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Vintage Fashion - Buyer Survey
1.
Do you buy Vintage Fashion?
Yes
No
2.
About how long have you been buying vintage fashion?
<1 Year
1-4 years
5-9 years
10-14 years
15-20 years
more than 20 years
3.
How often do you buy vintage fashion?
Every day
A few times a week
About once a week
A few times a month
Once a month
A few times a year
4.
Why do you buy vintage fashion?
I only wear vintage, it's a lifestyle choice
The aesthetic suits my personal style
I don't want to dress like everyone else
I enjoy unique, one of a kind pieces
I love wearing a piece of history
The quality of the garments & construction is superior
The value, I can find higher quality items at a lower price point
For my collection
Sustainability
It's my job
Other (please specify)
5.
Which options best describe you?
I wear head to toe true vintage every day
I wear head to toe true vintage often
I wear true vintage mixed with repro clothing/accessories every day or often
I wear true vintage mixed with contemporary clothing every day or often
I have a few true vintage pieces mixed into my wardrobe and wear it occasionally
I collect and/or wear archival luxury vintage
I collect true vintage items
I study true vintage items
I'm a fashion industry professional and buy them for my job
Other (please specify)
6.
What types of items do you buy?
Women's clothing
Men's clothing
Children's clothing & accessories
Women's accessories (shoes, handbags, hats, glasses, scarves, etc)
Men's accessories (shoes, ties, hats, glasses, scarves, etc)
Costume Jewelry
Fine jewelry
Textiles
Sewing items & notions (patterns, pin cushions, scissors, buttons, zippers, trims, etc)
Fashion displays (mannequins, hat stands, dress forms, clothing racks, etc)
Fashion books
Fashion ephemera (advertisements, magazines, matchbooks, etc)
Other fashion items (please specify)
7.
What eras do you buy most often?
Pre-1900
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s & newer
8.
Which of the following best describes you?
I buy vintage for myself, my family or my home
I am an amateur or hobbyist fashion historian and/or collector & do this for fun
I am a professional fashion historian
I work in fashion education
I work for a fashion museum or a museum's fashion collection
I work for a fashion collection that's not part of a museum
I work in the costume industry for film/television/theater/other
I work in fashion/textile design and/or production
I am a vintage fashion seller
Other (please specify)
9.
Which of the following categories best describes your employment status?
Employed, working full-time
Employed, working part-time
Not employed, looking for work
Not employed, NOT looking for work
Retired
Disabled, not able to work
10.
How often do you research vintage fashion items or fashion history?
Every day
Almost every day
A few times a week
About once a week
A few times a month
Once a month
Less than once a month
Never
11.
How often do you search for information about a specific fashion label, brand name, or maker's mark?
Every day
Almost every day
A few times a week
About once a week
A few times a month
Once a month
Less than once a month
Never
12.
Do you enjoy learning about fashion history for fun?
Yes
No
13.
How satisfied are you with the availability of resources for researching fashion history online?
Extremely satisfied
Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Not so satisfied
Not at all satisfied
Other (please specify)
14.
Which option best describes your vintage shopping habits?
I browse until I find something I like
I'm looking for something very specific, but may buy other pieces I find along the way
I'm looking for something very specific and that's the only thing I want to buy
Other (please specify)
15.
In the past 6 months, which of the following have you used to buy your vintage fashion items?
Brick & mortar shop
Antique mall or booth
Pop ups and/or shows
Flea Markets
Online, through a specific shop's website
Facebook selling groups
Facebook Marketplace
Instagram
1stDibs
Depop
eBay
Etsy
Fashion Constellate
Grailed
Mercari
Poshmark
Ruby Lane
Thrilling
Vinted
Other (please specify)
16.
Which of the above options is your favorite? Why do you prefer it?
17.
What do you find frustrating about shopping for vintage fashion online?
Inaccurate search results and the inability to find what I'm looking for through a general search
Slogging through reproduction and fast fashion to find true vintage
Not being able to find the era I'm looking for and/or the inability to search by era
Having to read through lengthy descriptions to find the condition and/or not being able to search by condition
Difficulty finding my size and/or the inability to search by size accurately
The inability to accurately search for color, pattern or print
Sellers using inaccurate terms or eras to describe their items, making things impossible to search for
Never knowing if the item will show up and be different than described
Not knowing or understanding my measurements and/or how the item will fit
Confusing return policies and/or the inability to return items
Not knowing if the seller is reputable, trustworthy and/or knowledgable
Hidden policies in seller descriptions
Poor photo quality and/or items being styled in a way that is deceiving
Other (please specify)
18.
What would you change to make online vintage shopping better?
19.
On average, how many vintage fashion items do you buy per year?
<10
10-14
15-24
25-39
40-99
100-199
200 or more
20.
What price point are you looking for when buying vintage fashion?
<$30
$30-$49
$50-$99
$100-$199
$200-$349
$350-$499
$500-$999
$1000-$1999
$2000-$4999
$5000 or more
21.
What is your age?
18 to 24
25 to 34
35 to 44
45 to 54
55 to 64
65 to 74
75 or older
22.
What is your gender?
Female
Male
Non-binary
Other
23.
Which of the following best describes your current relationship status?
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
In a domestic partnership or civil union
Single, but cohabiting with a significant other
Single, never married
24.
In what State or Country do you currently reside?
25.
Which of the following options best describes your location?
Urban
Suburban
Rural
26.
How can the vintage shopping experience be improved?
27.
Are you a fashion professional? What is your job title/industry? What would you like to see improved in your industry?
28.
Is there anything else you would like us to know? (This can be about the vintage fashion community, your industry, fashion history, or anything else!)
29.
Thank you for taking the time to help the vintage fashion community! If you'd like to receive additional surveys regarding vintage fashion, please enter your email address here:
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