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

[greekgeek]

Catching up on this week's pick ups

Sweet paisley shawl collar dinner jacket, minty with a bonus matching Robert Talbott silk bow tie in the pocket.

By Chaps RL, back when made in the USA for Nordies.

Very nice tweed duel vent w patch pockets. Not entirely sold on the lapels..seems quality with a great hand. Not a Harris, can't have everything!

Anyone know this label?

Made in Poland

LL Bean Gore tex shell ski bibs, as new. nice tapes seams everywhere.

Vintage Disney Trucker Cap

On to shoes... First up some horween shell cordovan Randolph loafers with original soles.
Should clean up nicely.

Nike ACG hikers again with the Gore tex, worn once condition.

Weird Goodyear racing Adidas ( not Panda level weird... Or value, sadly)

Cherry red Docs for the kiddos. Little Polish will do these well and get them close to new, look worn once but scuffed.

Work boots, unworn. Rockrooster? Who knew. Nice quality though.

Brand new Chucks, looks like AstroTurf uppers.

In addition to the Hartman, grabbed this as new Mulholland Brothers for Eddie Bauer for Ford (what a collab!!). Canvas and leather duffel. Love this light weight line, it's a bit under the radar though so great for buying, less for selling.
At $2.50 IDGAF and its a keeper anyhow.

North face fleece, minty and my size.

LL Bean super puffy reversible Down vest. Ridiculous amount of fill for a vest but it's nice.

Hit the picture limit, brb lol.

 

[Sartoriamo]

Hey y’all! A bit behind on photos, so none of that, but missing the conversation so I’m gonna get an oldie but goodie going to see how folks opinions may have changed as the market has.

So I’ve been at this thrifting thing for a bit now, and I’m no expert at any of it, but really enjoying myself, even when times are lean on finds/sales.

Given that this is my main source of income, if it fits it sits doesn’t really work as a size 40. That said, I’ve found a lot of stuff that I’m keeping for now. I guess one thing of note is that as a deliberate thrifter and reseller, my wardrobe has changed a lot. I’ve sold a lot of my personal clothes that could see a good return, and replaced them with thrifted versions. I’m most drawn to outerwear. At this point I have thrifted about 11 jackets that are in the stay pile. I’ve probably sold 7 or 8 with more on the docket.

I don’t ever keep NWT stuff, or haven’t yet, because of the proportional increase in return on most items I buy. Items with some damage or something a bit off are even easier to rationalize haha. But like I was saying when there’s so much new stuff incoming, my closet and my inventory have merged. There may well be yet items I never get rid of, and I too dream of well worn items, patina that shows as much age as I do, but we’ll see.

As a result of all this in and out, so to speak, my style has become much more fluid. I buy what I think will sell well, and then from that wear whatever I really dig. I think that’s a very cool and unexpected aspect of it.

So I’ve shared my guilty pleasure, my current total (11 pieces of outerwear) and some of my rationale. So my questions to you who use this as a primary income source are:

where do you stand on gettin high on your own supply? What makes up your rationale? How disciplined are you about this stuff? How fluid is the personal stock when times are lean? And lastly what’s your guilty pleasure? How many pleasures do you have to show for it?

OK, morning coffee time, so I'll play . . .

So straight up, first off, when you're trying to do this for a living, you pretty much have to sell whatever you need to whenever you need to if the bills come calling. Simple as that.

I'm 25 years in, just 15 on the thread, so I have everything I "need". "Want" is another story, and there are grails I will always be searching for.

Spoiler: THE REST

It also varies with time. When I first got into this, I had a C-suite position near Boston and I bought/sold 100% CM, because it was my own sartorial passion. I had to dress up impeccably for work every day, so at one time I had 50+ suits and 100+ sport coats in what I called "my own wardrobe". Racks and racks. Probably 300 ties, and 50 or so pairs of my favored Ferragamo and Gucci loafers in leather, suede and many colors (still have ~20+, but now have Lobb etc). But I had a 6-figure salary, so I didn't need to flip. It was more of a side thing. My colleagues were spending $5K on one suit, and I could have 50 for that. So I did. Bear in mind, though, this was long before stores were forced to shunt the good stuff to shopgoodwill.com, so I'd pick up Brioni, RLPL, Isaia and on and on. Kiton was just starting to show up. Also bought tons on eBay cheap from crappy listings. Bonkers times. These were the glory days you will hear the other old-timers harp on about. $100K a year in sales part time (but I bought as much as I sold).

