The official thrift/discount store bragging thread

[woolnotmutton]

Of the nicer tuxedos Brooks Brothers will probably be the most common. You will come across true vintage with just store labels. These are often of quite good quality, and usually rarely worn. Avoid discarded rentals.

k thanks

 

[orchestrion]

Well after lurking SF for quite a while I've finally decided to join. I'm a college student who has been slowly working toward upgrading my wardrobe and overall appearance. I've followed this thread quite closely and have been out looking for stuff for about a month now. I haven't found anything super notable save for today which I feel has been one of my best scores. I found a Brooks Brothers shirt in my size as well as a vintage Sears "The Men's Store" sport coat that fits me really well except for the sleeves that are just a hair short and a back vent that is disturbingly long, both of which I can have altered. I also found a Polo Ralph Lauren (blue label?) three-roll-two sport coat in my dad's size (46R). The price was a bit high at $20.00, but if it doesn't fit him or he doesn't like it I figured I might be able to sell it.

I know this score pales in comparison to the stuff most of you guys regularly pull, but I'm excited to finally see some good results. Until now, my best find was a Pendleton shirt for $4.59. For now I'm only really interested in finding and buying stuff that fits me, so I left quite a few nice things behind since I don't have the experience or time to mess with selling stuff. Sorry for the lengthy post (intro posts always seem a bit cheesy), but I just wanted to thank you all for the wealth of information you've provided. I'm looking forward to participating more in both this thread and other sections of the forums. Thanks again!

 

[noob in 89]

Whoah, it's like SF's opened up a space-time rift, and suddenly, I'm looking into the past.

At this point, you might be better off putting those small five and twenty dollar chunks into just altering clothes you already own -- slimming pants, darting shirts -- rather than purchasing new, substandard cloting you'll have to invest in, but really shouldn't.

Keeeep lurking!

 

[plei89]

Best deal ever - $8 for a blue borrelli button down with thick mother of pearl buttons, cocktail cuffs... in mint condition.

 

[grendel]

nvm

 

[grendel]

I think I'm going to do a comprehensive series of youtube videos breaking down how to thrift and actually find good stuff (not brand specific, just general strategy and some things I've picked up along the way, how to avoid picking up damaged items, negotiating better prices, blah blah, maybe include some of my better finds). Does this sound like a good idea? I'm not sure if anybody would actually watch it, but I've been working on some video production stuff with a friend so it could be fun to do, maybe give a little something back because I've picked up tons of info on the internet thanks to the kindness of strangers.

I would love to watch those. The only worry I'd have is if it became popular on YouTube could it be used by thrift stores to quickly and easily figure out how to price things and make this hobby a lot less fun?

 

[noob in 89]

It's been said before, but I'm not sure how many stores actually care. I mean, they deal in volume, and great deals on a few select items are part of the draw. (I thought I was being all sly one time, 'till a manager actually commented on a purchase -- something along the lines of, Ooh, a Brioni, and for only $5! KEEP COMING BACK TO SPEND MOARRRR!).

 

[grendel]

Had a pretty good weekend by my standards...

A Thomas Pink shirt 15.5/33 in pink herringbone
A Charles Tyrwhitt shirt, 15.5/33 in blue herringbone
A Brooks Brothers tie (red with white and black dots)
A Neiman Marcus green silk knit tie
An AranCrafts Irish wool cableknit cardigan sweater (size L)

My absolute favorite find was an unworn Brooks Brothers quarter zip navy cable knit sweater. This thing is mint!



I also found 2 Hickey Freeman suits, one a Boardroom and one a Canterbury. The Canterbury has an absolutely gorgeous glen plaid pattern, flat front pants, and looks very modern. Too bad it's like a 38 and too small for me.

The weird thing about the suits is that neither one had a Hickey Freeman tag in it. I recognized the makers tag inside the pocket from the Boardroom suit I found last week, and both felt really well made. I found the HF makers mark in the lining of both, but neither had the regular Hickey Freeman tag. Any ideas?



A few other questions for you guys.... Anyone ever heard of shirts by Tom James? I found a few like this:



They felt really well made, but I hadn't heard of them and they weren't my size, so I left them.

Also, is it worth picking up shirts that have names written in them? I left behind another Thomas Pink shirt that had a name written on the placket at the bottom of the front where it would be tucked in. I also found a Turnbull and Asser shirt that had a name written above the tag in the collar and left it behind. Can those be flipped, or best to leave them behind?

Thanks guys.

