We all know that expensive designer clothing can be purchased at a deep discount at an outlet. Yes it might be last season’s “it” look, but the quality and the savings, make it a great value. Especially if it is a is a staple item that isn’t trendy, like a coat or purse.
The same can be true of a designer mannequin. If you know where to shop you don’t have to pay full price for one. But just as with outlet shopping, the choices will be limited, not the latest trend and it takes time to find exactly what you want.
Designer mannequins are brands like Rootstein, Goldsmith, Patina V, Pucci and Schlappi. These are the type mannequins found in the windows of retailers like Barney’s, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus. As well as in luxury boutiques like Armani, Burberry and Prada.
While you might see knock off’s of these brands on Amazon or other sites, they are just that – knock offs. The quality and craftsmanship is not there. Designer mannequins aren’t just better styles, but more durable.
For example, a designer mannequin has features like a a heavy metal base and support rod versus thin aluminum. The mannequin will be made out of thick layers of fiberglass and the attachment fittings for the shoulder and hands will be metal.
Knock off’s are made out very thin fiberglass coating and their attachment fittings are aluminum or plastic painted to look like metal.
All of these features make a huge difference in how well the mannequin will hold up in a store where it is going to get banged around.
This might be acceptable for an online store, but not in a brick and mortar where the mannequin is going to be handled a lot and exposed to the elements.
And if the clothing you are selling are high end, the mannequin needs to look expensive too. The type of mannequin found at JC Penney, is not the same brand of mannequin found at Neiman Marcus.
Shoppers might not be able to identify exactly what is wrong when they see an expensive item on a cheap mannequin. They just know that something doesn’t look right. To generate sales, the mannequin should enhance the look, not drag it down.
Fortunately you can now find pre-owned designer mannequins on Ebay and from mannequin recycling companies like Mannequin Madness.
You can find used mannequins because retail chains have to regularly update their mannequins to keep their stores looking fashionably current. So they are always getting rid of mannequins.
All too often the mannequins are in still good condition, they are just no longer the latest style. Sometimes they throw away brand new mannequins, still in their original packaging.
The reasons why vary: from the store went out of business shortly after the new mannequins arrived, or the store was sent a free sample from a vendor trying to get their business which they didn’t use or a new management team took over the store and didn’t like anything the previous team installed.
In the past retail chains would throw their unwanted mannequins in the trash. But now stores are more environmentally conscious AND it costs a lot of money than before for dumpster bins large enough to put mannequins inside.
So retailers are turning to mannequin recycling companies to haul away their mannequins.
Mannequin recycling companies resell the used mannequins on their website, which becomes like outlet shopping for mannequins.
This means you might find a mannequin that would normally cost $500 brand new for selling for $175 dollars in the pre-owned designer mannequin section at Mannequin Madness. Think: buying a used Mercedes for the same price as a new Hyundai.
The photos of the mannequins in this blog post are ones Mannequin Madness has had for sale. By the time you read this blog post, some of these items will be sold out. As with outlet shopping, the bargains are there but the selection and quantity available is limited.
So keep looking and plan ahead. Two weeks before your store opening is not the best way to find designer mannequins at a discount. If you are looking for a particular brand, send us an email and we will let you know if we come across it.
