I arrived at the Brooklyn Storehouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard this Saturday with a mic, my iPhone, a yerba mate that I chugged while waiting in line, a stylish best friend who never hesitates to offer her honest opinion, and prayers that the thrift gods were on my side for that particular afternoon. It was ThriftCon NYC, a 100,000 square foot traveling convention packed with 150-vendors worth of vintage and secondhand goodness—an event not for the weak and not for those often plagued with decision fatigue.
For many of us, though, it's a return to true form—a reminder of what shopping used to be before everything turned digital. "It’s the original shopping format. Our brains are hard-wired to connect, in person with each other. We’ve drifted so far from that, and people are trying to claw it back where they can," ThriftCon co-founder Ken Meade says. "There are stories behind these pieces and the people selling them that can’t be told over a screen. So much of what we see, buy and use is dictated by algorithms that we have little say in or control over. ThriftCon is one of very few environments where your purchasing decisions are truly yours."
With food trucks in the yard, a bar offering cocktails, beer, wine, and Redbull for shoppers committed to powering through, musical performances, and a panel about building creative careers, ThriftCon is shopping, socializing, entertainment, and education in a single warehouse. All together, it feels like a celebration of vintage clothing and those who love it. "We see two-year-olds in strollers next to lifelong vintage heads who've been collecting for decades," Meade says. "We see serious collectors who know exactly what they're hunting for, casual thrifters just looking for something fun to do for the day, and everyone in between."
Between contemplating the purchase of a Miley Cyrus t-shirt, trying on clothes behind racks, and admiring the lace-up details on one particular leather jacket that will live rent free in my mind for the foreseeable future, I chatted with 6 ThriftCon attendees about their outfits, their thrift tips, and what it is about vintage shopping that keeps them coming back for more—plus, got the inside sccop from artist, model, writer, and creator Kitty Lever.
"Number one thrifting tip is to just have patience," Lever says. "Put on an album that you like and just get into the flow state girl, because you're going to be there for a while if you're going to find something good."
"I usually like to go to a vintage or thrift spot early or during non-prime time days, like Mondays through Thursdays, early in the morning while people are still at work. I think you usually get the best stuff. It's not so picked over."
"I started collecting vintage tees and band tees because I felt like it was a boys world and I was one of the few girls kind of mixing myself in a guy's world. I don't really rock band tees, but I collect them because I think they're like works of art. I'm just trying to make entering the boys' club more of an easy transition."
"I was at Queen's Pride this year, and they had $5 lingerie pieces that they were selling. And that's where I got this corset. I never really wear lingerie ever, but I was like, okay, you know what? This is a pink Barbie moment."
"Find a store that you love and become very friendly with the owner. I feel like they'll learn your style and then every time they see you, they're like, 'Hey, I have something that looks like you.'"
"This vintage Gucci bamboo bag is actually a hand-me-down from my auntie. She got it new in 1998, and it's been sitting in her closet ever since."
"I feel like with thrifting, patience is most important. If you have it in you to check every rack, every section, I feel like that's where I'll actually find the gems. Even in the kids section, like the little boys t-shirts or something like that."