!
Kim
kimono-addicts anonymous
posted on November 30, 2000 10:52:44 AM
HCQ: I have a large collection of salwar kameez. I collect them as well as sew them for several Indian and Pakistani women in my area and for Indian dancers. Pretty fly for a white girl. Let me know what you're looking for. I'm trying to thin out my collection. Oh and in most of my collection the dupatta (chunni) or scarf is missing so these are 2 piece sets. If you're small, you've hit paydirt. I personally am too big a gal to fit into any of the ones I collect, so I'm looking to divest.
posted on November 30, 2000 03:01:45 PM
You know, brightid, there's this commercial where a woman comes home to a microscopic straight-out-of-Manhattan apartment where she has to squeeeeeeeze past the kitchen table and climb over the bed to reach her closet......which is about as big as a tennis court I'm beginning to wonder if this is the layout of your abode I confess to having more than a bit of envy.
Small I'm not anymore - now waddling around at 5'4 and 130lbs in men's medium boxers, probably a women's 12 or 14. Unfortunately, between my earlier post and now the sewing machine I use for quilting DIED (so says the repair man), so I am going to be shelling out serious $$ this weekend on things other than clothes. Rats. When I'm feeling flush again I'll let you know.
For those of you who don't know, salwar kameez are wonderful sort of pants/tunic outfits that combine snazziness with comfort AND hide every conceivable figure flaw.
posted on November 30, 2000 03:34:38 PM
LOL. My closet rod has broken 3 times in the past 2 years. I finally got a steel one and haven't had any problems. Things used to be ridiculous with me and all my vintage clothing----luckily since I discovered eBay I have been slowly selling them off, and now I am much less crowded. My passion for ordinary Western-style vintage clothing has burned out and for the past few years I have collected only ethnic clothing and textiles (taking up where my grandmother left off). Most of the kimonos are stored at a relative's house where there's better climate control.
I started wearing salwar kameez in college where I met my first Indian and Pakistani friends. They are very comfortable, modest, and adaptable. For a short while I even wore a Muslim hijab (head covering) as a social science experiment.....the reactions I got were interesting. When I dressed in salwar kameez there was no special reaction but when I combined it with a hijab, people treated me like a zoo animal, staring and pointing! That gave me a first hand glimpse of what it is like to be obviously "other" in modern society....I have collected salwar kameez over the years for their beauty and my Indian friends have given me sets that were owned by their mothers and relatives. I love the fabulously ornate ones for display but the ones I usually wear are plain. I have sold some fancy sets on eBay but I really didn't see much interest, unfortunately. I would like to see some of mine go to a good home. I'm always open to a swap of some kind.
posted on November 30, 2000 03:44:00 PM
You both are very informative, and I thank you. The kimonos I have came from hollywood, from a set and costume designer/supplier for movies made in the late 1940's 50's. Thes kimonos are from that man. He said "get what you can, no big deal", so I will list them very low and hope they go up. If they dont, then he doesnt mind, and as long as he doesnt mind, I am satisfied. I do have pics ready to go, but wont be able to post them for a day or two, as I have to upload them to my ftp space. When I do, I will post a few. Not alot are ornate. But, I did go to ebay and look, and saw a few that were very similar to a few of what I have. I will probably list them at 9.99 each, and no reserve...let the bidders decide what they are worth. Good incentive for collectors and textile collectors for quilts, I should think.
Anyway...thank you VERY MUCH again for your assistance!
I confess to having more than a bit of envy.
