Well I’ll be DAMNED... look what I found!!!

[BigBrother]

Wow, this is amazing. So the paint on my account here is probably still wet, I joined what? 48 hours ago? (If curious see my last two posts for what it was I was looking for.)

I usually find nothing I’m interested in at vintage stores, I go with my girlfriend who has amazing success but there’s usually not much along the lines of what I’m looking for (30s-50s clothing but men’s offerings are usually pretty slim.)

Anyway, decided to try out a few local places we hadn’t been to before. Just had a feeling. No joke.

Went to the leathers section at the first, nothing special (though quite a few “passables”, which got me thinking that flight style jackets are more common than I thought at these places).

Went to the second store, really just a 70s-90s type place. Looked at the jackets on a high rack and started spotting the telltale front pockets, elastic cuffs, etc. I had the nice lady pull some of them down for me and was mildly impressed by what I saw- some pretty decent A2 repros, I suppose almost G1s, etc. Most too big on me, many on the rack too ratty.

Then I put this on. Holy %#^. No, it wasn’t a perfect repro or one of the big brands (it’s a Cooper Sportswear A2), but I go damn. Damn damn damn. Price tag says $150.99. Definitely a bit above no-brainer territory for me given it’s not high end and Five Star’s prices, and I decide to ask her if the prices are final (at vintage stores they usually are, but who knows?) She says, “hold on let me look at the tag. Oh it’s red. Yeah those are 50% off.” I go, “excuse me??” Eyes like saucers. She goes, “yeah, actually I can probably do better than that. The owner told us to basically go as low as we we can to get rid of these, they’ve been here forever! Let me look something up... ok the lowest price on the rack for one of these is $85. I can give you that price.” Me: “Wait... 50% *off* $85??!” Her: “yep!!” I just couldn’t believe it. I was going to walk out of this shop with this jacket for about $45. I was holiday/birthday/last day of school level happy and thanked her profusely for making my day!

So! The haul. Is it my end all be all A2? Nope! Is it a damn near perfect fit which will see me through countless upcoming dances and re-enactments, serve as a fantastic measuring jacket for others to come, and a great first jacket for my nascent collection (not to mention practically brand new)? HELL YEAH!

Virtually my dream fit, better than any other A2 I’ve ever tried on by a long shot, and close to my ideal color...

(Picture quality is, I apologize, pure shit )

Thanks for your help, all!

 

[B-Man2]

Wow, this is amazing. So the paint on my account here is probably still wet, I joined what? 48 hours ago? (If curious see my last two posts for what it was I was looking for.)

I usually find nothing I’m interested in at vintage stores, I go with my girlfriend who has amazing success but there’s usually not much along the lines of what I’m looking for (30s-50s clothing but men’s offerings are usually pretty slim.)

Anyway, decided to try out a few local places we hadn’t been to before. Just had a feeling. No joke.

Went to the leathers section at the first, nothing special (though quite a few “passables”, which got me thinking that flight style jackets are more common than I thought at these places).

Went to the second store, really just a 70s-90s type place. Looked at the jackets on a high rack and started spotting the telltale front pockets, elastic cuffs, etc. I had the nice lady pull some of them down for me and was mildly impressed by what I saw- some pretty decent A2 repros, I suppose almost G1s, etc. Most too big on me, many on the rack too ratty.

Then I put this on. Holy %#^. No, it wasn’t a perfect repro or one of the big brands (it’s a Cooper Sportswear A2), but I go damn. Damn damn damn. Price tag says $150.99. Definitely a bit above no-brainer territory for me given it’s not high end and Five Star’s prices, and I decide to ask her if the prices are final (at vintage stores they usually are, but who knows?) She says, “hold on let me look at the tag. Oh it’s red. Yeah those are 50% off.” I go, “excuse me??” Eyes like saucers. She goes, “yeah, actually I can probably do better than that. The owner told us to basically go as low as we we can to get rid of these, they’ve been here forever! Let me look something up... ok the lowest price on the rack for one of these is $85. I can give you that price.” Me: “Wait... 50% *off* $85??!” Her: “yep!!” I just couldn’t believe it. I was going to walk out of this shop with this jacket for about $45. I was holiday/birthday/last day of school level happy and thanked her profusely for making my day!

