A-Z Brands: H

A-Z Brands: H 

Hugo Boss 

I found the history of Hugo Boss interesting and troubling; so bear with me as I discuss it. In 1924, Hugo Boss started a clothing company in Metzingen, Germany. Due to the economic conditions after World War I, the company filed for bankruptcy fairly quickly. In 1931, Boss settled with creditors; leaving him six sewing machines to start again. That same year Hugo Boss became a member of the Nazi Party and sponsor of the SS aka The Devils. As a Nazi Party member his financial situation GREATLY improved. He was the official supplier of uniforms to the SS and he used prisoners of war and forced laborers to produce his clothing. Basically, Hugo Boss became rich off the backs of Concentration Camp victims. The entire Hugo Boss staff were major supporters of Adolf Hitler. 

After the war, Hugo Boss was stripped of his voting rights, his capacity to run a business and was fined very heavily. Boss's son in law took over the business after his ban and started producing men's suits.  Hugo Boss died in 1948 but his company lives on. In 1970, the first ready to wear Boss branded suits were produced and his famous fragrance first appeared in 1984. 

In 1997, the company appeared on a list of Swiss dormant accounts in connection with reparations lawsuits from the Holocaust. Hugo Boss agreed to pay $1,037,690 to compensate the families of Holocaust victims, who worked for the company during World War II. 

Today, Hugo Boss is facing boycotts in Ohio over low salaries and threatening to move their factory over seas. 

Hugo Boss has 4 sections: 

Boss Black: modern classic men's and women's wear. It's the most distributed. 

Boss Orange: Denim casual wear. 

Boss Selection: Only high priced men's wear. 

Boss Green: golf clothing. 

Ebay is filled with Hugo Boss items. Currently, there are 11,925 pre-owned items on eBay and 10,943 have sold recently. Here are a few recent sales: 

Hugo Boss is a prime example why I share the history of companies. Before giving my take on flipping Hugo Boss items let me say: I will no longer flip Hugo Boss items. I can't flip items from a company that supported the Holocaust. It's my personal choice. With that said I've sold three Hugo Boss items (plus included some in tie/dress shirt lots) and have one more currently listed. Here are a few: 

       Vintage Hugo Boss Shirt: $15.00

My advice: Hugo Boss is a decent brand to flip. The vintage items can bring a nice profit. Ties and dress shirts, if bought for cheap can also make you some money. 

Hugo Boss Grades: 

Price: B 

Availability: A

Competition: D 

Consistency: D 

Overall: C 

Next A-Z Brand: Betsey Johnson