This and That About Neckties

Last week I decided to sell some of my neckwear on eBay.  I created my first listing and started to fill in the requisite information. One section named “Item Specifics” let me add more information to help buyers find my item in search results. This included the brand name, color, material, length & width. The drop down menu for width asked me to choose from one of the following:

Skinny (< 3 1/2″)

Classic (3 1/2″ – 3 3/4″)

Wide (> 3 3/4″)

I was surprised by the way in which eBay determined the cutoff for skinny, normal width and wide men’s ties. In fact, I think it is downright wrong. There isn’t an online seller of men’s skinny ties which sells narrow neckties wider than 3 inches. Three inches is the industry standard cutoff for thin ties. Anything wider *might* be considered *slim* but certainly not skinny.

Also, many a modern necktie manufacturer & designer sells neckwear up to 4″ in width from corner to corner at the tip without referring to it as wide. The  most recent period when ties were wider was during the 60′s & 70′s, when they ran from 4 1/4 to over 5 inches and are by today’s standards considered *wide* or *fat*. In my professional opinion, today’s classically cut neckwear runs up to and including 4 inches, and anything wider falls under the category of men’s wide ties.

That’s my story & I’m sticking to it!

I love skinny ties as much as my customers do, and we are all very particular about the types of neckties we prefer. Once inch or 3 inches wide? New or vintage? Mad Men era or 80′s vintage? So when I created my Skinny Ties page, I made sure to separate my neckwear in as many ways as is possible!

It is important to be able to place each tie in the correct category and it takes some knowledge to make sure I represent each tie correctly for my customers. So how can you tell a 50′s tie from an 80′s tie? One way is by the length.

Men’s 1950′s vintage skinny ties are shorter than their 80′s counterparts.  In fact I’ve never come across an extra long tie from this time period. I think the longest one I’ve found was 59 inches. Most are 51-55 inches, such as this 1950′s Vintage Skinny Tie.  By contrast, neckwear made during the 1980′s and even today’s run around 53 – 60+ inches. Manufacturers began to produce extra long ties during the mid to late 1960′s, and ever since, no matter how slim or how wide, extra long ties became a mainstay in men’s fashion.

HURRAY!  A SALE!  HURRAY!

• 20% DISCOUNT FOR YOUR ENTIRE ORDER!

• USE FALL20 AT CHECKOUT FOR 20% SAVINGS!
• FREE SHIPPING! - NO MATTER HOW BIG, NO MATTER HOW SMALL!
  

GEAR UP FOR THE FALL WITH OUR NEWEST ADDITIONS! CHECK OUT OUR NEW ARRIVALS PAGE FOR TIES ADDED THE LAST 3 WEEKS &  JUST ADDED SKINNY TIES IF YOU LIKE THEM SLIM!

HURRY!  SALE ENDS MONDAY NOVEMBER 5TH!

Who doesn’t love free shipping?! I know i do! And now ALL DOMESTIC FIRST CLASS SHIPPING IS FREE!

NO MINIMUM ORDER REQUIREMENT! Just pick out your favorite men’s ties, and I’ll ship it free of charge!

Need it sooner? No problem. You can upgrade to Priority 2 to 3 Day Service and Express Mail Overnight with USPS for an additional fee. Simply place your order prior to 2 PM Eastern Standard Time to ensure your order is shipped the same day.

If you aren’t sure if you need to upgrade shipping, give me a holler toll free at 888-740-7942 and I’ll give you my best estimate as to when you will receive your package. Remember, although USPS doesn’t deliver on Sundays it’s still working hard to move the mail. I’ve mailed many packages from Nevada to New York on Saturday only to have them delivered on Monday! However, sometimes inclement weather and the holiday season during the winter months can slow down the shipping time, so feel free to check with me first. Here are the complete Shipping Policies for both domestic and international orders.

Hi, can you tell me how long shipping will take for a single neck tie to Australia for the USPS First Class International and the USPS Express Mail International?

