Goodwill buys

[davestlouis]

I've been on a tear lately...at Value Village, of all places. MY local VV's are a wasteland as a rule, but in the past week, I've found the following:

1.. Brooks Brothers navy Brooksease suit coat that will soon become a blazer, courtesy of brass buttons, $7.99, 2 button, center vent, great condition
2.. Solid black wool Stafford suit, 1992 production date ( I work in a funeral home so a black suit is actually appropriate daywear for me) $11.99, 2 button, pleated and cuffed trousers
3.. navy windowpane wool/poly blend suit, some made-up Italian-sounding brand name, $8.00, 2 button, pleated and cuffed trousers
4..2 pairs of wool trousers, one mushroom in color, the other charcoal, both made in Canada, both $5.99

I also found an online source for novelty blazer buttons...I was looking for skull and crossbones and found a place with multiple colors of enamel backgrounds, so I think I'm going to buy a couple of sets...I have 6 navy blazers and I could shake things up a bit with oddball buttons.

 

[cufflinkmaniac]

Good scores. I picked up a morning coat this afternoon for eight bucks.

 

[Brinybay]

A vintage (1965) rotary phone, fully functional.

 

[davestlouis]

Got another solid black suit today, 100% wool, Canadian union labels, "Joseph and Feiss International" labels. Trousers are too short, but LOTS of fabric to work with. $12.00 at Goodwill, Chesterfield MO.

They had a peak-lapel tux that was just a smidge too tight and some other cools stuff that just didn't quite fit...I do enjoy the process of finding this stuff, it's well worth 30 minutes of my time now and then.

 

[jamespowers]

Got another solid black suit today, 100% wool, Canadian union labels, "Joseph and Feiss International" labels. Trousers are too short, but LOTS of fabric to work with. $12.00 at Goodwill, Chesterfield MO.

They had a peak-lapel tux that was just a smidge too tight and some other cools stuff that just didn't quite fit...I do enjoy the process of finding this stuff, it's well worth 30 minutes of my time now and then.

It sounds like it is worth your time. You do very well.

 

[davestlouis]

I really enjoy the process of looking at these stores, I find it relaxing. I'm also developing an eye for lapel shapes, button placements, etc, and I'm learning a lot about what constitutes quality construction and tailoring.

I'm also willing to get sport coats that are a little loud or colorful...for less than $10, who cares? I'll wear them with khakis or jeans on Saturdays.

Now if I could learn to do my own alterations, I'd be all set.

 

[davestlouis]

I almost bought a John Weitz by Palm Beach suit today, it fit just fine, and LOOKED great, but the fabric felt stiff and nasty to the touch, so I passed. I just detest fabric that feels like it doesn't want to drape and move. This was a Goodwill I had never been in before, in St Charles MO...goo-gobs of sport coats, lots of 1980's era silk sportcoats in muted glen plaids and whatnot, pretty stuff, but none of it fit me. Can't always come home with a treasure for pennies on the dollar...

 

[AtomicEraTom]

That's a fine Looking phone. AE80?

A vintage (1965) rotary phone, fully functional.

 

[davestlouis]

Not a real productive day thrifting...hit a Value Village adn 3 Goodwill locations, came home with ONE shirt, a long sleeve Nautica buttondown, $3.75.

Lots of ugly polyester suits, some suits with huge holes in them, nothing even remotely interesting by way of trousers either...disappointing outing if I do say so.

 

[davestlouis]

I did a little better today, not a single suit followed me home, but here's what did:
1. point collar Lands' End cotton dress shirt, blue
2. button down collar Lands' End cotton shirt
$2.25 each, but I discovered when I got home that both are monogrammed on the left cuff, nicely done, but I'm not RFG
These came from Goodwill in Chesterfield MO.
The Goodwill store in St Charles MO yielded an HSM trench coat, olive-ish brown in color, not the traditional tan, $20, lined, looks like new, except the belt is missing...the loops are there, no belt. I think it won't look right with my charcoal gray work suits, but will be good with the warmer tones I wear on days off...the few days I get off.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I picked up a nice Western Shirt, and an old Wooden Telephone ringer box. I will post pics of the box when I take some.

 

[davestlouis]

I went to an upmarket resale place today, The Scholars Shop, and discovered that they charge $150 for high-end mens suits...I about dropped dead. Goodwill charges either $11 or $12, no matter what brand it is.

 

[jamespowers]

I went to an upmarket resale place today, The Scholars Shop, and discovered that they charge $150 for high-end mens suits...I about dropped dead. Goodwill charges either $11 or $12, no matter what brand it is.

Well, gee, I know where you will be going instead of that place.

 

[davestlouis]

I think The Scholars Shop has more high-end items than Goodwill or other thrifts, but for crying out loud, it's 12x as costly. I'd rather take my chances at cheaper stores and keep looking for nuggets.

 

[jamespowers]

I think The Scholars Shop has more high-end items than Goodwill or other thrifts, but for crying out loud, it's 12x as costly. I'd rather take my chances at cheaper stores and keep looking for nuggets.

Yeah, sounds more like a plan than going over the top with the high end second hand stuff.

 

[davestlouis]

Somebody must buy them for $150...just not me. I was thinking the other day that I've become a born-again tightwad...$11 suits, $2 shirts, $1 ties, traded some Snap On wrenches and screwdrivers for the 85 Continental I'm driving...I do it partially as a cash flow issue, partially because I enjoy it.

 

[tonyb]

You're a man after my heart there, Dave. I, too, enjoy few things quite as much as a bargain. But bargains are relative (duh). A fairly modern, fairly decent suit in fairly good condition that fits fairly well might be a bargain at 12 bucks. And a high quality vintage suit in good condition that fits fairly well (or can be made to fit at a reasonable cost) might be a bargain at 12 times as much.

There's a consignment shop in my neck of the woods that sells modern men's wear almost exclusively. It's all good stuff in good shape. And it sells for sums well above what cheapskates like us are in the habit of paying.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Bargains are fantastic. I buy my clothes mostly at Thrift Shops, in fact, I buy most things at thrift shops. I own two cars, I paid 500 bucks each. bought older ones because I knew I could just work on them. I will have my apartment I'm moving into completely furnished for about 250 dollars I'm guessing.

 

[davestlouis]

atomiceratom, my car cutoff is about 1995...in MO anything older is emissions exempt. I also like to open a hood and see real ignition wires and a distributor,and other items I recognize. $500 will buy a lot of late 80s-early 90s cars around here...good running daily drivers that don't tend to be rusty due to our climate and galvanized steel.

Anyway, back to clothes...tomorrow I intend to go on an outing to several GW stores, don't need anything in particular, but always on the lookout for cool stuff.

 

[MisterGrey]

Two Jos. A Bank blazers, one in gray glen plaid summer weight wool, the other in brown herringbone wool, for a combined total of $27. They're a little loose in the stomach now, and I think they're going to become my first articles of clothing to go to the tailor instead of getting "traded back".

An "oddity" I got that will also be headed to the tailor is a 100% wool midnight blue double-breasted blazer made in Germany. $12. I'd taken my mom to the thrift store and we ended up bickering over whether it was navy blue or black, because next to the black pants I was wearing it looked blue but otherwise looked black. Neither of us knew of the "concept" of midnight blue yet. I didn't even find out until by accident one day, reading the Formal Wear Primer over in "Suits" here at the Lounge. It looks very nice with gray and cream colored slacks; once I get it taken in, I'll be sure to post some pics.