The Official Thrift / Discount Store Bragging Thread Part III (Sept 2018-)

[WoolyLamb]

I feel like the majority of us are 40-42

 

[LiamD]

Drake's truly had some bangers when it comes to accessories. What a color combo.
View attachment 2133349

Pretty sure Drake's can't take the credit for that pattern.

 

[Sartoriamo]

BBC newsman. Coolest part of this post

Well that's very gracious of you to say . . . NGL they were some great years. A significant life chapter, for sure.

I don't normally share this stuff, because, really, who cares? But since it's you guys, WTF, here's the story . . .

Spoiler: BBC story

I graduated with an Industrial Science degree in the early 70s, traveled much of the world, then did the usual bunch of random stuff: drove trucks, worked as a gamekeeper, hunting guide, logger etc. Took some time off to rethink after a chainsaw encounter tore up my left leg (fortunately superficial, but nasty) and decided to get into documentary filmmaking.

Back in the early days the BBC had a habit of buying giant old houses and turning them into studios (they always called them “Broadcasting House”) and the studios in my home town were set amongst acres of vegetation that they used to make a gardening show. I was volunteering at the university’s TV department when I saw a sign from the BBC asking for someone to help lay concrete slabs on which to roll the giant cameras of that era, so I headed up there and got hired right away. I laid slabs, built greenhouses, ponds, waterfalls, all that kind of stuff for filming, and most importantly, got to know the people inside the building over daily lunches at the canteen.

One day, I saw a notice about a radio training course they were having for new journalist hires, so I talked them into letting me attend. Everyone was amused when they saw me there in a sport coat and tie after all that time outside in coveralls. I got the hang of it pretty fast and began doing freelance work (at first the light, stupid stories that usually begin “and finally . . .”) before being invited to do news shifts. It is an intense process of inching one’s way up the ladder, getting beaten up by editors and producers, getting honed into a reliable, accurate, disciplined reporter. And NO opinions, ever. Just the facts. Not like here, where my head nearly explodes from the BS partisan talking points that dominate the so-called “news” in certain quarters . . . But don’t get me started on that . . .

Back then, we all took turns when we qualified: anchor one week, producer the next, editor the next, reporter the next, though we all piled in together when there was a big story. I had an amazing editor who was tough but fair. Everybody smoked, and the newsroom air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Hard to imagine that now. Ah frack, I'm dating myself, lol . . .

Anyway, great times, and I interviewed many famous and not-so-famous people, got to fly in all kinds of aircraft, ride in amazing vehicles and ships, see what’s going on inside buildings and factories, attend all kinds of events, learn about, well, everything, and, of course, make mom & dad happy every time the radio alarm went of and it was me on the news.

But I guess we all have our limits, and for me, that was in 1988, when the Piper Alpha oil platform exploded, killing 167 people. That day, I was serving in the reporter position, and my editor wanted me to go down and talk to the wives and children waiting at the airport to see whether their husbands and fathers had lived or died. Well no fkn way was I intruding on their grief and uncertainty, so I refused, and the editor stormed out and did it himself. That, and a few other instances, made me realize I had personal limits on propriety that I would have had to compromise if I was going to continue climbing the news ladder, plus it would have meant moving somewhere loathsome like London (sorry, Londoners on the thread), so I moved to the US with my Finnish girlfriend of the time and went to medical school. Been here ever since. So there ya go . . .

Hey, I had a great time in broadcasting for more 15 years, and it left me with some useful skills, like interviewing, and other completely obsolete ones (like editing 1/4” reel-to-reel tape with a razor blade). For years I did something I don’t think anyone does any more: natural history documentaries on radio. I did the first one ever on UK mountain biking in the early-80s. Good times.

When I think about all of the training, vetting and discipline that went into being a BBC newsman it really galls me that now every Tom, Dick, Harry and F***head with an opinion can spew their obnoxious garbage to the world on youtube and social media platforms with zero training or vetting or even basic competence. Pandora’s box is open, and IMHO it’s manifestly NOT for the better. YMMV, of course . . .

/Rantover

@Sartoriamo
you ever run into the lads from Top Gear when working at the big B.

Yo Frenchy, that would have been fun, but naaaah, they were after my time. Top Gear, as we think of it, started in the early aughts, but my last BBC assignment was in 1996. I was there from ~1980 to 1996.

But yeah, I did some of that content before it became a thing or was even known as "content", lol. I remember recording myself opening up someone's Jensen FF on a straightaway, and thinking it was insane to get it to 130mph, when that's routine nowadays. When I got to review the first Land Rover they put a V8 in, I went crazy 4-wheelin' the tar out of it every night until they sent someone to pry it loose.

Geez, four decades ago. Making me feel old . . . The earlier version of Top Gear was fronted by a news anchor and a DJ, who I ran into a couple times on assignment, but they were on a different level, status-wise, in the organization. I made awesome money, but was still a peon by comparison. Now, thankfully, I'm an unknown, which is just how I like it.

