Indianapolis and Chicago Trip

The first picture is a personalized Barry Sanders autograph I found for $50 in Indianapolis at a Village Discount Outlet.  The second is a $15 Burberry purse at a Unique Thrift.  I'm not sure if the Burberry is real, in fact I have no clue.

It is amazing how many fakes of a lot of things exist out there.  I found a Ben Roethlisberger official jersey and found out later it is a fake.  No problem, however, because it didn't cost me the real price!  And I'm not offended when someone points out it is a fake.

Speaking of jerseys, I also found what I think is a Milwaukee Brewers game used uniform top!  Set me back a full $5.

Tommy Hilfiger, FUBU

Two of the brands you can't swing a stick around in a thrift store without hitting is Tommy Hilfiger and FUBU.  I'm not a big Hilfiger fan and FUBU may be for us, by us but I ain't us.

What does their omnipresence mean?  That they sold a lot of stuff?  That their brands don't have long term value?  That people get tired of them?

I think FUBU in particular is a style brand.  Urban tastes seem to change very often and their stuff may be getting dated.

I just posted about Ed Hardy jeans.  They may be in the same category some day.  Burberry sales may wane from time to time but the truth is they never completely go out of style.  People will be wearing Burberry clothing ten years from now.

I'm not knocking the other brands but you can learn a lot about quality, staying power and marketing by watching what does, and does not end up in thrift stores.