I have had great success on eBay buying socks from a seller called- nysock. He's located in Syracuse, NY which apparently is historically famous for it's sock mills. I'm in work boots all day as a contractor, and I swear by merino wool socks for all but the hottest days of summer!
The best deal from this seller is usually for 4-6 pairs of socks at a time, and shipping is usually free. I've been buying from this seller exclusively for about 5 years.
Patrick, thanks, I’ll have to look into Nysocks. I’m not an E-Bayer, but those sound like a good deal. I am also sold on Merino or Merino blend wool, excepting the usual cost. Does Nysock have a website site or a vendor off E-Bay?
I am really digging the thematic Christmas gift idea of
Y’all get nothing but socks this year! One year everything was red. One year everything had to do with birds (field guides, feeders, what’s that, bird seed & suet in your stocking?). One year everything had to do with warmth; car seat sheepskins, winter gloves and hats and, the most appreciated Christmas gift ever, a heated computer mouse for my wife’s Raynauld’s frozen fingers.
One year each gift had a scavenger-hunt clue leading to the next gift; the first gift clue was “Call the dog”, the next gift/clue was on the dog’s collar, the next in the attic, in the basement, out in the yard. The last was buried in a snowdrift next to an oft-visited foxhole a Christmas Day hike away from the house.
I pulled the trigger on some Duray three packs. Plural, two three packs. Unstylish Daddy get the two grey pair (to wear with his fuzzy winter Crocs, out in public no less), the boys each get two pair in either blue or black. I am wearing them now (with Crocs), have been for several days, and may wear little else sock-wise this winter.
The Duray’s are very warm and very comfy. Thick, but not so thick I can’t fit in my usual shoes or boots. And the 60/40 wool nylon blend isn’t itchy, so I don’t need to wear thin sock liner as with some 100% wool socks.
I still need to find a deal on thin Marino/Smartwool or etc (synthetic?) liner socks. To go sock-wise in my own Christmas stocking; on any off-season trip my footwear is liner socks, under WP breathable Gore-tex Seal skinz socks, under WP mukboots bought a half-size large, so I can still wiggle my toes.
I am down to 1 ½ pair of thin Smartwool liner socks. Or perhaps ¾” of a pair, all worn see-through thin.