 

[ATLjon]

Well that's very gracious of you to say . . . NGL they were some great years. A significant life chapter, for sure.

I don't normally share this stuff, because, really, who cares? But since it's you guys, WTF, here's the story . . .

Spoiler: BBC story

I graduated with an Industrial Science degree in the early 70s, traveled much of the world, then did the usual bunch of random stuff: drove trucks, worked as a gamekeeper, hunting guide, logger etc. Took some time off to rethink after a chainsaw encounter tore up my left leg (fortunately superficial, but nasty) and decided to get into documentary filmmaking.

Back in the early days the BBC had a habit of buying giant old houses and turning them into studios (they always called them “Broadcasting House”) and the studios in my home town were set amongst acres of vegetation that they used to make a gardening show. I was volunteering at the university’s TV department when I saw a sign asking for someone to help lay concrete slabs on which to roll the giant cameras of that era, so I headed up there and got hired right away. I laid slabs, built greenhouses, ponds, waterfalls, all that kind of stuff for filming, and most importantly, got to know the people inside the building over daily lunches at the canteen.

One day, I saw a notice about a radio training course they were having for new journalist hires, so I talked them into letting me attend. Everyone was amused when they saw me there in a sport coat and tie after all that time outside in coveralls. I got the hang of it pretty fast and began doing freelance work (at first the light, stupid stories that usually begin “and finally . . .”) before being invited to do news shifts. It is an intense process of inching one’s way up the ladder, getting beaten up by editors and producers, getting honed into a reliable, accurate, disciplined reporter. And NO opinions, ever. Just the facts. Not like here, where my head nearly explodes from the BS partisan talking points that dominate the so-called “news” in certain quarters . . . But don’t get me started on that . . .

Back then, we all took turns when we qualified: anchor one week, producer the next, editor the next, reporter the next, though we all piled in together when there was a big story. I had an amazing editor who was tough but fair. Everybody smoked, and the newsroom air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Hard to imagine that now. Ah frack, I'm dating myself, lol . . .

Anyway, great times, and I interviewed many famous and not-so-famous people, got to fly in all kinds of aircraft, ride in amazing vehicles and ships, see what’s going on inside buildings and factories, attend all kinds of events, learn about, well, everything, and, of course, make mom & dad happy every time the radio alarm went of and it was me on the news.

But I guess we all have our limits, and for me, that was in 1998, when the Piper Alpha oil platform exploded, killing 167 people. That day, I was serving in the reporter position, and my editor wanted me to go down and talk to the wives and children waiting at the airport to see whether their husbands and fathers had lived or died. Well no fkn way was I intruding on their grief and uncertainty, so I refused, and the editor stormed out and did it himself. That, and a few other instances, made me realize I had personal, limits on propriety that I would have had to compromise if I was going to continue climbing the news ladder, plus it would have meant moving somewhere loathsome like London (sorry, Londoners on the thread), so I moved to the US with my Finnish girlfriend of the time and went to medical school. Been here ever since. So there ya go . . .

Hey, I had a great time in broadcasting for more 15 years, and it left me with some useful skills, like interviewing, and other completely obsolete ones (like editing 1/4” reel-to-reel tape with a razor blade). For years I did something I don’t think anyone does any more: natural history documentaries on radio. I did the first one ever on UK mountain biking in the early-80s. Good times.

When I think about all of the training, vetting and discipline that went into being a BBC newsman it really galls me that now every Tom, Dick, Harry and F***head with an opinion can spew their obnoxious garbage to the world on youtube and social media platforms with zero training or vetting or even basic competence. Pandora’s box is open, and IMHO it’s manifestly NOT for the better. YMMV, of course . . .

/Rantover

Yo Frenchy, that would have been fun, but naaaah, they were after my time. Top Gear, as we think of it, started in the early aughts, but my last BBC assignment was in 1996. I was there from ~1980 to 1996.

But yeah, I did some of that content before it became a thing or was even known as "content", lol. I remember recording myself opening up someone's Jensen FF on a straightaway, and thinking it was insane to get it to 130mph, when that's routine nowadays. When I got to review the first Land Rover they put a V8 in, I went crazy 4-wheelin' the tar out of it every night until they sent someone to pry it loose.

Geez, four decades ago. Making me feel old . . . The earlier version of Top Gear was fronted by a news anchor and a DJ, who I ran into a couple times on assignment, but they were on a different level, status-wise, in the organization. I made awesome money, but was still a peon by comparison. Now, thankfully, I'm an unknown, which is just how I like it.

Oh wow. The journalism dream! It's a shame that dream is either completely dead or is only accessible to folks with alternate forms of income. I would have loved to have been an arts reporter at a big paper or at a weekly when those still existed, but I graduated at the tail end of all that. I feel lucky to have clawed my way into a reliable freelance gig, but it in now way pays any bills.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[WhyKay]

Was briefly back in the US so decided to get my thrift fix (glad I did). Six bucks. It's also a size small which is apparently uncommon on the older Carhartt jackets... explains the younger dude following me around the store seeing if I'd put it back

 

[Nataku]

Nah bruv this isn't funny do you rob Isaia? I don't understand how one man can pull the same brand over and over.

