This time, however, the frustration is with the second hand market, not with what AP themselves are doing. I have come to terms with the fact that AP have opted to stick to a handful of cuts that either don’t fit or don’t flatter me, as well as with their design choices. It’s been nice to not feel like every one of their releases is coming for my wallet and be able to dedicate my money elsewhere. And judging by what’s happening on the second hand market, I’m probably not the only one. This will be a ranty post, so buckle up, grab a drink and enjoy the ride.
Traditional sweet lolita, like the kind that Angelic Pretty was releasing between around 2008 and 2014-ish, has never really died down in popularity, though recently it has had somewhat of a comeback. It was apparent in the number of releases from Chinese brands that aimed for that style, as well as the made-to-order rereleases that Angelic Pretty themselves have been doing.
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| Just some of the recent Chinese releases that exude Big 2010 AP Sweet Energy. From left to right these are by Walnut Deer & Shiny Two Cookies, CC Cat, and Lolita & Colitas. |
This on its own is understandable. Sweet lolita is the most distinct of the three substyles, which continues to attract people, both newcomers to the fashion and those already in who may either remember those releases and/or who are exploring their sweet side. Angelic Pretty’s prints from that time are a delight to look at, and thanks to high quality materials used to produce them they are still in great condition. This in turn translates onto people continually wearing them, regardless of what trends may currently dominate in lolita fashion overall.
Moreover, the current world situation doesn’t leave much room for pastimes as they were at this time last year. As a result lolitas will either hibernate their frills or go all out when playing dress-up at home, which again drives the popular sweet lolita prints to the top of social media algorithms. Without much else to distract themselves with, people also turn to online shopping for some temporary comfort.
And that is where my frustration stems from. I’ve always been of the opinion that Lacemarket is fantastic for sellers, but less so for buyers. Over the years I’ve noticed Lacemarket sellers to have a tendency to want break even or even profit from their sales, ignoring that this isn’t how the second hand market works, certainly not all the time or for every release.
Recently, i.e. at least in the last 6 months when I’ve started paying attention, this has gone to new extremes. Older Angelic Pretty releases, often damaged or stained, are selling for literal hundreds as people enter serious bidding wars. Even some of the newer ones that still fit the look of the height of AP sweet popularity, like Diner Doll, are being listed with starting prices at 250% of the original retail price for a used piece (pre-sale price because I will never forget that this went fully on sale a mere month after I bought it). If you have anything from that era, however small, you could set the opening bid low and still come out with a hefty profit of around 100% of what you paid, especially if you yourself purchased it second hand.
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| Whachu doin' in the comp'ny of Honey Cake and CTP, Diner Doll? You're positively lost here! |
I understand how supply and demand works. There is very clear demand for that kind of sweet lolita, that style of prints, those fabrics, those trims and details. There is also nothing wrong with matching your opening price to reflect the demand. But with each listing that circulates because of its crazy price or bidding history it seems like this isn’t about a simple supply and demand anymore. It feels that certain people list purely to profit because they saw how easy it could be. By doing so, and by people buying at those prices, lolitas themselves are driving prices of certain pieces up irrespective of whether the release is actually rare (I’ve again seen Diner Doll JSK listings marked as rare, which that print is anything but) or how sought after it may actually be.
Moreover, it feels like a lot of people are buying those listings and getting wrapped up in the bidding not because they have been looking for them for years (though those are out there too), but because of status. Owning AP has always been a sign of status, the more popular or rare the release that you owned, the more status you had. All the proof you need is in the fact that even after the re-release of Cats Tea Party, that print continued to sell for way above its retail price, even if a little lower than what it used to before the made-to-order.
Of course, that mentality isn’t present everywhere. People have commented that Facebook sales remain more reasonable, which I’m inclined to agree with. This could be because of the buy-it-now-only sales format there, but it could also be because people selling on Facebook aim to sell more locally first, whereas Lacemarket is by default open to a global audience (though not every seller will ship everywhere). The Japanese and Chinese second hand markets continue to follow their own trends, with slightly different pieces remaining popular and as such expensive or cheap. But the fact that it is still possible to find popular releases cheaply in Japan is leading to scalpers buying them to resell in the Western market. I’ve seen that happen on eBay, where it’s easy to spot dodgy sellers as they will often use photos from the Mercari/Fril listings they bought from themselves, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the same was happening on Lacemarket too.
All of this begs the following questions: is it just the pandemic driving those sales, as people have nothing better to do but shop or nothing worthwhile to save for like events? Or is it a sign that lolita fashion has grown too big in popularity and like so many niche hobbies before it, became victim to people seeking clout at the cost of those genuinely wanting to be a part of it? Is it a response to the Western community’s frustration with what Angelic Pretty is releasing currently (and if so, how come so many of these releases are still selling out like hotcakes, including on the AP Paris sites, which points to the fact that it’s not just the Chinese lolitas going for those releases)? Or is it a side effect of social media cultures that drives people to quick-win popularity, which gets them hooked on the likes, and then teaches lolitas that having the popular stuff is more valuable that having your own style?
Honestly, it’s probably a combination of all of the above. Whilst I occasionally get pangs of wanting to expand my own wardrobe’s pastel sweet side (mostly when I watch Tyler Willis’ Frock Talks), seeing the investment this would be right now stops me before I even realise that there aren’t that many releases that I’d genuinely like to own these days. I at least have the entirety of the rest of my wardrobe to play with - I can only imagine how disgruntled someone newer to the fashion must feel when they see auction after auction be snatched away from them because some people out there are willing to drive up the prices to insane amounts for items that previously sold for under retail.
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| There are some pastel AP pieces that I wouldn't mind owning. But I would mind spending my own money on. (And tbh, the AP dresses that I really gravitate the most towards are usually true tones or jewel tones.) |
Thank you all for coming to this episode of A Lolita Shares Her Thoughts on This Bitter World. If anything within this post’s contents has upset you and you need help, please, seek out the comfort of your local lolita community and/or personal friends. When the council funding comes through, I will be sure to set up a formal anonymous support group for lolitas affected by the second hand market prices.
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