Hot for Monday!: A lifetime collection of vintage clothing — the majority never worn, still with tags — from the 1950s through the 1970s — uncovered in Rochester, New York. The sale starts Sept. 23. I talked to the seller for more info — read on for planned pricing, sizes, and a bit more information about this fashionable lady who collected all these treasures. Read on for additional, important DETAILS!
I spoke at length a few minutes ago to the professional organizer of this magnificent sale this morning. What a joyful story. The collector was a local professional woman whose career required more conservative attire. But, she loved colorful clothing and avidly collected it from the 1950s well into the 1970s. She shopped local department stores in Rochester including Sibleys, McCurdys, B. Foreman. She was not looking for haute couture — but every day pretty clothing items.
Note: She did wear some pieces to parties and the like, but even these are in pristine condition and most still have the tags with them.
She has now passed, and the organizer told me that her husband didn’t quite know what to do with it. At one point he talked to a company who was going to haul it all away and throw it out and charge him several thousand dollars to do it!
Then the loving husband discovered this professional estate handler, who pretty quickly recognized the value and began working to organize the collection for this sale. Note: On pricing, the seller did some testing of the waters on ebay earlier this year to determine values. The prices set for this sale are great deals for individual collectors, but also would allow a dealer to make some money.
Also, the seller says there will be more photos posted later this week — of some of the even more spectacular pieces.
What a labor of love this all has been!
Key details on the vintage clothing for sale:
- The majority of all the pieces were unworn and still contain original tags. As stated on the website: “Most are New Old Stock (NOS) New With Tags (NWT) some with saved tags on the hangers and some with no tags but in Excellent Condition!”
- Sizes for the dresses are vintage 8 through 14 … maybe some 16s.
- There is no dressing room.
- Prices for dresses on first day will be $30.
- Sweaters: $10
- Blouses: $10
- Two-piece separate sets: $30
- Shoes — sized 9 narrow and 9.5 narrow — $10 a pair
- Some prices may be negotiable on day two
Location, date and times:
- Friday & Saturday 9/23 & 9/24 9am-4pm. Cash or Credit Card. All items sold AS IS! All Sales Final. Not responsible for accidents. Permanent numbers given out at 8am Friday. Must stay on premises with temporary numbers until permanent numbers are handed out.
- The address for this sale in Rochester, NY 14616 will be available after 9:00 AM on Friday, September 16th, 2016.
Info from the estatesales.net page:
WOW! HOLY COW! UNBELIEVABLE! KIND OF HARD TO TRULY FATHOM! A PICTURE TELLS A THOUSAND WORDS OR 4000! Literally this sale will consist of approx. 3000-4000 Articles of Vintage Clothing. Approx. 1000+ True Vintage Dresses, 1000+ Separates Top & Bottom Dress Outfits, 1500+ Blouses, Shirts, 100 Skirts, 500+ Sweaters, Jackets, etc mainly ranging from the 1950s to the 1970s. NONE ARE CONTEMPORARY REPRODUCTIONS! Most are New Old Stock (NOS) New With Tags (NWT) some with saved tags on the hangers and some with no tags but in Excellent Condition! This Archive if you will was purchased by one Woman (Yes One Woman) over a span of decades who due to her conservative career could not actually wear them to work but only enjoy them twirling around in front of her 3 way mirror in her home holding them in front of her then hanging them back up. She lived here in Rochester and shopped at Sibleys, McCurdys, B. Foreman many of which have the Original Tags and Price Tags still attached or Present on the Hanger. There is no Haute Couture like YSL Dior Pucci etc. but is still all Great Quality and name brands of the day. We are affectionately dubbing this collection ….The Dress Horde! True Vintage Clothing is a SMOKING HOT Market these days both for collectors and people who appreciate wearing true vintage. The quality is unlike todays modern clothing. The high percentage of Vintage Clothing found in the general marketplace of Vintage Clothing Stores, Etsy, Ebay and the like have been heavily worn, hemmed, faded and just downright USED! THIS COLLECTION HAS NOT BEEN! Again she pretty much bought them and never actually wore them. They were all pretty much properly stored in all of her closets and the home had rooms full of them on racks. To find True Vintage Clothing in this NOS, NWT Excellent Condition and lightly Worn Excellent Condition is practically unheard of and increases its value and desirability. It is now time for them to belong to someone else to cherish and love them for who knows maybe decades more to come. Included in this sale will also be her Vintage Purses and Unworn Shoes. Payment will be Cash or Credit Card.
View full details at EstateSales.NET: https://www.EstateSales.NET/NY/Rochester/14616/1304703
Maria says
I once found a wonderful vintage 1959 coat… in, of all places, the Halloween Costume section at the local thrift store! A size 2 or 4 (far too small for me!), the garment was originally sold as part of “The Young Collection” at Saks Fifth Avenue. It was a ribbed, knee-length dress coat with a Peter Pan collar, the classic long panel down the back, and three rhinestone buttons and two snaps on the front to hold it shut. After $25 in dry-cleaning fees to restore it to its snow-white appearance, or at least as close as they could get it, I ended up donating it to Goodwill, where it went on their “boutique” rack. I was just glad to save it from ending up as someone’s bloody costume!
tammyCA says
Oh my stars! I wish it was here (but then the prices would be super high). I love all those colors & patterns & styles..even just to have them in a closet would be happy rainbow world. Too bad Mad Men is gone, the costume designer would be in heaven.
Thank goodness the husband didn’t just have them hauled away.
Dana says
Oh wow. And I’m only 40 mins away!
Jeannie says
Thanks for sharing Pam!…looks like a fabulous collection ..$30.00 a dress is too high for this reseller but maybe I will go and try to score a few for myself …there my size!…Jeannie….
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com says
I am SEW TEMPTED to go to this, but I’m not a vicious “Filene’s Basement Wedding Dress Sale” Aggressive shopper. I know there will be people there just loading up bags, buying tons of stuff and sorting out later, leaving little for us less than aggressive gals!
All I can hope is that the woman who bought these clothes got to wear them all, at least once. I love so many of these!!
x o Mod B
Heidi Swank says
Can’t wait until some of this starts to appear on Etsy and Ebay. I’m too far away for the sale, but will keep an eye out for the resale!
pam kueber says
I now know your size so if I go I’ll see what I can nab for you! *gifty*
sophiabrooks says
I live here! I am so excited!!!!!!
pam kueber says
Yay! I plan to come!
Kristen says
Wow! What a great collection! Wish I lived closer so I could go to the sale.
Robin, NV says
Of only I lived on the East Coast! This is too awesome.
Years ago I found a bunch of designer dresses from the ’60s at my local Salvation Army. They must have come from an estate sale because they were absolutely amazing high end formal and cocktail dresses – about a dozen of them. The awesome thing was that the original owner must have been my doppelganger because all the dresses were exactly my size. I bought three of the dresses but I wish I’d bought the lot!
pam kueber says
Wow, what a great find! I love shopping Salvation Army and Goodwill!
Kath says
Wish I could be there, looks amazing.