[wnh]

I might tell, if you're not my size.

 

[wnh]

Ok, I'll give one away, only because it's so simple.

brooks -(dunn, garth, abercrombie)
Since people sell BB items under both "Brooks Brothers" and "Brooks Bros," this catches both. This search eliminates Brooks & Dunn items, Garth Brooks items, and a line of Abercrombie & Fitch stuff called "Brooks." Depending on what I'm searching for, I'll add something to the negative field. With shirts, for example, I include "non" to weed out the non-iron stuff. Pants, I include "pleats" and "pleated." For outerwear, I've got to add a bunch to get rid of all the leather motorcycle jackets.

 

[wnh]

I don't look for much other than clothing, because I don't currently have the cash nor the space to be purchasing just more stuff and because I haven't done the research to be able to distinguish the authentic stuff from the fakes and reproductions. On occasion I've thumbed through old Audobon prints, but not much more than that.

Every so often I'll do a blanket search for "brooks brothers" and "brooks bros" and check out everything but the clothing. Brings up some interesting stuff sometimes, like this and this .

 

[wnh]

^ You mean on eBay? Depends.

 

[wnh]

Yes. A $700 suit for $50 makes me think something must be wrong with it, even considering it is used.

Not usually the case. For one, many sellers on eBay are just trying to get rid of stuff they don't want anymore, or are reselling things they purchased at estate sales and thrift stores, so they don't have to charge a lot--not to mention a lack of overhead. Also, most buyers on eBay are looking for a deal (that's why they're on eBay, after all), and the sellers know that, so they're not going to get by with selling stuff for too much above a decent second-hand price.

You've got to realize that clothing, like cars, depreciates in value very quickly. And the $700 suits usually go for more than $50--more like $100 or $150, or even more if they're recent offerings. But I have purchased two fine BB blazers for a total of $40 shipped, I believe. One has a slight flaw in the fabric, but nothing that would make it worth only $25 considering its age. The other is an older 3-patch-pocket model that I got for $15 shipped. A few months before I purchased it I bid on and lost an identical blazer that went for over $60. Just a matter of timing.

 

[wnh]

Also - even on ebay it pays to shop out of season. If you want a Burberry's overcoat, start looking well before fall.

If you can find stuff out of season, that is. Most sellers realize that people aren't looking to load up on sweaters in July, so you generally don't start seeing them until it begins to cool off. And you're not going to find much in the way of madras this time of year. There are exceptions, of course, and you can generally get a good deal when you find those exceptions, but your choices are considerably limited by shopping eBay out of season.