Necktie Economics

[Dr Doran]

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.

Are you saying it was 4 for a dollar? How much do houses cost out there? I'M MOVING!

 

[J.S.Udontknowme]

Yes, 25 cents apiece at U.A. Thrift.

 

[Dr Doran]

Yes, 25 cents apiece at U.A. Thrift.

That's some nice necktie economics if wages are reasonable and rent or housing is low. What does a house cost? Because if used neckties are one eighth the price here, and a house is the same proportion, the median house where you live will be about $70,000 ... damn that's a good price. Any universities around?

 

[Jupiter]

Neat tie photos, guys. Not in a style I would wear, but I can appreciate why others would enjoy them. I too must report sadly that I've had absolutely no luck finding vintage ties worth wearing here in Cleveland, Ohio. While enjoying a year's sabbatical from teaching I would weekly hit all the thrift stores within a reasonable driving distance looking for vintage clothing, and never once did I see a tie that I'd want to own, and certainly never anything even remotely approaching the style of the ties pictured. I'd say that 90% of what was offered was polyester garbage from the 1970s, and the rest was threadbare and filthy.

Jupiter

 

[J.S.Udontknowme]

That's some nice necktie economics if wages are reasonable and rent or housing is low. What does a house cost? Because if used neckties are one eighth the price here, and a house is the same proportion, the median house where you live will be about $70,000 ... damn that's a good price. Any universities around?

This is the only place I've looked at used ties. I think Goodwill is another thrift store here. Their used tie price might be more. I don't know about the median house price, but you might not be far off on it. You can search Shelby, NC or Cleveland county, NC and probably find it. Gardner-Webb University is in Cleveland Co.

 

[Jovan]

I know I'll get shoes thrown at me, but I find those simple stripe patterns posted at the beginning more attractive than the hand painted ties of the Golden Era. I know they aren't as unique, but I'm one for clean lines. [huh] I also am a big fan of wool ties. Texture is good.

As for economics, I can never find attractive ties here at thrift stores, even if they are just $.50 a pop. Most of the time I'm looking hard for those great 2" ('50s) and 2.75" ('60s) ties and they're nowhere to be found and if they are, they aren't very pretty or are polyester. :eusa_doh: If anyone knows of a good resource for vintage ties those shapes and that fit my aesthetics, please let me know! I've lived with the average 3.75" ties for too long now.

 

[Orgetorix]

I know I'll get shoes thrown at me, but I find those simple stripe patterns posted at the beginning more attractive than the hand painted ties of the Golden Era. I know they aren't as unique, but I'm one for clean lines. [huh] I also am a big fan of wool ties. Texture is good.

I'll second that.

 

[Dr Doran]

I know I'll get shoes thrown at me, but I find those simple stripe patterns posted at the beginning more attractive than the hand painted ties of the Golden Era. I know they aren't as unique, but I'm one for clean lines. [huh] I also am a big fan of wool ties. Texture is good.

As for economics, I can never find attractive ties here at thrift stores, even if they are just $.50 a pop. Most of the time I'm looking hard for those great 2" ('50s) and 2.75" ('60s) ties and they're nowhere to be found and if they are, they aren't very pretty or are polyester. :eusa_doh: If anyone knows of a good resource for vintage ties those shapes and that fit my aesthetics, please let me know! I've lived with the average 3.75" ties for too long now.

How often do you go to the thrift stores? If you accept a ratio of three or four visits to every score, you will be less displeased with your success rate. In my experience. I just work it into my routine ... it's a stop I make a few times a month.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I know I'll get shoes thrown at me, but I find those simple stripe patterns posted at the beginning more attractive than the hand painted ties of the Golden Era. I know they aren't as unique, but I'm one for clean lines. [huh] I also am a big fan of wool ties. Texture is good.

As for economics, I can never find attractive ties here at thrift stores, even if they are just $.50 a pop. Most of the time I'm looking hard for those great 2" ('50s) and 2.75" ('60s) ties and they're nowhere to be found and if they are, they aren't very pretty or are polyester. :eusa_doh: If anyone knows of a good resource for vintage ties those shapes and that fit my aesthetics, please let me know! I've lived with the average 3.75" ties for too long now.

I agree. I'm not big at all on the 40s ties - big Charvet and Charvet-inspired prints on belly-warmer ties. In fact, i'm in the process of getting rid of the last of my 40s ties (i've been giving them away with suits i sold). I'm more a fan of the shape of 30s ties and the (usually) simpler patterns - striped or Spitalsfield-type print foulards are probably my favourites; they make nice small knots and i like the diagonal stripes/smallish patterns.

bk

 

[AlanC]

I agree. I'm not big at all on the 40s ties - big Charvet and Charvet-inspired prints on belly-warmer ties. In fact, i'm in the process of getting rid of the last of my 40s ties (i've been giving them away with suits i sold). I'm more a fan of the shape of 30s ties and the (usually) simpler patterns - striped or Spitalsfield-type print foulards are probably my favourites; they make nice small knots and i like the diagonal stripes/smallish patterns.

