Goodwill Hunting

[Matt Deckard]

rarely do you find really good stuff at the thrift stores... Sometimes you luck out...

Tell us about your thrift store finds, not vintage store or flea market or auction or you know... goodwill.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Time and time again, the best place for me was the "Children's Hospital Thrift Shop" in Los Feliz. Around since the '50s, that store was the donation place of choice for Hancock Park residents. In other words, rich and old. I found a 1940s, off-white, tussah silk men's suit from "Oviatt's" there. "Oviatt's" spectator shoes, too. Overcoats and suits from the '30s. Wing collars and collarless tuxedo shirts. A full set of '30s evening tails from "Desmonds". And on and on.

It was a gold mine until around '98. By then, most of the old rich folks had passed away and stopped giving their things to the store. It finally closed for good last January.

R.I.P.

.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

From Goodwill ... One 1940 dated two piece SB. A couple of 30s ties. Dat's it.

bk

 

[Lauren]

Lots of finds at thrift stores! My current favorite is the Catholic one next to the laundromat. I nearly always pick up a 50's dress or two every time I go in there for about $5. I got a fox capelet there once for $20, a cute little two piece 50's dress with mink collar on the jacket, a gold satin 50's coctail dress...

And for modern things I've found Kate Spade shoes, a Marc Jacobs shirt, a Prada jacket...

I found a tux dated 1942 and a men's overcoat from the 1930's.

And the shoes are great! I've found things to pass from Renaissance to Edwardian to 1940's.

Thrift stores are your friends

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Is that where you got the tux with the soft lucite suspenders? I've got to contact the owner for a trade ...

 

[Lauren]

Nope. That was an estate sale and that was an NRA tux. But if you PM me your email I'll get it to him and maybe he'll be interested in trading

 

[Tin Pan Sally]

Some friends and I had a jackpot trip to a Saint Vincent DePaul once where my then-fiance bought me 1930s-40s dresses, hats, gloves each under a dollar.
I had some amazing garage sale finds in the midwest. The best was a man who used to sell hoseiry who had vintage stockings still in the package! His wife was selling off some lovely gowns and shoes for .75 to $3.
The best items I have were inherited.

 

[John in Covina]

Rare and rarer!

For me trhift stores rarely pay off any more. Never a fountain pen to be seen, no hope of clothes in my size. I collect Vegas stuff and used to be able to find Vegas glass ware and ashtrays, but now they are gone too.

Maybe the pendulem shall swing back to better pickings.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Keep looking

 

[Speedster]

I bought a tux two weeks ago in a local thrift store in my local town here in Denmark. The tailors label in the inside pocket dates it to August 1958, the same year i was born in. It fitted me perfectly and i paid USD 40.- for it.

15 years ago i bought what i still think is an original A2 jacket at a garage sale in Copenhagen for the pricely sum of USD 5.-. The condition is very rough but still a nice display piece.

Speedster

 

[binkmeisterRick]

I love thrifting! Let's see... over time I've gotten a 50's Portis fedora, a nice Beaver Blend brand hat, several other fedoras, shoes, ties, vests, some coats and suits... The thrill is in the hunt! Though some things have been traded, given away, worn to death, etc., I still come across some good finds now and again. It's getting harder as time goes by and as more people are looking for things, but keep at it and be patient! Good stuff is still out there!

bink

 

[Quigley Brown]

I shop at two thrift stores here so often that they now actually let me go in to the back room before the stuff gets put out! I call it having a Salvation Army Gold Card.

 

[Vanessa]

Picked up a flawless tux with a tailor's label dating it to '27 a couple weeks ago. Cool thing? There was a collar stuck in one of the pockets.

 

[ProperRogue]

I shop at two thrift stores here so often that they now actually let me go in to the back room before the stuff gets put out! I call it having a Salvation Army Gold Card.

Quigley, you crack me up! lol You remind me of my granddaddy who used to love to look for things in thrift stores. "Still a lot of life on 'em" he would say. Since we run in the same neck of the woods, I may have to go shopping with you some time.

PR

 

[Viola]

Found a fedora, vintage jewelry, and some silk blouses that are not vintage but blend in nicely. While I was with her my sister found a lovely forest-green raincoat with a removable liner. Jealousy! :rage: lol

I also like to keep an eye out for decor items and have found jewelry boxes, vases, teapots, tea kettles, big ol' Oriental rugs, etc.

 

[Wild Root]

I find that thrift shops are hit or miss… but, I still look! The 40’s windowpane sport coat with patch pockets was a thrift shop find! I only paid $4.00 for it! I also found a beautiful 1940’s light blue/gray soft wool herringbone double breasted suit for $5.00 (Don’t have it any more, I traded it for another suit) I’ve found cool old photos, old irons, ironing boards, vintage sewing machines (If you don’t find one antique sewing machine in any thrift shop, there’s a problem! LoL) The last great find for me was at a Salvation Army… found a cream and medium green striped dress shirt from the 40’s in my size! It has the sharp collars that curve into the point… it even had a pair of 40’s cufflinks in the cuffs!!! It was marked at $3.99 when I got my receipt, I saw I only paid $2.99! It was on sale!

My friend Anthony finds a lot of great stuff at thrift shops! He finds vintage vacuums, toasters, irons, ironing boards, 78rpm records, 1950’s TV’s and some times radios from the 40’s! He lives in Pomona and some of the thrift shops there are really good some times!

Heck, Johnny Eager needs to join in this discussion… he found a coat that belonged to Bob Hope in a thrift shop dated 1947… he has a photo of Bob wearing that same coat!!! I tell ya, some of the stuff he’s found at thrift shops is unreal!

=RS=

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Bob Hope? Wow! The only "celebrity" item I've ever found in a thrift store was a checked cashmere sportcoat, custom made in the '30s for Walter P. Chrysler (the founder of Chrysler Motors). It was a conservative cut, dated 1937, made by an Italian tailor in Michigan. I ended up trading it to Peter Loggins. (Root, you know Peter, don't you?)

 

[Wild Root]

I'll even go further then that...

I've known Peter since the late 90's! But, I also recall you bringing in that coat to show Ben! I couldn't believe that coat you had! It was amazing!!!

I wonder if he still has that coat...Hmmmmmmm, I wonder.

=RS=

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Gosh, you remember that? Cool!

.

 

[Wild Root]

Yep I sure do! The cut may have been conservative but, the pattern on that coat was so not conservative! It was a very bold plaid and would have looked killer with some ivory wools!

=WR=