So whenever I'm in the menswear section of a thrift store, I usually scan over the neckties, belts, suspenders, etc. None of these are serious niches for me. (Did neckties for awhile...but can't seem to find the good brands out here in the Pacific NW that I found in the church attending Bible belt South)
Anyway, I usually check the belts for any vintage canvas Ralph Lauren belts or for any tooled leather Western belts. And I always check the buckle.
So, last Thursday being no different and finding myself in the menswear section of Value Village (it is right near the restroom, as my pregnant self is well aware), I flipped through some belts and saw a nice Western style leather belt. Not tooled, but still had that look. As a matter of habit, I flipped over the buckle and WHAM!
Sterling.
Rock. On.
Brought the belt home and checked the brand (of the buckle, the belt is just a Resistol belt). VOGT. Turns out it's a nice brand. Sell through is pretty much 100%.
The belt was missing the tip, (probably why it was donated) but I still had these 3 pieces. Buckle and 2 Keepers. If I had all 4, I could probably have gotten more. If they were vintage, I could probably have gotten more.
As it was, these 3 pieces sold within hours for $75. Maybe I could have gotten more but I'm happy with my turnover. My buyer is also a seller but he specializes in this kind of thing. He'll even polish the pieces I bet! He deserves to get what he can. And it was nice of him to offer me a solid $75, not try to lowball me at $20 or something.
So, in these days of finding way overpriced Born and Merrell shoes at my thrifts, I'm heartened again. The thrift store pricers don't see everything!! Just takes a little treasure hunting on our part!
Ohh! Interesting! I don't usually go to the menswear section, but this is something to keep in mind. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteYay for you! Thanks for sharing this information. I won't be competing with you since I am in Florida. :)
ReplyDeleteLove these kind of tips! I would never think of looking at the belts!
ReplyDeletejust wondering....I saw a Penelton blanket at VV for $90. I couldn't afford it but.....Do you know anything about those?
ReplyDeleteExcellent find! My ongoing theory is that "nobody can know everything about everything" and there's a thrill in hunting for and finding that one overlooked and/or under-priced item. It's what keeps us going, right? I love it! :)
ReplyDeletenice! how much did you buy it for?
ReplyDelete@Marilyn- I've heard Pendleton blankets are highly sought after. I would hesitate at $90 though!
ReplyDelete@niftythrifty- Belts at that store are about $4-5.
@clamco- I know!! It's what keeps me going. Me knowing something they don't know. lol.
Thanks for the tip, I look at the suspenders but never the belts, now I will! We have one particular thrift store that is SOO overpriced, it always makes my day when I find something pretty cheap that nobody realized was worth good money!
ReplyDelete