Hunting for Vintage - Small Towns vs Big Cities

Hunting for Vintage - Small Towns vs Big Cities

Since moving from a big city to a smaller town, not too small, it has been quite a challenge to find those pieces, those items of clothing I KNOW WILL SELL fast. It is an instinct - even though it doesn't stop me from buying other items because either I like them or they will look good in the shop. Obviously, a gal living in LA or NYC has a huge advantage over little ol' me, in Santa Fe, NM. But I still go to THE Goodwill and THE Salvation Army every week. About once a month I drive an hour to Albuquerque where the really really great stuff is. At the big Goodwills, I go through every single item, spending 3 hours or more searching and searching. I have found some amazing items. Even I have been shocked by what I have found. I never know what I am going to find. But I search and I search and I find!  I have been to enough thrift stores in Dallas to know how they are different then they are here. And there is not much difference but the cost, ironically. Dallas thrift stores have much cheaper price tags. Here is the difference:  $3.00 for a dress vs $9.00 for a dress in Santa Fe. $6.00! That is a lot (as I sit here wrapped in a mink blanket. Go figure. 

 I believe that I can find just as great items here as I can in a bigger, richer city, I just wouldn't have to try as hard. Don't get me wrong, when I see ALL those amazing and beautiful vintage clothing shops on Etsy, I get a little jealous. But I can promise you that when it comes to the hunt, I have to dig a little deeper, get a little dirtier, and exhaust a lot more energy. I am not saying that they do not work as hard or harder at buyer vintage clothing, but you must admit, there is an advantage. But after spending 3 - 4 hours in a thrift store  - you learn a lot. I can pick out the vintage, it might be really ugly, but I can do it with my eyes closed. It is all worth it. I will go through an entire row of dresses and find one that makes it all worth while. And I love it. Impulse Vintage is my baby, my passion, my motivation to get up everyday. But watch out! Dallas here I come! In 5 days and counting….it's on! 

Brooke Nicosia