Stillwhite narrowly edges out Poshmark as a dedicated marketplace for buying and selling pre-owned bridal gowns. Sellers looking to avoid sales commissions and maximize proceeds turn to Stillwhite, while local buyers look to general marketplaces.
Overview: A general peer-to-peer fashion app with a very active bridal and formalwear section.
Why use it: It is exceptionally user-friendly if you already use the app. Listing is free, and Poshmark provides a prepaid priority shipping label once it sells. The downside is a 20% commission on sales over $15.[](https://www.theknot.com/content/used-wedding-dresses-buy-sell-online)
Etsy
Overview: Best for vintage, bohemian, antique, or uniquely handcrafted/non-traditional wedding dresses.
Why use it: If your gown leans vintage (e.g., 1950s–1980s lace) or has a distinct indie/handmade aesthetic rather than a heavy mainstream designer label, Etsy’s audience searches specifically for those unique items.
Tips for Buying and Selling
For Sellers:
Get it cleaned immediately: Professionally dry-cleaning a dress before listing doubles its chances of selling and commands a much better price.
Know your bridal salon size first: Bridal sizing runs drastically smaller than regular street clothes. Go try on silhouettes in a local boutique before buying online so you know what flatters your frame.
The best online marketplaces for buying and selling used wedding dresses are usually Stillwhite, PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com (Nearly Newlywed), Poshmark, and eBay. The best choice depends on whether you want the biggest selection of bridal gowns, the simplest selling process, or a chance to sell locally without shipping.
My recommendation: start with a wedding-dress-specific marketplace if you're buying or selling a designer gown. You'll reach people actively looking for wedding dresses rather than competing with all types of secondhand clothing.
Best marketplaces at a glance
1. Stillwhite
(Best overall)
A large, dedicated wedding dress marketplace with a broad selection of designers, sizes, styles, and price points. Buyers purchase directly from sellers, and sellers set their own prices.
Seller fees: Standard listing is $25 plus a 7% success fee; premium is $35 plus 7%, according to its current fee page.
A bridal-specific marketplace that helps manage payments, shipping, buyer communication, and sale support. It also sells sample and unworn dresses. Standard sellers receive 80% of the sale price, while premium sellers receive 70%.
Seller fees: $25 per wedding dress listing, plus the platform's commission.
A general secondhand fashion marketplace where you can list a wedding dress alongside other clothing. It's convenient if you already use Poshmark, although its wedding gown selection is less specialized.
Seller fees: For sales of $15 or more, Poshmark takes 20%; for sales under $15, it charges $2.95.
Useful for reaching a large general audience, particularly for vintage gowns, discontinued designer dresses, and unusual styles. You can list at a fixed price or use an auction format.
Seller fees: Vary by category and account; most casual sellers get up to 250 zero-insertion-fee listings monthly.
Worth trying if you want to find a nearby buyer, arrange an in-person viewing, and potentially avoid packing and shipping a bulky gown. The trade-off is that buyer screening and transaction safety are more dependent on you.
Seller fees: Check the terms for your specific transaction and location.
Ask for the designer, model name, original purchase price, and measurements.
Confirm the dress's actual condition, stains, alterations, and whether it has been professionally cleaned.
Request recent photos and calculate shipping and alteration costs before comparing prices.
Check the return policy and keep payment and communications on-platform where possible.
If you're selling:
Photograph the front, back, bodice, hem, train, labels, and any imperfections.
Include the original retail price, street size, measurements, alteration history, and cleaning status.
Compare prices for the same designer and dress style, not just the original retail price.
Calculate your expected payout after listing fees, commission, payment processing, and shipping.
These precautions are especially important for a high-value purchase, since return options can be limited for secondhand wedding dresses.
My overall pick: Start with Stillwhite for the best combination of dedicated bridal buyers and selection. If you're selling and would rather have more of the logistics handled for you, compare its fees and process with PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com before deciding.