Whattabout a Wallet?

[John in Covina]

One thing that I have for my suit is a Men's "Long" style wallet for inside the suit jacket pocket. Any of the guys here using a vintage or vintage / traditional style wallet?

(Normally i use a small trifold in black woven balistic nylon from the Assault Systems guys which is about 16 plus years old. Very Durable.)

John in Covina

What is the difference between Genius and Stupidity? Genius has it's limits.

 

[John in Covina]

Style

By long style I mean the Breast Pocket Wallet for Men.

John in Covina

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I have a long wallet. I presume you're talking about the wallets that can hold paper money without folding it? This is the type i use. I'd lusted after one for a number of years until i saw one in, i think, Brooks Brothers about a year ago. It is soft black calfskin. It matches my passport holder. I've always referred these wallets as a 'billfold'. Don't know if this is the correct term. I hear from a guy i know from Iowa that all wallets were called billfolds where he came from.

bk

 

[Mr. Rover]

I use a money clip that also holds credit cards from Nautica.

 

[Zach R.]

I have a long wallet. I presume you're talking about the wallets that can hold paper money without folding it? This is the type i use. I'd lusted after one for a number of years until i saw one in, i think, Brooks Brothers about a year ago. It is soft black calfskin. It matches my passport holder. I've always referred these wallets as a 'billfold'. Don't know if this is the correct term. I hear from a guy i know from Iowa that all wallets were called billfolds where he came from.

bk

I've also heard them called Checkbook style wallets, but I think that is a modern connotation.

I carry a long wallet as well, but it is in need of a replacement.

 

[MK]

.

A few years ago I sought out a new wallet that would accomodate British pounds as well as our yankee dollars since I travel there every January. For those who have never encountered English money, the larger the denomination, the wider the bill. My old wallet looked lame with a fifty pound note sticking out of it.

Most wallets that are leather these days are black in color. I prefer brown leather. I like the look better and it appears more like something from the golden era to me.

I ended up at the airport to fly home and I still hadn't found a wallet I was happy with. The are many shops at Heathrow. Most all are over priced. The first shop I stopped at had a decent one. I asked the clerk the price, he said 100 pounds!

Each shop I went to, the price went higher. It got so ridiculous I started laughing at the prices. "That one is 500 pounds, sir." I don't mind spending more for a quality product....but that is nuts. A wallet shouldn't cost more than the suit you put it in.

I saw across the way a Herod's store. Herod's is the world's most famous department store that have insane prices. Princess Diana was just one of the famous customers. I decided to go have a laugh there too. I went inside and looked at a few with silly prices, the salesman suggested a look in their gift section. I had nothing better to do, so I strolled over and took a gander. I found the best looking brown wallet so far. I looked at the price tag expecting to see several zeros. It was just ten pounds!

I wish all my searches ended that way.

 

[shamus]

Here are some pics from an earlier post about wallets that I have in my collection.

From Left to right...

Basketweave by Anticoli
Alligator
Cowhide
unsure - Bally
Ostrich
"hand stained?" by Bosca
Pinseal
Buffalo calf by Rolfs

 

[Zach R.]

Are all of those sourced from the 'bay?

How much should I expect to pay for a vintage wallet?

 

[shamus]

All of mine came from my grandfather. Along with a few swell hats. I'm not sure that they go for.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

They don't go too expensive on eBay when they appear, but i don't see too many. The last one i saw in a vintage store here in town was going for $18. Croc skin with a press stud closure. Very nice. They can be picked up pretty cheap if you get lucky enough to find one.

bk

 

[John in Covina]

All of mine came from my grandfather. Along with a few swell hats. I'm not sure that they go for.

****
They are all fine looking pieces of leather craftsmanship, your granddad seems to have had a pretty good eye and sense of style too!
Sincerely!

 

[shamus]

Thanks. He only owned suits and wingtips. I was lucky enough to have the same hat size. But his suits were a size too small.

My favorite is the allagator wallet. I'd love to have a pair of shoes to match.

 

[Quigley Brown]

I have a long wallet. I presume you're talking about the wallets that can hold paper money without folding it? This is the type i use. I'd lusted after one for a number of years until i saw one in, i think, Brooks Brothers about a year ago. It is soft black calfskin. It matches my passport holder. I've always referred these wallets as a 'billfold'. Don't know if this is the correct term. I hear from a guy i know from Iowa that all wallets were called billfolds where he came from.

bk

Hey...I'm from Iowa. I know the difference between a wallet and a billfold. I've nevered owned a billfold...just a money clip and a small leather card holder.

 

[Senator Jack]

Originally posted by MK -

Each shop I went to, the price went higher. It got so ridiculous I started laughing at the prices.

To illustrate the incredible markup on these items, I'll tell you of a friend of mine who makes accessories and sells them to a certain fashion designer. For items that my friend gets paid $600 to produce, they appear in the store for $6,000. (Yes, you read that right)

But when you're used to paying an average of $50 for quality vintage clothes and goods (that will last far longer than the new productions) it really is difficult to keep a straight face sometimes. I often wonder how the clerks are able to do it while they are telling you the price. But you know somebody is paying these ridiculous prices else they wouldn't have the items for sale.

Last month on my 'dinner jacket' footslog I stopped in at Lord and Taylor just to see if they had the style I liked. The made to measure clerk gave me a price of $3,800! I really didn't know what to say. It was so far above the other prices I had got ($695 at Brooks Brothers, which I had already thought was high) that I think I just blinked, made some throat-clearing noises and dazedly moved on.


Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[scotrace]

Most wallets that are leather these days are black in color. I prefer brown leather. I like the look better and it appears more like something from the golden era to me.

Great story!
I don't understand why the majority of leather goods one sees are black. There is a shade of leather that LL Bean does several things in that is a perfect brown, I think. Looks like leather to me, while black leather always looks like vinyl.