Side hustles, sales and sewing machines: Pittsburgh’s vintage scene is growing

When Imani Batts moved back to Pittsburgh and was unemployed and struggling in 2020, she turned to reselling vintage clothing to help make ends meet. After picking up sewing from her stepmother during the COVID-19 quarantine, she gradually turned what started as a supplementary income into her full-time job.

Under the business moniker Catherine Trendz, Batts, 27, sources fabrics exclusively from thrift stores and transforms them into one-of-a-kind designer pieces. With a fashion merchandising degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in her pocket, Batts has done everything from upcycling vintage basketball jerseys into bralettes to repurposing woven blankets into pants to transforming children’s comforters into trendy jackets.

“The things that really get me going are when I see vintage Tommy Hilfiger, vintage Starter, vintage Nike and vintage graphic tees,” she said. “Stuff like that really gets me excited in the thrift store.”

Her choice to utilize only secondhand fabrics is equal parts her personal interest in vintage fashion and concern for sustainably rescuing clothing destined for the landfill. “I know I can’t save the world, but I can help it just a little bit by sourcing from the thrift store,” she said.

Thrift shopping was born out of necessity in the early 1900s to provide low-income families with basic housewares, but it has become trendy in recent years for the thrill of finding unique items at budget-friendly prices. This avenue of retail therapy appeals to those wanting to be stylish on a budget (such as striking workers, for example) and OfferUp’s 2022 Recommerce Report predicts the recommerce industry — a term now used to describe the pre-owned economy — to grow by 80% by 2027.

Apps such as Instagram, Depop and Poshmark add ease into browsing the secondhand market while making earning income accessible to the average person without the need of owning a brick-and-mortar storefront.

Glenn Grasha, 26, started his thrifting Instagram in February 2022 to supplement his full-time compliance analyst job. His company’s work-from-home model allows him plenty of free time to search his local Goodwills for profit.

“It’s totally a side gig. I [go out] ] maybe once or twice a week to hit the Goodwills,” he said.
“Sometimes I even come down on my lunch break for a half hour and hope to find some stuff.”

While his interest is mainly Pittsburgh sports memorabilia, the occasional valuable vintage band tee makes its way into his cart. “I found a 2000 Slayer T-shirt that I didn’t sell, but I traded it for a 1996 ‘Space Jam’ shirt that sold for $120,” he said. “I don’t come around those [opportunities] too often.”

Charles “Lay” Frazier turned his excitement for ’90s nostalgia into Mill Street Vintage, a thrifting business with a strong following both online and off. What started as a Poshmark side hustle five years ago has since become a full-time pop-up operation throughout Pittsburgh. Stocking vintage denim, college sports memorabilia and quality flannels, Frazier, 33, strives to provide his customers with a wholesome, cozy shopping atmosphere.

“I try to give them a feeling of going into your friend’s closet and seeing all the dope stuff they have,” he explained.

Frazier’s interest in vintage first piqued when he asked his fashionable older brother where he shopped for his clothes and was surprised to learn that most of his wardrobe was consignment. It wasn’t until his younger sister took him to Avalon Exchange in Squirrel Hill that he became completely engrossed in the vintage scene, sometimes calling from his job in East Liberty to pay for clothes over the phone.

When he shifted from buying to reselling, he remembers being warmly welcomed into Pittsburgh’s vintage community and learning market trends from experienced sellers. “The community is like a big family. It’s great to see the progress that’s been happening within the past four or five years,” he said. “ It’s wonderful to see everybody flourishing.”