1930's lot: 3-piece SB suit, overcoat, all dated 1936

[Baron Kurtz]

Does anyone know what day's they're open? A weekend would obviously be better for me.

Also, for me, it would be better towards the middle of October.

 

[Rudie]

davidraphael, I can probably arrange to meet with you on Tuesday. I'll know today in the evening.

 

[Mario]

I think the biggest trouble is that it probably won't be possible to pick items from different time periods and have them bundled to a bunch of 25 (which is the official minimum order quantity) pieces.

From the pricelist: The minimum quantity is a package of 25 pieces from one commodity group.

[huh]

 

[Mario]

Does anyone know what day's they're open? A weekend would obviously be better for me.

Also, for me, it would be better towards the middle of October.

Standard office times, Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 17:00

Stock inspection on appointment only.

They had a single suit up for sale on Ebay almost a year ago simply to introduce the company and the quality of their stuff to a larger audience. If I rememebr correctly the starting bid was somewhere around 350 €...

 

[Mario]

Ok. Well. It's all very different, actually.

I just rang them up again and found myself talking to the same person I was talking to almost a year ago (and he could still remember me because I told him that I'd need long and slender suits, which were rather rare beasts back then).

The trouble with the large quantity batches they're selling is that you can't actually pick individual items. You order 150 suits and that's what you get: 150 suits. It would be possible to walk along the rack and say 'please start from this suit here and give me the next 150' but that's it. He also told me that - brace yourself - the suits from the 30's/40's were usually just kinda thrown in if your ordered, say, 150 suits from the 50's or 60's. :eeek:

But...they have started a new site a few days ago for private sales:

http://vintagesuits.de/crbst_1.html

Prices for 30's/40's suits range from 150 to 300€ but it will be possible to get discounts on larger orders.

BTW: Most belted backs they have are actually from the 60's...

I have made an appointment with them for 13:00 today to inspect part of their sales stock (they just sold a large batch and haven't had the time yet to fully replenish their sales stock - they obviously have an even larger stock at some old factory building).

I'll try to make some photos if I'm allowed to do so and post them here at the Lounge.

Oh my...

 

[Mario]

That person I was talking to told me that they're just preparing a batch of 800 suits that's been ordered by some film production company...

 

[Chasseur]

Mario,

Wow, what great information.

I would also be interested if you need additional people to put up capital for this. I'm a 44R, so its hard to find stuff in my size.

I'll be in Europe in late November, and could get to Berlin/Germany...

 

[Chasseur]

Mario,

Wow, what great information.

I would also be interested if you need additional people to put in for this. I'm a 44R, so its hard to find stuff in my size.

I'll be in Europe in late November, and I could get to Berlin/Germany...

 

[davidraphael]

I have made an appointment with them for 13:00 today to inspect part of their sales stock

I'll look forward to hearing what happens.

 

[birkie]

They had a single suit up for sale on Ebay almost a year ago simply to introduce the company and the quality of their stuff to a larger audience. If I rememebr correctly the starting bid was somewhere around 350 €...

Wow. I was imagining their stock would be "theatre" quality with holes, tears, or other flaws that would be largely invisible to the camera (especially on an extras in the background). I'm watching this thread with great fascination and curiosity, and hope the plan works out!

 

[Mario]

So I went to take a look at the sales depot, which consists mainly of suits, spotcoats, overcoats and pants (approximately 400 items, but they obviously have a whole lot - thousands - more stored away at another place) from the 30's to the 70's (bit I even found a suit dated 1919).

Of course I focused mainly on the 30's/40's suits. As is common with vintage German stuff most of them are made from medium to heavy (!) fabrics, all of them fully lined. Mostly 2-pieces, approx. 2/3rd of them DBs, the rest SB (quite a lot of them with peak lapels). First thing I noticed (and I wasn't surprised) was that all of the pants (almost all of them with side or back adjusters) were way too short for me (about the right length for plus fours...). Back in the day people were a lot stubbier than today, even in Germany...

BTW: Please note that on German pants the crotch usually is slightly lower than on US pants.

What can I say? The website has very good samples online but that's just what they are: samples. It's not possible for them (them being two rather nice guys who started collecting in the early 90's) to have photos taken from all the stuff they have in stock. The best thing would be to give them a call and tell them what you're looking for.

Quality and condition seem to be pretty good. None of the suits I looked at had any holes or stains.

