Scavenging the scavenged

This past weekend, I saw that there was an estate sale going on at a house in a nice area of my city, but put off going as it was on the opposite side of town from me and none of the clothing sizes listed seemed like they would fit.

Through sheer luck, I happened to be in that same area on the second day of the sale (when everything was 50-75% off), and decided to swing in just for the heck of it. I was immediately bummed that I hadn't gone a day early.

First up, I found not only 6 great belts, but a nice little wooden and brass hanger to hold them (and others which have been hanging over doorknobs in my bedroom).



When I got home, I realized that the two on the right were too small for me, but I think they'll fit a friend of mine (holla skoolbus39!).

At any rate, I also found the eternal accessories, which fit regardless of clothing size; Yes, that's right, I bought more ties.

First up is a couple nice repp ties. Both vintage and 100% silk.

This one in particular caught my eye due to the bad-ass tag. Royal Irish 4th Dragoon Guards? Damn!

Obviously, they weren't out wearing silk neckties on the battlefield, but the color scheme is based on their uniforms. Like I said above, pretty cool.



At any rate, I also found the two following knit ties. The burnt orange one is 100% wool and the chunky maroon knit is 55% mohair and 45% wool. I can always use more of these.



Total spent at the sale was $6, with some pangs of sadness that I hadn't hit it a day earlier. If I had been a shorter fellow, I could have made out like even more of a bandit, as there were still loads of Sero oxfords, wool sweaters, and other interesting items for $1 - $2 each. Crazy times.

After hitting the sale, I came up with an idea for a feature that I'll plan on launching sometime later this week on this site. It's going to be a bit more community-based and I think it will be pretty fun. Stay tuned. You'll want to.

Swing Your Partner, Do Si Do

Last week sometime, my wife and I saw a listing for an estate sale that looked absolutely fascinating, largely for its kitsch value. In a rather ritzy part of town, there was a late 80s house absolutely packed full of stuff, including 6 walk-in closets full of mens and womens clothes, over 400 pairs of swing-dance outfits, and all the crazy out-dated artwork and home furnishings that a person could shake a stick at.


The entire house interior seemed to be either teal, pink, or cream, with gold accents everywhere. It was like being stuck in a time capsule of a particular era, and while it definitely wasn't anything even close to the styles that I like, it was certainly a site to behold. My wife's friend described it best when she said, "It's like Golden Girls on steroids."

The main thing that got me out of bed on a Saturday and to the sale, though, was that I saw that the ad listed size 13 shoes for men. Because I have a heck of a time finding interesting shoes, I figured it would be worth a trip to check things out, and fortunately I was right.

First up was a pair of nearly unworn Sebago docksides. Burgundy colored and very comfy. I'd been looking for a pair of boat shoes, and here they be.


Next up is a pair of chocolate brown vintage Florsheim Imperial loafers. The leather is a bit dry, but I'm going to hit them up with some conditioner and cream polish and I think they'll be ready to rock.


Another pair of vintage Florsheim Imperial loafers, this time in light gray! This is another pair that's going to need a bit of love (mainly looks like the wrong color polish was used in a couple spots at one point) to get back to absolutely sharp level, but for what I paid (see below), it was worth the chance.


Last up is yet another pair of vintage Florsheim Imperials. Light brown ankle-boots with a thin strap to close. I'm honestly not sure if it's thick enough to be considered a monk strap, but they're pretty neat regardless. Like the other pair of brown loafers above, the leather is going to need just a bit of conditioning and polish to really get to a sharp level, but it'll be a fun project.


Luckily for me, the total cost of all four pairs was only $8 ($2 a pair)! Despite some of them needing a bit of TLC, it has to qualify as one of my best scores of the summer.

The actual clothing that the gentlemen owned was either too big in girth or two short in length for me, and much of it was poly blends or off-the-charts in cheese factors that I couldn't bring myself to buy it. I didn't walk out with just the shoes, though.

I also found this record:


Amongst all the Lawrence Welk and loads of polka records was this absolutely crazy, "rated X" LP by Kapela S Pelka (aka "Band From Hell"). It's raucous, don't-give-a-shit sleazy orchestral polka from Czechoslovakia that's actually pretty fun.

Not a bad haul for less than $10 including tax.