Vintage...Not Your Average Day Hand-Me-Downs

Being raised by a germaphobic mom, I was taught that most things on this earth is dirty. Hence, my distaste for hand-me-down and/or borrowed clothing (FYI...one of my top pet peeves is people asking to borrow my clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, etc...I dont care how close we are, dont do it unless you want me to immediately get annoyed at you...). This year I started slowing getting into vintage since hey, everyone else is into it! Yes, I realize I'm totally jumping on the bandwagon here and should not be considered a real vintage fan but at least I'm trying! So after much observance and browsing, I've come to appreciate rare vintage finds that are in mint condition...too bad these will most definitely cost you plenty of pretty pennies :P I mean its bizarre to think that "second hand clothing" can be so much!! I guess you have to factor in the fact that whoever owned it kept it in great condition or it was restored to a great condition; its rare; its one-of-a-kind; and whoever is selling it probably went through some hurdles to acquire it. But honestly, its still pretty mind-boggling how expensive some vintage pieces will go for. Take Decades for example. While I absolutely love reading the blogs for Decades and Decades 2, its crazy that some items come with a disclaimer warning you that that particular item is being offered at a higher price than what you will find in stores O.O Or you come across items like this Chanel gown from Fall 2007:

I was drawn to this gown because I recognized it as the same gown that Blake Lively wore to a Chanel event some months ago but was dumbfounded by the asking price. Any guesses?? How bout $12,000?? Too expensive?? Well hell, its actually "cheap" considering it was first obtained at an auction for over $30,000. Did your heart stop for a sec or did you fall off your chair?? Its pretty disheartening to realize that for the price of a gown that you would at most wear once or twice, you could potentially save a whole country from starvation and disease in Africa. I mean I realize that couture gowns are almost never cheaper than $30,000 and plenty of things on God's green earth is overpriced these days but you would at least think second-hand items are there to give your wallets a break!! *SIGH* Okay I'm done venting about how expensive vintage is these day and BTW...I'm still a fan of Decades and Decades 2 :)