Six of Our Favorite Womenswear Vendors Selling @ ThriftCon LA
The final ThriftCon of 2022 is around the corner and right now it's looking to be one of the craziest experiences we've put together thus far. We're back in the LA Convention Center again hosting over 140+ vendors and more sponsors than we ever have. Better than that though, is the record number of womenswear vendors that will be showing up on the floor. Before doors fly open this Sunday, we wanted to highlight some of our favorites that will be selling all the vintage and thrifted good goods.
UNSEEN CLOTHING
How long have you been reselling?
I've been reselling since about 2015, but I've been thrifting all my life! I've been self employed full-time just over 2 years now.
What’s been your most unique or profitable flip?
A few months ago at the Goodwill bins I found a signed first edition of a book written by Andy Warhol! Because it's such a special find, I decided not to sell it just yet.
What’s your advice to others who want to do what you do?
My advice to others wanting to do this would be to make sure to always prioritize fun in your business. Reselling is a grind and burnout is real, so authentic passion is essential. Find your own aesthetic, lean into it 150% and constantly be open to inspiration.
What’s the one critique of thrifting/reselling that you hate the most?
It always bums me out when people discourage others from buying secondhand due to a false scarcity mindset. Anyone that's familiar with the clothing lifecycle knows that there is a gross underestimation of the sheer amount of used clothes that is donated or discarded. Most thrift stores get far more donations than they're ever able to process and move through the sales floor, which leads to more of these textiles ending up in landfills, going through costly and inefficient recycling processes or being shipped overseas.
Who are some of your favorite shops/resellers in the industry?
@shopratstar @sycho.shop @nostalgic.threadz @fineanddandyarchives
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NOSTALGIC THREADZ
How long have you been reselling?
I’ve been reselling for almost 8-10 years, but as my full-time gig it’s been 3 years.
What was the first thing you sold that made you want to pursue this as a passion?
I don’t think selling an item made me want to pursue vintage, I think once I found buy/sell/trade stores it really opened my eyes that reselling could be a real business venture.
What’s been your most unique or profitable flip?
Lately, I’ve been turning peoples old things into reversible bucket hats!
What’s your advice to others who want to do what you do?
Stay true to yourself and focus on curating items that you love, don’t go chasing trends. It’s also important to be nice to everyone you meet because you never know how people can end up helping you!
What’s the one critique of thrifting/reselling that you hate the most?
The critique I despise hearing the most is that reselling is an easy job. Yes you can start a business from almost nothing, but there’s a lot of knowledge and strategy that goes into being a reseller that will make your business thrive.
Who are some of your favorite shops/resellers in the industry?
Shop Bummy, Sycho Shop, 3women, jooglifeco
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1OFAKINDFINDZ
How long have you been reselling?
I actually started out reselling on eBay about 20 years ago. I just recently started reselling at flea markets in the past 2 years.
What was the first thing you sold that made you want to pursue this as a passion?
I think the first thing I sold was a designer purse from my own closet. When I saw how much money people would pay for a preowned item I knew it was something I wanted to continue to do. It just made sense, I love to shop, especially thrifting, and being able to make money doing it was a dream.
What’s been your most unique or profitable flip?
My most profitable flip that I can remember was a Cartier mens watch.
What’s your advice to others who want to do what you do?
You definitely need to have discipline. Everything is on your own schedule and time. In order to make money you have to spend a lot of time finding merchandise and then selling it. It looks easy, but takes a lot of time and hard work.
What’s the one critique of thrifting/reselling that you hate the most?
I honestly don’t have anything bad to say about it because I love it so much. But the only thing I dread is being on my feet all day lol.
Who are some of your favorite shops/resellers in the industry?
Just to name a few … the rh factor, tryon thrift, Texas huney, closetfoodla, lostangels_vintage, and so many more…
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POPSTAARZ
How long have you been reselling?
I have been selling random items from my closet since high school. I started my business 2 years ago and have been doing pop-ups and fleas ever since!
What was the first thing you sold that made you want to pursue this as a passion?