So! The haul. Is it my end all be all A2? Nope! Is it a damn near perfect fit which will see me through countless upcoming dances and re-enactments, serve as a fantastic measuring jacket for others to come, and a great first jacket for my nascent collection (not to mention practically brand new)? HELL YEAH!

Virtually my dream fit, better than any other A2 I’ve ever tried on by a long shot, and close to my ideal color...

(Picture quality is, I apologize, pure shit )

View attachment 56047View attachment 56048View attachment 56049View attachment 56050View attachment 56051

Congrats Dude !!
It’s Karma ... all the good you’ve given has come back to you . The cost , the fit , the jacket It’s all good . Looks great on you .
Now wear the piss out of it !

 

[Silver Surfer]

serendipity. karma. and just dumb good luck......put that together, and ya get a home run.

 

[Nickb123]

That’s a damn good fit I’ll say. Now you have your measurements to (carefully) take from this one so ordering custom should be a less complicated.

 

[Micawber]

Good catch, well done!

 

[daw]

I hate negotiating-but this really shows it doesn't hurt to ask for a discount...

 

[MikeyB-17]

Way to go! I confess every time I see a box-stitched epaulette on a rack in a vintage shop I get a bit excited, even though every one has always turned out to be nothing but some 80’s mall-jacket monstrosity-but I live in hope. Feels good when you luck out though, doesn’t it? That’s probably an actual military-issued A-2, albeit the modern incarnation. Let’s have a look at the label.

 

[mulceber]

Great catch! And that jacket fits you very well. Looks like the leather's got some good character too!

 

[ausreenactor]

Wow, this is amazing. So the paint on my account here is probably still wet, I joined what? 48 hours ago? (If curious see my last two posts for what it was I was looking for.)

I usually find nothing I’m interested in at vintage stores, I go with my girlfriend who has amazing success but there’s usually not much along the lines of what I’m looking for (30s-50s clothing but men’s offerings are usually pretty slim.)

Anyway, decided to try out a few local places we hadn’t been to before. Just had a feeling. No joke.

Went to the leathers section at the first, nothing special (though quite a few “passables”, which got me thinking that flight style jackets are more common than I thought at these places).

Went to the second store, really just a 70s-90s type place. Looked at the jackets on a high rack and started spotting the telltale front pockets, elastic cuffs, etc. I had the nice lady pull some of them down for me and was mildly impressed by what I saw- some pretty decent A2 repros, I suppose almost G1s, etc. Most too big on me, many on the rack too ratty.

Then I put this on. Holy %#^. No, it wasn’t a perfect repro or one of the big brands (it’s a Cooper Sportswear A2), but I go damn. Damn damn damn. Price tag says $150.99. Definitely a bit above no-brainer territory for me given it’s not high end and Five Star’s prices, and I decide to ask her if the prices are final (at vintage stores they usually are, but who knows?) She says, “hold on let me look at the tag. Oh it’s red. Yeah those are 50% off.” I go, “excuse me??” Eyes like saucers. She goes, “yeah, actually I can probably do better than that. The owner told us to basically go as low as we we can to get rid of these, they’ve been here forever! Let me look something up... ok the lowest price on the rack for one of these is $85. I can give you that price.” Me: “Wait... 50% *off* $85??!” Her: “yep!!” I just couldn’t believe it. I was going to walk out of this shop with this jacket for about $45. I was holiday/birthday/last day of school level happy and thanked her profusely for making my day!

So! The haul. Is it my end all be all A2? Nope! Is it a damn near perfect fit which will see me through countless upcoming dances and re-enactments, serve as a fantastic measuring jacket for others to come, and a great first jacket for my nascent collection (not to mention practically brand new)? HELL YEAH!

Virtually my dream fit, better than any other A2 I’ve ever tried on by a long shot, and close to my ideal color...

(Picture quality is, I apologize, pure shit )

Thanks for your help, all!

View attachment 56047View attachment 56048View attachment 56049View attachment 56050View attachment 56051

Great work!

 

[Chandler]

The first one is always "free." Now you're hooked, you should probably look for a second job.

 

[Flightengineer]

Nice found

 

[MaydayWei]

Wow, this is amazing. So the paint on my account here is probably still wet, I joined what? 48 hours ago? (If curious see my last two posts for what it was I was looking for.)

