"Classic" Vintage Clothing Stores on the Endangered Species List

[John in Covina]

It's always good to be in on the good thing before the trend hits.

I keep trying to send ESP messages back to myself and my brother in the 1970's to buy every early Fender electric guitar the comes up for sale on the cheap. Because the prices that they go for in good condition today is obscene.

 

[Imahomer]

Imagine how affordable and available quality vintage would be today if Japanese youth stuck with kimonos. I know I'll take heat for that. :eusa_doh:

lol lol lol lol lol

 

[LaMedicine]

I Imagine how affordable and available quality vintage would be today if Japanese youth stuck with kimonos. I know I'll take heat for that. :eusa_doh:

lol lol lol
Though I stick around here, I'm not a vintage collector per se but any how
There is a select market for vintage jeans I know, but I don't think it's as large here as most of you seem to think, and most people here who aren't involved in the vintage market think that the price is rather outrageous as well. :eusa_doh:
On the other hand, I believe there's a market that to some extent are supported by foreigners coming here to do vintage hunting.lol
What's more, with the overweight ratio here at 20% and obesity rate at 3%, I think a lot more people can actually wear them
Oh, and last but not least, kimonos ARE making a sort of making a comeback here. We see more people wearing them, and whats more, we've started seeing young men in kimonos occasionally where there were absolutely none the past few decades. However, with the economy taking a huge slap here as elsewhere, I have a feeling the first place it's going to hit clothes-wise are kimonos, as they can be very expensive--most are silk, and even recyled (as we call 'em here) kimonos can cost in the three digit $ range, brand new ones into K$....Now, if the younger generation started digging into their parents' and grandparents' kimono chests, that's another story, but here, the dilemma is that the younger genration are taller than their parents and grandparents, so these old kimono will need alterations (which also can cost up to $400-$500, sometimes more ) before they can be worn. As far as fabrics go, though, with good care, they are supposed to last three generations so no problem here. I had my grandfather's kimono ensemble (kimono and haori) altered for me last year to the tune of $1500, which may sound an extravagance, but it's a legacy for me, and if I had gotten something similar entirely new, then it would have cost at least $5K.

 

[Foofoogal]

For me it was a win/win deal selling to mostly the Japanese dealer. I got top dollar and then they put it in their stores and they still got top dollar.
I wish I knew about kimonos. I have my eye on a beautiful childs one but do not know if it is a good deal or not. I just love the coloring. I have no idea what I would do with it? lol

 

[LaMedicine]

I wish I knew about kimonos. I have my eye on a beautiful childs one but do not know if it is a good deal or not. I just love the coloring. I have no idea what I would do with it? lol

PM me the link or whatever. I can take a look and give you my opinion.

 

[reetpleat]

For me it was a win/win deal selling to mostly the Japanese dealer. I got top dollar and then they put it in their stores and they still got top dollar.
I wish I knew about kimonos. I have my eye on a beautiful childs one but do not know if it is a good deal or not. I just love the coloring. I have no idea what I would do with it? lol

As a dealer, I used to love Japanese dealers. You are right. They would pay my price and still make their profit. win win. It is a fickle market though, and I would never care to make my living dependent only on that. Although there are a few guys round her that make big bucks doing just that. They mostly buy from other dealers.

 

[YETI]

lol lol lol
Though I stick around here, I'm not a vintage collector per se but any how
There is a select market for vintage jeans I know, but I don't think it's as large here as most of you seem to think, and most people here who aren't involved in the vintage market think that the price is rather outrageous as well. :eusa_doh:

