I’m probably overthinking this but I purchased some vintage blue celestial tea lights from two different sellers and noticed they were different. Two are a deeper blue, thicker glass and marked on the bottom. Two others are lighter, look slightly different, thinner glass and unmarked.
Were there just lots of variances with this type of item? Did different companies basically copy off one another? I tried to google to no avail.
I’ve been thrifting for about twenty years. I ventured in and out of it and stuck to online for a while. I’ve had pretty good luck online and found some thrift stores near me that catered to more of my style. I was super excited to get back into finding physical stores but wow, it’s been a wild ride.
I’ll get SUPER excited about a find and then there’s holes! HOLES. Then there’s stains, tags falling off, threading coming undone, thread pulls, piling, and generally some stuff should have been just dumped. At the very least, upcycle it but no, these stores take them and sell it for $20. Sometimes they’re less but why accept clothing in that condition at all?? It’s just basic stuff, not even amazing designer items someone could snatch up to repair. I’m at such a loss.
I know many things will be faded and obviously worn, which is a default but the terrible conditions are unacceptable. And it’s not even places like Plato’s closet which is notorious for eagerly taking garbage, it’s boutiques and independent stores. Yesterday I saw a really unique sweater and spotted multiple bad pulled threads and left disappointed. Today I noticed a button up I purchased and thought inspected well, had a button broken in half, how does that even happen? I know I can take it to get an easy/cheap repair but it’s so frustrating.
Combined with the high prices, it makes me just want to go back to buying new. I’m finding it so stressful to thrift. To have to inspect so carefully, get items repaired, or just leave empty handed isn’t fun. At all. I really like finding more unique things and knowing I’m giving things another life but it’s just really starting to become a burden.
Many moons ago I noticed things were dingy but weren’t nearly as riddled with damage. Is it because thrifting has made a mainstream comeback that there’s far less QC? Is it just about thrifting for the sake of it, versus wanting to find cool things in good condition? I can’t be the only one who’s upset by this.
I went back and forth about buying this tower from Michaels. It’s so expensive, among other things. But after seeing the supply dwindle and my love for the celestial, I went for it. It’s huge! I love it, I’m happy.
Found these in black a week or two ago. Depop is wild to navigate and I don’t think I’ll use it often but I got super lucky! This style is so hard to find, especially in a 7. Can’t wait to deep clean them and place them right next to their red sister 😹
Generally I’ve put up with bad friends throughout my life due to low self esteem. I’d take anyone who would want to interact with me since I thought I wasn’t worth having standards for anyone in my life. Obviously that led to many a bad experience. Even though over time I slowly learned to cut these people off, I’d end up just accepting the same type of behavior from someone else.
As I’ve gotten older though, thankfully my tolerance is at a minimum at best. Therapy really helps keep me grounded, too.
Recently I cut off a friend I had for about three years that I considered my “best friend.” While we did have good times, she was a bad friend. She tried to be this whimsical being that wasn’t concerned with anyone around her that wasn’t blood family. She also tried to model a very low effort behavior after another friend who she greatly admired who seemed to be the ideal of how my now former friend wanted to be. She was dishonest about a lot of things going on in her life, was horribly inconsistent, and would correct briefly upon me bringing things up but would quickly go back. It was exhausting. She was still trying to live like a teenager that didn’t want any type of responsibility. She would show some personal growth but then make terrible choices like up and quitting her job with no back up. She lived by herself. She was carefree and settled into a lower paying job despite not having enough money to get from one month to the next with the previous job. She also just bought a new car that she needed family help with to pay for. I was so overwhelmed by the total lack of any maturity.
I tried to distance myself from her personal choices about her life. But could not distance myself from how she directly treated me. After a couple of other instances where she almost smugly blew me off, that’s when the lightbulb stayed on. I couldn’t do this anymore. She literally did not care about me. She wanted high effort from me but blatantly mistreated me. She really was the textbook type who wanted to be as low effort as possible but wanted high effort from everyone else, especially when she needed help. She treated the only stable and reliable friend she had the worst and now is left with people who are exactly like her. She often needs help in various ways and it’ll be interesting for her now to have to try to corral even flakier people. I’ve seen her try to do it and none of them show up or if they do, it’s only on their terms and ignore any additional requests. Not my problem. But I hope that maybe it’ll be a lesson for her, though doubtful she’ll do any introspection.
She did try to reach one day after not hearing from me for a couple of weeks after her last indiscretion. They were very stiff, overly rehearsed texts “apologizing” for her bad behavior. They appeared SO rehearsed that it was insincere and things she figured I’d want to hear. I figured she recently had a therapy appointment, tried to play the victim, and the therapist explaining the reality. The way she blew me off was so cold and entitled, as if I needed to be taught a lesson that she should be able to do whatever she wants. I highly doubt she somehow saw the light in two weeks and became a different person. I did not respond. It’s been a month and she hasn’t tried to reach out again.
