Any way to get at clothes never picked up from the cleaners?

Hey everyone,

As you know, the cleaners have piles of clothes that never get picked up.

What do they do with them?

I was thinking of asking if there was a way to get in there and pick thru and maybe make an offer on some. Do you guys think this is acceptable?

Also, should I send a shirt to the cleaners with the removable collar stays in our out?

Originally Posted by idfnl

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What do they do with them?

Apparently, they all go to ebay seller parisvegas

Originally Posted by idfnl

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Also, should I send a shirt to the cleaners with the removable collar stays in our out?

Out unless you want them permanently fused to your collar

Originally Posted by RLlikes

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Apparently, they all go to ebay seller parisvegas

Quite incredible, the lots of clothes he gets, isnt it? Is this really what he does? Anyone actually know how he gets all this clothes?

One place where I get a chance to buy racks and racks of clothes from the drycleaners that people never pick up is at Korean church rummage/garage sales. Obviously, members of the particular Korean church who own dry cleaning establishments bring the clothes -- each piece covered in plastic and on hangers of course -- to these church sales. And they usually bring racks and racks - shirts, suits, sportsjackets, women's clothes... you'd be surprised how many items of clothing are just never picked up from the cleaners - either because people forget (or because they've paid for that Van Heusen shirt 12 times over since they bought it.) However, I've only picked up a few shirts... it's never the motherload I expect it to be. Looking through all the dry cleaned Bass and Arrow shirts and Claiborne suits and Mani jackets from the 90s, I think to myself, "People actually pay good money to get these crappy clothes dry cleaned?" And then I remember that people with good clothes launder them themselves, or have their housekeepers do it. Most of the shirts have that dry clean "sheen" to them, and many have cracked buttons. Dry cleaning is HARSH! (The only places I'd send my shirts out for laundering is to the Bristol Hotel in Paris, the St. George in London, or anywhere in Japan.)

believe me, most cleaners aren't going to let you do this. when enough time passes by they get rid of them in some way - keeping them, selling them, giving them away, etc.

it's probably in the receipt that they have the right to do so if the owner never comes back for the clothes. i dont think it's anywhere in there that they'll hold on to your clothes forever.

Originally Posted by idfnl

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I was thinking of asking if there was a way to get in there and pick thru and maybe make an offer on some.

You may be in a good area to try this. I wouldn't waste time trying it in any old town, but it may be worthwhile propositioning cleaners in higher income areas like Loudoun and Fairfax counties in VA or Howard County, MD - all have median household incomes of >$100k and rank as the highest income counties in the US based on 2007 numbers.

Good luck cracking the parisvegas code.

Originally Posted by RLlikes

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Good luck cracking the parisvegas code.

Has anyone seriously tried to figure out what he does?

Originally Posted by idfnl

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Has anyone seriously tried to figure out what he does?

Some say he gets his stash from the Casinos?

One example and statement of policy:

http://www.sell.com/229M3J

Originally Posted by Cary Grant

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One example and statement of policy:

http://www.sell.com/229M3J

Yeah, that's exactly what I mean by the juice is not worth the squeeze... look at these crap brands: "ABERCRAME & FITCH, TOMMY HILFINGER, OLD NEY, RALPSH LAUREN, AEROPOSTALE, ARIZONA, AND ONE, LIZ CLAIRBORE, DOCKERS, GUESS, UNION BAY, BASS, STEVE MADDEN, etc."

At least with ParisVegas you can go through the inventory quickly on your computer and get the few desirable pieces he has (I picked up an AgnesB long-sleeved T from him that I really like) -- if you bought a lot of unclaimed clothes left at the drycleaners, you'd have 99% crap!

Best thing might be to find out when local Korean churches hold their church yard sales... you'll quickly see that just because someone took it to the drycleaners doesn't mean that a) it was any good to begin with, and b) it doesn't have ring-around-the-collar, broken buttons, and some polyester content.

Originally Posted by idfnl

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Has anyone seriously tried to figure out what he does?

I think it's odds-on something similar to this (plus maybe thrift buys, and I suspect stuff like winning auctions for lucky-dip left/lost luggage, etc, etc). Frankly it seems more work than its worth, but good luck to him.

Similarly, are there leftover clothes from funeral homes?


- B

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

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Similarly, are there leftover clothes from funeral homes?

Graveyards are GOLDMINES

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

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Similarly, are there leftover clothes from funeral homes?

I've always rather wondered whether some shady nursing/retirement home staff supplement their income in a similar manner...

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

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Similarly, are there leftover clothes from funeral homes?


- B

Sounds funny, but I think some of those places will sell the shoes and jewelry. I'm always suspicious when they ask everyone to leave so they can "close the casket".