Hello lovely readers! Today for you I have another lovely pattern that sold for a big, beautiful pile of cash!
I was watching Pictorial Review 9072 obsessively, hoping against hope that no one else would have noticed this beautiful little gem pop up on Ebay last week. My hopes were in vain... the high bid was around $55 and holding steady, and at the last minute (the excitement, and oh, the disappointment!) the price jumped all the way up to $205.48!
I lost. Sad face ensues...
But on the bright side, I didn't spend over $200 on a pattern I didn't actually need! I'm already married so I don't need version 1, and as for version 2... well, at the last Air Force Ball I attended, my poor husband asked very sweetly, "Please, can we never go to one of these ever again?"
Poor man, hates crowds... and dressing up. So I really have no need of an evening gown either.
But oh, isn't it pretty?
If you're in the market for a 1930's gown pattern, then I suggest that you check out Advance 967 by FancyWork on Etsy... an original at a great price, and in a great size!
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| Image courtesy of FancyWork. |
Holy cow! This pattern is gorgeous, I can see why it was a show-stopper.
ReplyDeleteIvy
I'm always curious about what drives the cost up, like if it's that the pattern is collectible or if someone wants it for their wedding gown. It would be neat to hear the stories behind it.
ReplyDeleteOh Anna! This pattern is absolutely amazing! I like both patterns very much. I'm in the same boat as you in a way. My husband hates dressing up and I'm already married too. But wow these patterns are really really pretty! Just gorgeous! Kathy from Arizona
ReplyDeletelovely patterns! I used to collect wedding gown patterns & only saw the PIctorial in an advertisement, never "in real life."
ReplyDeleteHoly crow, that's an amazing pattern! I'd be really sad faced too...big hug to you!
ReplyDeleteStunning...what a gorgeous era that was. All glamour and silks and satins and pearls....sigh. $205+ for a pattern? Gosh....who knew? Be pleased that the person who won that must really really love it. Sending a hug in commiseration... Mimi xxx
ReplyDeleteI've sat on the edge of my seat a few times and at the last moment, (I mean the very last moment) hoped someone would outbid me, I know it's a love hate thing. Beautiful pattern even if it's a wedding dress, but alas all dressed up and no where to go!
ReplyDeleteI've sat on the edge of my seat a few times and at the last moment, (I mean the very last moment) hoped someone would outbid me, I know it's a love hate thing. Beautiful pattern even if it's a wedding dress, but alas all dressed up and no where to go!
ReplyDeleteI had the winning bid on this pattern, and just snagged it by a few dollars margin, and although I really wanted it (see below), assumed it would go for more than my max.
ReplyDeleteI am also guilty of paying a huge sum for a 30s Vogue Couturier on Feb 24, 2014, for which I paid $643.33:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintage-Vogue-1931-Couturier-Exclusive-Design-Dress-Pattern-120-B32-/121278215231?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c3cbeb43f
However, mine was not the highest I’ve seen on ebay. I kept a record of a 1940s Mail Order pattern, albeit factory-folded, that not only sold on Dec 2, 2013, for $2,025 (yes, that’s two thousand….), but also that the buyer did not back out and completed payment, leaving feedback on Dec 21 that said “Thanks so much for free shipping!” (buyer’s exclamation mark, not mine). Here’s the link, still active:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LOVELY-VTG-1940s-DRESS-JACKET-Sewing-Pattern-20-38-/390710861791?nma=true&si=C3P%252BgKIK0FqoBZnDedjh%252BwW%252FP%252BM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
I sell vintage patterns on ebay now and then, and remember the buyer above, who seems to collect for scrapbooking.
The most recent high-priced Vogue Paris Original was a 1950s Patou that sold on ebay on Mar 8, 2015, for $580:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/50s-VTG-Pattern-VOGUE-PARIS-ORIGINAL-1389-PATOU-2-PC-ENSEMBLE-LABEL-32-B-/271792197928?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f4813d128
Regarding my winning bids above, they are nowhere near what I would normally pay for vintage patterns, mostly 20s through 50s, as reasonable to me is within $40, even for ones harder-to-find and with intricate design details. The 30s Vogue was a very special anniversary present from hubby after I told him what I wanted to leave as a top bid, mainly because it is one specific person who always snares all the 30s Vogue Couturiers, and after being an under-bidder to this ebayer a handful of times, I decided to go for broke! Regarding the Pictorial, the 9072 that I just won was the one I’d bookmarked on etsy since 2011 that sold to someone else, and re-appeared on ebay, and it is clearly the same pattern because the envelope tears and other artefacts match up exactly, but sadly had been taped in the interim / continued …
….continued / I’m not a collector, and regularly sew all my own outer garments, and have done so for 3 decades, starting in my mid-twenties. It began by deconstructing vintage garments that I bought for very little and that fit me well, mostly coats, jackets and dresses. I would carefully take them apart, stabilizing the edges to prevent becoming wavy during handling, mark grain-lines, before transferring to pattern-making paper, and re-creating another garment. It was painstaking, but the results were worth it, especially since I’ve always preferred quality over quantity.
ReplyDeleteI’ve already made up the 30s Vogue to wear to a deco-era home-based wedding of a close friend’s daughter, and also shared the pattern copy with someone else who loved the way my dress came out. The Pictorial Review 9072 I won was factory-folded to my pleasant surprise, and I don’t see it only as a wedding dress, or evening wear, but also as a day dress in the sleeved version. I have other Pictorial Reviews from the 30s, and although they do not have the design intricacies of Vogues, they are very well-drafted and fit me with little to no adjustments, assuming I can get bust 34”.
I have tried drafting my own patterns from scratch, and soon appreciated the nuances in design details that 20s through 50s pattern have, and so gave up. Sleeves and bodices, especially in dresses and blouses, are far better drafted than CAD programs allow, and hand-drafting from vintage-era books is agonizing! The customized pictures in these old books look yummy, but trying to replicate proved impossible for me.
I discovered vintage patterns, and vintage fabrics by accident in my late 30s, after I moved to USA from England, and have not looked back since doing so. I taught myself finer sewing techniques, and for over 20 years almost always interline (underline) with either a lightweight cotton-silk voile, or various other materials including one recommended by David Coffin at Threads, namely cotton flannel (needs multiple washes to remove excess lint and to prevent later differential shrinking).
So, here is a glimpse of only one pattern buyer out of countless thousands and what makes me tick.
Hi Jan,
DeleteThank you SO MUCH for taking the time to comment on this post, and explaining some of your reasoning! I loved hearing from you, and I completely agree that some patterns are absolutely worth having at any cost. I hope that you see this reply - I would love to have your permission to repost your comment to the blog where everyone else can see - your reply was a wonderful read. I hope this is ok with you? Please let me know if you would rather I didn't. Thanks again! Anna
Hello Anna,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your gracious acknowledgment of my comment, and regarding your request, I do not mind in the least.
Also, I truly appreciate your generosity with all the tips and freebies you share, and the most attractive format that you use. I am sure it is a labor of love! -- much like the glorious transformation of your back yard. Hoping that you will soon find relief from that mystery ailment.