When I later got hired into Vermont, still C-suite, it was a casual company, so I started thinning out the suits and bought a ton of outerwear. I had a rack in the mudroom with 20+ pieces of LP outerwear. I'm one of those obsessives (as I'm sure many of the rest of you are) where once you find something you love, you buy more of them. So when I discovered the LP Horsey jacket I had to have one in every color (with gilets), and various fabrics (though never kopped vicuna). Then I quit and moved back to AZ, and, since I was now thrift flipping full time, thinned out much of the thicker outerwear. So much of what I have now is vintage Hawaiian for the summer and Dead Bird and Patagucci for the winter. Lots of boots. The little remaining CM I have is all top-line: Tom Ford navy blazer ($25), Borrelli/Isaia suits ($50), Kiton DB ($7) and so on. But I have had no occasion to wear it in 5 years. Maybe when I start working again.

One of these days, I'll post pix of my LP outerwear racks from 2010. I did it once, maybe a dozen years ago, but it's a good reminder of my obsessive nature. Obsessive tendencies + discovering thrifting = big trouble.

So what happens over time is that you just continuously curate your wardrobe, keeping the grails or cherries, and moving the rest out. Anything that will sell for decent money (aka $1K+) I ALWAYS flip. Just can't justify keeping that margin, unless it's something I wear all the time. I rarely keep anything that's NWT, unless it's super-cheap, as I don't want to lose the "NWT premium".

Bottom line: when you're full-time, the dollar always wins. Other than that, as @RFHansen said, keep anything you like and wear it a few times. You'll soon know if it's a keeper. If not, move it out. Let a couple decades go by, and you'll find you have a quarter mill stellar wardrobe that you paid ten grand for, with at least a few grails and maybe an unobtainium or two.

One tip: keep inventory and wardrobe totally separate. I do this by packing and stacking all my inventory after photographs and measurement. If it's in the closet, it's mine till I sell it.

 

[Sartoriamo]

I love it when this happens: a $1200+ original artwork by David Grojean, a pretty well-known guy from @Fueco's 'hood was inadvertently donated to GW by a local store employee, and they wouldn't allow him to retrieve it. "Once it crosses the threshold it's ours . . ." Bastards. Showed up on the GW shelves at $399.99. I memorized the tag color and waited. Thursday was $2 day for the tag color, so I was in there early, and grabbed it. I just love that feeling of arriving at checkout, and having them say: "$399.99", and then, after a short pause: "Oh, sorry, TWO DOLLA". Score. Should get five Bens at the local art auction, but let's face it, I really just liked "screwing them back". F*ckers. I don't even LIKE the art. It's just the principle.

When I went to grab it, I noticed this massive wall art piece. Just loved it. Absolutely my taste for that kind of decorative art. 6'x4'.

Google-lensed it and it's $400 on Amazon at that size, so a robust decor score for $19. A decent art day!

 

[greekgeek]

$2 day?? That's hilarious and nice score!

 

[Centaurus3200]

Decent day. Another wilson pro staff ST VINCENT ($4) and bowers and Wilkons DM17 ($25).

 

[eazye]

Bought this to flip but……

No maker tag but looks like the same tag as vintage Eddie Bauer. One of the puffiest puffers I’ve ever found.

Never found something like these but too cool to let go.

Another pair for personal

 

[greekgeek]

Bought this to flip but…… View attachment 2262599 View attachment 2262601 View attachment 2262603
No maker tag but looks like the same tag as vintage Eddie Bauer. One of the puffiest puffers I’ve ever found. View attachment 2262605 View attachment 2262607 View attachment 2262609
Never found something like these but too cool to let go. View attachment 2262611 View attachment 2262613
Another pair for personal View attachment 2262615 View attachment 2262617 View attachment 2262619 View attachment 2262621 View attachment 2262623 View attachment 2262625 View attachment 2262627 View attachment 2262629 View attachment 2262631 View attachment 2262633 View attachment 2262635 View attachment 2262637

That A&F shearling is sick AF.

 

[eazye]

From the 30s? And minty!

Had no idea they sold clothes, no idea on the maker though.

 

[eazye]

 

[greekgeek]

Welp, those Nikes on closer inspection look Fugazi. Not 1994 but even worse, not even real Nikes in my opinion. Oh well, was in a rush. Trashcan or donate back? Hmmm

Anyways... These ought to make up for it:

New old stock vintage Coast Guard raincoat, half belted in the back. Plymouth of Boston. Anyone know the brand or era of this puppy?