 

[grendel]

It's been said before, but I'm not sure how many stores actually care. I mean, they deal in volume, and great deals on a few select items are part of the draw. (I thought I was being all sly one time, 'till a manager actually commented on a purchase -- something along the lines of, Ooh, a Brioni, and for only $5! KEEP COMING BACK TO SPEND MOARRRR!).

Well, maybe some places, but the same Burberry Prorsum suit I passed up last week at the Goodwill near here was there today, still marked at $39.99.

 

[noob in 89]

If it really was Prorsum, you must grab it, pronto.

Spoiler

!!!

 

[grendel]

It really was, but it was the old "Burberrys" tag, so it's gotta be at least 15 years old.

If it really was Prorsum, you must grab it, pronto.
!!!

 

[woolnotmutton]

It really was, but it was the old "Burberrys" tag, so it's gotta be at least 15 years old.

then its not prorsum

 

[Nataku]



I also found 2 Hickey Freeman suits, one a Boardroom and one a Canterbury. The Canterbury has an absolutely gorgeous glen plaid pattern, flat front pants, and looks very modern. Too bad it's like a 38 and too small for me.

The weird thing about the suits is that neither one had a Hickey Freeman tag in it. I recognized the makers tag inside the pocket from the Boardroom suit I found last week, and both felt really well made. I found the HF makers mark in the lining of both, but neither had the regular Hickey Freeman tag. Any ideas?



A few other questions for you guys.... Anyone ever heard of shirts by Tom James? I found a few like this:



They felt really well made, but I hadn't heard of them and they weren't my size, so I left them.

Also, is it worth picking up shirts that have names written in them? I left behind another Thomas Pink shirt that had a name written on the placket at the bottom of the front where it would be tucked in. I also found a Turnbull and Asser shirt that had a name written above the tag in the collar and left it behind. Can those be flipped, or best to leave them behind?

Thanks guys.

Recent Hickey Freeman, especially with details like flat front pants are always worth grabbing. I know several guys on here who love HF. The ancient HF stuff isn't worth much. Tom James isn't junk per say, but it it's all over the place here. It's about on par with Hickey Freeman, Brooks Brothers, etc. It's all MTM stuff, so with a good amount of it, there will be a reason it's MTM (orangutan arms, Oompa Loompa build, etc). If you do however find a really nice, recent sportcoat that fits you well, grab it. If you're looking to sell or trade, leave it. High end shirts with names written in them still have good value (Brioni, Borrelli, Fray, etc). Lots of times these are for dry cleaning purposes and can be removed (at least most of the way) with some Amodex which is permanent ink remover. I don't even really bother with that. If someone likes the shirt you have, it won't make a difference unless it's visible when worn. However with labelslike Thomas Pink, be really picky with that stuff.

 

[MyOtherLife]

I think I'm going to do a comprehensive series of youtube videos breaking down how to thrift and actually find good stuff (not brand specific, just general strategy and some things I've picked up along the way, how to avoid picking up damaged items, negotiating better prices, blah blah, maybe include some of my better finds). Does this sound like a good idea? I'm not sure if anybody would actually watch it, but I've been working on some video production stuff with a friend so it could be fun to do, maybe give a little something back because I've picked up tons of info on the internet thanks to the kindness of strangers.

Mainy,
I would watch the crap out of those videos.

...and so would the rest of the world and then none of you will find anything good anymore. Keeping a good thing quiet keeps it a good thing. Spilling all the marbles will ony spoil it for yourselves. This thread alone is a continued demonstration of foolhardiness. Thrift store owners and managers routinely now check online. They are learning..and learning fast.
A few years ago I donated some vintage Florsheim Imperials. I saw them placed on the shelf at $6.99. I was pleased that my donation was enjoyed by someone less priviledged at an affordable price. Earlier this year, I donated another pair of Imperials. The store marked them $40. That is when I stopped donating to that store (Goodwill). True they are still jacking up prices on crap but they are hitting the right targets with more frequency. Save yourselves...lol....petition to have this thread deleted. Then goodies will keep flowing to you.
Can you imagine what it will be like when 10x or 100x the numbers of thrifters come through the store doors? The writing is on the wall amigos.
I predict within 2-5 years from now most of you will be finding nothing good anymore (or paying through the nose to have it) and you'll only have yourselves to blame.

 

[California Dreamer]



Do you guys pick up any tuxedos. Are there particular brands to watch for?

I see stacks of tuxedos all over the place. The only one I've been tempted by was a Su Misura in my size that was close to new. I did see a pristine Boss a while ago tha almost fit. I would have bought if it was cheaper maybe, but passed.