I saw sole proprietor biz in action in Austin...

[Eleanors38]

A fellow had a rack of used shirts, jackets, & vests, nicely cleaned and in good shape. I saw an excellent Woolrich jacket for $35; I bought a well-made wool long sleeve "flannel" in a very large size for $16. The brand tag was gone -- but the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union label was still under the pocket flap.

He was doing a brisk business in a town which has numerous used clothing outlets, which he evidently culls for the best clothing, and fixes articles up for re-sale at reasonable prices. It's been a chilly winter, and he had the large-size quality stuff!

[Curmudgeoness]

1. Good for him.

It sounds like he puts a lot of work into getting clothing and fixing it up for sale. I think that those prices are high, but I am used to shopping at Goodwill and Salvation Army thrift stores, where the prices are the same from crap as well as good quality items. But it means working harder to find good stuff.

[Eleanors38]

2. Yesterday, the Family Thrift had Doc Marten sandals.

Made in England, size 9 for $10. Virtually new. I think that's how thus gut does it: Quality stuff, well presented.

[IrishAyes]

3. While I'm proud for him, to me a lot of the pleasure of thrifting lies in the search.

We have a couple small thrift shops here but the merchandise is limited and might still be there on your return visit months later. The only place that does a brisk business is the church run clothing store where everything's a dime. They used to sell shoes also but quit because of limited space. When I go there several times a year, I always come away with several bags of good stuff. There's nowhere to try things on first, so you just take 'em home and hope for the best. At 10 cents, even I can afford to do that.

I've gradually been collecting a few bold men's ties, which I plan to use for belts and to go around my straw hats for the summer. Use a fancy stick pin or flashy brooch and watch people's jaw drop. Gotta give 'em something to talk about, after all.