I’m happy. I feel really good! I feel so good that I stood my ground and didn’t let someone who didn’t care about me back in. I’m not a service, I’m a person. I’m really proud of myself! I’m so sick of allowing these types of people into my life and only feeling empty. They’re not interested in connection, only what serves them in the moment. It’s truly a wonderful feeling to be free of this desperation to connect and now to be picky. No more chasing, no more tolerating disrespect, only people who actually value me.
To realize you’re a person and not just a utility for other people is an amazing feeling. I also deserve what I put into other people. Life’s much easier when you don’t bog yourself down with the stress of inconsistent people.
This month especially has been overwhelming finding styles I never thought I’d ever find. Well, not in my size or in good condition, at least. Then all of a sudden I’ve spent a gross amount but I am happy that my search for a lot of styles is now complete. My credit card is deeply unamused, though.
The purple ones are MIE and were just a fun pair to find. I’m excited to clean these up and add them into the rotation 😁
For only the second time ever, I found docs in the wild at a thrift store! I am so happy.
I see so many listings for some BEAT up boots. I mean, so beat up they should be thrown away. The listings are of course hilarious with how they try to play down the damage.
I’ve always wondered who actually buys boots in poor condition. I know many people aren’t as particular as I am but with as many listings for such condition boots, there has to be a market for them, right?
Do you guys buy really badly damaged boots? Do you just turn them into a project? Or do you just like a really really realllly worn look? What’s the longevity, since many have soles that are really ground down? I’m just really curious about anyone who does collect this type of condition!
I saw this style several months ago but figured I’d never find it in my size or for a less expensive price.
Welp, got lucky off eBay! They were not cheap but a very similar retail price to some styles out there. I cleaned them, did a minor cream “repair,” and they’re good to go. For as old as they are, they’re in good shape!
I haven’t seen many people going nuts over this at Michael’s. I happened to see it on their website and got the last one within my area. It’s amazing.
Their celestial line I think is horrifically over priced but it has such a fun 90s celestial feel that I caved. I love this thing.
I know many people were looking for these and they’ve been out of stock for about a year. They’re back! One size is already sold out but if you’re anything but an 8 women’s, have at it!
I was looking for another boot and came across these and knew I had to have them. I’ve never seen this style before and they’re everything. They’re Jemma but with a more unique heel and rub off. NEW. NEVER WORN. They weren’t cheap and I died inside but worth it.
For reference, I’m 5’4.5 and overall an XS, S, sometimes an XXS.
I’ve found either one size fits all either fits or is huge. I’m so confused.
I know there’s a lot of hate for places like John galt/brandy Melville but they fit! I like the designs and they fit! Yet other brands are hit or miss.
I get very excited thinking something will fit and it’s huge. Or it’s oddly just too big to where it has gaps. It looks like something that’s SUPPOSED to be form fitting but I went up a couple of sizes. It’s so awkward and uncomfortable.
I’m also really tired of it being normalized to feel bad about liking one size fits all clothing, especially any that do market to smaller people. Everyone is beautiful and everyone should feel that way. Why is it okay to just hate on anyone who happens to fit into such clothing?! The projection is so draining.
Someone smaller than you can also have clothing that fits and that not being an attack on you. But the pushback is insane.
It’s also a bit awkward now that I’m closer to 40 than 30 and sifting through small clothing at the mall, right beside teenagers. I don’t feel “bad” but I feel strange, as in not “supposed to be there.”
I’m happy that I can fit those smaller sizes and such but the entire struggle of finding things that fit is well, exhausting.
I recently purchased two pairs of boots from them directly. It was quite the adventure.
Pictured are the Leather Cherry and Purple Rub Off.
I really want to make it a point to say they’re not scammers. They truly do provide the items you order. They’re not trying to bamboozle anyone.
The website is very much still 2001 and kinda wonky to browse. It can be a bit slow. It is mostly up to date inventory wise.
I ordered the burgundy and navy rub off boots initially. There were some issues that occurred:
I did not hear anything about a week. Customer service via the chat and email are very responsive overall when I inquired as to what was going on. After back and forth, I ended up with two totally different boots. They have several warehouses in different countries and some have customs issues. The warehouse in HK seems to be able to ship items without any issues. The boots I originally ordered were not in that warehouse, sadly.
It took a month to get both boots and I had to prod them about updates a couple of times. While their CS are friendly and helpful, they didn’t always email with updates. But when I did prod, they were detailed.
Their website can not be fully up to date. I was offered at first the purple rub off instead of the navy but on the site it showed they weren’t in my size. They did in fact have them, though. Not sure why that wasn’t reflected when trying to initially order.
There’s no warning on the website if the shoes you’re ordering can be delayed or unable to ship to your country due to customs issues.
Shipping is odd. You’ll initially get an email stating they shipped but they don’t provide a tracking then. It’s a separate email. I just ended up prodding CS to get the tracking numbers. If you have a UPS account, you’ll see it as an incoming package, which is helpful.
Overall their CS is good and the fact they were detailed and quick to respond assured me that I would be getting something 😹
Their grammar is a bit off, almost like broken English. They would use UK phrases so I don’t know. And the grammar on the website can be a bit odd so it kinda matched up. I have no idea where their online CS is really based but they did have the England phone numbers listed in their email signatures.