Sincerely,
Potential Customer

Dear PC:

Thank you for your shipping inquiry! USPS First Class International takes approximately 2 business weeks while the Express Mail option takes 3 to 5 business days on average (this not counting Saturday and Sunday) to arrive to an international destination from the day a package is shipped.

This does not take into account any possible delays which might take place at your country’s customs over which we have no control. You are welcome to refer to our Shipping Policy page for more information.

Why yes we do!

Check out our  bow ties and cummerbunds. Some are sets. Others are a la cart and single accessories which you can mix and match with other pieces. We even carry 3 piece and 4 piece sets which include matching pocket squares and suspenders. It really depends on how we find them in our travels.

We might not have every set in every color imaginable, but our men’s neckwear is a great way to create a totally unique look!

Hi there,

Your site says that you are out of stock of this tie. I was wondering if or when you are getting more. I really like this design and was hoping to purchase this tie from you. Please let me know if the tie will soon be restocked or has been discontinued.

Sincerely,
Interested In This Tie

Dear Interested,

Thank you for your interest in this necktie. We no longer carry this tie and will probably not be able to restock it. This is mainly because we are a hybrid necktie website specializing the sale of both new and vintage ties from the 1920′s through the 1980′s as well as contemporary pieces. Because 80% of what we sell is vintage, we only carry one of each men’s tie, and the chances of finding the same identical tie, while not impossible, is improbable.

I’d like to refer you to our other skinny ties. Perhaps there is another one you might like just as well.

Sincerely, Jackie
888-740-7942

Yes you can! All packages are shipped via the United States Postal Service (USPS). This includes First Class, Priority 2 to 3 Day and Express Mail Overnight. Please call us or email us at Support@Ties2Pillows.com for your tracking number should you need it.

In the event you are an international customer who has placed a men’s necktie order via the USPS First Class International shipping method , your package also has a tracking number and it is also accessible on the www.USPS.com website; however, it only tracks packages while they are inside the United States. Your package will not be able to be tracked once it leaves US shores for this shipping method.

Packages shipped by USPS Express Mail International can be tracked from the time they are shipped by us to the day you receive your package in the mail.

Dear Jackie:

Hi. The order I places wasn’t delivered and is at the local post office for me to collect…once I pay 11.19 pounds, the extra being called “Customs charge including an 8 pound handling fee”! Very awkward for us both, of course. Any thoughts? It’s a lovely men’s skinny tie but I don’t want you to be out of pocket.

Kind regards,
Ties2Pillows Customer

Dear Ties2Pillows Customer:

I am happy to see that you are a return customer of ours! We’re always  appreciative of customers who like our ties well enough to come back and purchase from us again!

With regard to the customs related charges, I’m afraid that as per our Shipping Policy, we are not responsible for any customs duty, domestic sales tax on importations, and any other applicable local taxes, tariffs and fees associated with the delivery of packages to our customers. I am so sorry to hear about the fee your local post office is attempting to collect and understand if you decide to refuse your package, in which case it will be returned to us. Let me know what you decide.

If you decide not to accept your package, I will be happy to refund the value of the necktie although I’m afraid the shipping cost we incurred for the delivery of your package is unfortunately not refundable.

If I can be of anymore assistance, feel free to email me at Support@Ties2Pillows.com.

Sincerely,
Jackie

Today I had the opportunity to speak with a customer, which doesn’t happen nearly as often as I’d like it to since most people simply place orders on their own instead of calling us toll free at 888-740-7942.  Here is the brief exchange during which I had the chance to clear up a few things:

Customer: Hi. I see a charge on my credit card statement from Altogether Something Different. I’m calling because I don’t recognize it.

Me: That is the name of the parent company for our website Ties2Pillows.com, which is an online retailer of men’s neckties. Did you perhaps purchase some neckwear from us in the last month?

Customer: Yes! My husband loves the ties I got him!