AT BRILLIES SUNGLASSES WE SPECIALIZE IN ‘DEADSTOCK VINTAGE’. WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS, SO LET’S START AT THE BEGINNING.
WHAT IS DEADSTOCK?
Deadstock is quite literally dead STOCK. It happens when a store’s inventory doesn’t turn over; AKA doesn’t sell. When a business doesn’t use inventory management software, deadstock can sit in a warehouse until it’s eventually completely forgotten. If enough time has passed, this old, forgotten stock becomes vintage. In fashion, something is vintage once it turns 20 years old.
That’s how we end up with Deadstock Vintage.
Deadstock vintage can come in many states of age. Deadstock usually retains its original tags and stickers – this is because it went untouched by the public. It was never sold, so it’s in its original back-of-store condition.
Deadstock vintage is NEW, but that doesn’t always mean wearable. Very often vintage items deteriorate due to heat, cold, or bugs. It’s critically important to store vintage in a protected, climate-controlled environment to prevent pre-mature aging.
Here at Brillies we sort each piece individually and pull out the unusable pairs. We then donate them to artists or recycle them.
Anything can be ‘deadstock’
Fabrics, shoes, clothes, glasses. Anything that went unsold can be claimed as deadstock.
Other terms for ‘deadstock’
Some folks say old stock, some say NOS (New Old Stock). There are many ways to say it, but they’re interchangeable and mean the same thing.
