Thrifted Ralph Lauren Madras Plaid Tie – $6.99

I always check the tie rack of any thrift store because there will inevitably be a gem lurking among the horrid polyester designs.    Yesterday, I found a perfectly good 100% cotton madras plaid tie by Ralph Lauren.  It was priced at $6.99.  One man’s last season tie, is another man’s treasure.  But I’m not sure whether I will actually wear this one.  I really don’t like logos on my ties – just a personal preference – so it may go up on eBay.

In one store, I found a slew of fine 100% silk Brooks Brothers rep ties for .99 cents each.  There was no sign of wear on any of the ties – you always have to check the section of a tie where it is  knotted (where friction occurs) to see if the material is worn.  You should also check the tip of the tie, where it is pulled through the knot, for signs of wear.

I wanted to compare the price of my thrifted tie vs. the Ralph Lauren retail price. There were no madras ties on the main website, but I did find an example on Lauren’s Rugby site.  The asking price was $69.50.  So my savings through trifting = $62.51.  Ties are usually priced low in thrift stores, and the asking price vs. retail creates a huge savings opportunity.