Buying approach - focused or targets of opportunity

[greenc]

Hi everyone, hope the weekend is off to a terrific start.

Yesterday I shared a conversation with @Canuck Panda and @cbez about an older model RMC HD Double Riders - thank you both again - and then it dawned on me last night that I feel a bit scattered with the overall jacket hunt. And this is particularly true given the fact that just the day prior to that I had posted my interest in buying a ELMC Roadstar (thank you @MrProper for the inspiration on that via your photos).

What am I doing?

I feel like I'm just jumping from one cool, shiny thing to the next with scant thought about direction.

In reality, I'm on the specific hunt for one of three pieces that I would buy right now if I could find a good example at the right price - RMC Psycho Cycle, RMC Diamondbuck, ELMC Roadstar (all size 36) - but I've budgeted for a single purchase, so it needs to be right.

I like things on the more unusual side, so stripes, stars, diamond patterns, etc are always cool to me, and the Walnut Roadstar with the dark snaps, brown zipper tape, and stainless hardware is also kinda inside baseball and not something I see a lot of.

And I'm mindful of cuts as well.

I have experience with RMC and Y'2, which both fit me in a way that I like, but I'm aware that there are just some manufacturers I may not get to wear given their patterns. Freewheelers comes to mind - if I make them fit in the shoulders they don't fit the body, and vice versa.

My challenge, however, is that I just really enjoy poking around looking at different jackets and seeing photos of how everyone wears their pieces, and then things catch my eye, and then I get sidetracked from the orginal hunt and I'm off contemplating something entirely different.

Am I the only one who does this?

I'm interested to hear of people's searches and if you are a focused hunter - looking and waiting for a single piece - or if you hunt in opportunistic fashion and make purchases as things strike your fancy.

If money were no concern, I still think I would personally favour a more focused approach, but I don't know. If money was no object I'd probably own a giraffe and a helicopter, too, so take that with a grain of salt.

Looking forward to your thoughts, thanks much everyone.

CG

 

[Khilij]

Personally, I'm definitely in the more focused camp. I save up for one jacket I really like, wait until I find a good deal on it, and then buy it. I have a very limited budget, so this is the way things have to be for me. I look at lots of jackets and make note of which ones really capture me by making a list of my top 3-5 or so jackets I'd like to buy over time. To add a jacket to the list, one has to come off.

I regularly trim this list of jackets that I no longer find interesting. I find that by doing this, it makes me think about what I'm buying instead of making lots of impulse purchases that seem like good ideas initially but end up not panning out. I've managed to keep my collection pretty small and stay within my means this way.

Great topic idea!

 

[Will Zach]

I am going to tag @Marc mndt here, because in my mind he has been a strategic collector.

I am scattershot like OP, maybe skewed towards old cop jackets, but with no real strategy.

 

[MrProper]

I feel like I'm just jumping from one cool, shiny thing to the next with scant thought about direction.

I know that if I give in to this for a while, then sooner or later I will feel full and everything will go back to normal.

Am I the only one who does this?

No, I have the same thing. Something new pops up and then not one part is enough, it has to be many. Jackets, trousers, trainers. I have the exact same model of some sneakers five times, but in different colours and so on.

 

[Canuck Panda]

My advise is to go for a walk and clear the mind. Whatever seemingly important now might not be the same later. The issue didn’t change but your perspective can. It’s just a jacket and not food or shelter. I was gonna send you the link to the RMC Psycho J-100 but it’s not the best time. Enjoy whatever is left of the summer and this long weekend before chaos returns.

 

[cbez]

I have too many now. I'm trying to only go for stuff that really blows my mind, and inspire confidence with the measurements. If I'm not sure I just skip, too many of those have ended up in the classifieds.

 

[Trouser Bark]

Two completely different personality types are well represented on this board and only one of them haunts the leather jacket threads. The term I was introduced to was "recreational shopping" and it's used at least once on this board in a thread that talks about decluttering, hoarding and the like. The poster that used the term was 'Paisley'.

If you just float around looking at cool stuff you'll find something you want in every instance. Deciding what's important and strategically looking for it is completely different and far more rewarding. Retail therapy is not and it's never the kill; it's the thrill of the chase.

 

[Marc mndt]

I am going to tag @Marc mndt here, because in my mind he has been a strategic collector.

I don't know, my strategy is basically to buy whatever I like as long as...
1) it's a quality piece
2) it's in very good condition or better
3) the price is right (which for me means that I need to be able to get my money back out of it in case I ever decide to sell).

I'm interested to hear of people's searches and if you are a focused hunter - looking and waiting for a single piece - or if you hunt in opportunistic fashion and make purchases as things strike your fancy.

When hunting for vintage my strategy is to BIN as soon as a jacket pops up that meets the above criteria. Sometimes that means buying a jacket without even knowing the measurements. If you snooze you will lose in the current vintage market.

 

[greenc]

Two completely different personality types are well represented on this board and only one of them haunts the leather jacket threads. The term I was introduced to was "recreational shopping" and it's used at least once on this board in a thread that talks about decluttering, hoarding and the like. The poster that used the term was 'Paisley'.

If you just float around looking at cool stuff you'll find something you want in every instance. Deciding what's important and strategically looking for it is completely different and far more rewarding. Retail therapy is not and it's never the kill; it's the thrill of the chase.

Thank you Trouser Bark, you're right, it's the hunt that's so fun. I think to the three pieces currently top of mind and if any of them came up and I missed it at the right price I would certainly wish that I hadn't.

