The official thrift/discount store bragging thread

[Nell]



A couple of swell recent finds joined together here: A made-in-England mannequin (it's adjustable to the point where it can be a boy or girl) shown here sporting an Oxxford blazer. Paid $20 for the mannequin at GW and would prefer not to say what I paid for the blazer, given that it is spoken for. Next up, figuring out a better lighting set-up. And never mind Bozo.

Haggled over a few broken mannequins at an SA, but didn't work out. I've also been struggling with lighting, and from what I can tell we have 4 options:
1. build a giant white cube with surround lighting a la Brianpore's light box
2. photograph outside (from Spoo's ebay, he takes one mannequined photo inside and the rest hanging from the side of his house)
3. still trying to work this one out, but I think it involves side lighting while the mannequin is in a corner of the room?
4. photograph in your bathroom a la Nataku (If it's not your bathroom, I apologize, but I swear that's a shower curtain behind all of your finds)

Hit four stores in the northern DC area (Montgomery County) yesterday. Definitely a better hunting ground than I'm accustomed to, albeit significantly more expensive. Stores are filled with dated Lubiam, Zegna, Pal, etc...No access to my camera until Thursday, but some sneak peaks:

Drake's wool tie - a grail find for me
Sulka tie
Turnbull and Asser white shirt
RRL white shirt
Oxxford summer blazer
Zegna MTM DB

 

[IrateCustomer]



Got a Remington 870, 20 Gauge by the bed, We live on the edge of town and, when it's not hunting season, I mostly use it to shoot opossums in the back yard.

Funny story, a few months back when we went on our cruise, I had a buddy scheduled to come by and feed our animals while we were away. We woke up the day before the trip to the dog growling/barking and some strange noises and voices in the main house. I grabbed my 870 and snuck down the hall. Turns out it was my buddy, he just got the days mixed up, and showed up early. You should have seen him nearly **** his pants when I pumped one into the chamber. I hunt with him all the time, so i'm sure he will be planning a payback.

I have a feeling the inevitable tale of retribution will the stuff of legend.

 

[capnwes]

I have a feeling the inevitable tale of retribution will the stuff of legend.

Well, I did pay him handsomely for his animal sitting, gave him a handmade recurve bow and 20 hand made arrows, that he had been eyeing up on ebay. So, I think he has probably forgiven me for scaring him.

 

[barrelntrigger]

Lol, everyone is entitled to their own opinion deadboy. However, I think the logic should be that busting into someones house to steal their brioni suits and tv's isn't worth dying over...
How often do you miss the possums with that 20 gauge cap?

Also, then i'll let the discussion die, Barrel, if you're worried about inadvertently smoking your neighbors, which you should be, invest in some hollowpoints.

lol I'll wait until I get a single family before getting armed. Mean while, I guess I could learn to throw a blade...for now...

I don't know if hallow tips are legal here in California...I think only LEO could have them...time to google.

 

[Acme]

Haggled over a few broken mannequins at an SA, but didn't work out. I've also been struggling with lighting, and from what I can tell we have 4 options:
1. build a giant white cube with surround lighting a la Brianpore's light box
2. photograph outside (from Spoo's ebay, he takes one mannequined photo inside and the rest hanging from the side of his house)
3. still trying to work this one out, but I think it involves side lighting while the mannequin is in a corner of the room?
4. photograph in your bathroom a la Nataku (If it's not your bathroom, I apologize, but I swear that's a shower curtain behind all of your finds)

I've never seen mannequins available for sale at a thrift store, I've always thought they reused every one they got.

I still struggle with lighting, but here's my 2¢, in case it helps you. I hung a couple of thrifted white sheets over the front of a bookcase, and then lit the sheets with several cheap lamps (took me a bit to figure out the background needed to be lit as well). Then I position the mannequin a foot or so in front of the backdrop, and light that as well, with a cheap worklamp I thrifted a long time ago. This seems to work fairly well, my only occasional problem now is photographing navy and black jackets, the auto white balance on my cheap camera wants to add too much yellow half the time.

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]I picked the white sheet background on purpose, to emulate the floating look you get when the background is invisible. Though I've seen many people photograph against a wall, fence, bookcase, or similar, I suppose that's just a matter of personal preference.[/FONT]

 

[IrateCustomer]



Well, I did pay him handsomely for his animal sitting, gave him a handmade recurve bow and 20 hand made arrows, that he had been eyeing up on ebay. So, I think he has probably forgiven me for scaring him.

This has to be the manliest gift of all time...just by reading your post, I have sprouted 18...wait, 19 chest hairs.

 

[Klobber]



Got a Remington 870, 20 Gauge by the bed, We live on the edge of town and, when it's not hunting season, I mostly use it to shoot opossums in the back yard.

Funny story, a few months back when we went on our cruise, I had a buddy scheduled to come by and feed our animals while we were away. We woke up the day before the trip to the dog growling/barking and some strange noises and voices in the main house. I grabbed my 870 and snuck down the hall. Turns out it was my buddy, he just got the days mixed up, and showed up early. You should have seen him nearly **** his pants when I pumped one into the chamber. I hunt with him all the time, so i'm sure he will be planning a payback.

