Thrift store shopping

[swanny]

Hey everyone, I'm new here and I've got some questions for you folks.

I live in an area that has quite a few goodwills, salvation armys, and hospice thrift stores within a 10 mi radius and I love shopping in them, mostly ties and shirts as I've never had luck finding coats or suits in my size (46L). I know what a good tie is (I've found 3 talbott 7 folds, 3 zegna's, 3 canali's, couple HF's, couple georgio armani's, a hermes, and about a dozen brooks brothers ties, that are all great designs) but I'm having trouble with the slightly less than great ties, like I see probably a dozen different Robert Talbott for Nordstrom ties every time I go out (once a week), some are BOC, some aren't. I see tons of BB ties but some have different... grades I guess? 346's are one I see a lot of, nice looking ties but I'm not sure of the quality. I see tons and tons of BB Makers shirts, anything my size (17/36) I buy but I end up leaving a bunch on the rack that are a more common sizes (tons of 16/34-35's). I guess I just want to know if I buy these ties and shirts is it worth it? If i could sell them on here slightly more than i got them for, at least some jerk-off wouldnt buy them because he needs to go to a funeral and doesn't own a white shirt. Let me know what you think, also I'm gonna post some of the ties that I got for me on here because I just have too many ties now and I changed careers and I only wear a tie maybe 3-5 times a month.

Thanks in advance,

Dan

 

[Ich_Dien]

Paragraphs needed!

 

[onix]

BB 346's are made exclusively for their factory stores, so they have the lowest values.

BB Makers are either custommade or average level stuffs. Things that you found in thrift stores will have big chance of having "irregular" stamps on the label.

 

[swanny]

Why would they have irregular stamps on them? These clothes were someone else's previously owned clothes, not factory rejects or irregulars they sent to an outlet or marshalls or something?

Unless the previous person bought them from an outlet store, wore it, then donated it, I dont know why it would be irregular. Maybe "thrift store" is a regional term for stores like marshalls, ross, tj maxx and the like where you're from. It just means used clothes store here.

 

[Nexus6]

If you are buying them just to flip them, then consider this: Chances are you won't be able to sell every single item when you want, or at the prices you want, meaning eventually you'll end up with a mountain of unwanted clothes. When you do sell them, you'll have to state fairly in the ad that the articles are from thrift stores. Then again, if you repeatedly sell things in 10 different sizes, it will become obvious that the items are thrifted, unless you have the original tags, boxes, etc that would have come with a garment at retail. God only knows what bacteria is living in them. Will you invest in having the garments you sell, dry-cleaned before selling? That is an additional cost as well. By the time you factor out your time to: 1) make repeated trips to the thrift stores 2) spend several hours per visit (you will...you will) 3) get home, wash the items, iron (if applicable, dry-clean, or whatever to make it 'saleable' 4) create the ads for each item you sell 5) co-respond with possible buyers..that takes time too. 6) make trips to the bank (and the waiting time per visit) 7) properly package the items 8) take packages to post office, etc You'll end up earning about 50 cents per hour. Now that is looking at all of the time & effort alone, not mentioning that you will spend less time with your loved ones or friends, because you will eventually become a slave to the sport, as it were. These are just a few things to consider if you go into the world of 'flipping'. Many people here on SF are already doing just that. Ask the flippers if it is really worth all the aggravation. Sure, on a good day, it is. But not every day is going to be a good day.

...If i could sell them on here slightly more than i got them for, at least some jerk-off wouldnt buy them because he needs to go to a funeral and doesn't own a white shirt...

Please clarify...... What does that mean? Anyone else with a need will not be able to find anything nice, because you judged him to be a jerk-off? Please clarify what people are you labelling as 'jerk-offs' People that don't know the quality or the brand name? People that, in your estimation, are not worthy to own a nice thing? Who? Please elaborate. You are in a good area if you are able to find such things in abundance. Most people would be lucky to find even one nice thing per visit. If you found so many at once, it probably all came from the same man, who is either: a) so wealthy he can afford a new look each year or two b) died. Maybe several trips to your thrifts store during the span of a month, say 3-4 times a week will give you a better guage on how frequently you'll be able to find such volumes of expensive things, before making the big decision to get into full time flipping. Whatever you choose, I wish you luck. I saw 6 ETON shirts a few days ago at a thrift store, and left them for someone else to enjoy. The following day, I was there again, and a young man grabbed them all. He went into the change room and was in their almost 20 minutes, so it appeared that he was trying on the shirts for himself. I never once considered him a, to use your words 'jerk-off' or unworthy to own a nice thing. I was happy that he was able to find something nice. I felt like telling him about the dozen or so Canali Ties and the Canali Suits on other racks, but decided to let him learn for himself. In my estimation, anyone who will even shop at a thrift store is worthy, and not a jerk-off at all, as long as he / she is buying for themselves or family or possibly a friend. Not my business anyway. I have enough shirts & ties Whatever you choose to do, best of luck.

...and I am outta here now....don't want to stir a hornets nest. Peace to all.

peace.

 

[pejsek]

If you buy Robert Talbott ties at thrift stores your closets will soon be full to bursting.

But really wtf? You want to buy bb shirts at thrifts to keep them out of the hands of some jerk-off who needs to go to a funeral? Did I get that right? That's so over the top it's impossible to take you seriously. If you're a troll it's a pretty pathetic provocation; if you're serious I'm not sure you can find help here.

 

[LabelKing]

It's so over-the-top as to be almost grotesquely endearing.

 

[mt_spiffy]

Speaking as a rabid thrift store hunter, who's flipped a few things . . .

Picking up something SOLEY with the intention of flipping it almost never works out, unless you already know someone looking for that specific piece. Almost anything I bought without someone in mind (including myself) is still hanging in my storage, instead of being used by someone who might actually want it.

I pick up stuff with the attitude "I might wear that" or "Someone I know might want it." Then, I have the option of flipping it, keeping it, or giving it away, and I dont feel bad if any particular option doesnt work out.