S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff) with Amy Moyer: Wedding Dresses – WorthPoint

Is your old wedding dress stuffed in the back of your closet? Or, is a “family heirloom” wedding dress tucked away in your attic, stiffly ensconced in a yellowing dry-cleaning storage box? Are you wondering if these are worth saving or better off donating or selling? Read on to learn what to do with S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff): Wedding Dresses.

Say No to the Dress?

S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff): Wedding Dresses are similar to S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff): Linens in that while they may hold a lot of sentiment, they may not retain much current value. Why is this? Even though you may have spent a pretty penny on that once-worn dress back in the day, so did (and does) every other woman who values that sentiment of a wedding dress. That means these contemporary women are also willing to shell out big bucks today on their “perfect dress” and likely want nothing to do with your frock of nostalgia. They’d rather grab a few bridal magazine bibles and binge-watch Say Yes to the Dress in preparation for their own wedding dress spending spree.

Even if you find a contemporary woman who values the sentiment of a “family heirloom” dress and is willing to don said dress in the interest of perpetuating the hundreds of years of marriage represented within, it still likely holds little monetary value unless it boasts a special attribute.

Queen Victoria to Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy

So, what special attributes give value to old wedding dresses? Like anything in fashion, if the dress is currently in vogue, that will add value. Sleek and modern design continue to dominate today’s aesthetic in everything from furniture to clothing, so if you have a simple deco or mid-century ivory sheath or even a more recent classic gown à la Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy those may be desirable on today’s secondary marketplace. There are also those gals who love the Victorian or Edwardian aesthetic, so wedding dresses in those styles may also be worth selling.

Condition is key, so if you have a 100-plus-year-old dress stuffed away in a trunk in your attic, double-check it for unsightly stains, odors, or general disintegration. Similar to condition, size is also very important. You may have more trouble selling a large-size 1920s sheath since those styles are less forgiving, while you may have a larger audience for those dresses in sizes 0-4. Victorian and Edwardian dresses can certainly be more forgiving with their yardages of lace and fabric, so those dresses in larger sizes may have more value.

What else adds value to old wedding dresses? You can always cross-check the label and designer name online to see if the maker is still popular today. Adding a designer name to an online listing is a must if one is available.

Bride of Frankenstein

If you find your old wedding dress has little resale value, your choices now are to keep or donate. If you have read this far, I bet you are either ready or getting ready to donate your old dress, so just make sure you are ready.

Whenever I meet with new clients, whether we are perusing boxes of jewelry, wedding dresses, or old toys, I always say, “Make sure you are ready to part with these items.” If you know you are ready and want to donate it, be aware that your dress is more likely to find new life not in a wedding ceremony but during a very special holiday at the end of every October: Halloween. Yes, vintage wedding dresses are favorites for the spooky crowd, whether needed to complete a Bride of Frankenstein, Corpse Bride, or Bride of Chucky ensemble. Heck, at the rate we’re going, Halloween 2024 may even be the year of the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce wedding costume!

In any event, here are some tips for divorcing yourself from your old wedding dress:

5 Steps for Cleaning Out S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff): Wedding Dresses

1. Ask yourself the most important question: Are you ready to part with the dress? If “yes,” take a couple of photos of the dress with your phone to save.
2. Write a brief history of the dress on some archival paper. Where and what year was it purchased, when and where was it worn, how many years of marriage are “in the dress,” any funny anecdotes. Either pin the note inside the dress or, for extra credit, sew the note inside in a secret pocket.
3. Check with younger relatives if they want the dress. If they say “yes,” drop it off. If they say “maybe,” secretly drop it off with a “No Backsies” note pinned to it.
4. If you have no takers for the dress, research the value on secondary websites, including Stillwhite, and sell if it has any value.
5. If it has no value and you have no family takers, donate it to your favorite resale shop. Just keep in mind that it may end up as a Halloween costume!

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Amy Moyer is the proprietor of Antmuffin: Art, Antiques & Collectibles. She holds a B.A. in Visual Art from Brown University and lives in Boston.

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