The official thrift/discount store bragging thread

...

Originally Posted by Mr. Moo

Click to expand...

are you guys just buying anything with a label?

+1. If I picked up some of the labels that appear on here with regularity (particularly the Pink / Lewin / Tyrwhitt shirts) I'd have so much clothing I couldn't move.

Originally Posted by SimonC

Click to expand...

+1. If I picked up some of the labels that appear on here with regularity (particularly the Pink / Lewin / Tyrwhitt shirts) I'd have so much clothing I couldn't move.
Meh...I swear I'm not trying to be confrontational here, but has it really been your experience that with all the stuff that causes people to come up and swoon and go, Ooh... and rub your clothing, there's always a one to one correlation with an internet approved label? It certainly hasn't been mine. Plus I know I've gotten more than a few loud PMs about, Holy **** that rad tie!...that just fade to crickets when the brand is revealed to be a mere Polo or Van Heusen, oh noes! It just all seems pretty silly to me. Are we not just bathing in the absurdity here? Or is this threak really Serious Business? (If so, then I duly apologize for posting a JCrew).

Originally Posted by SimonC

Click to expand...

+1. If I picked up some of the labels that appear on here with regularity (particularly the Pink / Lewin / Tyrwhitt shirts) I'd have so much clothing I couldn't move.

Where do you live? British shirts such as CT and Pink are pretty ******* rare here. There's probably 20 people in my entire state who even know they exist, let alone donate them. I don't see alot of them posted in here either, compared to other brands.

I don't even understand the backlash for brands such as those. For the $30 it costs for one of CT's you're getting a really ******* good deal for your money. At thrift prices, forget about it!

Originally Posted by deveandepot1

Click to expand...

I have had a few bad experiences with some of my fellow thrifters on ebay(You know who you are).
So I am going ask everybody here if you agree or disagree with me.

1. A moth hole of 1/2" should be listed/noted even if it is on the back of the tie.

2. You are not required by Ebay to list the inseam of pants. However, if the pants on a 38L suit have been hemmed to 27" you should list it in your auction or take a return.

3. NWOT means New Without Tags. Not "I don't think any body wore it, but I might be wrong"

4. If an item is acrylic, but listed and sold as cashmere, you must accept a return. Since acrylic is acrylic and not cashmere. It might have a "Cashmere feel", but it is still acrylic.

1. Agree.
2. Agree. Less a matter of ethics than good business sense--when the sizing is odd, measurements are even more important.
3. Absolutely. No question.
4. Ditto.

Did all these "experiences" happen with the same seller? If so, that person seems either out to lunch or dishonest. (In which case, you should post a waning for the rest of us.)

AEP

Found my first Brioni! ... And then left it. Was traveling in Ireland and Northern Ireland where there are tonnes of little thrift shops (literally like 5 on a street sometimes). Found a 44R Brioni suit with what looked like a few problem stains on the pants. The stains combined with the fact that it wasn't my size and that it was close the beginning of a day of walking around sightseeing meant that I'd leave it for someone else. Kind of a bummer, but oh well. Hopefully someone else was stoked to find it. Picked up some other stuff later all around Ireland. Noteably a great wool/cashmere Canali SC, a yellow Thomas Pink tie, and a gold buttoned blue blazer that fits me really well (by "The Label", has anyone heard of it? Made in England). I have a couple crappy phone pics of the Brioni, but they're not that great so I won't bother unless someone has a pressing need to see them. I'll try to get some decent pics of the other stuff just so you can either validate my happiness or crush me with reality. edit: agreed on all counts, deveandepot1.

Fake of real?

http://cgi.ebay.com/J-M-Weston-shoes...item2c5d4fca65

Originally Posted by Mr. Moo

Click to expand...

are you guys just buying anything with a label?

+1 A lot of the stuff that appears here is not particularly great. Seems people are just buying for the sake of a label. A lot of the shirts and ties look quite dated.

Would you buy any of this stuff at retail?

Originally Posted by ChetBakerSings

Click to expand...

Also recently: Brooks Brothers "Feathertweed" sack

I really like this however.

Originally Posted by Navi

Click to expand...

Where do you live? British shirts such as CT and Pink are pretty **** rare here. There's probably 20 people in my entire state who even know they exist, let alone donate them. I don't see alot of them posted in here either, compared to other brands.

I don't even understand the backlash for brands such as those. For the $30 it costs for one of CT's you're getting a really ******* good deal for your money. At thrift prices, forget about it!

Oh, don't get me wrong - I've got lots of Lewin shirts brand new, and they're excellent VFM. However, here (London), they're very common in thrifts (and usually overpriced relative to new prices).

I seem to have generated a few strong opinions (more on the brand front than anything). I'll therefore re-state my point in a different manner:

I will buy two types of items from thrifts. One is well made items that fit me, where I wouldn't necessarily pay full retail (i.e. I didn't need a black velvet jacket, but a bespoke one at thrift pricing made sense).

The other is top-tier brands where I think I can make a reasonable margin to fund the items I keep for myself. I've passed up on Brioni etc where there's not enough margin, and I've been burnt buying mid-level brands only to barely cover my costs.

I look at some of the brands and general aesthetics of items posted here, and I can't see the appeal. Just because it's cheap doesn't mean you have to buy it.

Originally Posted by inimitable

Click to expand...

+1 A lot of the stuff that appears here is not particularly great. Seems people are just buying for the sake of a label. A lot of the shirts and ties look quite dated.

I'd have to agree. If the stuff isn't that great but you still want to brag, just post a list with a good description. If someone requests photos, then post em up. I won't post pics anymore unless it's an amazing find. People used to be really selective in this thread. Now it seems we have people posting up everything and anything. Just use good judgement - if it fits you well and you want to show off a fit pic, that's cool. If you're gonna take photos of a Jos A Bank label, please don't. It just clutters up the thread.

^^^ Agreed.

Although ChetBakerSings, that Feathertweed is quite nice.

This thread is now text only.

Originally Posted by Nataku

Click to expand...

I'd have to agree. If the stuff isn't that great but you still want to brag, just post a list with a good description. If someone requests photos, then post em up.

+1 - this is what I've started doing for the most part and it seems to work well. You'll still generate interest or discussion if it's particularly unusual - a good example is the M3 Bills I posted awhile back, which I didn't take a photo of (though I reserve the right to take a photo of any Bullard Field Pants I run across ) but posted some LINKED THUMBNAILS after I got three PM's requesting photos.

Really, most of what us "normal thrifters" find isn't all that pic-worthy. Sorry, but that's the way it is.

If it's unusual or funny, post that too... I enjoyed the "ETRO" into "RETRO" someone did a page or two ago, and the "near fake" labels like Borroni or whatever are good for a chuckle now and again.

Was I wrong to leave it? I found my first ever Canali SC today. It was a 3 button single vent in a mostly grey small houndstooth. There was one moth hole about an eighth of an inch in diameter about 3 inches below the left sleeve head facing out, naturally. Nine dollars.

At home, I googled reweavers in Maryland and only found 3. One has a great reputation but is only open Wed and Thurs so they didn't answer the phone. The second guessed $200 to fix. The last barely spoke English and said $8 or $10 It'll need around $50 in other alterations.

Am I that desperate? Probably.