Lace Market 201: Making a Good Sales Listing

I decided to write this guide as a frequent user of Lace Market (egl.circlly.com). If you are unfamiliar with Lace Market, it is an online auction and sales platform like Ebay but specifically for lolita fashion. As of the time of this writing, having an account on the site is completely free, and in the last 4-5 years it has overtaken EGL Comm Sales on Livejournal and Facebook as the most popular secondhand sales method for the English speaking lolita community. I personally have sold over 300 items on the site in the last 7 years. Almost all of the below advice is not lolita specific and can extend to general good practices in buying and selling things online.

This is a post specifically about selling on Lace Market. If you're absolutely, completely new to Lace Market and are just looking for basic tips on how to browse and buy things there, this is a good post to help you get your bearings.

 

I am not affiliated with Lace Market in any way.

Summary of most important points

• Fill out your terms of sale so expectations for working with you are clear
  
• Optimize your listing's preview details to catch attention (concise but informative title, well-lit and square shaped featured photo)
• Make your listing a one-stop shop for your item's info; don't make people work to find basic information
  
• Use menus and check boxes appropriately to show your listing accurately in search results
  
• 7-day listings offer the most visibility without paying extra or lowering the listing price
  

Prepare your account for selling

Before you make any sale listings, there are some vital pieces of information that you should absolutely have on your account! Most of this can be done in the Edit Profile section while logged in (toward the top right corner of the screen, click on your username; it is one of the options in the drop-down menu that appears).

This is where to go to edit your profile.

• Paypal is the required form of payment on Lace Market, so you will need to make or have access to a Paypal account. It may also help to have it verified by the Lace Market staff -- see Edit Profile section while logged in to Lace Market for details.
• External feedback URL: If you have bought and sold a lot of things online on another website, you can post the link to your rating/feedback on that site in this blank. It's particularly helpful to show your experience as a seller if you don't have a lot of feedback on Lace Market itself.
• Terms of Sale (TOS): Probably the MOST important thing on your profile to fill out for selling. The TOS is you setting ground rules for when someone buys something from you. It makes clear what you expect of a buyer and makes clear to buyers what to expect from you. Even something simple is better than nothing. Examples include: whether you live with pets or people who smoke, your shipping methods, how much time you allow a buyer to pay the invoice for an item, whether you accept returns, whether you will sell to users with negative feedback. As long as they do not violate the Lace Market terms of use or listing guidelines, these rules are completely up to you and what you are comfortable with.
  
• It helps you to be perceived as a more serious, well prepared, and trustworthy seller, especially if you are new to selling and do not have a lot of feedback.
• It generally reduces the amount of repetitive questions, and gives you an easy reference to point to when someone asks you to make an exception for them.
  
• Additionally, though this is not a reason all by itself to be wary of someone, considered together with their feedback, your terms of sale may help to identify more difficult buyers. For example, if someone asks multiple questions that are clearly answered in your listing or TOS, that means that they have not read it so they don't know and/or maybe don't care about your rules. If you decide to proceed with the transaction anyway, they may be more likely to ask for exceptions or to be upset if they encounter something they didn't expect (even if your TOS told them what to expect). Potential scammers may be less likely to engage with you if you clearly state what you will and will not tolerate.
• If a person is clearly unable or unwilling to adhere to your terms of sale, you are not required to sell to that person.
  
• Location: People should be able to easily tell where you ship from.
• Choose your region from the dropdown menu.
• Add your country name in the blank next to it. If the dropdown menu has your country as an option, type your state or province or even a major city you live near to in the blank. (For example, if you live in the United States, type "[state name], USA").
• Don't use your postal code in the blank. A ZIP code or postal code does not always make it clear where you ship from. For example, both the US and Germany have 5-digit postal codes.

Prepare your item for sale

• Be sure it is clean (or if you can't clean it, plan to clearly state in your listing that it needs to be cleaned). If you are selling shoes that have been previously worn, wipe off the soles, and wipe off any dust.
  
• Gather all detachable pieces before taking photos and put them on your item. This is to make sure you can show your item in its entirety. If there are pieces missing, make a note to say so in the listing.
• Spend a few minutes looking closely at your item to check for signs of wear or damage (stains, holes, loose threads, buttons falling off, etc.). If you find anything, make a note to take a photo of it if you can, and to mention it in your listing.
  

Take photos of your item

Example photos I took for a sale several years ago. They clearly show the front and back of the dress.

