Tag: secondhand

What Does Thrift Mean To You?

What does thrift mean to you?

Walking through the historically cultured blocks of one of Philadelphia’s most infamous streets, the question that has lingered in my mind. So this week, I thought we’d take a look an environment which has fostered so much of the inspiration that we’ve taken a look at over the course of this blog: South Street. On this blog, we’ve looked at so many inspirational stories about thrift changing the lives of plenty of people. From thrift shops created for troubled and misguided youth in an effort to rescue them from their impending downward spiral, to veteran thrifters of many years providing some insight into the art of thrift.

So this week, I thought we’d take a look at some thrift stores that we may have missed so far, while also getting the thoughts of some thrifters on what thrift means to them personally. After checking out Philadelphia’s “Greene Street” and “Sophisticated Seconds“, I’ve gotten a better understanding the importance of thrifting in many people’s lives.

At Green Street, the ambiance resembled that of a typical retail store. Family friendly and minimalistically chic, this shop exuded a warmness not usually found in consignment/secondhand. Filled with racks of elegant streetwear fashion, it certainly manages to appeal to its targeted audience. Favoring consignment rather than a thrift shop, Greene Street is fully entrenched in the culture that South Street is fundamentally built upon. Similar to the magnificence of the Magic Gardens, the allure of Greene Street is also in its aesthetic. Warm, diverse, and refreshingly organic, Green Streets serves as part of the thrift culture that is embedded in South Street of Philadelphia.

“Greene Street is a consignment/second hand shop…which is also very eco-friendly and good for the Earth,” said Brandon Hayes of Greene Street staff. “All of these things fall under and are relevant to thrift.

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The second part of our deep dive into the rich thrift culture of Philadelphia’s South Street is Sophisticated Seconds. Home to tons and tons of fashion steals at unbelievable prices, Sophisticated Seconds is much more product centric. While it may not meet the standard of service and involvement that Greene Street does, it certainly manages to compensate with the pure surplus of clothing options that they provide.

“The best part of thrift is that you keep money in  your pocket while making money off of what you sell too,” said Spencer Matthews of Sophisticated Seconds store staff.

“I’ve gotten stuff from like Zara, which is my favorite store, that is sold out in the store. Once it’s gone, it’s GONE. I think that’s the difference in like consignment and thrift stores, is that you kinda get some of that back. I think that’s why consignment, secondhand, and thrift are so important to me, eve though I just started like literally a few weeks ago.”

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What I gathered from this excursion into the importance of the culture of thrift that is embedded into South Street is that perspective on thrift varies just like the individuals involved in it vary.  Thrift is an art, to be partaken in or simply appreciated, and its value in abstract just like any other art form would be. It allows people not only express their thoughts and opinions, but gives them a platform to discover a sense of self and express that. Ultimately, finding the platform to do so appropriately is the goal of many, and thankfully thrift is able to provide such a platform.

 

An Interview With Philadelphia’s Urban Exchange Project

Welcome back everyone! This week, I reached out to likely the most popular thrift shop in Philadelphia, Urban Exchange Project. Although I requested to speak with owner and founder of the shop, Eddie, I was unsuccessful in acquiring an interview. However, Urban’s Exchange’s social media page replied to my message via Instagram fairly quickly and requested for me to send any questions I had to their email and they would get back to me. Well, here’s what the shop’s response to the questions I asked:

My first question would be how do you go about keeping popular merch that you know will sell in the shop ?

– We are constantly adapting to trends— what sells fast? what are people wearing? And then our own personal opinions of “what’s cool”.

Secondly, your blog page on your website has some really interesting stories. What kind of community has that blog created for the shop and what are some of the effects from the online thrift community that you see in shop ?

– We have learned how important our impact online has been through speaking to customers at checkout and learning a lot of our customers have discovered us either on Instagram or through google! We are constantly creating a community of expression through sharing unique pieces.

Also, what was the motivation behind establishing the first shop in 2014 ? And what were some things that led to opening the Fishtown location in 2016 ?

