Does Buying Used Make You Cheap?

Zé Ferreira

Zé Ferreira

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Thoughts? Do you consider used clothing hawks as cheap? Thrifty? Judicious in their money? Time wasters?

What qualifies a flat out retail purchase for you? When do sales play a main point in your purchase process? There are certain pieces in all of our arsenals that we've shelled out for: some with pangs of regret, and others we'd gladly fork over for again. Other pieces have been pleasant, discounted finds. And finally, others have been waste-of-space purchases, where a sale sparks your interest but you shouldn't have bought in the first place.

Post is inspired by a stream of thought answer in the denim thread: If I continue in "approved" denim, it definitely won't be approaching the $300 mark anymore. I outlined a few brands I might still consider but qualified it by saying I'd attempt B/S first before resorting to a retail purchase.
 
I will buy ties used on SF. I will buy an odd jacket used on eBay if it is 1960's era Savile Row. Other than that, since I'm restricted to making online purchases, I generally just stick with new.
 
I bought two used jackets (Ermenegildo Zegna and Oxxford) and I definitely would buy more. eBay has been a good option for me and I just recentl bought one Ermenegildo Zegna jacket from a guy on SF. They fit nice and I don't want to spend $40,000 pesos on a Zegna jacket when I can buy an Antonio Solito with that.

Plus recently I decided to put some muscle and passed from using a 40 jacket to a 44 and unfortunately I didn't know any of these when I bought so I spent a lot of money buying Giorgio Armani and ZZegna without knowing a thing about quality. So I don't want to spent the same amount of money or more for new suits and jackets.

I tried to go bespoke with a local store and it has been a reall bad experience. I bought the jacket in November and I still don't have it of all the corrections that have been done to the jacket. So I'm very in love with the chance of getting some nice used SC's at a decent price.
 
Cheap is a relative term. What most of us view as cheap is considered expensive by majority of the population. A used mint condition Rick Owens leather jacket is thought as "cheap" has a price tag of ~ $900, a price most of the people will not even fathom. As fashion/clothes enthusiasts, we often forget that the amount of money we spent even on lesser expensive items (used) is actually huge amounts.

I buy used gothninja gear frequently, especially things that retail above $500. It does not matter how much money I have or will have, I don't think I can ever spent ridiculous amount of money on single piece of clothing. The trick in buying used is to ask for details and pictures. If the seller is honest, he/she will provide you with what you need to ensure a successful purchase.

The only things that I think I have paid retail for are shoes and leathers. Besides those I usually wait for sales or use B&S.
 
I think Pauly Chase Pauly Chase have a good point on saying that some things that are cheap for us, even buying used, are prices that other people are definitely not willing to pay. I bought a few shirts from ShopTheFinest and sometimes when I tell my friends that I spent $150 usd for a handmade shirt of $500 retail price, they still think that it's a lot and I really feel that it's a great price. It was just an example, cause most of the stuff they sell is new, but it's the same when I tell them I bought a $600 Brunello Cucinelli when around here the retail price for one of those is $53,000 pesos.
 
Also most of my friends don't care to know and understand craftsmanship, so spending $400 on a pair of Aldens or $300 on a shirt that has MOP buttons is laughable to them. Sometimes I look at my closet and ask myself why did I discover SF, SZ, and SUFU.
 
Harveybirdman said:
Well, you'll probably have to pay out of state. But PA still doesn't charge in-state. So come on up to my house (although I'm an hour point five from Philly) and we'll go buy some Aldens together.
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Pencil me in too.

Although most e-shops haven't charged me taxes b/c they're incorporated in different states from I.
 
jrd said:
Harveybirdman

Hoping Congress doesn't pass a bill allowing states to collect sales taxes on purchases made from out-of-state sellers. They're saying there will be a $1 million revenue exemption for sellers, but it's possible Sherman Brothers does that or more in business.

Thoughts?
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Received an email from eBay recently regarding to this issue. Not surprised that govt is trying to squeeze more tax dollars out of the consumers.
 
Pauly Chase said:
Cheap is a relative term.
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I think this is really true. Things I'd now consider "great deals" are still in "you're out of your mind" territory according to my parents, etc.

Harveybirdman said:
Oh and I won't buy used shoes. Used shoes almost always indicate a relative selling off the shoes of a dead person. No ghost Aldens for me, thanks.
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That's interesting - because especially with recrafting services available for the best footwear I'd think this would be a non-issue. One of my first ebay pickups was a pair of #8 shortwings that were fairly hammered and uncared for: but over the course of time I nurtured the shoes back to looking pretty dang good...