I would mostly relate that to the fact that there's only two stores left in our area that carry what we would consider high-end men's tailored stuff, and one of them has a great Isaia department.

So I never knew that there was a following for Lava Lamps. Unlike...basically everyone I know, I never had one in college so I have picked up a few lately (I'm up to 6 now) and all but 1 are Lava Lamp branded.
I saw a cool looking odd one over the summer that was a larger than the normal 14" and I thought was the same size as the two 16.3 inchers that I have but upon comparison it was actually shorter but wider. The base was made of brass or some brassy-like material with pinholes so it has additional shine when turned on.

It is from the 70s and is either called a Century, a Starlite, or a Starlite Century. I did a little search on that auction site and turns out it is a desireable model. Who would have guessed?

This looks more to be an outlier in pricing as they have been selling for $150 - $220. Pretty good for a $12.99 purchase

I found an original (70's) Lava Lamp about 6-7 years ago, very similar to your's. It had been sitting for 30+ years, so the "lava" had turned into a solid red slab of what looked like Jell-O in the bottom of the lamp. After the kids went to bed, I decided I had time to now plug this thing in and see if it could be brought back to life. Plugged it in on the kitchen island, turned the lights off and walked away. Came back a couple hours later and the lamp had come back to life. It lit the kitchen up pretty well to. Well enough that I didn't think to turn the lights on. Well, this lamp had an usually long cord and my foot caught on the cord and yanked the base out from the under the top of the lamp. The base hit the floor at presumably just the right angle (or maybe the thing was just that fragile) and it shattered. Not only did it break, but red lava was splattered everywhere. Cupboards, floor, chairs, ceiling, everything. Ground zero was right next to the kitchen desk chair. The way it looked, it could have easily been mistaken for a murder scene. My wife heard the crash and the seemingly endless list of expletives that followed and came to see what was going on. The look on her face was a strange mixture of amusement and terror. She then made the comment about it looking like a murder scene. Cleanup was a huge pain, as 50 year old red "lava" likes to leave it's mark. We had to paint the ceiling 3 times to get it to cover up the splatter. I've still got some small residual marks on the cupboards that I didn't notice until weeks later, and by that point is was near impossible to remove. Those spots I just chalk up to "patina". In any case, I vowed from that day forward that I'd never buy another lava lamp.

Yes please
View attachment 2133373

Whoa! That is awesome! Possible one-off sample? We used to get those at the outlet from time to time. They haven't gotten any in 4-5 years now, though. Kinda bummed.

@Nataku nice suiting finds!

Any 40/42?!

SuSu are tagged 40L and 42 L, but both cut super slim, plus I believe the waist was taken in on both. Oxxfords are in the 46 L range.

 

[WoolyLamb]

I had a lava lamp as a kid. It was a teal color. Loved it but it failed at some point. Air got in and the bulb burned out.

 

[impuntura]

 

[Letric]

Carhartt jackets are quickly becoming the: "If you have that you'll get followed around" type of item. That's why whenever I find one I grab a cart and bury it deep under a few Izod polos.

 

[silverwarebandit]

I had a pretty good run the last couple of stops.

I was just about to buy some new sneakers and these Hoka and Salomon fell into my lap.

Grabbed some weirdo belts just because. Lao designs (never heard of it) shirt has a really awesome texture, and a pretty darn high retail. Smock I picked up just because I cop anything MIJ with indigo warnings, turns out it’s the Mohawk General Store house brand. Pop on 18 east, cargos are RRL for her and she dibsed the 3sixteen too.

 

[silverwarebandit]

Cont’d

Unis got the wide leg and pleats memo and RRL for me. Christian dada another cop because MIJ, looks like the label went under. Rubinacci is going to my niece, some nice ties to go into my collection that I almost never use, and some shirts for cleaning. Pop on Haider Ackerman, super weird shirt.

These vintage N Peal knits are suuuuper nice and N/A, and those cool texture boglioli too. Ludovic du Saint Serain was new to me but seemed like a thing.

 

[silverwarebandit]

I’ve been wanting to find vintage horsehide for a looooong time and finally got my wish. TF have some minor flaws but nwt they should have plenty of meat on the bone.

 

[LaundryRoom]

A few recent finds...

Ludlow jacket

Women's Beadnell

Deadbird Q5 lumbar pack

 

[Purplelabel]

I'm still waiting for my first Carhartt jacket to be found, but all the tik tokers and young'uns find them first I guess.

Its ok though, they can ambush those while I take the cashmere Brioni.

 

[sushijerk]

I see a fair amount of carhartt but I think only the older made in usa ones are worth money?