You should buy this
cool things on the internet that are for sale.
If you haven’t noticed, I spend a decent amount of time on the internet looking at vintage, well loved, secondhand things. This is mostly due to the fact that thrifting here in Austin, well, sucks. Most places are heavily picked over by millennial resellers trying to get $200 for a Ralph Lauren plaid button up on Depop or “thrift” stores that think they’re antique stores, selling decently common retro tchotchkes for about 40% more than they’re actually worth. The rise of gatekeeping around thrift shopping is fascinating to me as reels of people showing off giant hauls and price gouging those who “aren’t in the know” grows on social media. The reality is that people shop at thrift stores for a variety of different reasons and while there’s always going to be a person who tries to ruin it for everyone, don’t be a privileged dick.
(My rules are simple: don’t overbuy/hoard and don’t buy items that are necessary for functioning comfortably as a human if you find that they’re scarce, already heavily picked over, or very affordably priced - winter coats, flannel items, cozy blankets, plus size items in pristine shape, etc. My soul hurts when I see people going up and down every aisle, ignorantly piling the entirety of the outerwear section into their carts just to resell for 10x the price. Don’t be this person. Leave it for people who need it.)
I will occasionally still check out the Goodwill in my neighborhood, though on my last adventure there was a person casually roaming around with a giant chainsaw and well, let’s just say, it just wasn’t the most comfortable of shopping experiences. I did, however, score brand new $295 Imogene + Willie selvedge edge denim for $6.99. That was a win.
These days I’ve found myself filling my treasure hunting fix by scrolling Etsy and eBay, fighting the urge to add every single thing to my cart. Internet thrifting has its downsides, pricing (and shipping) being the major one - I only buy things I know are rare/truly vintage, are in better shape than I usually find, or so special I simply cannot resist. eBay is generally the better move to find things affordably, mostly if you’re willing to bid on items or give the seller your best offer. If you add things to your watchlist, sellers will often offer you a lower price if you buy immediately. Etsy is usually more curated and where I will search first and then move over to eBay once I find the keyword search that works best with what I’m looking for. I most often filter for North America only (for ease of shipping costs/lost in the mail anxiety) and only buy from shops with 4 star+ reviews. Etsy is full of scammers - if it looks too good to be true, it probably is! If you’re really itching to dig, I would recommend Goodwill online. Yes, friends, you can shop Goodwill online through their auction site. It can become wildly addicting and mildly frustrating/anxiety inducing very quickly.
Between all of these sites, I have about 7,000+ items favorited 😬. So today I am sharing some of the cool things you should maybe buy so I can live vicariously through you. They don’t have a theme, just an insight to my brain and the random things I’ll search on any given day.
clockwise from top left:
1// an adorable sailor cut LBD with daisy appliqués - I love the cut of this! Looks to be in decent condition and would look so cute with buckled mary janes for a chic Wednesday Adams autumnal vibe.
2// a travel jacket filled with patches from all around the world - the fact someone took the time to collect all of these patches! An awesome statement piece even with the heavy amount of military vibes….
3// retro cat cutlery rests - Cutlery rests are super old school and I think they should make a comeback. These are perfect for spicing up a boring Monday night dinner table!
4// MCM wine cooler - This would be so cool as a lil dinner party statement piece!
5// (this sold right as I was screenshotting it - I’ve linked a similar one) super cool apple shaped ice bucket - This would be rad on a bar cart!
6// killer green 60’s gown - This is a perfect holiday party lewk!
7// random Brad Pitt tee - Not an ideal price but I love the randomness of this tee!
8// chic golf cardigan - I don’t play golf but I would if I had this cool ass cardigan!
9// cutie patchwork purse - It’s like a summer picnic but a purse!
top to bottom:
1// 60s/70s scrappy quilt - the perfect picnic blanket or upcycled lil crop jacket!
2// 60s beaded mini dress - someone needs to get married in this!
3// 90s license plate purse - a winning combination of hard rock cafe meets 90s kitsch meets las vegas!
4// 60s brocade opera coat - let’s bring back the opera coat! this would be so cool with slim pants and funky heel for an evening lewk!
5// dresden plate quilt - the colors on this!
6// dorothy thorpe condiment caddy - buy this for your next dinner party and put olives and nuts and fun snacks in it!
7// suede ferrari racing jacket - formula 1 chic!
I’d post more but I feel like I’ve far surpassed the threshold of acceptable exclamation usage for one newsletter. There! is! so! much! cool! shit! floating around this planet that’s been pre-loved and looking for a new chapter of life! If you haven’t tried buying something secondhand, this is your sign to try it out. There’s nothing better than getting a compliment on something you only paid $5 for and that’s unique enough where everyone won’t have the exact same thing.
Are you on the hunt for anything in particular? Cool dinner party things? A unique vintage accessory? Starters for your vintage tee collection? A holiday outfit? Tell me in the comments and I’ll do a roundup of those fun things next time!
Until next week!
xo
G