2012-01-05 20.08.44.webp



Lots of black polish caked in there, not very bright, looking dry, etc. (night I got them in the mail)

IMG_3268.webp


Making older things worth wearing again isn't impossible. This is, of course, assuming that things are in salvagable condition in the first place.
 
Are we considering going to a thrift store the same as buying from StyleForum?

I picked up some nice pieces from StyleForum that I reckon I wouldn't buy new. And for occasional pieces I don't mind. I got a bunch of blazers from NewYorkRanger that were in good shape and frankly the pattern just means I wear it two or three times a season so would have I paid full retail for something like that? Probably no. I think at that time he was moving on to bespoke.

And I got a couple "crap I made a mistake" items that luckily fit me more than the original owner. I dry cleaned them before putting them on :)

I read a lot of bad things about shoes so I wouldn't do shoes though. I think there was an AAAC thread from a podiatrist about it.
 
Fwiffo said:
I read a lot of bad things about shoes so I wouldn't do shoes though. I think there was an AAAC thread from a podiatrist about it.
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Would you mind either summarizing or pointing me in the direction of that post so I can read too?

Getting a bit afraid now of possible growth/fungus...

:whathaveyoudone:
 
Lonestar said:
I've had good luck on eBay and SF. Never shopping thrift stores locally. When I do, all I see is undesirable junk.
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I wholeheartedly agree. Maybe I am not hitting the right thrift stores, or I just don't live in rich neighborhood in a big city, I have never found anything that is worthwhile at goodwill/savers/etc minus the occasion decent shoe trees. I know people though who have bought nice items (fur coats/ new john lobbs/NOS cordovan florsheims) at estate sales. But those consume a lot of time and research and more often than not, its a hit and miss situation.

I buy used shoes off SF and SZ. Just ask pictures of the soles and heels. I usually assume that if the shoes are well taken care of, then the transfer of foot fugus is less likely
 
Thrift stores are the same as outlets?

Once I bought two new Hugo Boss shirts for $60 usd each, so I think it was a good deal.
 
Betelgeuse said:
Thrift stores are the same as outlets?

Once I bought two new Hugo Boss shirts for $60 usd each, so I think it was a good deal.
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I think thrift stores = used clothes/second hand stores ie: goodwill
outlets = factory stores. new but defected items that couldn't be sold at regular retail stores.
 
Zé Ferreira Zé Ferreira , those shoes look amazing. Well done.

In general, I don't think I'd mind wearing stuff from a dead man. I have two bespoke blazers from Savile Row in the 60's, so not only am I wearing dead guys' stuff...I'm wearing stuff that was especially made to fit them. On a side note, both jackets fit me perfectly, only requiring sleeve alterations.

But in my experience, the money saved, if any, is almost never worth the amount of time and effort (especially if you include all the ones that don't work out). So unless it's 50 year old Savile Row, I probably won't buy it used.
 
Dude, Austin is all going to be hipster trash or nouveau riche cast offs anyway.
 
From what I hear...which is very little...there was a place in Alamo Heights/Olmos Park that had some very nice stuff.
 
It's on the corner of Broadway and Nacodoches sort of tucked away behind a Walgreens
 
I don't buy used shoes or underwear. Everything else is fair game!
 
gufasd said:
How old does something have to be to be vintage?
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I once developed a complete "trend cycle" where this could be easily seen. Things become vintage one stage before similar ideas emerge on runways again. Vintage begins to be vintage just before the same look enters "hyper-trendy"
 
gufasd said:
So what determines if something is old or vintage or just a reproduction. I understand this is hard for some salesmen on other forums to determine, but is there any objective way to determine the differences between these things?
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The age of the fabric, the manufacturing process, and production number may separate the two, but the lines are blurred. For example, hconsider a pair Levi's 501s using the original cone mills cotton and union made sewing machines, but made present day. Are they vintage or reproduction?
 
Vintage is a term for old but not antique. It does not convey any meaning of quality. Rather, it is used to give a sense of worth to something being shilled.

I think it has been co-opted for reproduction products.
 
I'm cheap but not easy.
I have a load of vintage 60s Ivy Jackets, swelled edges, natural shoulder, buggy lined, no darts, hooked vents etc.
You cant get them new.
Some vintage soft collar button downs with great collar rolls too.
Also ties.

Whats the problem?

9.78 times out of 10 I'll look better than the surrounding crowd and most of you here.
 
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