Today I am going to explain the difference so you can use the correct term in your online listing :)

If the item you are selling (or buying, for that matter) is something extra special, you want to make sure your buyer knows just how special it is, because although you may know how big of a deal the merch is, a buyer likely won’t know and will pass on your listing because the price seems way-friggin-higher than other similar listings. Here’s where “Rare”, “Limited Edition” and “Rare Limited Edition” come in.

A “Limited Edition” isn’t always “Rare”, and a “Rare” item often isn’t specifically a “Limited Edition”, so here’s the details:

Limited Edition: Generally speaking, Limited Edition refers to a specific number of the item was made AND once those are sold, they will not be making more of the exact same item. For example, do y'all remember the whole 2021 controversy surrounding the infamous “Little Nas X Satan Blood Shoes”?:

There were (allegedly) only 666 total of these shoes made. Being that there was a specific number produced and there is no intention to ever produce them again after the 666th pair has been sold, these absolutely count as a “Limited Edition”.

However, let’s say after the final pair has sold, Little Nas X adds a devil emoji to the side of the shoe and creates an additional 666 pairs:

This would NOT be pairs numbers 667 - 1,332 because it is not the same shoe. Due to the change, the shoes with the devil emoji would be another, different, Limited Edition that start with #1 and stop at #666. So, even though it’s basically the same shoe, it’s not actually the same shoe because there is indeed a difference, so if both of these versions of the shoe exist, Little Nas X would have Two, Different, Limited Edition Styles.

Rare: The term “Rare” often doesn’t mean the item was a Limited Edition, because most items become Rare over time. For example, Lawn Darts were not Limited Edition, nor Rare in the 1970’s. However, fast forward to 1988, Lawn Darts were banned by the government and by 2020 finding the original Lawn Darts game is exceptionally difficult because it is now rare. Anything that is difficult to find can absolutely be labeled “Rare”, because the definition of “Rare” is .”not found in large numbers and consequently of interest or value.”

“Rare”, in terms of online selling, often involves discontinued items, scents, styles, shades or sizes.

Rare, Limited Edition: In order for an item to qualify for this title, it has to be both a limited production and also hard to find.

IN CLOSING

Whether you are listing a Limited Edition or a Rare item, it’s important to let your buyers know because it justifies a higher pricepoint and also increases the odds of selling because everyone loves buying something that not everyone else has.