The official thrift/discount store bragging thread

[j]

You gotta listen to those gut feelings, Alan. Good show and nice tie.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by mack11211

One unusual item today: a coat from Gaultier's notorious 1993 Hasidic-inspired collection. This caused a big stink at the time, for numerous reasons: he used tefillin (phylacteries) as decorative elements, styled women with forelocks, etc.

Anyway, this coat is mighty odd: In rough grey wool, unconstructed, patch pockets on hip and breast, no buttons or button holes except one in the high, narrow lapel. Kimono sleeves, lined in striped cotton. Living near thousands of Hasidim in Williamsburg, I can tell you that I have no idea what this has to do with their style of dress.

But the label does spell his name in Hebrew letters:


What does this look like, visually?

 

[grimslade]

I finally received my sack-cut hopsack Oxxford blazer. I love it and the fit is perfect. I far prefer the antiqued buttons to bright brass ones. And even the sleeves are the right length. The hopsack material is very loose, and combined with the oxxford quarter-lining, it's probably a serviceable jacket in the summer too. Definitely the best $50 ebay deal I've ever made.

 

[AlanC]

Looks really nice, grimslade, and a fantastic deal.

 

[DocHolliday]

Grim, my Oxxford blazer has the exact same buttons, and I love 'em. I think they're pretty ideal for a blazer, and a good argument for not using horn or other material.

Alan, it's interesting that the Ben Silver label looks so much like Charvet's. Beautiful tie.

 

[AlanC]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

Alan, it's interesting that the Ben Silver label looks so much like Charvet's. Beautiful tie.

Thanks. The similar look is probably intentional on B. Silver's part. I have three other Silver ties, and that tag is unique among the four. Oddly, there's no country of origin tag. It simply says "All Silk Hand Made". Of course, since it leaves that issue open I'll simply call it my Ben Silver by Charvet tie.

 

[simpli]

Originally Posted by VersaceMan

Found a bunch of mid-level things, mostly to be flipped. Picked up a few vintage items to try selling on ebay. One is a 1950's black Alpaca cardigan, very Thom Browne-esque, with two buttons placed vertically on the bottom of both side seams.

Also overheard a fantastic conversation between an older woman and her husband. The woman started telling her husband how she found a shirt or something but couldn't wear it because it was made with slave labor or something. Then she started talking about how white men are still keeping her back, and how she is still a slave, and that "all the honkeys got what was coming to them when the ay-rabs blew up their buildings" and that she "wishes they all would have been in those towers when they fell". I was about 8' away from her when she was going off on this. When she tried to get by me and my cart was in the way, she started yelling at me and calling me a 'god-damn racist'.

Also noticed that Goodwill is now pricing 75% of it's shirts at $7-10, which is getting kind of ridiculous.
Where do you live that Goodwill is pricing like that?

I don't care much for Goodwill anyway, Salvation Army stores tend to be a lot bigger and a lot cheaper. I live for 50% off green tag / 99 cent menswear day.

 

[VMan]

Originally Posted by simpli

Where do you live that Goodwill is pricing like that?

I don't care much for Goodwill anyway, Salvation Army stores tend to be a lot bigger and a lot cheaper. I live for 50% off green tag / 99 cent menswear day.

The Midwest.

I agree that Salvation Army is great, especially because of the half-off for certain color price tags.

If you think that Goodwill's pricing is nuts, you should see this local Value Village. $25-$60 for suits, $8-12 for sweaters, $6-$15 for shirts, etc. Completely ridiculous, but they usually have some nice stuff. This VV store is located in an extremely high-crime and impovershed area as well, so I do not know why they price items like that. All the Goodwills here tend to be located in middle class to upper class areas, which could explain the pricing.

 

[simpli]

Originally Posted by VersaceMan

The Midwest.

I agree that Salvation Army is great, especially because of the half-off for certain color price tags.

