The official THRIFT STORE tips and best practices thread

[idfnl]

Originally Posted by stevp1

In a few of the stores I've been in, I've seen various items of clothing from a brand "Savile Row". Does this line actually have anything to do with the real Row? Or is it just a brand name somebody hooked on to? Is it quality stuff? i've seen shirts, jackets and other things.

Just wondering.

Actually, I have discovered numerous saville row brands out there.

I dont know about the origins, but I thrifted one saville row shirt which seemed quite well made. The label said "the saville row company" on it, and the shirt was made in ireland.

I suspect you are talking about the brand "saville row" which I think is shite. I think all the made in tags say china or whatever.

I doubt any of these labels have anything to do with saville row. I think generally you will have the maker and then 'of saville row' or something if it were from there. I have one Gieves and Hawkes jacket which says that.

 

[merkur]

..

 

[amerikajinda]

Originally Posted by scwtlover

The link doesn't seem to be working. I get "page load error."

oops - try this: http://www.thethriftshopper.com/

 

[stevp1]

Originally Posted by merkur

For starters, Savile Row not Saville Row

I think that's the key. I get it now. Thanks.

 

[idfnl]

• Check dress shirts carefully. The most common place for damage is the collar. I do the following:
  • Inspect the neck for yellowing. This is very hard to get out, I dont buy it if its yellowed. Check all the hard edges for damage, often times its hard to spot but is the reason the shirt is there
  • Inspect those pits, I have been in line at the checkout before when the shirt turns over and I realize I was about to buy someone's pit cheese.
  • If the material is thin or if the tags are washed out, it means its been worn, and worn and worn some more... leave it - EVEN IF ITS A CHARVET, a worn out shirt looks like total ****
  • Pocket stains are obvious, but not on a dark shirt, look at the front pocket
  • Check the sleeves for damage, frayed edges, missing buttons and broken buttons.
  • Front buttons are usually not missing, but the one most often missing is the one at the bottom that gets tucked in. I also check for bad replacement buttons.
  • Are the extra buttons still there? If so, button problems are not a big deal.

 

[whiteslashasian]

Originally Posted by idfnl

• Check dress shirts carefully. The most common place for damage is the collar. I do the following:
  • Inspect the neck for yellowing. This is very hard to get out, I dont buy it if its yellowed. Check all the hard edges for damage, often times its hard to spot but is the reason the shirt is there
  • Inspect those pits, I have been in line at the checkout before when the shirt turns over and I realize I was about to buy someone's pit cheese.
  • If the material is thin or if the tags are washed out, it means its been worn, and worn and worn some more... leave it - EVEN IF ITS A CHARVET, a worn out shirt looks like total ****
  • Pocket stains are obvious, but not on a dark shirt, look at the front pocket
  • Check the sleeves for damage, frayed edges, missing buttons and broken buttons.
  • Front buttons are usually not missing, but the one most often missing is the one at the bottom that gets tucked in. I also check for bad replacement buttons.
  • Are the extra buttons still there? If so, button problems are not a big deal.

• Good info here.

• Some laughs as well.

• Your avatar still creeps me out.

 

[AlanC]

For collar yellowing use Zote (or similar) soap and a nail brush. Work with it gently for awhile, let soak, work again, wash. You'll be surprised what will come out with that. I stole the method from one of the old Kabbaz shirt care threads.

 

[Nataku]

I've also used Lestoil on yellowing. Works wonders. Scrub it in with a brush, let it soak in for about 10 minutes, then wash as normal.

I've saved quite a few nice shirts others probably passed up by doing this.

 

[cheessus]

To OP and jinda, are you guys from NoVA? Which stores do you go to? I'd just like to know so that whenever I visit home I can go do some thrifting. Not much to do otherwise. Thanks.