Really, I have two leather jackets that I love - a brown RMC J100 with stripes on the sleeves, and a black Y'2 HR-55 D-pocket. That's absolutely all that I need.

Just the same, I'd like another J100 as I noted earlier, or another Double Riders in a different style. But I don't need either, I'm perfectly happy rotating with the two I own. But another one would be nice...

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

My advise is to go for a walk and clear the mind. Whatever seemingly important now might not be the same later. The issue didn’t change but your perspective can. It’s just a jacket and not food or shelter. I was gonna send you the link to the RMC Psycho J-100 but it’s not the best time. Enjoy whatever is left of the summer and this long weekend before chaos returns.

as goes with just about everything in life. give it 24 hours. reflect upon it. especially with the things we say, 95% of what comes out of our mouths needn't be said.

I personally appreciate not having loads of discretionary income. By nature, I'm a minimalist, and philosophically, more isn't better. I come from the same consumer culture as everyone else, so I too battle desiring and wanting. I find that with time, almost every time, I'm glad I didn't buy X, Y, or Z. The thirst and lust was strong and obsessive, thinking about the thing ashamedly often, but a week or two later, it barely crosses my mind unless I run into it on one of my many to-do lists. I still find the thing cool and desirable. That energy doesn't fade. But the need to have it dissipates to near nothingness. Even the things that defy this process, once I have them, prove to be more about the chase than the catch. Minimalism wins again. Thank goodness. On the other side of that, it can take me years to run into the deal that satisfies all the boxes, because it is never just about the thing. To be truly satisfied, price, source, timing, etc attempt to be met. And believe me, I like stuff. I like stuff a lot. I tend to like the journey more though.

 

[greenc]

I don't know, my strategy is basically to buy whatever I like as long as...
1) it's a quality piece
2) it's in very good condition or better
3) the price is right (which for me means that I need to be able to get my money back out of it in case I ever decide to sell).


When hunting for vintage my strategy is to BIN as soon as a jacket pops up that meets the above criteria. Sometimes that means buying a jacket without even knowing the measurements. If you snooze you will lose in the current vintage market.

Thank you Marc, there's an expression that says "The best time to buy an antique is when you see it." If you hesitate, it'll be gone. I think quality is a benchmark, and I'm usually attracted to things I don't see that often.

The tricky bit, I think, is sizing. If I've got photos showing tape measures I feel like I've got a reasonable shot at getting it right, but when I'm not able to assess the dimensions or seller is offering numbers that seem unusual for the posted size it's hard to feel confident about making a purchase, even if it's something that really appeals to me.

 

[greenc]

I have too many now. I'm trying to only go for stuff that really blows my mind, and inspire confidence with the measurements. If I'm not sure I just skip, too many of those have ended up in the classifieds.

Cbez, I agree, if I'm not sure I move on, however hard that oftentimes is - there is always another one to look at and contemplate.

There's a gangster movie I watched a while back with Ray Liotta as an aging mob hitman serving a life sentence for murder - his nephew becomes the head of the family rather unexpectedly so he visits Liotta in prison for some advice. Liotta isn't having it at first but over time he softens and the conversations turn more in depth.

At one point Liotta tells the nephew that he's been studying Budism and the key to a calm life is to not desire anything.

Words to live by, however, collecting touches so many facets, including love and appreciation for the sheer design elements of whatever the item is. It's fascinating how people view their chases.

 

[greenc]

I know that if I give in to this for a while, then sooner or later I will feel full and everything will go back to normal.


No, I have the same thing. Something new pops up and then not one part is enough, it has to be many. Jackets, trousers, trainers. I have the exact same model of some sneakers five times, but in different colours and so on.

MrProper, the rabbit hole is real. Whether it's watches or jackets, or anything else, when you dive deep you find all the nuances, but you also find other rabbit holes, and then we've got a situation on our hands.

I have a friend that did a deep dive into cologne and now has north of 120 bottles in his house that he doesn't know what to do with. He smells great but even he agrees that it's bananas.

I guess, though, we all figure out where we place value and then go down that road as we can.

I love wristwatches and I know enthusiasts who own thirty $250 watches, and I know some who own a single $7,500 watch. Same money, just different types of appreciation - one way not being any better or worse than the other.

 

[Jasonissm]

I'm limited by my budget, and I'm the type of person that absolutely hates selling things, the whole process, taking pictures, responding to questions, everything. So I am very cautious with my purchases, it has to be something I really like and at a good price, at least so that if I decide to sell it, it will be easy to get my money back quickly rather than the listing staying up for a very long time. I still need to sell all my jackets and clothes I have since shrunk out of, I've been putting it off for a long time.

I happened to drop about 2-3 sizes this year, so in my quest to get leather jackets in my new size, I'm being much more selective. I don't need a specific jacket, but I have a rough idea of the brands I want, the styles I want, and the condition I would wear regularly, if something that fits those parameters is up, I'll buy. Otherwise I'm happy sitting tight and waiting it out. (Well sometimes not too happy, seeing all the amazing jackets not within my budget constraints)

 

[MrProper]

the rabbit hole is real.

Definitely.

know enthusiasts who own thirty $250 watches, and I know some who own a single $7,500 watch. Same money, just different types of appreciation - one way not being any better or worse than the other.

I also think that all bandwidths are represented. In the watch example, I would probably start with the many and then end up with the one. Fortunately, I only have a collecting instinct for clothes. I'm not prone to it when it comes to cars, watches or women. I prefer the one.
Deep down, I would like to be a minimalist when it comes to clothes. But I'm afraid it would be too boring for me in the long run.