If you think that Goodwill's pricing is nuts, you should see this local Value Village. $25-$60 for suits, $8-12 for sweaters, $6-$15 for shirts, etc. Completely ridiculous, but they usually have some nice stuff. This VV store is located in an extremely high-crime and impovershed area as well, so I do not know why they price items like that. All the Goodwills here tend to be located in middle class to upper class areas, which could explain the pricing.
I'm in KC. Only Value Village is on the Missouri side, I've been meaning to check it out. Sounds pricey for thrift though.

 

[breakfasteatre]

I have to say, seeing you guys pick up all of this great stuff is excrutiating

i have been thrifting for several years now, and i dont think i have a single thing worth mentioning.

I literally sift through every rack, every piece of clothing, and snobbishly enough, i check out every label.

I have been to many value villages which i find are the easiest to sort through, but prices are generally obsurd

I went to a local goodwill and the store was so disorganized i couldnt even be bothered looking for more than a couple minutes


are you guys sorting through horrible, disorganized stores to find those gems? are any of these items (which seem to average in price at about a dollar) found at value villages?

I want to thrift and be successful, i want to graduate from the tshirts and jeans, and i want to do it affordably

any tips are welcome

 

[AlanC]

I think to thrift successfully you have to be doing it in a place with the high end retail to support it. I've never been to a Value Village (we don't have them), but it sounds like you need to find somewhere else to thrift or at least new places to try. Do an online search for "thrift stores" in your nearest metropolitan area, figure out a route and start beating the bushes.

 

[simpli]

Originally Posted by breakfasteatre

I have to say, seeing you guys pick up all of this great stuff is excrutiating

i have been thrifting for several years now, and i dont think i have a single thing worth mentioning.

I literally sift through every rack, every piece of clothing, and snobbishly enough, i check out every label.

I have been to many value villages which i find are the easiest to sort through, but prices are generally obsurd

I went to a local goodwill and the store was so disorganized i couldnt even be bothered looking for more than a couple minutes


are you guys sorting through horrible, disorganized stores to find those gems? are any of these items (which seem to average in price at about a dollar) found at value villages?

I want to thrift and be successful, i want to graduate from the tshirts and jeans, and i want to do it affordably

any tips are welcome

Ehhh, I'm in the same boat. I mostly do it for the ties, great way to build a big tie collection and if you have an eye for quality, can usually grab some decent stuff. I always go through everything though.... look for quality, not brandnames, I've picked up some nice dress shirts with unknown / old brands by feeling the fabric / going over the construction, etc

 

[Bergdorf Goodwill]

Originally Posted by breakfasteatre

I have to say, seeing you guys pick up all of this great stuff is excrutiating

i have been thrifting for several years now, and i dont think i have a single thing worth mentioning.

I literally sift through every rack, every piece of clothing, and snobbishly enough, i check out every label.

I have been to many value villages which i find are the easiest to sort through, but prices are generally obsurd

I went to a local goodwill and the store was so disorganized i couldnt even be bothered looking for more than a couple minutes


are you guys sorting through horrible, disorganized stores to find those gems? are any of these items (which seem to average in price at about a dollar) found at value villages?

I want to thrift and be successful, i want to graduate from the tshirts and jeans, and i want to do it affordably

any tips are welcome

Find out about discount days, tag discounts, etc. Use this.

Develop a feel for fabric -- I can walk along a row of sweaters, jackets, suits, etc. with my hand out and distinguish quality extremely accurately.

Develop an eye for detail -- I can stand overlooking a rack of shirts and tell by the collars which ones are likely worth my time.

Failing that, scrounge. I do this too, and it yields interesting results. To echo pejsek's suggestions upthread, canvas the store. You never know when a Borrelli blazer has been placed next to the mustard yellow "Today's Woman" skirt suit.

 

[Lucky Strike]

Moose leather jacket, in a sort of pea-coat cut:

 

[VMan]

Allen Edmonds Park Avenues in black, my size (fairly common), good shape, for about $40. I need a pair of conservative shoes like this because I'm going to be interviewing for jobs soon, and these will work well.