Necktie Economics

[Jupiter]

Agreed. But that tie is hideous at any price. Stick with classic patterns like regimental stripes ("reps"), neats, foulards, dots, and clubs and you'll always be in style. There's no place in a gentleman's wardrobe for a foolish tie such as that.

Jupiter

 

[Dr Doran]

This is what I do. I duck into all three thrift stores where I live about once a month and look for short unlined 30s ties which often have a slightly exaggerated flare on the short end ... I pay 2 dollars. At the local vintage stores I pay ten dollars, still absolutely nothing. Penury forces discipline on me. I can't spend more money on a tie even if I want to. And I agree, men look better in ties. Luckily, my wife agrees too.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Ya know what, I've never really gone into thrift stores because I can't imagine they'd have anything even remotely vintage in my size. I completely forgot about ties. I'll have to scout some in my area.

 

[Quigley Brown]

When you get used to finding unique vintage ties (40s & 50s) for 25 cents it becomes mind-boggling to see how anyone would shell out $100 for a modern 'plain john' tie.

 

[Dr Doran]

When you get used to finding unique vintage ties (40s & 50s) for 25 cents it becomes mind-boggling to see how anyone would shell out $100 for a modern 'plain john' tie.

My town (Berkeley, near San Francisco) doesn't have them for 25c unfortunately. I wish they did. But I have found amazing things for cheap. The Goodwill, for example, charges a highly unobjectionable $2.50 and the Salvation Army, which is horrible, charges something like that. But then there is a charity chain called "Out of the Closet" which is painted purple and is an AIDS charity, and they charge only 2 dollars for one tie or 2 ties for 3 dollars; what's more, they often have interesting things that haven't been picked over by the vulture/buyers at Out of the Closet's Central Distribution. For example, I found a brown double breasted suit in perfect condition (yes, Matt, high arm holes) for 19 dollars there. Does anyone know the process by which professional clothes buyers get ahold of the contributed clothes at the central warehouse of Goodwill etc before the clothes get to the individual stores? A lady who owns a vintage shop nearby told me that anything good that has found its way to a retail shop has slipped through the keen eyes of the professionals who buy FROM Goodwill etc. at the central distribution depot where all the contributions are divided up and farmed out to the individual local stores.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I think goodwill is one of the more savvy thrift chains. They employ people to pick out the good stuff that they can sell at higher prices than they can ask in their stores. They then sell it to vintage dealers. Good on them. If it helps Goodwill make more money i guess it's a good thing.

bk

 

[Dr Doran]

I think goodwill is one of the more savvy thrift chains. They employ people to pick out the good stuff that they can sell at higher prices than they can ask in their stores. They then sell it to vintage dealers. Good on them. If it helps Goodwill make more money i guess it's a good thing.

bk

Oh. Well, if that's true, that's pretty clever of them. Good on them. Where I live, though, Salvation Army is more expensive (esp. on furniture) and poorer quality than Goodwill. Out of the Closet is the cheapest. But Goodwill, even if they do have higher prices in some way of measurement, comes out pretty reasonable relatively speaking, here. I think maybe the best place to find high quality stuff is those local shops where they sell at that location what has been dropped off at that same location. No intermediary vultures.

 

[Dr Doran]

By the way as reluctant as I am to spend, I really love that line above:

"Like they say, "Buy the best and only cry once." "

My ideal picture is to get familiar with the best stuff, learn to recognize it, and then buy it second-hand for cheap.

 

[Tomasso]

go to any of the discount houses (Filene's Basement, Daffy's, Burlington Coat Factory) you see the same ties for $10 to $20.

Daffy's is great for ties as is Loehmann's on 7th.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Goodwill, even if they do have higher prices in some way of measurement, comes out pretty reasonable relatively speaking, here.

For a while when i was living i Indiana i was culling between 10 and 20 1930s ties every fortnight from my two local Goodwills. Never once did i get a double of a tie i already had. Rarely did i ever find any other vintage stuffs, though.

bk

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

For a while when i was living i Indiana i was culling between 10 and 20 1930s ties every fortnight from my two local Goodwills. Never once did i get a double of a tie i already had. Rarely did i ever find any other vintage stuffs, though.

bk

That's odd. I am only one state away, but the Goodwills here have absolutely nothing in the way of vintage goods. The Salvation Army stores here on the other hand, sometimes have the occasional find. I suppose it depends on the sheer number of shoppers that frequent an individual store, as well as the store's own policies.

 

[J.S.Udontknowme]

When you get used to finding unique vintage ties (40s & 50s) for 25 cents it becomes mind-boggling to see how anyone would shell out $100 for a modern 'plain john' tie.

I got these at the U.A.Thrift store here. All of their ties are 25 cents. These looked vintage to me.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I got these at the U.A.Thrift store here. All of their ties are 25 cents. These looked vintage to me.

Now those are what I'm talking about! Different and creative ties that actually say something.
The one in the middle looks to be a sort of pictorial metaphor for the energy industry and commerce. Looks very 1950s with it's sort of capitalist pictographs.

 

[Quigley Brown]

That middle one is pretty interesting. I see oil derreks at the top leading down to a refinery then storage tanks and finally to a gas station. It tells a story.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

J.S., Those ties are swell! I always look for ties at the Salvation Army in case I see any nice vintage ones to give to guy friends.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

It goes without saying that vintage ties are not nearly so prevalent in charity shops in the UK. And vintage stores here charge ridiculous prices for ties. 10 quid ($20) for a bog standard, run of the mill American 1940s tie? Methinks not.

bk

 

[Elaina]

Not vintage, but I tend to make ties with matching pocket squares. So far, mine have held up better then the really expensive tie ($150) my husband does have (which I didn't pay for, I traded one of my $5 disney ties when I was working with my manager.)

The cheaper ones ($15-30) hold up okay, but they sometimes distort because he doesn't take that good of care of them. And I can get whatever prints and things *I* want. He has no taste.

 

[Dr Doran]

Elaina, I like the Coco Chanel quote. That's about right. It's not only about all you do, it's about all you don't do. (I went to junior high (Paul Revere in the Pacific Palisades in L.A.) with her granddaughter, or some other relative of hers, I believe, unless this girl, whose last name was Chanel, was only lying.)

 

[Elaina]

Oh, well thank you! I needed a pick me up today, and I'm glad someone understood why I have it.

 

[J.S.Udontknowme]

Thanks Maj. Nick Danger, Quigley Brown and BegintheBeguine.
I'd been to this store a few times looking for hats, but I'd never looked at anything else. The last time I was there I noticed the brown tie in the middle hanging on the end of the rack. I looked for a few minutes and found the other two. I'm not sure if they are vintage, but I liked them. I got a Hallmark Christmas tie too, to make in an even dollar.