Q.  How much does it cost to use PageantMaterial?
A.  PageantMaterial is a FREE service!  Below is a description of all of the features for you to Rent, Buy, and Sell your new or pre-owned gowns and dresses.
FREE Membership
FREE Membership is available to users who complete the registration process for PageantMaterial.  Upon registation you will be provided FULL access to list up to 5 gowns to Rent, Buy, and Sell to other users.  PageantMaterial gives you over 35 unique ways to describe your gown by selecting gown parameters,  uploading original photos, entering rental terms or return policies, and many other descriptive features.  PageantMaterial gives you the tools to accurately describe every single aspect of your gown to Rent, Buy, and Sell your gown quickly and efficiently.
 
You will have FULL access to PageantMaterial's powerful Search Engine and Search Agents.  The Search Engine allows you to search PageantMaterial's comprehensive gown database using 11 search parameters.  You may also save your favorite searches to locate gowns in the future.  The "Search Agent" will automatically send you an email containing the search results of the specific gown you are trying to locate.  Details about the "Search Agent" is listed in another FAQ below.  .

You will also have FREE access to PageantMaterial's "Style & Substance" forum containing articles published by the PageantMaterial Feature Writers and Special Guests.

Q.  Does PageantMaterial take a percentage of the rent/purchase price?
A.  No.  PageantMaterial does not take a percentage of the rent/purchase price. PageantMaterial only charges a membership fee to Rent, Buy, and Sell.  Individuals interesting in acquiring a gown will agree to terms set by the individual providing the gown for rent or purchase.  Negotiations on price, shipping, return policy, etc. will be handled between those two parties without the involvement of PageantMaterial.

Q.  I did not receive my account activation e-mail.
A.  Once you have fully registered with PageantMaterial, you will receive a confirmation e-mail to verify and activate your account.  Be sure to also configure your e-mail system to accept e-mails from PageantMaterial.com as non-spam e-mail.  If you still have not received your activation e-mail, enter your Username and Password and click "Login."  You will see the selection "Resend Activation E-mail".  Click this to resend the activation e-mail to the e-mail address you entered during registration.

Q.  How do I access the "Main" page after login?
A.  You will automatically be directed to the "Main" page upon successful login of Basic and Premium members.   You may return to the "Main" page by clicking the "Main" button on the Top Navigation menu.  If you visit another page within the website that does not display the "Main" button on the Top Navigation menu, you can click the "Login" button on the Right Navigation menu to return to the "Main" page.

Q.  How do I list a gown for RENT on PageantMaterial?
A.  To list a gown for Rent, click the "List and Sell" button located on your Main Page.   You will be directed to the "List and Sell" page that contains over 35 selections to describe your gown.  Under the section labeled "The Basics" is a selection titled "Listing Type".  Click this selection to reveal a drop down menu and select the option "Rent".  This will identify your gown to be listed for Rent.  Next, under the "Attention to Detail" section is a selection titled "Price for Rent ($/week)".  Enter the rental price per week in the textbox to complete the requirements needed to list your gown for Rent.  In order to list a gown for Rent you must at least have a Premium Membership.

Q.  How do I acquire a gown for RENT on PageantMaterial?
A. If you find a gown on PageantMaterial that you may want to acquire for Rent you may click the "Rent/Buy/Contact Seller" button displayed at the bottom of the Gown Details page.  The Gown Details page is accessed when clicking the gown listed in the search results.  The "Rent/Buy/Contact Seller" button wiil direct you to a page designed to send an e-mail to the owner of the gown.  On this page, select the option "I would like to RENT/BUY this item" and click the "Send" button to complete the e-mail process.  The owner will receive an e-mail with the notification of your interest to acquire the item the owner listed for Rent.  Upon receving the e-mail, the owner has the option to contact you to discuss the terms to acquire the gown for Rent. Negotiations and agreements on price, shipping, rental policy, etc. will be handled between the owner and buyer without the involvement of PageantMaterial.  In order to acquire a gown for Rent you must at least have a Basic Membership.

Q.  How do I BUY a gown?
A.  If you find a gown on PageantMaterial that you may want to Buy you may click the "Rent/Buy/Contact Seller" button displayed at the bottom of the Gown Details page.  The Gown Details page is accessed when clicking the gown listed in the search results.  The "Rent/Buy/Contact Seller" button wiil direct you to a page designed to send an e-mail to the owner of the gown.  On this page, select the option "I would like to RENT/BUY this item" and click the "Send" button to complete the e-mail process.  The owner will receive an e-mail with the notification of your interest to acquire the item the owner listed to Sell.  Upon receving the e-mail, the owner has the option to contact you to discuss the terms to Buy the gown. Negotiations and agreements on price, shipping, return policy, etc. will be handled between the owner and buyer without the involvement of PageantMaterial.  In order to Buy a gown you must at least have a Basic Membership.