LaMedicine, I apologize as I meant no harm in those remarks. I actually admire the exquisite taste the Japanese have not only in vintage but anything in general. They only buy the best. I'm amazed at how particular they are to even the most minute details. And they get all the credit alone for keeping the selvedge denim indusrty alive whereas Levi Strauss pretty much failed. They make the best quality replicas of vintage(I think the only ones) from the 30s - 50s. I only wish those Sun Surf aloha shirts ran true to size. To date, my biggest sale for a single vintage item was to a customer from Japan who paid $1500 for a 1970s East West Musical Instruments leather jacket. How I found the jacket was quite interesting. I was about to leave a local thrift store when one of the employees was restocking the racks. As I walked past one of the racks I saw that holy grail of leather jackets and snatched it like a praying mantis on a fly. Not even a minute goes by, and one of Ken Tada's pickers enters the thrift store. My heart was racing. I could have easily sold the jacket for $2000. But what I had paid for it, $500 would have been a huge profit. Here are the same pics I sent to the customer.

 

[Fletch]

And they get all the credit alone for keeping the selvedge denim indusrty alive whereas Levi Strauss pretty much failed. They make the best quality replicas of vintage(I think the only ones) from the 30s - 50s.

I was told that all the surviving looms went to Japan during the 80s. Those remaining here were scrapped.

 

[SuperKawaiiMama]

Here in Australia the state of the vintage market is frustrating and confusing. "Vintage" is such an on trend term that you stick that label on any old dross and can charge top dollar. There is no real criteria applied by most vendors to what is vintage (Thank god for Circa Vintage here in Melbourne), and even early 90's is being touted as such. Every girl and her dog trawl the Op shops (thrift stores) and then place their find on Ebay for 4 times the price. In fact, "vintage" has become so trendy that Target is selling dresses that they are terming "Vintage Dress" even though they are brand new on the rack!

As a true collector I know my stuff and feel the need to liberate all the best pieces before they are picked up by hacks that like to chop them up for costume parties! :rage: This means my closet is full of things that I may never wear as they don't fit me, but I feel a sense of responsibility as I curate my little collection.

As for the vintage kimono thing, a few years back I found a place here that was selling vintage kimonos ( 30- 50 years old) by the kilo. They were being shipped here in the same way our old clothes would go to third world countries. At the time, I picked up a kilo of various kimonos for $10! Can you imagine that?!

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

"Vintage" is such an on trend term that you stick that label on any old dross and can charge top dollar. There is no real criteria applied by most vendors to what is vintage (Thank god for Circa Vintage here in Melbourne), and even early 90's is being touted as such.

Yup. One of my favorite thrift stores suddenly added a rack with a "Vintage" sign stuck on top. It was very hard to tell the difference between the 80s sequin tops on the "Vintage" rack and the 80s stuff everywhere else! Thankfully, it disappeared shortly after. I think they gave up on trying to act cool.

As a true collector I know my stuff and feel the need to liberate all the best pieces before they are picked up by hacks that like to chop them up for costume parties! :rage:

As y'all have been noticing the decline of real vintage stores, I've been noticing an uptick in "revamped vintage" stores - where the owner "renovates" old outfits by making dresses into skirts, raising hemlines, etc. In fact, I just read about a new store like this the other day. The humanity! :eusa_doh:

 

[Solid Citizen]

IN other WORDS

RE: Vintage

If you got it KEEP it!

If you don't GET it!

Solid Citizen

PS I've noticed the quality/quantity of
mens 40's vintage on Ebay has declined!

 

[Miss Sis]

It's not just in the States that vintage shops are closing. Loads in London have too. Steinburg and Tolkien, The Antiques Clothing Shop, Camden Market, all either gone or sad images of their former selves.

The best things to be had now are from dealers we know who set up at various events. Also with the way some prices are going on Ebay they are now beginning to look like better value! And you get to look the item over and try it on.

I do think Ebay has had a big impact on proper vintage 'bricks and mortar' stores. And I also don't like the whole oh yeah, it's new but it's 'vintage style' in all the high street shops, but those who chop up real vintage to rermake it into something vile should be shot!

 

[cookie]

Then you see this guy called Ayamato on eBay and SL who put all this size 40 1930s -40s mens suits up for sale recently....