Shipping moved without issue. I’m in the US. Their HK warehouse seems to be the main international one. If items can be readily shipped, they are quickly and move through customs very smoothly.
The navy pair, after some prodding, were unable to be shipped. Instead of canceling like I first wanted, I asked if I could sub them out. I was given a URL list of boots that could be shipped immediately. They switched the items and all went very well after. So it’s very easy for them to just sub out items if needed. The boots were very very similar in price as well.
As for the boots themselves:
They’re very high quality. They came flawless! I wouldn’t say they’re super duper thick leather but they are crafted very well. It’s a stiffer leather for both. It’s obvious that time was taken to make these. They aren’t floppy or droopy at all. The red is similar-ish to a smooth leather style from dr. Martens. But they’re not plastic coated like that style, just very polished and smooth. The purple are amazing. They’re also very very similar to dr. Martens rub off boots. They have that plastic type shiny coating.
I’m a UK 5, which is a US 7. I’d say the boots are pretty true to size. On the website it does recommend to size down but I didn’t. I have more narrow feet but longer toes so I didn’t want them to be too short. No complaints! They feel good and you could wear thicker socks without and issues.
Tips:
If you’re in the US especially, email them to ask what’s available to be shipped now. Just give them your size and they’d send you your options. That way you don’t have to go through what I did.
Keep on top of CS. I didn’t always have to nudge them but it does help to email them if you haven’t heard anything for a few days.
Be kind. They’re not trying to be difficult. They do want you to get what you paid for.
I didn’t have to pay any extra duties as everything is included in the price of stuff, as noted on the site. No signature was required either for delivery.
These shoes are super expensive but you do get what you pay for. I like how the soles are screwed in and they seem to wear well. I got a very old pair second hand and noticed how you couldn’t tell it was 30 years old. They weren’t in new condition but they in no way looked like they were run over by six semi trucks. That’s what sparked me to buy some new styles.
I can’t speak to the custom process is. I saw from other posts how they take several months. I’m not surprised since getting already made boots took a month.
I would buy from them again. It wasn’t an easy process but now I know how to streamline it.
I haven’t really seen too much about ordering from them, other than complaints. So I really wanted to try to help anyone curious about them. I hope this reassures someone that they’re safe and gives them a guide!
I just recently purchased three pairs of boots from this place and since I don’t really see a lot of experiences about them online, I figured I’d throw in mine.
I’m in the US and thus ordered off of their US labeled site. The site being labeled as US does not mean they have a warehouse in the US, it means they’re catering to that specific country for shipping and browsing experience.
I ordered three pairs of Steady’s boots and really like them. I find them to be on par with any other EU based company. That company is based in Poland and they do not ship to the US so METALSHOP is a solid place to find them. They kinda remind me of Grinders or Underground England. I’m very happy with my purchase overall!
The website itself is kinda dopey. It gives more of an early 2000s vibe. They could organize better and the site isn’t always very intuitive. I honestly thought they were a scam company at first 😂 I had to google them to verify they were trustworthy.
The purchasing process was really outdated. You first check out and select which payment method. The order is technically placed but it’s really just an invoice. The confirmation email will have a link to pay for the order. Note that duties are not paid prior or included in the price. Once you formally pay, you’ll get a confirmation. You then get an email once it’s shipped. They are really good at their automatic emails. I emailed them asking about a timeline and they responded promptly. The boots shipped exactly when they told me they would. Shipping is done by weight which isn’t fun. I paid $99 to ship all three.
Shipping is also very quick. They use DHL. If you don’t have a DHL account, I highly recommend that you get one because it makes life so much easier. All went very smoothly. I knew duties would have to be paid and DHL enthusiastically prompted payment. For three boots at about $112 each, I paid $81 in tariffs. Gross. DHL also includes a $17 fee for themselves. That was really the worst part about this.
They packed the very large box well enough with cushioning on a couple of sides. I’m very picky about shipping and wish they used some bubble wrap. But honestly, nothing was harmed. They shipped better than a lot of places, even department stores.
I can’t comment on their clothing as I’m sure you can find a lot of it elsewhere. The shoes I found to be decently priced, as they do have some dead stock. You need to look at the size chart! A lot of European brands can fluctuate in sizing. They thankfully have a size chart for most shoes. If a size chart wasn’t included, I avoided the boots because that means there’s a lot of inconsistency in sizing for that brand. Who wants to go through that kind of return?
I really did have a good experience and if you have extra money to burn, they’re worth checking out.
I use to use that website in the blogging hay day constantly. It was great even for computer wallpapers and general graphics. I would check it out periodically in the years since because it’s just a fun time capsule. It wasn’t really updated with anything new in about a decade. The blogging part of the site seemed somewhat active, though.
It was just soothing to be on. Now the website seems to be just gone. I checked it out a few weeks ago, if that. There didn’t seem to be any warning of a site shutdown.
If anyone remembers that place, what happened?