The official thrift/discount store bragging thread

Originally Posted by misterbowles

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I think I had the single greatest thrifting day of my life today. First, at one Salvation Army, I found a brand-new new light tan 3-button double-vented 44R Ralph Lauren Green Label (yes, not great quality, but a serviceable fused suit for what I paid for it) in summer-weight wool, trousers unfinished and pockets and vents still sewn shut. I'm a easy off-the-rack 44R these days, and the fit was perfect. I'm a freelance editor and writer, so I also work as a suit specialist at the Macy's here in VT to get health insurance, so I know that it must have had a tiny pinhole or some tiny imperfection somewhere (I couldn't find it for the life of me); and I know that Macy's eventually sends its damaged items to the Salvation Army. $15 and straight to my tailor for the trousers to be finished, so $30 total. Not bad.

Then, a real gem came later in the day: at the other Salvation Army in Burlington, VT, I found a pair of Allen Edmonds charcoal closed-laced sueded cap-toes (model name is Barton; which is apparently discontinued) in exactly my size, brand-new in the box with the trees, individual shoe bags, an AE shoehorn, and all the paperwork that comes in the box, as well. $6!

On to a consignment shop I sometimes visit; usually there is nothing any good there, but I miraculously found a beautiful nearly-new Canali DB navy 44R suit. The coat fits perfectly, but the trousers had been taken in to a 36x31, so they need to be let out to a 38x32 -- plenty of material to do so. $31, and tailoring will probably cost another $30.

Like I said, best thrift day ever!

-jpb

IMPRESSIVE!!!

What makes this especially unusual/cool is that two of the three items you describe were essentially NWOT/NIB - VERY rare for thrift-store finds. I had a pair of the Bartons once. Almost new off eBay. However, they were C widths, just as my feet had begun to widen to the point where I couldn't comfortably wear a C anymore. They were lovely and versatile shoes - you should be able to wear those w/suits, chinos, jeans or whatever.

New nested suits with some imperceptible defect at a Salvation Army (at least in my area) are not that uncommon, but finding a pair of Allen Edmonds is quite extraordinary! My only problem with the shoes is that they are charcoal and sueded, which makes them a bit less versatile. As cap-toes, my personal take is that they can't really be worn casually (just my opinion), so they'd have to go with charcoal suits (or maybe black, which Macy's forces us to wear!).

The Canali is really the star. An absolutely amazing fit in the DB coat, and just some tweaking on the trousers and it will be good to go. The fabric is like butter.

Paul Stuart wool/silk sportcoat (with basting stiches still on) and a Sanyo trench. Both in my size.

Originally Posted by misterbowles

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New nested suits with some imperceptible defect at a Salvation Army (at least in my area) are not that uncommon, but finding a pair of Allen Edmonds is quite extraordinary! My only problem with the shoes is that they are charcoal and sueded, which makes them a bit less versatile. As cap-toes, my personal take is that they can't really be worn casually (just my opinion), so they'd have to go with charcoal suits (or maybe black, which Macy's forces us to wear!).

The Canali is really the star. An absolutely amazing fit in the DB coat, and just some tweaking on the trousers and it will be good to go. The fabric is like butter.

I probably find a couple pair of A-E's a month, in varying conditions. I've maybe found 3 in almost-new condition (with basically carpet wear), and NEVER NIB. That's like winning the lottery.

I think you'll be surprised at how versatile those shoes can be. The style is dressy, the leather treatment more casual (I actually enjoyed that charcoal-sueded finish and was looking forward to pairing it with more contemporary suits.) Plus, the rubber soles make them a lot more comfortable than the standard models.

So I am finally going to go to a thrift store... So should I just start at like the Goodwill and Salvation army?

Originally Posted by bearlydavid

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So I am finally going to go to a thrift store... So should I just start at like the Goodwill and Salvation army?

Yes. Be very meticulous and go through every rack looking at every item. Try to resist the urge to buy anything that looks decent. With time you will begin to be able to pick out the gems. I'd say only 1 trip in 5 do I buy anything at a thrift store.

Originally Posted by bearlydavid

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So I am finally going to go to a thrift store... So should I just start at like the Goodwill and Salvation army?

Thats a great place to start. Remember, they tend to be very neighborhood reflective, so think about who lives around the store you visit. If you go to one in the ghetto, you might not have as much luck as one in a more upscale neighborhood.

Also - there is little consistency between goodwill and SA in each market, so you have to find the ones you like and stick with them. The one thing I will say is that generealy its been my experiance that goodwill is all one price (all shirts 4.49), vs. Salvation Army which seems to set individual prices.

If there is a strong local thrift store/chain (value village (they are a reseller and not for profit), or Deseret), they tend to get better stuff from the locals who support them, but the prices are not as good, imo.

The real trick to this, is keeping at it, you have to go over and over again, and not be discouraged if you dont find anythign the first try.

Just got a Brioni sport coat in the mail, purchased from Ebay. Inside tag says it was custom-made for Frank Abagnale (Catch Me if You Can). The seller was based in Tulsa, and Wikipedia confirms this is where Abagnale currently lives.

Originally Posted by VMan

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Just got a Brioni sport coat in the mail, purchased from Ebay. Inside tag says it was custom-made for Frank Abagnale (Catch Me if You Can). The seller was based in Tulsa, and Wikipedia confirms this is where Abagnale currently lives.

Vman, wasn't Abagnale the great imposter that a movie was made of?

Maybe the coat is a knock off

Found a pair of Alexander McQueen pumas, also a pair of Neil Barret 96 Hours pumas, and a strange pair of addidas. $13, $15, and $20.

I haven't found shoes that fit in about a year, much less sneaks, much less high-end contemporary sh*t in such places...ever, really.

I feel like very happy warmed-over hypebeast.

^ Nice. Well-fitting sneakers in good condition are indeed rare sights at thrift stores, which makes it even sweeter. The most frequently wear pair in my casual rotation is some Onitsuka Tigers that I picked up (from the children's shoe shelves!) last year.

Originally Posted by VMan

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Just got a Brioni sport coat in the mail, purchased from Ebay. Inside tag says it was custom-made for Frank Abagnale (Catch Me if You Can). The seller was based in Tulsa, and Wikipedia confirms this is where Abagnale currently lives.

Wow, very cool. I wonder if you can fetch a premium for that (presuming you were planning to resell).

Any thoughts on this 'hermes' ? the tie loop in the back is what looks out of place. Its a nylon webbing type material. Maybe added afterwords? 7670 comes up in google as a blue and gold pattern, but i cant find any photos and park lane, looks alot like a paul stuart logo. What do you think? (great spring tie!)

If that tie is authentic, it may just be that the original tie loop got destroyed due to wear... just a guess tho

Picked up a couple of new things this week:
I'll take pictures if anyone is interested...

RLPL linen shirt -$3
Ermenegildo Zegna linen shirt - $3
Canali linen shirt -$1.99
Oxxford sport coat - $6.99
Hermes tie - $1.50
Massimo Bizzocchi 8.00 cm for Louis, Boston tie - $1.50