You must include at least one photo of the front of the item that you took yourself ("proof photo"). Lace Market requires this in its rules. I use my phone to take photos and edit them on my desktop computer. Some additional tips:

• DO NOT REUSE PHOTOS FROM SOMEONE ELSE'S SALE LISTING, PERSONAL WEBSITE, OR SOCIAL MEDIA even if you bought the item from that person and/or say that you did not take the photos you are using. It's rude, and potential buyers might think you are being dishonest (because if you used the item after you bought it, it's not going to look exactly the same as it did when the previous owner photographed it). If you have the item, why wouldn't you just take your own photos of it?
  
• Stock photos (the maker's official photos) of the item or photos of the item from a secondhand store like Wunderwelt or Closet Child are OK to include BUT you still have to include a photo you took yourself!
  
• Include pictures of the front and back of your item, and make sure the photos are clear and in focus (not blurry). Photos of design or print details are not absolutely necessary, but are very helpful when stock photos don't exist, and they might help to convince someone to buy your item if they can see small details up close.
• Take photos in good light. The best kind is indirect light, where the room/area the item is in is bright but the item is not directly under the light source / the light source is not pointed directly at the item. If you have the ability to digitally edit your photos, this can help compensate for poor lighting.
  
• Use a plain, neutral background that is different from the item color, if possible. I take mine against a solid colored wall if I can put it on my dress form, or if the item is laid flat, on a solid colored bed sheet.
  
• Avoid using the camera flash. Photos taken without flash tend to represent the item's colors more accurately.
  
• Include photos of any damages or problems and if possible, draw arrows or circles on them to show where the damages are on the photo.
  

How much do I charge?

source

Simple answer: You are free to price your item however you want.

Complicated answer: If you want to sell your item in a reasonable amount of time, research will help you decide on an appropriate price. Things that influence what an item is worth include its age, condition, how many of them are available vs. how popular it is (supply vs. demand), whether it has been altered and how (Raine Dragon has a really detailed explanation on her blog that I like). The more time you spend browsing sales, the more you'll get a feel for what is reasonable.

• Search for previous listings of the item (on Lace Market, Facebook groups, EGL Community Sales on Livejournal), and if you find any, note how much it sold for. This gives you an idea of how much people were willing to pay for it previously. Be sure to read the listing carefully and note any important details regarding the sale.
• For example, if it was an urgent sale, the price may have been set particularly low so that it would sell quickly. If you are selling the same item in the same condition, you might be able to get more money for it if you don't need to urgently sell yours.
• Just because it's "brand" doesn't mean someone is going to pay retail price or higher for it. If you price your pair of new or gently used ~brand~ OTKs at $60 that's your decision, but goooood luck finding someone to pay that much for any pair of socks unless they're incredibly popular and hard to find.
• Retail price is generally only a good bet if the item was recently released (within the last ~2 years) AND the brand has not sold it at a discount AND and you have not worn it.
• The price you personally bought it for is not necessarily a good way to price the item, especially if you are not an experienced buyer or seller (because only with experience and time will you know whether you overpaid for something!)
  
• Sets of matching items from a series may command a slightly higher price if sold together than each item sold separately, especially if the series is/was popular or is very old and hard to find.

Fill the listing form

• Review the Lace Market Listing Guidelines carefully and follow the rules. If you do not follow the site rules, they could delete your listing without warning.
  

Search Description section

Example listing previews. Use this space wisely with a concise, informative title and square photo!

• Title: Keep in mind that only the first ~8-9 words of the title (3 lines of text on mobile) will show on the preview. My strategy is to put the name of the item first, then the colorway.
  
• Use the official name if at all possible. It will make your item easier to find for people who are looking for it specifically. If you don't know it, take a few minutes to search for it (Lolibrary has a large database, especially handy for Japanese brand items but they add Chinese and other indie brands too).
• If multiple brands sell similar items, consider including the brand name or an acronym/short name for it in your listing title. For example, "AATP" and "BTSSB" take up much less space on the preview than "Alice and the Pirates" or "Baby the Stars Shine Bright".
  
• If you can't find the official name, pick out a couple of defining features of your item (color, print motif) and put them in your listing title.
• Unless it's part of a brand name, there is absolutely no need to put "lolita" in your listing title. On Lace Market, people are fully expecting to buy lolita items. Save that space for a more informative word instead.
  
• Include the colorway. If your photos are not well lit, this is especially important. (For example, poorly lit photos can make black items look like they are navy blue, dark green, brown, or gray.) If someone can't tell what color the item is supposed to be, they may be less likely to buy it.
• Bad title example: "Angelic Pretty lolita dress"
  Why it's bad: Angelic Pretty has released literally thousands of dresses. This title does not make it at all clear which one you are selling.
• Good title example: "Angelic Pretty Sweet Sugar JSK, pink"
  
  Why it's good: It includes the official name of the item, what type of item it is, and the colorway. There is no confusion about what item you are selling.
  

