Why Buy New Ties?

[DrapeCut]

Hello! I'm shopping for new ties and am interested in quality over quantity. However, the great availability of pre-owned "luxury" neck wear would seem to permit me to get away with buying many great ties without compromising on quality. Why does anyone buy new ties? Is there any real reason to?

 

[dieworkwear]

Ties are probably the easiest thing to buy used, as opposed to good suit jackets and sport coats. But I find:

1. Good ones are usually basic rep stripes because the used market is flooded with ties from Brooks Brothers, J Press, and Ben Silver. These tend to be very traditional, like Argyle Sutherland.

2. Even then, you have to hunt, which can be time-consuming.

3. Good Macclesfield prints are often still around 60-100 bucks since they're from brands such as E. Marinella. Which puts you pretty close to the retail price mark.

4. Not uncommonly, you'll buy a used tie thinking it was a great deal. Then you get it and the interlining has been damaged, compressed, over-worn, stretched out, or some other thing. It's not something a seller could have described without opening the tie (or knowing how a good tie should feel). Now you're stuck with this $20 or whatever purchase that's serviceable, but not particularly pleasant to wear.

I haven't bought a new tie in a while, but I used to because it saves time, you get access to some interesting designs, the make can be higher than your average Brooks, and you know you're getting something that will feel nice when worn.

That said, again, if you're on a budget, ties are probably the easiest of all wardrobe items to buy second-hand.

 

[DrapeCut]

Interesting. Supposedly reputable eBay vendors offer Brioni, Charvet, etc. ties for under $50. These are sold with detailed photos and descriptions. Is there a catch?

 

[dieworkwear]

Interesting. Supposedly reputable eBay vendors offer Brioni, Charvet, etc. ties for under $50. These are sold with detailed photos and descriptions. Is there a catch?

No, I don't think so. If you like them, they can be nice.

 

[HotToddy]

It depends on the type of ties you want. If you are after some printed silk ties there are loads to be had for cheap on eBay. If you want a grenadine or shantung or this kind of thing they are few and far between and often sell for about 30-50% of a new tie and it might not be worth the gamble.

Saying that I have far too many and recently sold off a load of my old Drake’s ties on eBay. I had some sell for just over £10, some closer to £50. I’m sure there were a lot of happy buyers.

 

[haloitsme]

Should we talk firstly of your budget and tell you what to buy?
If you say, you want to spent 75$ on a tie, compared to 15$

 

[DrapeCut]

No more than $50 per tie regardless of whether it is new or used.

 

[tcbinnc]

I recently purchased two pre-owned Brooks Brothers ties on Ebay.
Both transactions turned out just fine and the reasons I purchased used is because a.) These particular BB prints aren't offered anymore, and b.) Being somewhat vintage, the widths are wider than today's ties which to my eye are just too narrow.

However, with their current offerings, BB has mostly maintained about a 3" - 3 1/4" width, and a good majority now come in two lengths, regular and long, the latter of which I could stand to use.

And further to your question, higher-end ties can be found on Ebay, too, but from what I've seen, the auction process elevates price to such a level that they are no longer such a "bargain".
Besides which, they come with that "new tie" smell. Good luck.

 

[madhat]

Hello! I'm shopping for new ties and am interested in quality over quantity. However, the great availability of pre-owned "luxury" neck wear would seem to permit me to get away with buying many great ties without compromising on quality. Why does anyone buy new ties? Is there any real reason to?

If no one buys new, the supply of good condition ones will dwindle. Do you just want us all to be swapping increasingly used ties for the rest of eternity?
Some people can afford new and don't want someone's cast offs.

 

[BXpress]

and don't want someone's cast offs.

Cast offs is a good description, because i find that people rarely sell their best looking ones.

Buying new ones is a luxury that i allow myself, especially when you already have a sufficiently large collection and you don't need to buy them in a hurry. Also there are sales and discount codes at some shop or the other, all the time. I have yet to buy a full price Drake's tie and they were all new and i really wanted and liked the designs i bought so far. The only compromise was waiting and being fast enough when the sale starts. Marinella has been mentioned, but before i buy a used one for 70-100 i can as well buy a brand new Cappelli or Shibumi MTO for just a little bit more.

So, there is no need for me to go on treasure hunts. Something that i will do for cufflinks however. Makers seem to think that 9ct Gold is really worth hundreds and hundreds of bucks (lol), when you can get them 2nd hand for much less.

 

[SpooPoker]

Hi

 

[dieworkwear]

If no one buys new, the supply of good condition ones will dwindle. Do you just want us all to be swapping increasingly used ties for the rest of eternity?
Some people can afford new and don't want someone's cast offs.

I don't think the OP was claiming that no one should buy new ties or that people are dumb for doing so. He was just asking if there was any reason to buy new.

I think there are, but there's nothing wrong with buying used. If you're on a tighter budget, you'd get a better tie on the second-hand market for $50 than brand new. And if you're just starting to build a better wardrobe, picking up a couple of nice ties off the second-hand market can be a smart way to direct more money into things like shoes and outerwear.

 

[tcbinnc]

Here. For comparison's sake, I dialed in two groups of "ALL" (both auction and buy-it-now) "ties for men" @ "$45-$50" on Ebay.

Group One: Pre-owned

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...LH_ItemCondition=3000&_udlo=45.00&_udhi=50.00

Group Two: New with tags and NWOT

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr..._udlo=45.00&_udhi=50.00&_sop=1&rt=nc&LH_All=1



Something for everybody. Have at it.

 

[am55]

Derek is correct regarding the state of the used market. Additionally, the best brands rarely turn up on the market. But selection is the main thing.

Looking at my 100+ tie collection, I end up buying new (from Sam Hober, from Poszetka, etc.) because I want something they have and I know the quality will be there. The new ties get much more wear. I also like bow ties and second hand bow ties are universally bad (IMHO) whilst the MSRP of a new one is lower and thus closer to eBay with shipping included. I've never seen a bow tie in a thrift store.

The Sam Hober ties are really, really nice and at only 30 bucks more than your budget, I'd seriously consider getting them. Just don't eat out for a couple of days you had planned to if the dollar is tight. A Hober is the only tie which got not one but multiple remarks (of the "please tell me where I can buy one of these" kind, not the "nice tie" kind) in a single evening. Additionally, David Hober is a nice chap and interacting with his company is a rare breath of fresh air in a world where civility and (often) competence are rare, since the market prefers price at the expense of all else.

 

[norMD]

In Norway the second hand market is very small and good buys are rare. A tie does take some beating with being tied and untied, maybe stuffed in a pocket and then a drawer. The are hard to mend and many dry cleaners wont clean them. Here I can get 20-25 % discount by shopping on customer club nights. In my view second hand is always good but one needs to know that the goods are in good condition and I expect a 50 % reduction compared to store prices.