Custom tailored (?) no label Aquapel. Fits like it was MTM for me. Not sure about the insulation liner, but liking the rest of it.
Suh weet bemberg lining. Vest liner also has sleeves that button in to the cuffs.
Acme zipper.
Like new.

Patagucci full zip fleece, love the color and it's my size. Great shape.

Champion reverse weave. NOS ca. 1990s. (Pre website, color). Looks yuuuge for an X Small.

Hilarious vtg Gildan USSC shirt

Pre interwebs vintage Gildan grateful Dead shirt.

Sweet pair of Vans, newish. Slightly irked they are 0.5 too small.

Velvet Puma Clyde's, not my cuppa and also size 10. Freeeeeesh tho.

Hella cool Bosch coaster set, Made in Germany.

80's or 90's windbreaker MiUSA for someone's yacht crew. One well used left behind.

Great name, At Ease, gentlemen!

Nike x Bauer (hockey?) pants. Not sure if waterproof, if so might keep for winter use.

 

[greekgeek]

Bunch more but I'm going to end it at these last two.


First rule of thrifting: when there is smoke in one section...

...Always check another for fire!

(Ok I reversed the finds order, but still lol)

This one blew my mind, multiple people commented on it while it was in my cart. Turtle Power!
Box is a bit beat but the contents are NOS and sealed.

 

[greekgeek]

Bought this to flip but…… View attachment 2262599 View attachment 2262601 View attachment 2262603
No maker tag but looks like the same tag as vintage Eddie Bauer. One of the puffiest puffers I’ve ever found. View attachment 2262605 View attachment 2262607 View attachment 2262609
Never found something like these but too cool to let go. View attachment 2262611 View attachment 2262613
Another pair for personal View attachment 2262615 View attachment 2262617 View attachment 2262619 View attachment 2262621 View attachment 2262623 View attachment 2262625 View attachment 2262627 View attachment 2262629 View attachment 2262631 View attachment 2262633 View attachment 2262635 View attachment 2262637

That Scottish Shetland is so much nicer than one I found today, also by BB. Mine had armholes gaping to like halfway down to the waist. Left it.

 

[mormonopoly]

Welp, those Nikes on closer inspection look Fugazi. Not 1994 but even worse, not even real Nikes in my opinion. Oh well, was in a rush. Trashcan or donate back? Hmmm

Anyways... These ought to make up for it:

New old stock vintage Coast Guard raincoat, half belted in the back. Plymouth of Boston. Anyone know the brand or era of this puppy?
View attachment 2262727 View attachment 2262729

Custom tailored (?) no label Aquapel. Fits like it was MTM for me. Not sure about the insulation liner, but liking the rest of it.
Suh weet bemberg lining. Vest liner also has sleeves that button in to the cuffs.
Acme zipper.
Like new.


View attachment 2262731 View attachment 2262733 View attachment 2262735

Patagucci full zip fleece, love the color and it's my size. Great shape.

View attachment 2262737

Champion reverse weave. NOS ca. 1990s. (Pre website, color). Looks yuuuge for an X Small.
View attachment 2262739 View attachment 2262741

Hilarious vtg Gildan USSC shirt
View attachment 2262743 View attachment 2262745

Pre interwebs vintage Gildan grateful Dead shirt.
View attachment 2262747

Sweet pair of Vans, newish. Slightly irked they are 0.5 too small.
View attachment 2262749 View attachment 2262751
Velvet Puma Clyde's, not my cuppa and also size 10. Freeeeeesh tho.
View attachment 2262753
View attachment 2262775
Hella cool Bosch coaster set, Made in Germany.
View attachment 2262755 View attachment 2262773

80's or 90's windbreaker MiUSA for someone's yacht crew. One well used left behind.

Great name, At Ease, gentlemen!

View attachment 2262757 View attachment 2262759

Nike x Bauer (hockey?) pants. Not sure if waterproof, if so might keep for winter use.
View attachment 2262771

Lots of cool finds, but just FYI, the champion and the Grateful Dead are modern, not from the 90s.

 

[330CK]

Sounds like more than enough power for a high school kid, but I know your standards are different in the US. I hear good things about the E30, but I never tried one.

I was a reasonably responsible kid but yeah probably for the best I didn’t have more power lol

I wish I would’ve invested in an E30 M3 before the prices skyrocketed…ultimate dream car that was within reason for awhile.

 

[greekgeek]

Lots of cool finds, but just FYI, the champion and the Grateful Dead are modern, not from the 90s.

Hey thanks for the tip. Can you share the "tells" for them?