The official thrift/discount store bragging thread

[cpmac7]



+1. This thread is really the only reason I come to SF.

Seriously, I havent used SF for anything but this since the change.

 

[cpmac7]



^^^
He's lost a ton of weight since that movie was filmed.

There goes his career

 

[potemkin_city_limits]

I found another decent batch of ties today including a nice Dior paisley tie, and two nice Brooks Brothers rep ties. I also ended up stopping into this one thrift store that I think is the dingiest one Ive ever seen and found a Luciano Barbera silk tie.

 

[caseyfud]

What if the thread were set up to automatically delete everything posted more than a few weeks ago?

 

[threeleggeddog]



My target still has the Missoni crap, (rubber boots, kids clothes, etc) is it worth anything?

If you get it now, you might be able to flip it on Ebay for a few bucks. As shipments come in though, I think your chances of losing money are getting pretty high. I would say stay away. I own target stock, so I am happy the craze worked out, but I definitely think it was a little overhyped.

 

[foodguy]

as to the whole "delete this thread" thing ... i really think that while there might be one or two places that are hip enough to post an SF thread ... for the most part, if they were that smart, they probably wouldn't be working at salvation army.

 

[potemkin_city_limits]

I dont really know if this thread is directly responsible for rising prices. I would guess that inflation has a lot to do with it. Most thrift stores I have ever been to still price anything from Gap or Calvin Klein higher than most other higher end brands. If they were all sitting on this forum reading this thread you would think they would have figured that out by now too.

 

[caseyfud]



I dont really know if this thread is directly responsible for rising prices. I would guess that inflation has a lot to do with it. Most thrift stores I have ever been to still price anything from Gap or Calvin Klein higher than most other higher end brands. If they were all sitting on this forum reading this thread you would think they would have figured that out by now too.

The reason they do is probably because there's only a few people that know what the real high-end brands are (people like us) and the general public has no idea what Brioni or Cornelliani is, but they are familiar with Calvin Klein etc. To them, that's high-end so they'll still pay a lot for it.

 

[threeleggeddog]



The reason they do is probably because there's only a few people that know what the real high-end brands are (people like us) and the general public has no idea what Brioni or Cornelliani is, but they are familiar with Calvin Klein etc. To them, that's high-end so they'll still pay a lot for it.

I think this whole conversation has come up in varying forms at different points in the life of this thread. The fact is: 1) they can price it at whatever they want. Eventually, if people don't buy the items, they are going to change their strategy. 2) thrift stores know that getting a find is big piece of thrifting. Therefore, I'm not sure if all managers really care about setting accurate prices on all goods. I think most stores price items according to some kind of tier principle: things that are seem like a designer brand get priced at the highest, things that seem average get priced middle, things that are damaged get priced lowest. Brioni in good condition is still a steal at the "high tiers" (usually up to $15 or so for a blazer - complaining because you aren't getting it for $7 is kind of silly).

Stores that price goods individually are usually different from the traditional thrift model. These stores are usually better organized with a better atmosphere, clearly trying to attract a different base of customers. These stores do pretty well despite higher prices - which suggests that average customer value (with second hand items) is likely much more attributed to marketing than brand name. The most popular "thrift" store in Baton Rouge is disgusting: they sell junk vintage clothes at outrageously high prices. A 1970s Jc Penny cardigan (sometimes moth eaten) will be priced at $50. But people love this store because of the hipster/vintage atmosphere (when I read rave reviews from yelp, I hold back from writing a nasty review, as I don't want to take away from anyone's happiness). Obviously, what is attracting these customers is not the find potential but the the young, hip marketing around the items. These are the types of stores that will spend more time doing research, and therefore will set higher prices.