I usually find nothing I’m interested in at vintage stores, I go with my girlfriend who has amazing success but there’s usually not much along the lines of what I’m looking for (30s-50s clothing but men’s offerings are usually pretty slim.)

Anyway, decided to try out a few local places we hadn’t been to before. Just had a feeling. No joke.

Went to the leathers section at the first, nothing special (though quite a few “passables”, which got me thinking that flight style jackets are more common than I thought at these places).

Went to the second store, really just a 70s-90s type place. Looked at the jackets on a high rack and started spotting the telltale front pockets, elastic cuffs, etc. I had the nice lady pull some of them down for me and was mildly impressed by what I saw- some pretty decent A2 repros, I suppose almost G1s, etc. Most too big on me, many on the rack too ratty.

Then I put this on. Holy %#^. No, it wasn’t a perfect repro or one of the big brands (it’s a Cooper Sportswear A2), but I go damn. Damn damn damn. Price tag says $150.99. Definitely a bit above no-brainer territory for me given it’s not high end and Five Star’s prices, and I decide to ask her if the prices are final (at vintage stores they usually are, but who knows?) She says, “hold on let me look at the tag. Oh it’s red. Yeah those are 50% off.” I go, “excuse me??” Eyes like saucers. She goes, “yeah, actually I can probably do better than that. The owner told us to basically go as low as we we can to get rid of these, they’ve been here forever! Let me look something up... ok the lowest price on the rack for one of these is $85. I can give you that price.” Me: “Wait... 50% *off* $85??!” Her: “yep!!” I just couldn’t believe it. I was going to walk out of this shop with this jacket for about $45. I was holiday/birthday/last day of school level happy and thanked her profusely for making my day!

So! The haul. Is it my end all be all A2? Nope! Is it a damn near perfect fit which will see me through countless upcoming dances and re-enactments, serve as a fantastic measuring jacket for others to come, and a great first jacket for my nascent collection (not to mention practically brand new)? HELL YEAH!

Virtually my dream fit, better than any other A2 I’ve ever tried on by a long shot, and close to my ideal color...

(Picture quality is, I apologize, pure shit )

Thanks for your help, all!

View attachment 56047View attachment 56048View attachment 56049View attachment 56050View attachment 56051

Thanks for that woozy of a story, I could feel you excitement in your words!
A well f*ing good find. Nice job! I am genuinely very happy for you.
Welcome to the club and have a wonderful stay.

 

[MaydayWei]

The first one is always "free." Now you're hooked, you should probably look for a second job.

Oh my, you sound a little too familiar with drug transactions...

 

[Chandler]

Oh my, you sound a little too familiar with drug transactions...

Child of the 60s and law enforcement experience.

 

[ausreenactor]

Now you have to search for one at a lower price!

 

[BigBrother]

That’s a damn good fit I’ll say. Now you have your measurements to (carefully) take from this one so ordering custom should be a less complicated.

Exactly! Valuable all around .

 

[BigBrother]

I hate negotiating-but this really shows it doesn't hurt to ask for a discount...

For what it's worth, both in business and in personal dealings (like this one), I very often take a "same side of the table" approach. See, so many business dealings, negotiations, etc. begin with the parties adversarial to one another. I of course don't mean literally antagonistic, but more like chess opponents facing off. It's amazing what you can achieve if you literally just view it as "coming over to the other side of the table" and talking with them to achieve a common goal. For example: Party A wants the widgets at $50, Party B at $100. Traditional negotiation says a bunch of argumentation has to occur as the parties carve out something acceptable. Instead, if I'm Party B, I'll often say something along the lines of, "ok, obviously I know you want to get it for cheap, which makes sense. On my end, these are my expenses and I'm trying to get the most, so we're not eye to eye yet, but let's figure out something that makes sense." You basically take a bird's eye view and call out the situation for what it is. It's amazing how much resistance dissolves. Suddenly you're solving a problem together, and not trying to win. It's almost magical.

