Vintage T-Shirt Forum & Community

Of course I don't expect anyone to spill any top secret info or anything, but just curious how other collectors/vendors enjoy getting the goods and what things are like in other regions.

I live in the South (US), and my favorite way is to do multiple day Thrift Store adventures. I live in my car for 3-5 days at a time and just travel gypsy style. That way I'm in fresh territory every day and I can soak up the nightlife after the stores close. There's nothing like walking into a venue in some strange city smelling like 3 days of roadtrip/thrift store funk and watching bands play and meeting new people. Ahhhh, this is the life for me.

Ahhhh glad to be semi-retired from the hunt - but yours sounds like fun. I had a thrift store round I did a few times a week...kinda fun except when I spent the whole day searching and found nothing...you feel so empty inside. I went to one of my old spots a few days ago for 5 minutes and scored a Malmsteen tee for $13.

You should check out raghouses on your journey.

Circa 2 years ago I would do thrift stores too, I was just getting interested in the resale value of vintage and I found some 70s Adidas boxing shoes and 70s redline levi's. However, I didn't find the time investment to be worth it and it wasn't a fulfilling hobby when I couldn't find anything (which is often the case). Also, as I didn't enjoy taking photos and describing everything to death. Now I just prefer to learn about vintage, research whatever comes through my hands at work, and visit friends who sort it. If you're looking to score there are numerous options: vintage distributors/estate sales/raghouses/thrift stores.

Distributors/raghouses: The main thing is to visit them. You don't want to receive a box/bale of random garbage and it'll give you sense of how organized they are, what their customer base is like and what they're picking out for themselves.

Thrifts: Make friends with the staff.


Edit:
You'll also learn with time where to source what. I've got one guy who grades UK rags so he gets alot of belstaff/barbour etc, another who grades almost exclusively LA rags (good for NWA type stuff- Oakland raiders etc) and another who gets alot of old military due to his location.

In my experience rag houses don't like you coming around and picking unless one arrives with large wads of cash in hand. And there's a lot of behind the scenes glad handing and greasing of palms to get the best stuff put aside for you before you arrive. They've been a total waste of time for me.

I like to keep a regular route of thrift stores. That way you get to know which ones have the most volume of merchandise coming in and when. And when you do score, it will almost always be for cheap.

Estate and garage sales can be the best places to get first dibs on rare stuff straight from the closet or storage. But there is a lot of luck involved since most people don't buy or keep good clothes in good condition for decades.

I'm in New England, so for most of the year (ie Winter) I'm doing pretty much the same as you and Hermosa. I also have a full time job during the day which means much of my free time is limited to weekends, holidays and sick days (cough, cough), I usually spend the time scouring thrift stores within 50-60 miles of my house.

I also am a big road trip guy. I've driven across the country several times. Over the years I have combined my love for traveling the open road with hitting thrift stores along the way. I recently took a trip to DC for leisure hitting a bunch of stores during the trip.

I am also a garage sale nut in the summer time. Unfortunately, summer time in Maine last about 3 weeks.

The hunt is almost 80% of my life, I've been on road to Nevada, California, Wyoming, Idaho, Arizona & Coloardo. I hit up thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales & anywhere I know clothing will be. I have NEVER went to a raghouse but just hunt for product on a almost daily basis.

Jimmy
www.thedowntownman.com

DownTown wrote:The hunt is almost 80% of my life, I've been on road to Nevada, California, Wyoming, Idaho, Arizona & Coloardo. I hit up thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales & anywhere I know clothing will be. I have NEVER went to a raghouse but just hunt for product on a almost daily basis.

That's a bit counter-intuitive, isn't it? Raghouses may sort more in a day than your local thrift does in a month.

CRAZYBUBBA wrote:That's a bit counter-intuitive, isn't it? Raghouses may sort more in a day than your local thrift does in a month.

If I had the chance to look through sorted items I would 100% do it, I have even placed orders through a couple companies and the quality wasn't the same as what I pick up myself. Thrift Hunting has been my best option for quality merchandise and honestly is what almost EVERYBODY uses. But I'm not knocking rag houses in the least bit, just that option hasn't opened up for me.