• Subtitle: I leave this blank because it doesn't show on the listing preview.
  
• Primary/Secondary Category: What type of item is it? Use these options to indicate what type of item you're selling so that people can use the search function to easily find your item.
• Example: if you're selling a JSK, put "Dresses" as the Primary Category and "Jumperskirt" as the secondary category (because a jumperskirt is a type of dress).
  
• If selling a set, only assign categories for the main piece if you're not willing to sell the pieces separately. You don't want your dress set in someone's search results for just head bows.

Main Description section

Give all the important information in one place: your listing! Don't make potential buyers hunt or ask you for basic information! The more work someone has to do to decide whether they are seriously interested in your item, the more likely they are to leave without buying it. Include a description of your item in words, its condition, and measurements.

• Description: Use words to paint a picture of your item. Many small details and design features cannot be seen clearly in stock photos or photos that show the entire item.
• The best descriptions are objective. For example, state facts such as "the print has stars and cats", "the lace has heart cutouts" instead of opinions like "the print is cute", "the lace is beautiful".
• If there is shirring, say how much of it there is, because it can be hard to tell from a photo (especially if the item is a dark color) and it gives a general idea of the size range. Many dresses have full shirring (if the entire top half of the dress is stretchy), back shirring (the entire back of the dress stretches), partial shirring (part of the front or back stretches), or no shirring (the dress does not stretch).
  
• Condition: Include a sentence or two about the condition of the item. Is it brand new? Worn once? Missing pieces? Is it stained or yellowed? Does it smell weird or need cleaning? Be honest and upfront about any flaws your item has.

A measuring tape is super helpful! | image source

• Measurements: These are very important. Many people want to be reasonably assured something has a chance of fitting them before buying, especially since lolita items often cost more than many people are used to paying for clothes.
  
• Copy and paste the measurements directly into your listing rather than making people click on a separate link, if you were able to find measurements online.
  
• If you can't find measurements, take them yourself with a measuring tape. (I highly recommend buying one since they're handy for lots of things -- even a fancy one costs less than $10.)
• Many measurements are taken with the item lying flat.
• Bust: measure from armpit to armpit, then double the number.
  
• Waist: measure at the narrowest point, then double the number.
• Length: measure at the center front.
• Sleeve length: measure at the top of the shoulder to the end of the sleeve.
• Sleeve cuff: measure around the sleeve opening.
  
• If it has shirring and there's no existing information on how much it stretches, measure it yourself! Stretch the shirring while holding the measuring tape to get the maximum measurement while it's stretched.
• If there isn't an official measurement for part of an item and it is important to the fit (the circumference of a high collar that fits closely around the neck, for example), measure it yourself and include it on the listing.

Images section

• Upload your images. Click on the square with the plus sign in it and choose the photo from your files.
  
• Choose a Featured Photo. After uploading, click on one of the images to make it the Featured Photo (a lavender triangle will appear in the top left corner). This is the preview photo for your listing and the very first one that people will see.
• Tip: Make it square before uploading it so that people will be able to see the entire item on the preview! On search results the Featured Photo appears square (it is automatically cropped/cut off if it is rectangular, and people may not click on the item if it's zoomed into a weird spot on the photo and they can't recognize what it is).

Listing Details section

• Accept Bids: Choose Yes ONLY if you want to set up your listing as an auction. Otherwise choose No.
  
• Starting Price: If you chose Yes, fill in a minimum bid amount (the smallest amount of money you would want to sell your item for). If you chose No, leave this blank.
  
• Buy It Now: Choose Yes if you want someone to be able to win your item immediately. Choose No only if you want your item to be sold purely as an auction.
  
• Buy It Now Price: If you chose Yes, fill in the price for which someone can buy your item immediately.
• Make Offer: Choose Yes if you are willing to consider offers for a different price for your item. People almost always offer a lower price, but the upside of accepting a lower offer is that you will be rid of your item sooner and have money instead. Admittedly I do not use this function so I don't know much about it, and people often make offers via private message whether you have this turned on or not.
  
• Duration: Choose for how long you would like your item to be actively listed. Current options are 7, 14, and 30 days.
• If no one bids on it, the listing will expire. If it expires, you do not need to re-enter all the listing information again! You will get an email from Lace Market saying it expired and you just have to click a couple of things to re-activate it.
• I recommend setting most sales to 7 days. I sell almost all my items with Buy It Now prices because I prefer quick sales, and setting them to 7 days ensures they turn up in the "Ending Soon" section of the front page once per week until they are sold.
• Please, for the love of all that is good, DO NOT set your auction style sale to 30 days unless what you're selling is especially rare AND popular and/or you are sure you want your sale to drag on for an entire month before it's finalized. It's a huge waste of everyone's time otherwise.
• Shipping within [region]: Choose Fixed if you are charging a single price for shipping, or Flexible if you will calculate it based on the buyer's shipping address.
• Personally, I almost always offer free domestic shipping on my listings and build the cost of shipping into the item's Buy it Now price. I think it makes it easier on the buyer because there are no surprises and they don't have to do any calculations -- the price they see on the item preview that catches their eye is the one they will pay.
  
