WHAT IS VFG?
The Vintage Fashion Guild (VFG) is an international collective with members in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia. It was founded in 2002 by a group of vintage sellers who first found each other in order to share their passion for vintage clothing. Before too long we were joined by others. It soon became clear that between us, there was a wealth of knowledge that far exceeded any other web-based vintage fashion resource. Therefore, it seemed natural to become that resource, so we did and here we are. Vintage fashion is like a magnet. It attracts and once you’re drawn into its powerful grip, you’re well and truly stuck. Many of us started as buyers of vintage and found that it wasn’t long before our closets were crammed to the point of bursting.
At this stage one has to make a decision. You either stop buying – unthinkable – or you start selling too. This is why we are offering two options. As a visitor to our site you can access the education resources to include our museum section, events, news, and features. If you wish to read or post on the public chat board you must register first to gain access. Registration is free. As a seller or vintage fashion professional, you can apply for Trade Membership to the VFG. This will give you all the above plus many additional benefits (Why Should I Join?). Follow each link to find out which option is most suited to you. In the meantime, welcome to our site.
OUR MISSION
The Vintage Fashion Guild's mission is to promote and protect the interests of vintage fashion enthusiasts while serving the needs of the members of the Vintage Fashion Guild. To that end its objectives are to:
- Protect the interests of vintage fashion vendors and encourage professional practices.
- Promote, establish, and encourage among our members ethical behavior and professional standards of expertise about vintage fashion, in order to reinforce the buyers' and collectors' confidence that the age, style, details and condition of the items are accurately represented.
- Raise awareness of vintage fashion and provide a forum to bring together buyers and sellers.
- Establish a central educational resource available to both buyers and sellers.
- Create a positive environment for and enhance the image of vintage clothing.
- Encourage the conservation and wearing of vintage fashion to preserve the history, availability and survival of vintage clothing in future years. The VFG discourages the habitual practice of modifying or altering existing vintage to suit the current trend.
- Position vintage clothing as a viable, attractive and environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional fashion.
WHY JOIN VFG?
As a vintage vendor, membership of the Vintage Fashion Guild offers numerous advantages.
- A VFG mission statement and standards that distinguish our members as quality dealers with accurately dated and described merchandise.
- Permission to use Member of the Vintage Fashion Guild logo.
- A link to your own web site if you have one, or your eBay sales if wished.
- A comprehensive resource site featuring a timeline and live support to help you date garments.
- Member only private chat rooms with full access to our Q & A forum, where live support from experienced and knowledgeable vintage sellers is always available, to help you price, value and date your vintage wares.
- A comprehensive resource site to eliminate those hours spent researching, with a labels directory and advice on where to get acid-free tissue paper, mannequins or steamers, plus invaluable tips on cleaning and restoring garments.
- Full access to our Q & A forum where assistance from experienced and knowledgeable vintage sellers and collectors is always available.
- Specialist features on anything from shoes to hats to furs.
- Camaraderie and humour that is unsurpassed together with counsel, support and sympathy for when a sale or purchase goes pear-shaped.
- The latest updates on policies that may affect trading from essential bodies such as eBay, PayPal and worldwide postal services and tax offices.
- A marketing and public relations campaign in support of the VFG and its members.
The work in founding the VFG has been voluntary and funded by our pre-launch members. Your membership will help to extend our services even further - all of which will attract the buyers.
The VFG reserves the right to refuse membership.
VFG CODE OF PRACTICE
All VFG members undertake to observe the following Code of Practice:
1. The member, to the best of their ability, shall give the buyer as much reasonable information as possible about the goods, and this shall normally include such detail as:
- The approximate date of manufacture.
- The type of fabric (eg silk, gabardine, etc).
- The label information, if any.
- Disclosure of any flaws, damage, major repairs or alterations.
- Whether the item is a reproduction.
- Pertinent garment measurements.
2. The member shall not attempt to confuse or mislead the customer or falsely describe any of the goods he/she offers for sale or seeks to purchase.
3. Members accept responsibility for descriptions of items given to customers.
4. The VFG discourages the habitual practice of modifying or altering existing vintage to suit the current trend.
5. Members shall apply standards of fair dealing to all members of the public, fellow members and non-member buyers and dealers.
6. Members have no authority to act on behalf of or speak for the VFG, save insofar as expressly authorized by the VFG Board.
7. Members shall not state or imply that membership of the VFG is any guarantee of authenticity of any article offered for sale or that memberships entitles them to any special standing insofar as authentication of articles is concerned. Responsibility for all claims or statements as to authenticity lies solely with the member.
8. Members shall not use live models to display undergarments or sheer clothing in overtly suggestive or sexual photographs, and/or use wording that is overtly suggestive or sexual.