The first thing I sold was around the time I was a junior in high school. I got accepted into FIDM and I got really into making clothes. I remember, I started painting the backs on thrifted denim jackets and selling them on Depop just for fun. I think the first thing I sold was probably a hoodie with Justin Bieber's mug shot on it through Poshmark.
What’s been your most unique or profitable flip?
My most unique flip was my Halloween costume in 2012. I was 12 at the time and duct tape was a huge thing. My dad and I spent weeks making an entire dress out of duct tape. I remember I was taped into the dress so at the end of the night we had to cut the back out and slip me out of it.
What’s your advice to others who want to do what you do?
The best advice I would give would be to trust your gut instinct, never listen to anyone’s opinion other than your own. If you like something, keep buying it, making it, or wearing it because there is someone out there who will see your vision and love it.
What’s the one critique of thrifting/reselling that you hate the most?
The thing I dislike the most about reselling is people being disrespectful at the fleas. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people mess up the racks and leave hangers sticking up or clothes on the ground. I think also theft is something that really bothers me because all of us put so much time and effort into our work so it shocks me that so many people are comfortable stealing from a small business.
Who are some of your favorite shops/resellers in the industry?
@unseenclothing, @shophiltonhottie, @nostolgicthreads, @piecesofporcelain, @redandfriendspdx, @eyewearpalace_
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RIOTSHOPVTG
How long have you been reselling?
I’ve been reselling for almost 5 years.
What was the first thing you sold that made you want to pursue this as a passion?
The first piece I sold that made me want to pursue this as a passion was a gorgeous '90s beaded dress. A girl messaged me because her prom was coming up and she had been looking for a one of a kind dress to wear, and she ended up picking the dress I was selling. It’s kinda crazy to know that a piece I sourced here in Texas was able to make it out to New York to be a part of her special day. I love being able to spread vintage pieces and have them be a part of peoples lives.
What’s been your most unique or profitable flip?
My favorite profitable flip has probably been a Tripp Nyc pink and black corset tutu dress that I purchased for $2 at my local thrift and sold on my depop for $320 literally the same day I posted it!
What’s your advice to others who want to do what you do?
My advice to those who are wanting to get into reselling is to mainly stay consistent with listing on their selling platform, keep fresh inventory coming in (and out), and try to get your name out there by joining markets/having pop-ups, and staying active on social media.
What’s the one critique of thrifting/reselling that you hate the most?
The one critique of being a reseller that sells thrifted clothes that I don’t necessarily agree on is that we (resellers) are taking ALL the clothes from people who actually need it. There are tons of clothes that are distributed to thrift stores. We’re just picking out single unique items at the thrift. We’re not hogging up the whole thrift and buying it out. So there will always be affordable clothing and items for the next person.
Who are some of your favorite shops/resellers in the industry?
Some of my favorite shops that also happen to be female owned have to be Rogue Garms, ShopGhostSoda, and RitaxxSara. When I discovered these shops I was instantly obsessed with their different shop setups, unique styles, and takes on fashion.
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INDIGO VINTAGE
How long have you been reselling?
5 years.
What was the first thing you sold that made you want to pursue this as a passion?
Vintage Levi’s 🫶 Helping someone find the perfect fit was such a wondering moment that had a lot to do with our name INDIGO 🦋
What’s been your most unique or profitable flip?
1980’s Levi’s Winter Olympics jacket only made for the USA team
What’s your advice to others who want to do what you do?
Source for what you like, not what’s popular/on trend. I find that a big part of enjoying my job is looking for styles I would wear/my friends would love too.
What’s the one critique of thrifting/reselling that you hate the most?
I hate the idea of flipping or reselling just for coin or profit. What makes Indigo so unique is almost 100% of our profits go back into our lil family and community. We give a platform for local micro-businesses and make sure our employees grow and sell within our shops as well. We’ve helped put over a million dollars into our local economy each year, give opportunities for employees to learn about making income by reselling and take our leadership team on trips and experiences around the country.
Who are some of your favorite shops/resellers in the industry?
We love the new shop Wardrobe Project in Oakland some amazing curations and even better people ❤️ Virgo SC in Santa Cruz upholds the values of community and shared platforms and one of my friends from abroad 194 Local just opened a shop in LA with amazing vintage designer and statement items in a show room like experience.
