The official thrift/discount store bragging thread - Page 1754

Shiny...the Armani's should have stayed at the store.. I like the BB.

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Plaid ties seem to kind of be a "hipsterish" item, but I like them (especially if you are younger)

Details on the 16.5 zegna? I am interested

Damn, it's on oxygen too. This means there will be even more crazy ladies (who have nothing better to do) heading to that goodwill we both know and love

Yeah, they are a bit, but these were a couple bucks each and made in Scotland, so how can you go wrong?

 

Got someone interested in the 16.5 Zegna, but 24 p2p, 36 sl, 22 yoke.

 

These get a lot of attention... I sold one on eBay and one to a guy on another board and had someone wanting the 3rd I had which I kept for myself. 

As Man of Lint said earlier, and now with that show for professional flippers (aka storage wars for thrift stores without the auction), our favorite thrift stores are going to be picked clean. Those of us that work 8 - 9 hours a day wont be able to compete with a bored house wife/husband who can visit those stores at any time of their choosing. I predict within 2 years, thrift store finds will be constrained to Criketeer, Oscar De La Renta, Jos A Bank, Gottshalks, Claiborne, Haggar, Stafford, H&M, and other favourites like these. Any other brands I miss that will soon become our only finds (the more common ones we all flip through hurriedly)?


I saw a bunch of them in Saks today, and occasionally see them thrifting. I suppose those that flip finds, a RG in good condition is worth more on the Bay than a nice second hand Borrelli .

What do you mean, those are the brands that you're supposed to get.
And we cant forget our favorite Hart Schafner Marx suits.

I think all you thrifters should give up and bury your heads in the sand. You can't win at thrifting against the mighty Oxygen Nation.

And we cant forget our favorite Hart Schafner Marx suits.

And Izod. I see SO many of those! :P

One that throws me is the "Made in Italy" pants waistband, but then it's from Kirkland!

 

And did everybody in my city buy three pairs of dockers and then donate them?

I wouldn't have believed it had I not experienced it for myself.

I suspect the impact of this will be less severe and shorter lived than most of us are nervous about. There are several mitigating factors.

First: The show will (at least initially) be on Oxygen and, as some have already observed, I don't know what their viewership is.

Second: It's the economy. This is just the latest in a long line of escapism/get rich quick salves for an economically strained public. Eventually, this fad will pass, just as there are no longer all-night dancing contests or shows about house flipping. As the economy improves, as folks try their hand and get stung because they learn their perceived-high-value items won't sell (which I obviously have no knowledge of.... [uncomfortable cough]), and as the general national consciousness turns to a different get rich quick scheme, those who are serious about the hobby will remain and those who are not will not. (NOTE: I include, of course, myself here)

Third: Impact will be market specific. In markets where the economic strain is most painful, the alure will be felt greatest; in "recovered" or stronger markets, the deterrent of used clothes is probably still too strong. But, of course, in these markets, the gravitational pull of thrifting has already been present and driven people to thrift anyway, so query how great that additional impact will be.

Fourth: As a business, this is neither high profit nor low risk. As others on this thread are far better positioned to instruct: One must have a firm grasp of both quality and salability (which are non-equivalents, BTW). It's pretty easy to lose a good deal of money fairly quickly and end up with a closet full of clothing in sizes other than your own and that nobody wants to buy. Do that a few times when your whole goal was to get rich quick and you won't go back to the well. Those with true staying power do this because they a) love clothes; b) love the thrill of treasure hunting; c) are perennially cheap; d) like the idea of giving quality garments a second chance at life (see also b)); or e) all of the above.

One might supsect that the greatest danger of the show would be educating folks -- whether already inclined to thrift or otherwise -- what to look for in terms of quality and salability. Leaving aside the general availability of this thread, I actually think this risk is strongly mitigated by the trademark issue: I doubt very much the show will get permission to use brand names (do you think Brioni, Kiton, Isaia or any other high end manufacturer will grant permission for a show to reveal their goods can be found at miniscule percentages of their retail cost?) I suppose the show's participants could describe handwork and other hallmarks of quality. But as we all know, that's a skill that takes some practice mastering. So I'm not sure how "educational" the show will be.

So, on balance, I think the impact will be modest and relatively short-lived. Perhaps the greatest danger is that it may inform thrift managers on how to price their goods. But as Branpore has already observed, those folks either don't pay attention or don't care (or both). Moreover, trying to control the uncrontrollable is like bridling a whale with a rubber harness, or trying to possess the power of the ocean by taking a handfull of water: a futile effort. The hobby will evolve as it will evolve. In fact, it may be that the impact of the show is to GROW demand for high end clothes that we find, or to drive people here to share their finds with us (rather than let them fall into the abyss of car-washing rags or other abuse and misuse of quality garments). To paraphrase, I believe, John Lennon: Life's what happens when you're waiting for life to start.

FWIW, my 2 cents.

I'm on a thrifting hiatus, so I have nothing exciting to share.

OK, but so why does my NWT current season Graham have 0 bids at $60? I bought it for not much less than that, and am concerned I'm going to lose my ... no, even I can't finish that sentence.

How am I fail?

re: the upcoming thrifter nation shitstorm: you guys realize this very thread will likely help to educate these people, right?

to our future XX chromosone overlords browsing this thread from the comfort of your iPad 5: welcome.

i'm not a trademark lawyer, but i don't think that's how trademark law works. i think the reason shows don't feature brands is to avoid giving out free publicity (which would diminish what they can demand for product placement) and not because the brand-owner stops them via trademark infringement lawsuit threats. anyone who isn't talking out of his ass care to chime in?

on a related note, how many other damned lawyers are in this thread? AndroFan outed himself, and i think a couple of dudes mentioned being in law school.