It’s a real kick to find these iconic John Fluevog boots by a Canadian shoe designer at a local thrift store
the consumption of virgin resources such as cloth and wool and conserves energy used to process textiles. It also diminishes the demand for dyes and fixing agents and results in the decrease of both pollution and landfill space. The day-to-day benefits to the consumer are equally appealing. Up-cycling clothing is an inexpensive thrill and it stimulates the imagination to re-envision one’s individual style. One-ofa-kind pieces abound, and the fashion possibilities are both endless and unique. Where to begin? Taos reveals itself as a mecca for antique, consignment, and resale shoppers. Savvy pickers make regular stops at the New Mexico Auction and Consignment— professional resellers of everything from antique and 30 ecotrendsource.com
Rewind’s owner perks up her rack display while former students from St. Michael’s High play Monopoly®.
for only three dollars each. A morning spent digging through his boxes and bins resulted in artwork, games, glassware, clothing, and even wrapping paper for items bought as presents. Total cost? A mere $60, thanks to this generous collector. Santa Fe is also home to a great flea market, called The Flea. Located at The Downs during the summer, in winter it moves indoors to El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe at the Railyard. This is a weekend must-stop and it features something for everyone. Many thrifters also discover that selling some of their secondhand finds is a great way to make extra cash. No storefront is necessary. All it takes is a little knowledge, a lot of patience, a few camera skills, and a computer to join an online auction site like eBay. For instance, a day at the library with a few books on collectible glassware might help you spot some bargains on your next outing, say, a glass ashtray that turns out to be a Murano piece worth ten times what you paid for it. Or some online research reveals that the strange-looking corduroy button-up hanging in your best friend’s closet is actually a highly-collectible J.C. Penney’s shirt from the early 1960s. Snap a few photos, post it on eBay, and you could net yourself and your buddy nearly $250 in a Buy-It-Now auction in the time it takes to pour a beer and settle in to watch a football game. Keep in mind that there is an element of gambling involved. A ten-dollar purchase won’t always score you a crisp Benjamin Franklin, but with time and research, you should have more booms than busts. And the satisfaction transcends the monetary—by making something old new again, you save it from becoming trash and may even shine a light on some little-known cultural history. Who were those anonymous artisans behind the myriad fluorescentcolored ashtrays of the 1950s, those funky copper earrings from the 1960s, and all that disco-era polyester clothing? Thrifters and dealers help tell their stories. One of the best ways to mitigate your risk is to specialize. It doesn’t matter in what, because there seems to be a market for just about everything, so choose something that interests you. Just make sure you become well acquainted with what’s hot—and not—in your chosen area, whether vintage Ray Bans, Depression Era glassware, or designer blue jeans. And then get out there and scout!
Cynthia Canyon
Cynthia Canyon
contemporary furnishings to vintage jewelry and lovingly lived-in cowboy boots. The place even offers a 100 percent green rug-cleaning service. On the road to the Taos Ski Valley, the village of Arroyo Seco has become Northern New Mexico’s epicenter for antiques, up-cycled clothing, and natural farmbased foods. In Santa Fe, Congeries Consignment, located in the White Swan Building on Cerrillos Road, features a wealth of amazing furniture, art, and designer clothing. The owners have a great eye and attitude and believe in passing along value to their clients—in other words, they prefer to sell their items rather than price them like museum pieces. From there, journey on to a new resale shop on Baca called Rewind, a casual little place with great deals on vintage and modern clothing at prices that are hard to beat, and then on to Hospice Center Thrift Store, which regularly boasts bargains such as $200 designer boots for $50. Double Take on Guadalupe is likewise packed with great deals on clothing, furniture, and artwork. It also pays to wake up early on the weekends and check the local paper or Craigslist for estate, garage, and moving sales. A recent sale in Nambe north of Santa Fe was packed with treasure, including a rack of designer clothing like a Hugo Boss tuxedo for only three dollars. The owner, who lived and collected in Nambe for 21 years, was now simplifying his possessions, which included over 40 vintage Hawaiian shirts
An estate sale in Nambe nets Hawaiian treasure for the buyer’s friend. ecotrendsource.com 31