Q.  How do I SELL my gown?
A.  To list a gown to Sell, click the "List and Sell" button located on your Main Page.   You will be directed to the "List and Sell" page that contains over 35 selections to describe your gown.  Under the section labeled "The Basics" is a selection titled "Listing Type".  Click this selection to reveal a drop down menu and select the option "Purchase".  This will identify your gown to be listed to Sell (for Purchase).  Next, under the "Attention to Detail" section is a selection titled "Price for Purchase ($)".  Enter the purchase price in the textbox to complete the requirements needed to list your gown to Sell.  In order to list a gown to Sell you must at least have a Premium Membership.

Q.  How do I DONATE a gown?
A.  If you are interested in donating a new or lightly used gown for a philanthropic cause you may do so with PageantMaterial.  PageantMaterial has partnered with Caitlin's Closet to facilitate the donation of gowns and provide young women the opportunity to outfit themselves in formal wear for prom, homecoming dance, academic awards, or formal banquets.  For more information, please click the "Philanthropy" button on the Right Navigation menu.  Any visitor to PageantMaterial can participate in this program.

Q.  Can I list a gown BOTH for Rent and to Sell?
A.  Yes.  To list a gown BOTH for Rent and to Sell, click the "List and Sell" button located on your Main Page.   You will be directed to the "List and Sell" page that contains 35 selections to describe your gown.  Under the section labeled "The Basics" is a selection titled "Listing Type".  Click this selection to reveal a drop down menu and select the option "Both".  This will identify your gown to be listed BOTH for Rent and to Sell (for Purchase).  Next, under the "Attention to Detail" section are the selections titled "Price for Rent ($/week)" and "Price for Purchase ($)".  Enter the rental price per week and purchase price in the respective textboxes to complete the requirements needed to list your gown BOTH for Rent and to Sell.  In order to list a gown BOTH for Rent and to Sell you must at least have a Premium Membership.

Q.  How do I contact the Seller?
A. If you find a gown on PageantMaterial that you may be interested in acquiring or have questions about, you may click the "Buy/Contact Seller" button displayed at the bottom of the Gown Details page.  This will send an e-mail to the owner of the gown with the option to request additional information or to begin the Rent/Buy process with the owner.  You must at least have a Basic Membership to access this feature. 

Q.  Does PageantMaterial have swimsuits, interview suits, and accessories?
A.  PageantMaterial is exclusively for gowns and dresses and does not list swimsuits or interview suits.  Only matching accessories that complement the gown are able to be posted.  These accessories are not able to be searched using the Search Engine.  You may only view them if they are listed with the matching gown and is usually included in the rent/purchase price of the gown.

Q.  Can I save a favorite gown?
A.  If you find a gown on PageantMaterial that you are interested in and would like to save it as one of your favorites, you may click the "Save Gown button.  This will save the selected gown to the "Saved Gowns" section under the "My Gowns" button.  You can access "My Gowns" in the Top Navigation menu on your Main Page.  You must least have a Basic Membership to access this feature.

Q.  How do I view my Saved Gown?
A.  To view a Saved Gown you must access "My Gowns" in the Top Navigation menu on your Main Page.  Under the "Saved Gowns" section will be a list of all of your Listed Gowns.  Click your gown to view the details of your Gown Listing.  You must at least have a Basic Membership to access this feature.

Q.  How do I delete a Saved Gown?
A.  To delete a Saved Gown you must access "My Gowns" in the Top Navigation menu on your Main Page.  Under the "Saved Gowns" section, click the checkboxes to the left of the gown you wish to delete and the select the "Delete" button.  You must be at least have a Basic Membership to access this feature.

Q.  How do I view my Listed Gowns (for RENT/SELL)?
A.  To view a Listed Gown that you wish to provide for RENT or to SELL, you must access "My Gowns" in the Top Navigation menu on your Main Page.  Under the "Listed Gowns" section will be a list of all of your Listed Gowns.  Click your gown to view the details of your Gown Listing.  You must be at least have a Basic Membership to access this feature.

Q.  How do I delete a Listed Gown (for RENT/SELL)?
A.  To delete a Listed Gown that you wish to provide for RENT or to SELL you must access "My Gowns" in the Top Navigation menu on your Main Page.  Under the "Listed Gowns" section, click your gown to view the details of your Gown Listing and then select the "Delete" button to remove your listing.  You must be at least have a Basic Membership to access this feature.