Indeed. It seems that 'classic style' would point one more in the direction of the 30s ties and their modern interpretations. 'Unique' is not always a compliment.

Slightly off topic, but have you looked at Sam Hober's English silk ties (woven and printed)? He picks the silks from the old archive books, and a lot of them look straight out of the 30s, which I guess they are. NFI, etc., but I was impressed with the look of many of them.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Hadn't seen that before. So long as he would make 'em short enough, dispense with the modern lining/padding, and give me the 30s-style taper to the 'thin' end i'd go that route.

If i had the money, but i don't.

As it is, i have quite enough 1930s ties and have no trouble finding more in great condition at rock bottom prices ($1-2).

I have dallied with the idea of making my own ties. I cannot imagine the silk is woven significantly differently today than it was in the past and the classic spitalsfield and macclesfield etc. patterns are still being produced if i went the woven direction. And printed foulard silk cannot be very expensive if i went in that direction. Maybe i'll get to this plot someday, but probably not.

bk

 

[Baron Kurtz]

all that being said, i am severely taken with the large deco ad abstract designs on many 30s ties.

bk

 

[Jovan]

Found a solution to my problem. A certain tailor will do ties in custom sizes and shapes online. I can't wait to get one from them, and I'll keep you guys updated.

 

[slicedbread]

So if they are the same ties, why sell them to the discount houses? Why clear them from stock? And is there anyone out there that looks at one of these striped models and thinks, 'I have to have this tie?' (take your pick from the horrors below)

For big chain stores, they can't help it because new shipments come in whether they like it or not...When I worked at Penney's, we got an unexpected shipment and clearanced the ties for .25 cents plus 50% off...heh. Two people came in took one look at our 300 or so ties and bought them all. When I saw them approach the counter, I took a bathroom break. No way was I going to ring up 300 ties and MANUALLY mark each one of them down. Also to be accounted for is the fact that I live in Plano and Plano is the "headquarter" Penney's so new things are brought in all the time and clearances never end. That said, I can admit that the really high end ties are REALLY nice. However, the difference from Penney's to Macy's to Brooks Brothers to even SAKS is very miniscule sometimes...

 

[Elaina]

I've worn everything from a Hello Kitty one I made (oh I dare any one of you guys to don this hot pink monstrosity with a monster cute kitty on with purple bows in its ear) to one I got at Wal-Mart to a hig end tie. The differences may not be great, but I've killed quite a few ties working. I did notice no one mentioned the interior of the tie. If it's just interfacing of any kind it's not going to hold up. (Price doesn't matter on that.) If it's got that wool on the inside, even a 50 cent tie is going to wear well.

 

[aliados]

I have dallied with the idea of making my own ties. I cannot imagine the silk is woven significantly differently today than it was in the past and the classic spitalsfield and macclesfield etc. patterns are still being produced if i went the woven direction. And printed foulard silk cannot be very expensive if i went in that direction. Maybe i'll get to this plot someday, but probably not.
bk

See http://sevenfoldties.reflexblue.org/index.php

and GO FOR IT, BARON!!!

 

[Jovan]

That would be a cool project, but it's near impossible to find any decent fabrics here.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

I know I'll get shoes thrown at me, but I find those simple stripe patterns posted at the beginning more attractive than the hand painted ties of the Golden Era. I know they aren't as unique, but I'm one for clean lines. [huh] I also am a big fan of wool ties. Texture is good.

As for economics, I can never find attractive ties here at thrift stores, even if they are just $.50 a pop. Most of the time I'm looking hard for those great 2" ('50s) and 2.75" ('60s) ties and they're nowhere to be found and if they are, they aren't very pretty or are polyester. :eusa_doh: If anyone knows of a good resource for vintage ties those shapes and that fit my aesthetics, please let me know! I've lived with the average 3.75" ties for too long now.

No shoes being thrown here! Hey, if all the guys here wore the same ties, conservative or wacky, we'd be just like the regular people. Shudder!

 

[Elaina]

Ties take 1 yard of fabric or less, so you can really go all out on the expensive stuff. The also have templates to use to create them to be perfect.

 

[Jovan]

The problem is that I need my ties a specific width, shape, etc., so I don't know if those templates would be the best thing.