The motivation for our first store was really based on giving back. To this day we still donate one piece of clothing for every piece purchased. In 2016 we were ready to take on something bigger and expanded our brand to Fishtown. I would say our biggest thing is not having any rules or limitations on our identity— we just grow with the flow.

Next, do you have some favorites in terms of merch that’s ever been sold or is currently in the shop ? (Both the Fishtown & Roxborough locations)

Yes! Absolutely, we have seen some crazy pieces pass through! It is so hard to pick just one piece because we really see SO many items. We have this one fur coat with Picasso faces that Rihanna wore that is part of our collection— I don’t think we will ever sell it!

What tips can you give for thrifters who come looking for the best deals in your shop ?

I would say— make sure you go through the whole rack. There are so many times I’ll find stuff hidden in the racks, the second I move it to the front it will sell.

Lastly, what can you tell the audience about future of Urban Exchange Project and what they can expect from the shop in the foreseeable future ?

Well, this November and December we are opening Pop up shop in the Gloucester Premium outlets which is huge! We are really excited to show everyone what we’ve been working on for this one. In terms of the future future— there is no limit!

 

As expected, this interview provided some great into the mind set, motivation, and ambition of a professional thrifter. The information provided by the representative of the Urban Exchange Project was invaluable to those of us who still have those childlike dreams and aspirations of selling fashionable clothes for a living. This interview shows just how fun, and possibly this actually is.

Here is a poll for everyone to vote on what their favorite part of the interview was? If not,  please feel free to respond to our email with any questions that you did not feel were answered. Through the Contact Us page, you can give any feedback, comments, or concerns and expect a response fairly soon. Thank you!

Go-To Thrift Shops You May Not Have Heard Of

These days, it’s so hard to find trustworthy places to be your source of vintage fashion.  So, I’ve done it for you guys. Kick back and enjoy these sites that I gotten together for everyone to check out. I’m also going to post a poll at the bottom of the post for everyone to vote on your favorite vintage shop from the post.

 

Urban Exchange Project (Philadelphia, PA) is a vintage shop of self proclaimed “name brand 2nd hand”. With an impressively involved and engaged community, they have fostered a deep connection with their consumers. This shops also rewards the loyalty of their customers exclusive insider texts and deals when you sign up for the email updates. And trust me, with a shop that has merchandise this fire, you’ll want all of the updates possible.

They also have a great blog to keep everyone up to date with the most relevant stories in vintage and what’s currently in style. Check out some of their post to see what and what not to wear this upcoming fall, as well as some of the best styles from this past summer. Lastly, possibly the most interesting part of the website is the store behind the origin of the foundational storefront in Fishtown, PA, and how the shop as a whole cam about.

         

 

Here2CoolStuff (Philadelphia, PA) is a favorite of mine personally. With a strong connection with customers through an immersive website that’s regularly updated with events involving the shop and anything creative in general. Concerts performances, poetry, and, of course, a very particular style of desirable vintage clothing make the community of the shop larger than one would expect. With such a large community, a diverse style of clothing is bound to follow.

             

With styles like these, its easy to understand why I’ve come to love this shop so much. Located on south street, there’s always plenty of activities to get involved in and this shop is definitely one of the best of them all. Featuring plenty of throwbacks such as loose denims, unorthodox patterned print on the pants, stripes to set off an otherwise neutral outfit, or an edgy blend of casual chic, the styles to create and build upon are seemingly endless.

                

 

Red White & Blue (West Berlin, NJ) is one of the best and most regularly updated thrift shops in the local area. But surprisingly, unless you “know someone who knows someone”, most people are relatively unaware of its presence. But don’t worry, I’m letting the entire Throne of Thrift fam in on the secret. With bins that are added to daily and hundreds of various styles to choose from, it is literally the one-stop-shop for all things vintage.

          

Possibly, the best part about Red White and Blue is the deal and specials that they always have for their customers. Discounts that are attached to themes such as daily deals or Senior Citizen Day make their loyal customer base come to back to shop. Not only being the best in the product they sell and the pure quantity of it, but also besting any other thrift shops in their prices as well makes them my most trustworthy place to go for vintage apparel.