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
Retrotravelgirl says
Road trip anyone? I agree with Mod Betty if people are anything like they are here in So Cal it will be mayhem. Even at the local Goodwills when new racks of clothes come out can be dangerous, LOL! I, too, look forward to Pam’s updates.
Tim H says
Hi. I’m the organizer of the sale. Neither she or her husband were smokers. I went back to his house yesterday and got 400 more Dresses I missed. Also in the sale will be hundreds of folded paper handled shopping bags from Sibley McCurdys B Foreman etc. More details to come as I see questions posted to Pams Site. Thanks for all the kind words about this collection.
Trish says
I hope he husband knows how much joy he is sharing through this amazing collection! I spent an hour browsing the pictures last night.
Katherine says
Lovely! I think I’m too big, but I’d love to go and see what I could find. I know it would be absolute hell, but part of me wishes you could put everything for sale online.
Irene says
Thank you in advance! Even though I probably won’t fit in those clothes-yet (ha ha!) I will definitely stop by and buy something. Wish I had more time to shop as I am working those two days.
Diana says
Oh what fun!! I love looking at vintage clothing and using vintage sewing patterns. Brings back some great memories and just makes me smile.
mary says
Didn’t notice any mention if this woman and/or her husband smoked…that’s been the ruin of many a vintage garment.
Allison says
If you are a lover of vintage soft goods, invest in an ozone generator (about $100 on Amazon).
The results are AMAZING. Odors of every sort turn to the natural smell of a rainshower; the ozone actually combines with and destroys the odor-causing substances.
Great for anything/anywhere stinky.
Irene says
I moved back to Rochester after living and working in NYC. The stores that the collector bought from are now gone, but as a child and teen they were the places to shop. B. Forman’s was the high end store with designer labels and at Christmas their gift boxes were sturdy boxes with beautiful brushed gold lids. One year they gave out hand painted glass Xmas ornaments. I had one for years until it broke while taking down the decorations. I cried. Sibley’a was the grand dame dept. store which held events, fashion shows, etc. . I remember going to a Chanel cosmetics luncheon and getting a pretty decent swag bag. McCurdy’s had the most awesome coffee shop that was all gloriously mid-century! As a little kid I loved to go there with my parents and I would marvel at the serpentine counter that weaved through the entire place. It felt like being in a larger, more cosmopolitan city. B Forman and McCurdy’s were razed about 10 years ago? They were part of Midtown Plaza (there’s a great YouTube video of building of the plazy and then one filled with shoppers). It was designed by Victor Gruen and was one, if not the first downtown malls in the country. My dad and a friend’s dad worked for the structural engineers back then. Sibley’s building is still there, but it has been repurposed, but downtown Rochester is a mere shadow of what a bustling center it once was. Good times.
vegebrarian says
Be still my heart!
LuAnn says
So many dresses pictured remind me of how my mom dressed back in the sixties and seventies. How lovely! I live on the west coast…way too far away. Pam, I hope you find some great additions to your vintage wardrobe. 🙂
Bette Jean says
Pam, I know it will be hard to shop and report, but pleeeeze do a follow up story of the actual sale. Can Mr. Pam help you with the pictures? Where’s Kate when we really need her? ???? Bette Jean
pam kueber says
I’ll be doing a follow up story, no worries! And no, Mr. Pam cannot help – he is a teacher and will be at work!
Peg says
I’ll be on my way to western NY that day; thinking a side trip to Rochester might be a good idea! I used to live there right after college (just starting my vintage clothing obsession). I have collected a fair bit of vintage clothing over the years (mostly Victorian, 30s and 70s); this looks like such a cool opportunity to find something nice. I’m a size 10-12 so hoping something will fit.
Brooke says
If you can find a size 16 you might be able to fit that or maybe a larger 14. When I was a size 12 I usually fit an 18 comfortably and I managed to squeeze into one size 16 dress but it was pretty tight.
mary says
I live here and there is no address just a zip code…this must be in a warehouse…
Know your vintage size…an 8 is close to a 2. Marilyn Monroe wore a 14 but her measurements were pretty much a size 6 or 8. So much of this may actually be the same size just changes in sizing over the decades.
But both my mother and my sister wear 9.5 N….a rare size. She bought her size when she found them…and all of them in every color.
Brooke says
Ha! I was going to make the exact same comments about knowing your vintage dress size.
Even if I lived close enough to drive to this sale I wouldn’t be able to fit anything. I wear at least an 18/20 in vintage sizes. At least I can drool over the photos and pretty fabrics