In England where I used to live, a firearm license required that ammo and shotgun / rifle be kept in separate and secure parts of the house (pistols were illegal). Cases of self defense involving a firearm inevitably involved a long jail sentence (since armed invasion in the UK was rare and taking the steps to loading a shotgun / rifle would be interpreted as minimally 3rd degree murder although some people have been done for 1st degree).

In England, my self defense weapon was a crossbow. I kept that thing under the bed with a bolt right next to it. It was only 175LB's and I could cock that in less than 10 seconds (not much longer than loading a break barrel shotgun). Once armed and loaded, that thing was lethal. It would ply a bolt through 2mm thick steel, go through 2 X 4 wood as if it was nothing. I had no doubt that shot at a person, the bolt would pass right through them. I did have an occasion when I almost used it. It was late at night, like 1am in the morning and I heard some noises outside and tapping on the window. I looked out and saw two guys with a flashlight. Fearing that they were burglars or worse, I cocked that crossbow, went straight outside and .... it was friends, drunk out of their skulls after a night out on the tiles and needing a place to crash!

Now that I am in USA, I leave my guns locked up safely in my house, that trusty crossbow is still my self defense weapon. I think a 400grain arrow with a massive broadhead blade at the end is an intimidating weapon that would likely make an assailant flee rather than fight.

 

[YoungAmerican]

Three Point Lighting

 

[Jettison]

Regarding mannequins, I've just recently got a great pinnable tailors dummy from ebay. The high shipping cost probably put other bidders off, so I got it for a really fair price in the end. I think I'll make my money back from increased interest in auctions even with a handful of items. These photos were taken with just my phone camera (all I have...) in a bright conservatory. Well worth it IMO.



L-R: Gieves & Hawkes wool/silk suit, posted ages ago, Chester Barrie diffusion suit, Versace shirt. (

)

Regarding the shirt- anyone know if it's real, and if so if it's for men/women? (I know Spoo is out for the big 20K).

 

[Acme]

Three Point Lighting

Thanks for this info, I'm gonna give it a try.

 

[FaceOfBoh]



Yep, I learned this one too, the hard way.

But it's certainly a high when I've got the coat in my hands and I'm looking for the pants.

It's a letdown not to find them but not as big as having 10 orphans in the closet.

 

[Acme]

Regarding mannequins, I've just recently got a great pinnable tailors dummy from ebay. The high shipping cost probably put other bidders off, so I got it for a really fair price in the end. I think I'll make my money back from increased interest in auctions even with a handful of items. These photos were taken with just my phone camera (all I have...) in a bright conservatory. Well worth it IMO.



L-R: Gieves & Hawkes wool/silk suit, posted ages ago, Chester Barrie diffusion suit, Versace shirt. (

)

Regarding the shirt- anyone know if it's real, and if so if it's for men/women? (I know Spoo is out for the big 20K).

I'm sure the investment will pay for itself. Those are very nice photos.

 

[Typhoid Jones]

Haggled over a few broken mannequins at an SA, but didn't work out. I've also been struggling with lighting, and from what I can tell we have 4 options:
1. build a giant white cube with surround lighting a la Brianpore's light box
2. photograph outside (from Spoo's ebay, he takes one mannequined photo inside and the rest hanging from the side of his house)
3. still trying to work this one out, but I think it involves side lighting while the mannequin is in a corner of the room?
4. photograph in your bathroom a la Nataku (If it's not your bathroom, I apologize, but I swear that's a shower curtain behind all of your finds)

^^^ I think that natural lighting works well when you don't have the space or $$$ for an artificial lighting setup. I'm not sure what every one else's results have been with artificial light, but I haven't had very good luck with it. Regular light bulbs give everything an orange or reddish cast and those halogen / energy saver bulbs give everything a washed out look. Just try putting the mannequin next to a big window during a Sunday morning and see how that turns out.

Also in other news: Christian Chensvold of Ivy-Style.com mentioned my Etsy shop on his blog today when discussing vintage Trad / Ivy League menswear! Thanks CC!

Also:

^^^ BNWOT Rogues Gallery two-toned blue & white boat shoes. "Handmade in Washington County, ME." (I traded for these at a buy / sell /trade consignment store near my place.)​

 

[Cotton Dockers]

Some recent finds:

Shirts:

Clockwise: Armani White (XL), Wilkes Bashford Plaid (XXL), Victorinox White (XXL), Borrelli Blue Stripe (16.5), BD Baggies Red Herringbone (15.5)


Clockwise: Hartford Plaid (XL), Santorelli Brown Plaid (15.5), Hilditch & Key Blue/White Stripe FC (16)


2x James Perse 4 (White and White Tonal Stripe)


Jil Sander (42)




Ties:

Talbott, Santorelli, Ricci, Missoni, T&A, Brooks Brothers:





Ricci, Recent Zegna, No Name Green Knit, Polo LInen, Gant Madras, T&A, BB



Plus 2 bad pics of 100% cashmere navy blazers - BB (46) and Polo (39)




Everything other than the horizontal stripe Turnbull & Asser is available.

 

[Typhoid Jones]

2x James Perse 4 (White and White Tonal Stripe)

^^^ I just picked up a James Perse shirt today (is that a thing?) not knowing anything about it because I thought it looked SW&D. Does anybody know anything about the brand?

acosbysweater WHERE YOU AT?​