The official thrift/discount store bragging thread

Originally Posted by The Deacon

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I have used a big (cobbler big!) brush and a cotton towel to scrub hard and wisk the leather to a brilliant shine if the oils are still extant in the leather and that worked well. Do not use acetone or alcohol to hasten the process, they will dry out the leather and you run the risk of it tearing, that happened to me with some vintage shell cordovans and it broke my heart. If you must cheat, you can actually use nuetral polish in small quantities on a cloth and the polish will come right off onto the towel each time you apply it and rub. This can safely be done on burgundy and black shell, I wouldn't do it to a lighter shell color for fear of slightly darkening the leather. You give us some b4 and after shots please!

At some point I'll buy the saphir and crema nubiana products that the serious guys here on SF use on their shoes (RIDER, REBEL 222, Distinctive, etc). Thats how you get the awe inspiring shine!

Use the Saphir Renovateur... $25 shipped from Will's store isn't going to break anyone's bank!

Nice pair of three-eylet ecco mocs, worn maybe two or three times. This is after a half hour soaking with Pitch Blend in the sun and a good scrubbing to get some brown polish off, and iron out the toes (no trees in their past).

Hard to find nicer brands here at all, especially in a 7.

Aloha,

Poinz

Originally Posted by Poindexter

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Pitch Blend

What's that?

Montana Pitch Blend is actually a hunting/sport boot dressing, and the best leather treatment I've found: Ratcheer It's made of mink oil, pine pitch and beeswax. The hunters slather the stuff heavily over their boots and toast lightly, repeating until saturated. The game doesn't spook, because it's all natural stuff. Smells yummy, a beneficial side effect. I treat all my shoes, belts, li'dat with it once in awhile. Put item in the Maui sun. When warm, smear the stuff on there. Every few minutes, turn in the sun and smear the stuff around some more, adding where it gets absorbed too much. After a smear or three, take the piece out of the sun, and scrub the excess off with terry. Let it sit and cool off for a few hours, and polish if dee-sahred. It's the best way I've found of solving off old polish without drying out the leather. To the contrary. For pale leather like saddle, it may darken some. In this case, it actually lightened a little because of the brown polish that was on there. The shoes actually look a little lighter than the photo, a sort of whiskey. I forgot to brag; they were $7.50. The cheapo WallyWorld trees cost half as much. Aloha, Poinz

Originally Posted by AlanC

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^I'd keep my eye on the place to see if the Kiton jacket shows up.
Went back today with no luck- sadly I think the jacket is history. According to the tag on the trousers, they had been there since July. That's a lot of time for someone to have came along and snatched the jacket up. Oh well, maybe another Kiton suit will turn up one of these days....

What are your top favorite sport/dress shirt brands?

Pretty good day yesterday.

Brown herringbone Zegna Shirt $1
Robert Graham Shirt $5
Robert Talbott $3

I picked up these Florsheims at the local thrift store recently for $5. As I know nothing about shoes, I wonder if I got a pretty good deal. But I guess since I like them, they're comfortable, and they were cheap, they'll work for me.

-Matt

Originally Posted by AlanC

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^I'd keep my eye on the place to see if the Kiton jacket shows up.

I've returned to one particular thrift several times over the last two weeks in hope of the trousers to a POW Golden Fleece jacket showing up. The jacket remains...no trousers to date. The bright spot in this is that every time I go in, I find more size 16 high end shirts, most never worn and some still have the tags attached. Etro, Armani Collezioni, Pal Zileri, Hickey-Freeman, Richard James, Lewin and Pink, most in new, all in excellent, condition.

Also picked up 4 mint condition Hermes ties this week for a grand total of $6.50.

^^ Wow, nice finds! At least your returning trips are paying off. I haven't found any nice ties in a long time.

The two things with the Kiton that bum me out is 1) With orphaned trousers, there is a much greater chance that they were donated as a suit, opposed to an orphaned jacket. and 2) judging by the fit of the trousers, the jacket probably would have fit me perfectly.

Picked up a nice tweed overcoat today for $20. It's a size big, but I'm planning on having my tailor trim it down and use it as a pattern to make a lighterweight wool coat for me. It's also my first item with a ticket pocket!

Originally Posted by le Dauphin

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I picked up these Florsheims at the local thrift store recently for $5. As I know nothing about shoes, I wonder if I got a pretty good deal. But I guess since I like them, they're comfortable, and they were cheap, they'll work for me. -Matt

That's not a bad deal at all.

Found three very nice DB suits, all mint and appear unworn. One was a Valentino for Saks in a navy flannel with subdued pinstripes, quite remarkable hand to it. Another was a grey flannel chalkstripe Southwick, and the third was a Hickey Freeman customized with some straight blades, navy with a micro pinstripe and occasional blue overstripe.

More from the same closet and lightly worn but perfectly servicable were both a 3/2 lighter blue herringbone sack suit from a local maker, and a three button POW check 3 piece sack also from the same local shop.

the best part is that all the jackets fit well with only the sleeves needing lengthened. I have not yet tried the trousers, crossing my fingers....

Originally Posted by le Dauphin

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I picked up these Florsheims at the local thrift store recently for $5. As I know nothing about shoes, I wonder if I got a pretty good deal. But I guess since I like them, they're comfortable, and they were cheap, they'll work for me. -Matt

Do they say made in india, or are they US ones? The black insole makes me worry that they're newer....

Originally Posted by Nataku

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^^ Wow, nice finds! At least your returning trips are paying off. I haven't found any nice ties in a long time.

The two things with the Kiton that bum me out is 1) With orphaned trousers, there is a much greater chance that they were donated as a suit, opposed to an orphaned jacket. and 2) judging by the fit of the trousers, the jacket probably would have fit me perfectly.



Don't know why I never thought of it before, but we're all a bunch of old fishermen here. "Let me tell you about the one that got away this weekend. It was THIS BIG..."