1. Tell us about you and your company?
Hi there, My name is Rebecca Aspin and I live in Beverley a beautiful market town in East Yorkshire. A thirty-something public sector press officer, I juggle the day job with being a wife, mother and founder of Sell My Brides – a new UK-based online marketplace of pre-loved Brides items.
As a newlywed myself I was looking for a way to share all the beautiful items and fabulous finds from my Brides with another bride. Three years on, many of the items from my Brides were still in bags and boxes. It seemed such a shame and waste to banish such beautiful items to the loft, never to be used again. On investigation, I couldn’t find a UK website that specialised in selling second hand Brides items. Although there were websites for selling second hand Brides dresses, there was nothing out there where you could sell everything to do with your big day. I thought that such a marketplace would not only be a great way to help make a Brides more affordable but it would also enable brides-to-be to gain inspiration from newlyweds, who had already done the hard work by trawling websites, magazines and shops to find the perfect items for their Brides.
2. So what is Sell My Brides?
Sell My Brides is an online marketplace dedicated to the buying and selling of used or pre-loved Brides items; where you can sell everything to do with the big day from the dress to dressing the reception.
Sell My Brides puts newlyweds who are looking to recoup some of the cost of their big day in touch with brides-to-be who are not only looking for inspiration but a way to make their Brides affordable. Unlike other websites that specialise in selling second hand Brides dresses Sell My Brides lists everything to do with Bridess; from veils to vases. It also features items for the whole Brides party from grooms to pageboys, ushers, bridesmaids to the mother-of-the bride.
The benefit for brides-to-be is that if they know what they are searching for they can search via an extensive category list or by theme; from traditional or vintage to seasonal. Brought together under one website the aim is that brides will be able to find everything they need for their Brides and as everything is second hand or pre-loved, the beauty is that it will be at a fraction of the original cost.
3. How does Sell My Brides Work?
How the website works is that sellers simply pay a one off fee of £20 to list an unlimited number of Brides items (although it is currently free to sell for a limited time). There are no individual listing fees, no sales commission and items won’t expire until they have been sold. Sellers can upload their own items, including photos and manage their listings, they also have a profile page so that they can add details about their own Brides to help inspire other brides.
Buyers can then search the website via an extensive category list, by season or by theme. To contact a seller directly they simply need to register as a seller and then they will be able to access the seller's email address to contact the seller directly. So in effect the website is a noticeboard - a Brides marketplace to put buyers in touch with sellers.
4. Have you any new products or services coming online in 2012 that you would like to share with us?
As we have only been live for a few months, there are still lots of empty categories however brides-to-be should keep checking back. We already have a fantastic vintage lace dress for £125 and a tiara priced at £1.99! We are also hoping to attract more vendors to the website – those who sell second-hand, vintage, handmade, hired or sample Brides items.
Over coming months we are going to introduce a noticeboard feature so that brides-to-be can list what items they are looking for as well as making improvements to the sign up process following some suggestions from users.
5. Can you share some pictures of items available on Sell My Brides?
I have attached a spring mood board of fantastic pre-loved items that are all for sale on Sell My Brides.
6. How can brides get in touch with you?
