5 Tips to Improve Your Next Vintage Shopping Trip
Here’s how you can land the rare vintage gem of your dreams
The vintage fashion scene is a great place to grow your collection without adding to the environmental damage of the industry. From rare coveted pieces to more affordable luxury pieces, shopping vintage can often unearth lots of unexpected treasures. But the process of going to shop secondhand can seem terrifying. After all, there usually is so much to sieve through before finding the goods you’re after. Plus, some vintage or consignment stores feel just slightly intimidating, especially if you’re new to the vintage scene.
But fret not, we have just the tips for you to level up your next visit to the vintage stores around you. Read on to see how you can improve your vintage-hunting game, whether in town or abroad.
Do Your Research
Video credit to @theneevintage.store on TikTok
If it’s your first time visiting vintage stores, it can be pretty overwhelming to go in blind. That’s why it’s crucial to do your research prior. Start by following the luxury brands you love on Instagram, so you can get familiar with the names and styles of the items you’re after. That way, you’ll have a better idea of what you’re after when you do go to the shops.
This also applies to choosing which vintage stores to browse, especially if you’re travelling. With limited time, it’s not a bad idea to do a quick search online so you can be pickier about which vintage stores will most likely carry the items you want. You don’t want to waste precious time travelling to a handbag consignment shop, for example, if you’re only looking for vintage Miu Miu cowboy boots.
Befriend Your Sales Associates
Once you’ve found a secondhand store you love, one thing you can do to increase your chances of getting the best goods is befriend the sales associates and owners of the shop. Share in your mutual love for vintage fashion and make the effort to genuinely get to know the sellers.
Building a relationship with them can make it easier for them to hold onto any rare items that you’re looking for, and that could even lead to them picking out items for you that they think would suit you. Bond over the beauty of vintage fashion, and who knows? You could gain a true friend in the process. Developing a genuine bond with sellers can be especially important in smaller vintage shops or consignment stores.
Save Your Searches
Video credit to @samjtodd on TikTok
Whether you’re shopping vintage IRL or online, we can’t stress the importance of saving your searches. If you’re on a site like Vestiaire Collective, save the items that catch your eye (even if they’re still out of your budget for now), and check in every so often. Who knows? The price could suddenly drop, so you can finally get that vintage Coach bag you’ve been eyeing.
No luck online? Keep track of what secondhand items you’re after, and go out and get those steps in. The more specific you can be about the item, the higher your chances will be when asking sales associates about its availability. Note the brand of course, and size, colour and season too, if possible.
Do Quality Checks
When you finally find the item that your heart desires, you might get too excited to get your hands on it. But let’s hit pause. Take a moment and carefully conduct a quality check. Check every zip, every button and every crevice for any damage. Though vintage pieces may sometimes come at a steal, you still want to make sure you’re getting the quality of long-lasting luxury products.
If there is damage though, think about its severity and assess if you can fix it on your own. Otherwise, is the product worth the expense of sending it to a leather restoration workshop? Of course, browsing online for vintage is a little trickier when it comes to assessing damage but it doesn’t hurt to tread lightly if you can’t really tell from the photos available.
Engage Your (Fashion) Friends
Vintage shopping is much more fun when enjoyed with like-minded fashion friends. So the next time you’re on the hunt for something (more so if it’s a rare collector’s piece), talk about it to your friends and family. They might happen to chance upon it on their own vintage adventures, and voilà! You can also shop with a wingman, so you have an extra set of eyes to gauge a piece’s style points and quality.
Even online, it helps to have more eyes on your side. We all know how tiring the search for quality vintage pieces can be, so employing the help of friends will pay off. Of course, this only works as a two-way street, so remember to keep your eyes peeled for rare items that your fashionista friends are after, too!