 

[LaMedicine]

As for the vintage kimono thing, a few years back I found a place here that was selling vintage kimonos ( 30- 50 years old) by the kilo. They were being shipped here in the same way our old clothes would go to third world countries. At the time, I picked up a kilo of various kimonos for $10! Can you imagine that?!

How many kimonos did you pick up in a kilo? I'm curious because a good lined kimono will weight close to a kilo at least, often over a kilo, especially vintage ones in heavier fabrics and lots of embroidery. If you picked up two in a kilo, then they might be lighter summer kimonos or juban--underkimono--which is as a slip is to a dress, and not to be worn by itself.

 

[reetpleat]

Yup. One of my favorite thrift stores suddenly added a rack with a "Vintage" sign stuck on top. It was very hard to tell the difference between the 80s sequin tops on the "Vintage" rack and the 80s stuff everywhere else! Thankfully, it disappeared shortly after. I think they gave up on trying to act cool.



As y'all have been noticing the decline of real vintage stores, I've been noticing an uptick in "revamped vintage" stores - where the owner "renovates" old outfits by making dresses into skirts, raising hemlines, etc. In fact, I just read about a new store like this the other day. The humanity! :eusa_doh:

don't worry. They aren't using anything good. It is typically just older used stuff. Now back in the seventies, they were doing crazy stuff with twenties and thirties and forties stuff. The horror.

 

[Hugh Beaumont]

I used to deal with Shawn and Mondo from American Mix back about 15 years ago from the Bay area. Are they still around?

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

don't worry. They aren't using anything good. It is typically just older used stuff. Now back in the seventies, they were doing crazy stuff with twenties and thirties and forties stuff. The horror.

That's my hope - that they're just chopping up the 80s stuff! But I fear for some of the nice 60s outfits.

(Though I guess in 2030, everyone will be horrified because we destroyed all the "good" 80s-90s vintage!)

 

[Edward]

Nine, while vintage interest cycles, since we have already seen seventies trends, an eighties or nineties trend would be pointless as clothing was neither well made or distinct enough to inspire much of a trend.

Au contraire, the 80s trend over here shows no sign of diminishing in popularity, chiefly among those too young to be able to remember how bad an idea they were first time around! The unfortunate knock-on is that so-called vintage shops round here now are, for the most part, filled with little else than overpriced, 80s tat - the sort of stuff that would have been bought for pennies to be worn to a bad taste party in my uni days now commands scary money: often as much as the broken-down, faux-aged new equivalent. :eusa_doh:

There are certain large U.S. charities that send their clothing collections directly to the Third World, without offering them here.

Over here, most charities sort their stuff into three lots:

1] Stuff that can be resold

2] clothing that is unfashionable here but perfectly saleable - this goes to the third world where people have nothing

3] clothing that is simply too far gone to be wearable - the Salvation Army in the UK make enough money selling this for recycling every year to pay the ground rent for all their shops.

Other have another category: Oxfam has several "designer" outlets which sell anything particularly special or valuable. I suppose any vintage which is spotted might end up here.

I keep trying to send ESP messages back to myself and my brother in the 1970's to buy every early Fender electric guitar the comes up for sale on the cheap. Because the prices that they go for in good condition today is obscene.

lol Yes, half a dozen 54 Strats in clean condition and you'd be able to retire happily.... throw in a pair of 59 Les Paul Standards (worth half a million each the last I checked) and you'd be laughing all the way to the bank!

but those who chop up real vintage to rermake it into something vile should be shot!

When the revolution comes, please let those who take perfectly nice sportcoats that would be eminently wearable with vintage (if not actually so) and replace the arms with those from a tracksuit be first against the wall! :rage:

Then you see this guy called Ayamato on eBay and SL who put all this size 40 1930s -40s mens suits up for sale recently....

They're the ones I hate most - just one size too small.... actually, worse is when you see a suit that would be perfect if only the trosuers hadn't been taken so far up they'd not be restorable to a suitable inside leg length!