Tales of thrifting heartbreak, despair and woe

[merkur]

..

 

[Willsw]

My tears are shed most often while cradling an exquisite piece of footwear, pouting a bit when reading the size, and still going through the glass slipper routine, grimacing and yet still seriously considering.

Also, when there are several beautiful suits obviously donated by a single dapper man (for some reason seems to occur with three-pieces more than others), and this man is about two inches smaller than you in every important way. After thinking hard about Thom Browne, you admit you're not an asshole and put it all back.

 

[pitboss12]

I had the exact freaking thing happen to me this morning!!! I found an old Brooks Bros. Golden Fleece suit in a beautiful grey glen plaid with a subtle blue strripe running through it for $19.99. The only problem -- the pants were missing. I went through every rack looking for them. This was a big place so this took a while. Ultimately, I did not find them.

I ended up buying the jacket for $6.99. I guess I'll get it tailored and use it as an odd jacket Oh the glory that could have been...

 

[Nataku]

The most recent time I've had this happen is when I found three recent (2006) Isaia suits on Isaia hangers. Then, I found one Isaia "sportcoat". It was gray with a blue windowpane design. I looked all over for matching trousers but they were nowhere to be found. I figured there were none and perhaps it was a sportcoat. Lo and behold, a week later at a different store I found an Isaia suit from the same donator in the exact same pattern the "sportcoat" I'd found.....only a darker shade of blue and gray. Arg! Of course then you have the idiots that split donations up. How nice it would have been to find everything in one place. But no, if I wanted to find the rest of a certain donation I'd have to drive all over town looking for what may already be gone

 

[Eccentric]

Just the other day I found a cashmere houndstooth RLPL sportcoat at the local thrift store, two sizes too big! Bear in mind that I live in an area where the nicest line carried is Hart Shaffner Marx.

 

[antirabbit]

1 of two things happen:
Go back a day later and look, I had this happen with a recent Oxxford suit, low and behold the pants showed up a few days later. Grab the jacket either way silly.
OR
The pants were damaged, so check the trash bin out back.
Or they were not donated with the suit.

 

[wmmk]

The thrift stores near me just kind of suck. Most are picked clean by hipsters. There are some consignment shops that would have more formal stuff that I haven't really looked at much. I suppose I should.

 

[singlechange]

Bespoke H. Huntsman black with silver pinstripe waistcoat in mint condition in my size. Goodwill price $3.00. Oh where, oh where have the trousers and jacket gone? Picked up the waistcoat anyway as a trophy to hang in the closet. I daydream sometimes of looking for the missing pieces. What are the chances the rest of the suit will appear? Was I a couple of days too late? Did it someone pay $19.00 Goodwill price for the suit? If the jacket and trousers were picked up by someone, does he know what he really has in his hands?

 

[pitboss12]

Originally Posted by wmmk

The thrift stores near me just kind of suck. Most are picked clean by hipsters. There are some consignment shops that would have more formal stuff that I haven't really looked at much. I suppose I should.

While I was at my thrift this morning, there was a "team" of buyers from a vintage shop on the more fashionable westside (I'm guessing). The team consisted of well dressed young women filling 2 carts with clothing while furiously texting on their blackberrys and fielding calls from their store. A shot of fear came over me over when one of them asked the other to "double check" a rack that I hadn't looked though yet.

I glanced into their carts to see if they had my suit pants. No luck.

 

[sartort]

Originally Posted by merkur

I found an almost new dark navy Raffaele Caruso super 130's jacket in my size while thrifting today. It was marked "2 piece suit" and priced at $25.00 so I went searching for the trousers. Alas, the trousers had been separated by some miscreant (who must have pulled off the price tag on the trousers and claimed that the trousers had no price on them) and were nowhere to be found in the store

. As such, I had to leave the orphaned jacket behind. Now I know what it feels like when doves cry. What kind of person would deliberately separate trousers from a suit? Have you ever found a brand new John Lobb Paris shoe in your size only to discover that the other shoe is nowhere to be found? Please share your tales of thrifting heartbreak, despair and woe.

You could turn the orphaned Navy jacket into a blazer by switching the buttons.

 

[dfagdfsh]

You find a beautiful shirt and then while examining it find small holes on the back or gross stains on the sleeves

 

[JordanH.]

when i go into a thrift store, generally, the first section i visit is the tie section.
there is (or was, before hurricane ike, haven't been back since) this thrift store about 15 minutes from my residence. i went to the tie section and, off the bat, found 2 robert talbott ties. one of them i really liked so i got it. there was this brown tie with these cream stripes. for some reason, i left it. i came back again and saw it. again, i left it. the next time i went to the store, i was set on purchasing it. to my dismay, it was gone.
on the bright side, i found a tie (from about 1983) in my father's closet that was VERY similar to the one that got away. so, there's a happy ending after all.

 

[Nataku]

Speaking of ties - that reminds me of another disappointment. Finding an item that turns out to be fake.

At a thrift store I frequent, I spotted a gourgeous Talbott 7-fold tie from afar. I walked over to it quickly, only to find three more 7-folds hanging next to it. I got that light stomach feeling you get when you find something truely awesome, and I've gotta say that finding three mint Talbott 7-folds in one place for .50 a piece is awesome. I pick them up and give them a closer look and my heart sank..... they were fake! Damn - who the hell fakes a Talbott tie?!

 

[Zenny]

3 piece suits, missing pants or jacket. I still bought them, I'm a bit of a hipster and wear the vest and jacket with jeans

 

[CunningSmeagol]

Originally Posted by sartort

You could turn the orphaned Navy jacket into a blazer by switching the buttons.

Yeah, this. SF would probably lynch you but you don't have to tell them.