Now, when it comes to something more like this situation (I'm not trying to engineer some complex deal for both sides; I just want a nice jacket for cheaper ), or for example asking a server to fix a dish, that sort of a thing, I often employ two simple traits which are invaluable: appreciation and effusiveness. If you're appreciative for their help and effusive with your communication/pleasantness, those serving you will often part seas to help. It's another one that's magical. First off, they're dealing nonstop with A holes and so just treating them like a human, and above that, being nice and enthusiastic, goes a huge way. Secondly, at least here in the US, most people are actually very cold and only surface polite with strangers, and so making a real connection, if only a brief one, also goes a long way. Basically you're a real person, not just another person through the turnstyle. Thirdly, it basically, like the negotiation strategy above, gets them over to your side. The objective becomes to join in your enthusiastic pursuit rather than eek out a few more bucks. It's like, here's this enthusiastic customer who's friendly and excited about this, let's help him! I'm not saying this is conscious, it's just the reaction most people have. Put in much more pedestrian terms, more flies with honey than with vinegar .

You might be amazed how many people just don't get this/don't apply it and enter this A hole mode the minute they have to "get something" out of someone, like in a business negotiation or bargaining situation. I guess I'm saying most people immediately *reduce* the other to an enemy in order to conduct the transaction, whereas I prefer to *elevate* them to a partner/friend. Now, this of course doesn't work in all situations or with all people. Some people are so far gone down the personality ladder that they distrust all, or view every transaction as a fight from the get go, or hell, are just having a miserable day (or are all three and live in parts of New England ) Those cases are usually lost, forget it. But in 90% of cases? It works. Most people don't actually intrinsically want to see you lose, is what I'm saying.

One last anecdote on this wildly divergent comment . Two of my friends, with whom I often eat at restaurants, pretty much take it as a forgone conclusion that by the end of any meal I will be brought free food from the server. No joke. It quite frequently happens. I just chat the servers up and discuss the food and why something is good or this or that, and they just light up. They're tired of A holes and they're automatically happy someone is happy (and grateful!) And to clarify, I don't do it everywhere or artificially. I only do it when I actually enjoy the food and want to talk about it. It's not like some con I run per a script. I just really get into it and express so to them (if I actually am into it!) My friends just marvel that this works. Oh, and it's sometimes not even just cheap appetizers! Lastly, to clarify even further, I don't do this just to get free food. If nothing happens it's immaterial to me because I just enjoy being pleasant and friendly and share my enthusiasm for what the server and I are engaged in together.

Anyway, you can see how this applied to this jacket situation here, and why she was eager to do the best *she* could to get me the jacket for the cheapest possible price!

In short: be excited, be nice, be appreciative, and get them to actually want to see you succeed in all this. Magic. This, to me, is the real art of negotiation.

 

[BigBrother]

Way to go! I confess every time I see a box-stitched epaulette on a rack in a vintage shop I get a bit excited, even though every one has always turned out to be nothing but some 80’s mall-jacket monstrosity-but I live in hope. Feels good when you luck out though, doesn’t it? That’s probably an actual military-issued A-2, albeit the modern incarnation. Let’s have a look at the label.

It sure does!! And yeah, I had wanted to post the label. Let me grab it. Tell me what you know/think...

 

[BigBrother]

Great catch! And that jacket fits you very well. Looks like the leather's got some good character too!

Thanks! It actually ended up being goatskin, I learned later. Didn't expect that (is that considered better? Just different?) I don't know how it will wear as, to be honest, it certainly doesn't seem the highest-end (sort of reads like vinyl.) I would love for it to develop patina or whatever cool-looking wear is called, but I just don't know. It certainly feels like an entry-level jacket (to use appropriate A2-obsessive terminology ). Great fit, but yeah, the leather is not anything high-end.

 

[BigBrother]

The first one is always "free." Now you're hooked, you should probably look for a second job.

God is this right. The amount of time I've spent on this forum since joining three days ago... . I already realized a few days ago I will probably get a few of these and will certainly be dashing for the leather rack at every vintage store we go to now. I rang my business partner to tell him, "dude, you think you've seen deep wells on the internet? You've never seen anything like this..." He argues he has as I described it, till he actually visited the sites (here, GW, etc.) Third act: he was going to Five Star by the end of the call and planning out which one he might want to buy. And that was his impulse after seeing what A2s actually are, not my prodding . Lastly, I turned to my GF last night and, sort of a mix of content, concluded, and resigned, said, "yep, I will be spending $1500 on one of these one day."

Thanks all?