Vintage Shopping Brings Out A Dark Side

There is this thing that happens when you are a seasoned vintage shopper that cannot be avoided and can fill a shopper with dread; it’s The Vintage Dark Horse. To be more specific; a vintage dark horse is a shopping antagonist who knows what to look for and is searching for it in at the same store in direct competition with you. With any luck they arrive long after you have scoured the store or as an added bonus they are a very different size; but no matter the case, there is no shaking them.

A simple shopping trip turns into a game of espionage as you scan through and grab as much as you can while constantly looking over your shoulder and taking inventory of the adversary’s finds. “Damn, where did she find that sweater? I didn’t even see that!” you mutter to yourself. Deep down you hope that the rival caught a glimpse of the perfect long sleeved jersey Calvin Klein dress you captured.

The most nerve racking part of this exchange is when it comes to the fitting room; you have to plan it just right so that they don’t see you go in and don’t know you’re off the hunt. The other important tactic is to be aware of when your competition leaves the fitting room so that you can filch their discards before they change their mind. A good vintage shopper doesn’t let go of anything until the very last possible second and after very careful consideration.

Even in this fierce competition there is a level of respect for The Vintage Dark Horse, who forces you to keep your eyes open and stay alert, and who shares the same passion for other people’s old clothes. This is vintage survival of the fittest, and anyone who frequents trunk and sample sales will attest to this behavior. It’s not pretty and it’s not classy, but etiquette goes out the door if you want to get the good stuff for yourself.

Maybe this has happened to you and you know exactly what I'm talking about, or maybe you have a different story to tell about shopping for vintage. You can share it with your fellow shoppers in the vintage clothing forum