#Week #Thrifting #ThriftCon #WorthPoint
As a ThriftCon newbie, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from the experience. With hundreds of vendors taking over Denver’s sprawling National Western Complex, I knew ThriftCon would be big. That said, I don’t think anything could’ve prepared me for just how big the world’s largest traveling vintage market was.
The great thing about immersing yourself in a convention center full of vintage inventory is you can find just about anything, from Marlboro collectibles and handmade jewelry to toys and, above all else, clothing. Over the course of the This Week in Thrifting series, I’ve researched lots of housewares, kitchen goods, and knickknacks. Since ThriftCon was overflowing with apparel, it seemed like the perfect place to dive into the world of fashion resale.
Even though ThriftCon has just about everything, certain fashion staples crop up at booth after booth. So, I decided to research three of ThriftCon’s most commonly spotted clothing items: sports T-shirts, Harley Davidson apparel, and denim.
Of course, the denim wasn’t a big surprise. Denim has become increasingly sought-after in the world of fashion resale. I decided to research to find out just how much denim can resell for and to investigate three big brands: Levis, JNCO, and Union Bay. To hear more about what I found out, watch the denim episode.
While the abundance of denim at ThriftCon wasn’t a shock, two other items did catch me off-guard. The first was sports T-shirts—not jerseys or autographed apparel, but just the simple cotton T-shirt with a basic design of your favorite team’s name and logo. I was surprised to see these kinds of shirts at so many booths. The designs looked fairly plain to me, and I couldn’t believe some of these shirts had price tags ranging from $40 to $50. I decided to bring my questions to the WorthPoint Price Guide: Are simple tees like these reselling for that much? To find out, watch the sports tees episode!
Finally, my second surprise was the prevalence of Harley Davidson apparel, which felt strangely out of place among the mostly youthful ThriftCon crowds. But the Harley Davidson logo was everywhere, so I decided to research to see which designs sell for the most. I’ll tell you all about it in the full episode.
My big takeaways from this big thrifted weekend? Jeans are more than just pants. Even simple designs can bring in decent money and keep your eyes peeled for certain special cartoon characters. Now I know what to look for on my next thrifting trips to add value to my inventory, and in no time at all, I’ll be ready to start selling at ThriftCon too!
In addition to her role as HIP’s curator of photography, Allison Radomski is a writer and filmmaker. She spends her days hunting for analog cameras, scoring her own movies in her laundry closet, and building her collections of Polaroids and handkerchiefs. She has degrees in cinema & media studies and religious studies from the University of Chicago.
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