Yet Another 'Holy Grail' '30s Suit Sells Well on eBay

[Marc Chevalier]

really? The tweed flecked one? That would surprise me.

No, no ... the first one. The three-piece suit. My mistake; I misread that you'd written "the second one".

I think the second one could well be from the '30s.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I'm confused. BK and MC, you think which was suit was from when?

I had thought the light-brown tweed looked post-war but pre-50s and the gray three-piece looked about 10 years later than that. An interesting detail on the belt-back three piece had a zipper fly; the type of zipper didn't look like pre war zippers I've typically seen on trousers before.

 

[YETI]

Hot dog! I think I know who the high bidder was.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Hot dog! I think I know who the high bidder was.

Hopefully it was a Fedora Lounger. If so, would he or she please let us know in this thread? Thanks!

 

[Rudie]

Yes, but it's an eBay price, too. You'd be surprised how often some of us --mostly dealers-- sniff out great vintage suits on eBay for less than $30. Don't ask me how, though. Trade secret!

How?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

How?

Don't ask.

 

[Mario]

Don't ask.

Why?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

If you were told, the cabal would certainly kill you.

Why?

Yes, that's what I thought. Marc thinks the flecked light brown tweed might be earlier.

Re: the zipper. What was different about the ones you'd seen before? All I can see of the zipper is the teeth, which look like pretty normal Talon teeth.

I'm confused. BK and MC, you think which was suit was from when?

I had thought the light-brown tweed looked post-war but pre-50s and the gray three-piece looked about 10 years later than that. An interesting detail on the belt-back three piece had a zipper fly; the type of zipper didn't look like pre war zippers I've typically seen on trousers before.

 

[Oldsarge]

Competition!

 

[Mario]

Competition!

Don't you say!

My question was actually meant to be ironic...

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Marc thinks the flecked light brown tweed might be earlier.

I think it's most probably 1940s because of the font design on the suit's "Richman Brothers" label: uppercase Roman letters in gold on a black background. I've seen it again and again on '40s clothes from Richman Brothers:

In contrast, the font on 1950s Richman Brothers labels is a calligraphic font, like this:

 

[PADDY]

well, given that it's neither herringbone nor houndstooth … This is a Northumberland check.

As we both know Doc, it's a Northumberland Tartan (Check) which I think I'm right in saying is the oldest recorded Tartan in the world. I could see Edward VIII in this!! This Tartan is very popular in Kilts and Trews up here where I am

 

[Guttersnipe]

Re: the zipper. What was different about the ones you'd seen before? All I can see of the zipper is the teeth, which look like pretty normal Talon teeth.

Sorry, I misspoke/wasn't clear. The zipper fly and button pattern was on the pants is a little unusual (from what I'm used to seeing).

I just don't usually see 30's trousers with zippers, though. Often times, the ones I have seen had those weird cloth covered zippers that are usually only used on women's garment post WWII. It's also possible that I've seen a lot more 30s trousers with zips than I realize but assumed they were later too . . . now that I think about it, I do own '36 union tagged suit which has a standard zipper fly.