I also went through some of the 70's sportcoats. There is a whole rack with light(!) to medium-weight tweed jackets, complete with half-belted action backs. Most of the patch pockets on these coats also have pleats on them - and they resemble American-style belted-back sportcoats from the 30's more than German jackets from the same era.

 

[davidraphael]

so, did you hand over cash for 25 suits?

Did they give any hint that they may let people buy smaller lots?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Wow. I was imagining their stock would be "theatre" quality with holes, tears, or other flaws that would be largely invisible to the camera ...

I reckon that they got these suits directly from German rag companies -- the ones that export all this great stuff as "used" to developing countries everywhere. Want to save money? Find and "get friendly" with someone who works for a German rag company, and get into the warehouse. You could dig through piles of hundreds of vintage German suits and buy them cheaply.

 

[Mario]

I reckon that they got these suits directly from German rag companies -- the ones that export all this great stuff as "used" to developing countries everywhere. Want to save money? Find and "get friendly" with someone who works for a German rag company, and get into the warehouse. You could dig through piles of hundreds of vintage German suits and buy them cheaply.

Actually not. After the wall finally came down they started to scout (east) Berlin and the surrounding areas, going to estate and garage sales, rummaging through attics and boxes full of stuff from apartment clearances. They collected from 1990 to 2002 and started selling their stuff in 2010.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Hmm, well this is interesting. I really, really, want to go through ALL of their stock in the mysterious "other storage area" and pick out the good things. But I guess this will be too much work for what will ultimately be a very small order.

I like that they have started a "small orders" section. Very nice of them, really. I think I'll go through my German catalogues and get on to them with pics of exactly what I want. I'm also trying to get myself included on the next trip my vintage dealer friend makes to the rag markets in Central Europe. That'll be fun!

Ok. Well. It's all very different, actually.

I just rang them up again and found myself talking to the same person I was talking to almost a year ago (and he could still remember me because I told him that I'd need long and slender suits, which were rather rare beasts back then).

The trouble with the large quantity batches they're selling is that you can't actually pick individual items. You order 150 suits and that's what you get: 150 suits. It would be possible to walk along the rack and say 'please start from this suit here and give me the next 150' but that's it. He also told me that - brace yourself - the suits from the 30's/40's were usually just kinda thrown in if your ordered, say, 150 suits from the 50's or 60's. :eeek:

But...they have started a new site a few days ago for private sales:

http://vintagesuits.de/crbst_1.html

Prices for 30's/40's suits range from 150 to 300€ but it will be possible to get discounts on larger orders.

BTW: Most belted backs they have are actually from the 60's...

I have made an appointment with them for 13:00 today to inspect part of their sales stock (they just sold a large batch and haven't had the time yet to fully replenish their sales stock - they obviously have an even larger stock at some old factory building).

I'll try to make some photos if I'm allowed to do so and post them here at the Lounge.

Oh my...

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Actually not. After the wall finally came down they started to scout (east) Berlin and the surrounding areas, going to estate and garage sales, rummaging through attics and boxes full of stuff from apartment clearances. They collected from 1990 to 2002 and started selling their stuff in 2010.

Interesting! I'd always wondered whether all of this stuff came from East Germany. Makes sense that it did.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Well, the rag companies did the same thing. Why not contact a rag company directly and see if you can buy bales of its suits? If you specify that you want a "winter" bale, you're more likely to find older, heavyweight wool suits. (The "summer" bales contain lightweight fabric suits, which tend to be more modern.)

 

[Mario]

so, did you hand over cash for 25 suits?

Did they give any hint that they may let people buy smaller lots?

You there, young man David - you better pay attention to the lesson or I'll have to keep you in school after all your buddies went home!



The second link I posted is for a different site from the same guys but here they sell single items and smaller batches.

Look here: http://vintagesuits.de/

On the other (main) site they're strictly selling larger (25+) lots.

 

[Mario]

Hmm, well this is interesting. I really, really, want to go through ALL of their stock in the mysterious "other storage area" and pick out the good things. But I guess this will be too much work for what will ultimately be a very small order.

I think the majority of the stuff has been put in storage somewhere in northern Germany but they also seem to have another large place somewhere outside Berlin (that functions as their interim storage facility)

I like that they have started a "small orders" section. Very nice of them, really.

Did I send you the link to the original site some month ago? Thought I did...

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Here: http://de.countrysearch.tradekey.com/used-clothing-wholesale.htm