Q.  How can I show a friend a gown listed on PageantMaterial?
A.  If you find an article on PageantMaterial that a friend may be interested in, you may click the "Email Gown To Friend" button.  This will send an e-mail to your friend containing information regarding the gown.  You must at least have a FREE Membership to access this feature.

Q.  Can I save my search results?
A.  Yes.  After conducting a gown search you will be directed to the search results page.  On the top of the page will be a feature labeled "Save this search as".  This feature will  allow you to assign a name and save your search for future review.  Once saved, your saved search  can be accessed by clicking the "Search Agents" button on the Top Navigation menu.  Your saved search will be listed under "Saved Searches" and catagorized as either a Keyword or Basic search.  You can save up to 5 searches.  You must be at least have a Basic Membership to access this feature.

Q.  What is a Search Agent?
A.  PageantMaterial's Search Agent provides convenient delivery of gowns matching your search preferences straight to your email inbox on a Daily, Weekly, or Monthly basis.  The Search Agent saves you time by searching "Behind the Scenes" while you are logged off.  You may create a Search Agent to search for certain Keywords or particular Gown Parameters.  Use the Search Agent to quickly locate your perfect gown.  You can access the Search Agent utilities by selecting "Search Agents" in the Top Navigation menu on your Main Page.  You can store up to five Search Agents.  You must at least have a Basic Membership to access this feature.

Q.  What is the difference between a Search Agent and Saved Searches?
A.  Search Agents will automatically send you periodic e-mails with the results of a gown search based on specific parameters.  Saved Searches are search parameters that you have saved that you may access for future use.  You may only view the results of your Saved Searches while logged into PageantMaterial while you may view the results of the Search Agent in the e-mail.

Q.  I am not receiving my Search Agent periodic e-mails.
A.  First, verify if your Search Agent was saved correctly to your account.  You may view your Search Agents by by selecting "Search Agents" in the Top Navigation menu on your Main Page.  Then, under the "Saved Search Agent" section you may confirm if your Search Agent was saved.  If your Search Agent is saved, be sure to also configure your e-mail system to accept e-mails from PageantMaterial.com as non-spam e-mail.

Q.  How do I delete a Search Agent?
A.  You can access the Search Agent utilities by selecting "Search Agents" in the Top Navigation menu on your Main Page. You may click the "Trash" icon to the left of your Saved Search Agent. You must at least have a Basic Membership to access this feature.

Q.  How do I delete a Saved Search?
A.  You can access the Saved Search utilities by selecting "Search Agents" in the Top Navigation menu on your Main Page. You may click the "Trash" icon to the left of your Saved Search. You must at least have a Basic Membership to access this feature.

Q.  What is "Style & Substance"?
A. PageantMaterial will also provide you a winning insight on pageant competition through monthly articles from our experienced, current and former titleholders in a forum called "Style & Substance". These featured columns are written to offer you an inside perspective from the most successful pageant professionals.  You must at least have a FREE Membership to access "Style & Substance".

Q.  How do I find an article on PageantMaterial?
A.  The easiest way to find specific articles on PageantMaterial is to cick on the "Style & Substance" section located below the Right Navigation menu.  You will be directed to the "Style & Substance" forum.  Click the "Article Archive" button and you will be directed to the "Article Archive" search engine.  You may search for a specific article by selecting different search parameters and clicking the "Search" button.  You may also view articles by viewing a "MaterialGirl" or Special Guest profile and clicking on the articles listed under "Articles".  You must at least have a FREE Membership to access these features.

Q.  How can I show a friend an article on PageantMaterial?
A.  If you find an article on PageantMaterial that a Friend may be interested in, you may click the "Email Article To Friend" button.  This will send an e-mail to your friend containing the selected article.  You must at least have a FREE Membership to access this feature.

Q.  How do I become a Feature Writer/Special Guest in the "Style & Substance" forum?
A.  If you are interested in becoming a Feature Writer or Special Guest please contact us at: info@pageantmaterial.com.  Please include your pageant biography and experience along with any additional information needed for consideration.

Q.  How do I become a Sponsor?
A.  If you are interested in becoming a PageantMaterial Sponsor you may contact us at: info@pageantmaterial.com.  PageantMaterial has provides several ways to help advertise and market your organization to a nationwide audience.  By partnering with PageantMaterial you will receive increased positive exposure certain to help grow your business.  Please view our Media Kit under the "Resources" button on the Right Navigation menu to view additonal details about partnering with PageantMaterial.