 

[tonylamer]

I've actually spoken to a thrift-store employee about pricing. It happened after I went to a thrift that gets a lot of abandoned stock from dry-cleaners. They'd put out the only Brioni shirt that I've ever seen in person, a D&G, Burberry, Corneliani, and Etro. All of the shirts had been destroyed by the 'cleaner. We're talking about lots of blood stains, red wine, etc. Actually, I wish that I'd taken a picture. The D&G shirt belonged to a guy who'd been either shot or dragged behind a car. The woman told me that they have a sheet with a bunch of brands on it. If the brand's on the sheet, the shirt, tie, jacket, etc. is priced at a certain point. The sheet's like a Blue Book for cars--if the item's in good condition, it's a certain price.

The "good thing" about that kind of pricing is that most thrifts only know the big brands. Vintage stuff and defunct names are almost always a few bucks each. That's why Florsheim shoes are $30, and the Dack's "Bond Street" longwings that I bought this week were $9.

I know that a few guys on this thread live in Toronto. They'll know that anything with a Harry Rosen tag is a bit more expensive; but, oddly, J.P. Tilford is just another no-name brand. That's about as high as the high-end goes in Canada. If anyone from Toronto's found Italian-made stuff (other than Rosen's Canali and Zegna), I'd love to hear about it.

 

[threeleggeddog]



The D&G shirt belonged to a guy who'd been either shot or dragged behind a car. .

It sounds like we need to start a reality TV series or something: "Thrift Store Confidential". I actually picked up a leather jacket that has gang symbols drawn on the lining - I have yet to wear it, but it makes me wonder where it's been.

 

[Nataku]

Had an decent day today. Stuff is definitely getting harder to find though. Hope I'm not on the edge of another dry spell.

- Timothy Everest for Daks London F/C dress shirt
- Borrelli for Neiman Marcus dress shirt with metal "Isaia Napoli" collar stays. The collar stays were actually cooler than the shirt. Had the recent red label with the coral logo and had little metal eyelets on the rounded ends.
- Jade Warrior: Released on the Vertigo "swirl" label. Been looking for this for ages and to find it in nice shape was amazing. Finding a early press on the swirl label was a hell of a bonus.
- Nice Collective button-down.

 

[contactme_11]

couple BB ties that I passed on. Might go back and get them now that I'm on that tie swap thread.

 

[amadar]

Killed it today. Definitely my best single store run ever. This place is a super tiny mom and pop hole in the wall place, that I stopped going to a long time ago but happened to be passing it today, so I thought what the hell, why not? Walked in, immediately found some Florsheim Shell Longwings, and then a Prada shirt. After about 5 minutes I had exhausted the store (I told you it was tiny).

I was at the cash register and this is how my conversation with the cashier goes:

Cashier: "O I see you got that Prada shirt....did you find all the other shirts that guy dropped off?"
Me: "I don't know, what were they?"
Cashier: "A bunch of Italian stuff......Oh! I must have forgotten to put them all out today!.....Silly me they're still in the back, would you like to see them?"
Me: "Um, yes please "

Result: Mugler, Brioni, Armani Black Label (3) and Prada. All excellent condition.




I actually left behind 3 other black labels, a Zegna, and a 17.5 Thomas Pink b/c they looked a little worn. But the best part is, when the guy went in the back, he also found "another thing" the guy dropped off. NWOT Ermenegildo Zegna 100% Cashmere Carcoat!!!!






It's recent too......as in still available for sale here (exact model): http://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/Ermenegildo-Zegna-Mitch-Cashmere-Coat-Apparel/prod110090005/

Initially i thought it would be definite flipping material as a 50(eu) normally would be a little small for me, but I got home and tried it on.......perfect fit. I'm not sure I could ever forgive myself if I were to let this one go.

 

[Nataku]

Forgot this massive moment today. Stopped into a thrift I rarely go to anymore. They have a huge Halloween section. I cruise through it looking for old military garb and come across a few suit jackets. One definitely blows the others out of the water. Look inside to see this:





Fairly recent bespoke from Fioravanti. Never found any of the real bespoke stuff before, just some garbage that uses the same name. This was the real deal. Black suit jacket. Side vented with surgeon's cuffs. Fit me like a glove, including the sleeves! Turned the store upside-down looking for the pants to no avail. This particular store is a lost cause for separated suits. Such a damn shame......