Sarees &amp; Ethnic Wear

How to sell sarees and ethnic wear on Metzee

A saree on a table is not a saree. Drape it, move it, and show the reverse.

buying

Buying sarees and ethnic wear in a live auction

Ask for the drape, the reverse and the measurements. All three are routinely skipped.

Pricing sarees and ethnic wear for a live auction

Weave, region and work decide it. Hours of labour are the floor you should not go under.

delivery

Packing and posting sarees and ethnic wear

Fold along existing folds, never a new one, and bag against damp.

How saree and textile condition is described

New, worn, vintage — and the specific flaws that have to be named.

What is your saree worth?

Weave, region and what the zari actually is. Condition decides whether any of it matters.

Photographing sarees and ethnic wear

Daylight for colour, close for the weave, and the reverse because that is where the truth is.

delivery

Delivering sarees: courier, local or collection

Light, foldable and almost ideal to post — as long as the monsoon is accounted for.

buying

Questions to ask before bidding on a saree

The reverse, the fold lines, and the blouse piece. Three answers decide whether you can wear it.

How saree condition is described

No scale, and three places that decide it: the folds, the zari and the borders.

buying

Getting the size right when buying sarees and ethnic wear

Length, width, blouse piece, and how much seam allowance is left.

Storing and caring for sarees

Refold along different lines every few months. A fold left alone for years becomes a cut.

The Metzee team2 min read

Starting a saree collection

Pick one weave and buy several. The hand of the fabric is the lesson, and it cannot be read.

Common mistakes selling sarees

Photographing it folded, and making a claim about zari you cannot support.