My beef with vintage flea markets: Austin thrifting recap
One of the main purposes of going to Austin this weekend, aside from seeing my sweet friends Theiija and Noor and seeing Omar Apollo, was to have a thrifting extravaganza of sorts because I haven’t had a solid thrifting moment in quite a long time. I’ll include a list of everywhere I went below, although I’ll preface that I don’t know if the markets happen every weekend. After going to multiple flea markets this weekend, I’ve realized I don’t actually love them the way I think I do.
Friday
Uptown Cheapskate
Stardust Vintage
Lofi Vintage
Vintage Hideout
Blue Velvet
Thigh High Vintage
Saturday
Vintage Cowgirl Anniversary Market
Treasure Thrift
Stitches Vintage Market
Ermine Vintage
Room Service
Sunday
Long Goodbye Manor Market
Guad Market @ Pavement
My beef with vintage flea markets:
The weather: This isn’t under the control of the flea markets themselves, obviously, but this weekend it was in the mid-90s temperature wise. On Sunday, there was a slight breeze that provided much needed cooler air but aside from those few moments of bliss, it was disgustingly sticky. I just easily got drained from being in the sun and my desire to try on clothing plummeted, which leads me into my second reason.
Lack of try-ons space: There are a few rare times where flea markets will have a little foldable tent situation for you to try on the items. However, usually, you’re at the mercy of a nearby store to try on the items, you try them on over your current clothing if that’s possible, or you buy the items without trying them on. That last one is simply not an option for me, because I’m so picky about the way my clothes fit me. I’m someone who will have three items to try on but spend 15 minutes in a dressing room because I’m contemplating on each piece: how it fits, what outfits can I make with it in my head, how it moves, are there any stains/holes/rips etc. I’m a heavy thinker when it comes to my clothing purchases, so a lack of try-ons space is an issue for me.
Selection doesn’t qualify the pricing: Because we’ve been in a y2k resurgence for at least six years now, I felt like every vintage market had almost identical selections and I’ve started to realize, it’s not really my style. That isn’t to say that y2k doesn’t inspire me, because it does, and I have many pieces or will create many outfits that are reminiscent of early y2k fashion. When so many of the markets are selling such similar items, it all starts to blend together. The same wrap tops in the same prints, slip dresses out the wazoo, miniskirts that really put the emphasis on “mini” and any vintage item from Express or The Limited is automatically $35- it’s all getting just a little bit exhausting. I don’t mind paying for something that’s unique and good quality, but everything is getting marked up because it’s trendy, except is it really? I think the supply of y2k clothing is starting to outweigh the demand, and prices should reflect accordingly.
All this being said, I do still see the value in flea markets in general. I think vintage flea markets are great if you’re looking for specific accessories, which is where I shifted my focus on Sunday, and looked for nice belts, bags, shoes etc. I also think in cooler temperatures, my first two grievances are less relevant, so I suppose when the weather cools down, I’ll have to circle back. In terms of the selection of clothing at vintage flea markets, I think if I focus my energy on accessories and nice coats/jackets, I think they can still be valuable to me as someone who almost exclusively shops secondhand. Going to these vintage flea markets also randomly reminded me that estate sales exist, so I think I’m going to look into those as well to expand my secondhand options.
Speaking of secondhand shopping, I posted a YouTube video! It’s 16 thrifted outfits for hot weather and you can watch down below.