 

[Anthony Jordan]

Originally Posted by idfnl

• Check dress shirts carefully. The most common place for damage is the collar. I do the following:
  • Inspect the neck for yellowing. This is very hard to get out, I dont buy it if its yellowed. Check all the hard edges for damage, often times its hard to spot but is the reason the shirt is there
  • Inspect those pits, I have been in line at the checkout before when the shirt turns over and I realize I was about to buy someone's pit cheese.
  • If the material is thin or if the tags are washed out, it means its been worn, and worn and worn some more... leave it - EVEN IF ITS A CHARVET, a worn out shirt looks like total ****
  • Pocket stains are obvious, but not on a dark shirt, look at the front pocket
  • Check the sleeves for damage, frayed edges, missing buttons and broken buttons.
  • Front buttons are usually not missing, but the one most often missing is the one at the bottom that gets tucked in. I also check for bad replacement buttons.
  • Are the extra buttons still there? If so, button problems are not a big deal.

Also, for double-cuff shirts, check for wear along the fold of the cuffs. This is not necessarily a deal-breaker as cuffs can be turned, but it will add to the cost. Also check the back of the cuff to be sure that it has not been turned once already!

On collars, I find the main wear points are on the fold and at the points (the latter especially if the shirt takes stiff removable collar stays.) I have also once or twice come across a situation where a thrify former owner has had the collar itself turned. This is generally only possible with shirts with set-in stays but is probably in itself cause to reconsider the purchase.

 

[amerikajinda]

Originally Posted by cheessus

To OP and jinda, are you guys from NoVA? Which stores do you go to? I'd just like to know so that whenever I visit home I can go do some thrifting. Not much to do otherwise. Thanks.
Yup - I'm from Vienna. The shops I hit on a frequent basis are Yesterday's Rose on Main Street in Fairfax (went yesterday but only left with some magazines), Unique in Merrifield (although their prices are sometimes laughable), and all the Goodwills (Route 50, Columbia Pike, Glebe Road, Sterling, Manassas, Rockville, Dakota Ave. in D.C., etc.) and Salvation Armys (Herndon, Manassas, Route 236, Gaithersburg, etc.) I don't bother with the little thrift shops like "Treasure Trove" in McLean or "Pennywise" in Vienna -- you know the kind that are staffed entirely by octogenarian volunteers and are the size of a one bedroom apartment -- it's just not worth the effort because the selection of clothes is too tiny. Although Pennywise will always hold a special place in my heart -- I remember my mother taking me there when I was a young child.

 

[idfnl]

Originally Posted by cheessus

To OP and jinda, are you guys from NoVA? Which stores do you go to? I'd just like to know so that whenever I visit home I can go do some thrifting. Not much to do otherwise. Thanks.

amerikajinda has got the majority of them.

The Unique stores are way overpriced and getting worse, they were the source of my tag rip scheme. There are 3 more uniques, one in wheaton, adelphi and silver spring. They are overpriced but weed out much of the junk you see at goodwill and the like.

There were some thrifts I used to go to in DC, but its been years so I dont even know if there are there, a couple on Georgia ave, if I recall, one on 14th st.

 

[idfnl]

Originally Posted by AlanC

For collar yellowing use Zote (or similar) soap and a nail brush. Work with it gently for awhile, let soak, work again, wash. You'll be surprised what will come out with that. I stole the method from one of the old Kabbaz shirt care threads.

Originally Posted by Nataku

I've also used Lestoil on yellowing. Works wonders. Scrub it in with a brush, let it soak in for about 10 minutes, then wash as normal.

I've saved quite a few nice shirts others probably passed up by doing this.

Cool, no idea this was possible... I have passed up many shirts because I thought this was permanent... I will try it and see if I get a result.

 

[devin]

I've also had success making a slurry with color safe bleach (powder), rubbing that into a stain, and then washing as normal. Managed to remove a pretty hard set stain on the placket of shirt. The slurry is abrasive, so you can work the stain a bit with your fingers to get the scrubbing action.

 

[trewells]

Originally Posted by allreds

Make nice with the staff.
Policies are often flexible for a friendly regular.

I made this mistake once. I sweet talked the cute cashier and asked her to pull nice stuff aside for me. I'm a eBay seller and this store usually gets nice items. She got upset when she asked me to take her out and I informed her I have a serious girlfriend that I would be proposing to soon. She made a huge scene on me and I had to call the manager!