• If you want to offer a fixed price but are not sure how much to charge, try filling in some example numbers on the rate calculator on your country's postal website if it has one (here's the one for the US). From my experience most dress packages weigh 2-3 pounds, and package size ends up being around 15 x 11 x 6 inches (generously). Sending a 2 pound package of that size to another ZIP code in my state costs $8.55, while sending it to Hawaii (ZIP code 96701) costs $15.20. Based on this, I might want to offer a fixed rate of $16, or offer free shipping and raise the listed price of my item by $16 (= build the cost of shipping into the item price).
  
• Shipping outside of [your region]: Choose Fixed if you are charging a single price for shipping, or Flexible if you will calculate it based on the buyer's address. If you are not willing to ship outside of your country or region, choose Not Applicable.
• For items I'm willing to ship internationally, because it varies so much depending on the destination country I usually have the buyer ask for a quote if they want to know beforehand how much it will cost. But you are free to do whatever you like.

Item Specifics section

• Condition: Choose from the dropdown menu. An explanation of the categories is here (link will open in new window).
• Brand: Choose from the dropdown menu.
• Damage: Check all types of damage that apply. Provide additional explanation in the Main Description text box as needed, especially if there's no check box for the type of damage your item has.
• Lolita Style: Check all styles that apply. If you aren't sure, you can leave it blank.
  
• Colors: ONLY CHECK ONE COLOR BOX -- THE MAIN COLORWAY of your item. One is best (maybe two if it's equally those colors, like a black and blue striped item), plus maybe the one for "pastel" or "dark" colors if it applies. This is so that searches turn up accurate, helpful results.
• For example, if you were listing the pink colorway of this JSK for sale and tagged it with every color in the print, it would show up in results of someone searching for red, green, or blue dresses too, and that's not helpful.
• Sizing notes: If your item is especially long, or sized especially for smaller/shorter people (petite), you can check the appropriate box.
• Max Bust Size: Choose the most appropriate category. If the maximum bust size is between two categories, choose the larger one. Example: max bust size is 42 inches, choose the "up to 44 inches" category.
  
• Max Waist Size: Choose the most appropriate category. If the maximum bust size is between two categories, choose the larger one.
• Reference Link: If your item is listed in Lolibrary or there's more information about it on a different website, you can put a link to it in this box (optional, but generally helpful).
  

Activate your listing!

Once you are done filling out the form:

• Check the "I'm not a robot" box
• Click Save as Draft if you want a chance to review it for errors before it becomes active, or if you like to live dangerously and want it to go live right away, click the Create Auction button.
• If you save it as a draft, there will be a gray bar at the top of the page that says "This auction is currently a draft. Ready to publish?" with buttons to either edit it further or publish it. 
• It will not be live on the site until you click Publish. You can still edit it after it is published.

Promote your listing (optional)

• If your social media accounts are primarily lolita content and/or your followers are a crowd that regularly buys lolita items, you could mention your sales on those accounts. Quite a few lolitas cross-post their sales in their Instagram Stories and sometimes make a Stories highlight on their account showing their items that are for sale.
  
• If your local lolita community allows you to make sales posts, it may be worthwhile to advertise within the group.
• Admittedly these groups seem to be less active than before, but you can post your Lace Market listing link on lolita specific Facebook sales groups (Lolita Sales in English, Lolita Sales Worldwide, brand specific sales groups if appropriate) to boost its reach. Bump them as often as the rules allow, and at different times of day if possible (especially if the group is very large) so that different people see your post.
• Cross-posting in the egl_comm_sales Livejournal community is probably not worth the extra work these days since it is much less active than it used to be, and you might end up waiting a long time for the moderators to make you a feedback page before you can even buy or sell anything.
• There is an option to pay to promote your listing on Lace Market, where it will appear among others' search results. I have never tried this so I don't have an opinion on whether it's worth it, but it might be advantageous if you need to sell something very urgently or want to try to generate a greater number of bids on a high-interest item. To learn more, go to your Selling page and look toward the top of the page for a green "Add Promotions" button. They seem pretty honest about what you get for how much you pay in the explanation.
  

Stay tuned for Lace Market 202: Someone Bought My Listing! Now What?