With the emerging market season drawing to a close, vintage resellers are increasingly using social media to spread the word about their carefully curated collection of rare and elegant pieces.
Logan McKito, an undeclared sophomore, started Mickey’s Vintage, an Instagram account dedicated to selling vintage clothing to Pitt students, in 2019. He said he started selling his old clothes and secondhand items for his friends. Once she became a Pitt student, she catered to the high demand for vintage Pitt clothing.
“As I got more and more traction, I started going to garage sales and using Facebook Marketplace 一 and honestly, where I am today, that’s what I’m using the most,” McKito said. “Another great thing I’ve been doing lately is if I know someone on Instagram who collects vintage Penn State stuff and if they have Pitt stuff, I trade it with them so we both get stuff that sells better for us. .”
When shopping for items to add to her inventory, McKito said she looks for pieces that match her personal style. He prefers bold colors, textured fabrics, and fun sweaters.
“I tend to dress a little more than the average person,” McKito said. “If I find something that is crazy colorful or crazy materials, I usually tend to gravitate towards that. Every time I save, the main thing on my mind is: ‘What would I like to wear?’”
Mickey’s Vintage recently participated in its first in-person event during a pop-up store hosted by Thriftsburgh.
“I brought over 100 things and I was worried,” McKito said. “I didn’t know if it was too much or too little because this was my first event. I ended up selling around 80 items in the first half hour. It was crazy”.
Of the 105 pieces he brought to the event, he went home with only six left over.
For those in the market for home and décor essentials, @pgh_mod on Instagram sells a curated collection of mid-century modern home decor.
Eileen Collie, a former Pitt student, said her love of finding hidden treasures at the thrift store has now turned into a business.
“I’m always going to thrift stores and trying to find new treasures, so it fits naturally,” Collie said.
Pittsburgh Mod offers glasses, record players, mirrors, large furniture and more.
“Things that tend to sell consistently are larger pieces of furniture, things that would be more difficult for someone to go to Target and find a comparable item,” Collie said.
His business operates primarily on Instagram and occasionally posts items on Ebay. She said customers arrange pickup or delivery for an additional fee.
“Usually I try to post a couple times a day, maybe four or five days a week, and people comment ‘sold’ if they want to,” Collie said.
perhaps rare is a participant in The neighborhood flea market and other pop-up events in the fall and winter seasons. The store includes fashion and colorful home decor. Pittsburgh resident Meagan Michaelis is the creator of two brands, maybe weird Y mayberomance.
mayromance is a digital business in patreon where Michaelis paints fantasies on old book covers. Maybeweird is your one stop shop for reworked clothing and decor. The brands are independent of each other, but she is in the process of trying to unify them.
Michaelis said he created the brands almost out of desperation.
“I mean it was born out of sheer determination to make something of myself,” Michaelis said.
He started out doing commissions, but at the end of 2019 he decided he wanted to brand his work. Michaelis gathered supplies and began experimenting, eventually turning her personal DIY projects into products she could sell.
Michaelis describes her style as colourful, bold, quirky and childish.
“I’ve always said that I really don’t want to grow up and lose the things that are so precious when you’re a kid,” Michaelis said.
His most popular items, reworked vases and candle holders, exemplify his crafty and quirky style.
When he comes across an original vase at the thrift store, he reworks the piece with clay charms. She molds the clay into fun, colorful shapes, which she then bakes in the oven to harden, and glues the finished charm to the vase.
“I go to the thrift store a lot. Sometimes I go and find absolutely nothing, but sometimes I find really good stuff,” Michaelis said. “It’s a lot of outing and patience.”
For those looking to introduce the 2000s aesthetic into their wardrobe, KVULT specializes in it. Pittsburgh resident Kara Shields retains a vintage aesthetic from the ’80s, ’90s and Y2K through updated jackets, accessories and sportswear. She sells her items at various pop-up events around town like West Virginia Harvest Festival and the neighborhood flea.
Although KVAULT primarily resells, the brand was originally born from Shields’ idea of making a rotating cabinet subscription brand. In the new year, Shields said she hopes to bring back subscription boxes where customers receive a handpicked bundle of clothing based on inspiration photos.
KVAULT also specializes in fun fabrics and prints, sequins, and faux fur. Shields said she loves searching for shoulder bags, fully sequined ’80s dresses and accessories that embody the popular Y2K aesthetic.
“I always say that KVAULT is my alter ego,” Shields said. “I look for amazing faux fur jackets that you don’t see every day. I’m excited to find really cool jackets. I compare a lot of the stuff I find as original to what’s mass-produced now.”
When looking for products, Shields prioritizes quality and longevity. She said that a useful skill that she has learned over time is estimating the age of a garment by touching it. She uses this to judge the quality of a product when she saves.
“I always look for quality pieces that are very well made and will last forever,” Shields said.