By personality, I'm referring to what a thrift store has to offer. The Goodwill store located across from Valley West Mall has a "computer" personality because Goodwill Industries funnels all of its computer donations (monitors, mice, modems...) into that particular store. If you're looking for cheap pair of speakers for your PC, then that's the thrift store for you.
Typically, much of a thrift store's personality is determined by its location. When people donate their unwanted items, they usually aren't going to drive across town to do so. They're going to donate locally. So, think about the demographics of where a thrift store is located. If you're looking to score toys or clothes for your toddler, go a thrift store near a newer housing development. That's where the young families (read: small children) are.
If you're looking for a store with a vintage personality, you should avoid the suburbs. What chance do you have that a young family has recently decided to give up their sweet 8 track player?
If you want much of anything from the 80's or earlier, you got to get to the older, more established neighborhoods. That's where they're cleaning out Grandpa's basement and giving away his style and maybe his Beatles LPs, too.
Okay, let's get back to the new St. Vincent de Paul thrift store. It's in West Des Moines which is a suburb, but the store is also near Valley Junction and the houses that are south of Grand. So there's a chance it'll have a vintage personality. I scored two shirts that give me a glimmer of hope.
Check 'em out.
Yes, I know they're the same shirt, but they're both in such great condition, I couldn't help myself. They were only a dollar each. Goodwill now charges $3.59 per tee shirt - how full of themselves are they? Besides, you never know who might like a classic Hawkeye shirt as a gift. But maybe the shirts are in such good shape because they aren't authentically aged. Maybe that's why there were two of them. How can I tell if these are the real magilla?
For starters, the shirts' material is much thicker than the tees of today, and the letters are not silk screened on. They're made of a second material. You don't see that type of craftsmanship on today's tailgating apparel.
To make my best guess if a shirt is really vintage, I always check the tag.
If you want a vintage product, make sure there is a tag. A screened-in logo screams, "You have toothbrushes older than me."
I'm no expert, but a small, white tag that reads "Starter", "Screen Stars" or "Sportswear" is a pretty good sign in your in vintage territory. It's even better if you don't recognize the company's logo.
I've heard of companies that sell faux vintage rock shirts with reproduction tags, but those unscrupulous people sell their stuff on Ebay for really high prices. They didn't donate their shirts to the Disable American Veterans store, so I think you're safe with what you find in a thrift store. If the tag looks old, you're gold.
Oh, and by the way, don't trust the tag. That sounds counterintuitive, but if the shirt is truly vintage, then you're going to have to assume the shirt is a size smaller than what the tag states. Vintage size Large equals a modern Medium. Maybe even a tight, modern Medium. I always hold the t-shirt by the seams where the sleeves meet the shoulder to see if it aligns with the same spots on the T-shirt I'm already wearing. You can also grab a modern sized shirt off the rack and lay the vintage shirt on top of to see how they compare. Again, trust your size and your eye, not the tag.
Why go through all this when you can just go to Target and buy the approximate of a vintage shirt for less than ten bucks? Well, humans have an innate desire to be seen as an individual. The fashion industry even has a way to measure this desire. It's called the Consumer Need For Uniqueness scale, and no, I didn't make that up. So yes, you could go to Target and get a Yes concert tee. But how many Target stores are there in the US?
Since every one of those stores is selling twelve of the same shirts in your size, that doesn't really satisfy that need for uniqueness does it?
If you score a shirt that hasn't been worn since the 70's, you got a much better chance at standing out. Maybe that's why I couldn't pass up buying both of those U of I shirts? My subconscious was urging me to thin the herd by one more.
Why go through all this when you can just go to Target and buy the approximate of a vintage shirt for less than ten bucks? Well, humans have an innate desire to be seen as an individual. The fashion industry even has a way to measure this desire. It's called the Consumer Need For Uniqueness scale, and no, I didn't make that up. So yes, you could go to Target and get a Yes concert tee. But how many Target stores are there in the US?
Since every one of those stores is selling twelve of the same shirts in your size, that doesn't really satisfy that need for uniqueness does it?
If you score a shirt that hasn't been worn since the 70's, you got a much better chance at standing out. Maybe that's why I couldn't pass up buying both of those U of I shirts? My subconscious was urging me to thin the herd by one more.
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