The Thrifters

Amanda's back! And staying on message after this mysterious gap in episodes, Amanda talks about feeling overwhelmed as a small business owner, mom, wife, and so on. How can we fight off our feelings of being overwhelmed? Amanda gets into how she has improved in her delegation of the jobs that get in the way of business and better times. Can someone else help with things like cooking, cleaning and...

Why is having confidence in yourself SO HARD? It's free. You don't have to go to college for it or anything. But not believing in your own ability to be a staunch business owner holds us back. This week Amanda reveals more of her story as a vintage clothing reseller, how she went full-time with it, and what mental blocks she has (generally) gotten over in order to do it. ********* The Thrifters Po...

This week Amanda takes a moment to talk about what excites her and how it evolves and may change completely. And when it comes to buying and reselling vintage clothing, the key take-away is to follow your passion and not feel locked in to any one genre or style forever. Show produced by Ben Walker-Storey Music by Kevin MacLeod ********* The Thrifters Podcast comes to you commercial free and is sup...

Amanda goes in depth on the subject of Live vintage clothing sales. She gets into why she loves doing them and goes through the step-by-step of doing them. There are some basic things you'll want to consider when doing your own Live sales, so let's get into it. Amanda also vents about things that have gone wrong when buying from other sellers Live sales. These are the learning moments, folks! Foll...

This week Amanda takes a moment to go over three really simple ways to keep your customers happy and coming back for more. (Spoiler) They are: Communicate with your customer Disclose any and all flaws Ship in a timely manor. More on all these points and some venting about a recent, bad experience with a seller who did not do these things. Don't forget to Subscribe to the podcast and leave an hones...

This week Amanda and Ben take you with them, beat-by-beat as they recount their Saturday, hitting up the Yard Sales. The highs were high and the lows were low but still they came away with some good items that can be flipped at a nice profit. Also Ben tries to break down the successfulness of a Yard Sale experience into some kind of scientific formula. The couple rounds out this episode with a new...

This week Amanda talks about how thinning out her inventory with a big sale allowed her to better define her vintage clothing shop aesthetic. She talks about her niche and the ideal buyer she envisions. There are a few of the key questions, her "mantra" that she asks herself when sourcing at thrift stores and estate sales. If it's "NO" to all the questions it goes back on the rack, even if it's co...

This week Amanda gets into the idea of jealousy and how to make it work for you. What are you seeing others do/have that you want desperately for yourself? Listen to your desires. Write them down. Say them out-loud and make it happen for you! With special guests, puppies!!! ********* The Thrifters Podcast comes to you commercial free and is supported by listeners like you! If this podcast has brou...

It’s officially time to roll up your wizard sleeves and get busy buying up the rare, show-stopper pieces that come out as “costumes” at thrift stores. From the timing of it all to what you should keep an eye out for on each rack, Amanda talks you through how to take advantage of the “Halloween racks” at your local Goodwill and beyond. Amanda and Ben wrap up the episode doing some show and tell wit...

Amanda made a goof this week and she's here to talk about it and other ways you may be inadvertently violating Etsy's Terms of Service (TOS). Should you be selling children's clothing? Are you infringing on others' Intellectual Property? Plus, a new segment: Vintage in the News! Heinz Ketchup has teamed with thredUP to toss their gloppy hat in the Vintage clothing ring. ********* The Thrifters Pod...

This week Amanda is joined by husband and co-thrifter, Ben Walker-Storey to talk about how his Etsy shop went from a slump to a...pump? It's doing better. Amanda explores the idea of using what is most "YOU" as your super power, in other words, your specialty that can earn you sales. Podcast produced and edited by Ben Walker-Storey Music by Kevin MacLeod Amanda can be found at: IrreverentFinery on...

Should sellers disclose every bit of damage and flaws on a garment or throw up their hands and say "It's OLD, whataya-want??" Amanda has some thoughts on this and how thoroughly inspecting pieces and disclosing flaws can improve your vintage business and have happy customers. ********* The Thrifters Podcast comes to you commercial free and is supported by listeners like you! If this podcast has br...

Do you get “The Call of The Wild?” It’s that voice, that urge to go check out the thrift stores, yard sales, estate sales, however you source when there are other aspects of your vintage business that are gathering dust. This week Amanda offers you (and herself) a pep-talk on tamping down the impulses to do the “sexy” parts, the fun parts of your reselling business and balance it with the other ne...

This week, Amanda goes in-depth on five investments that will level up your vintage fashion business (plus some extras). It's tempting to spend the earnings from your initial Etsy sales on ramen and mai tais but do yourself a favor, give your business a boast by setting up with some of these essentials. Here are links to the products and services mentioned in this episode. These are UNPAID endorse...

This week Amanda is joined by guest, Ashton from Radically Rare Vintage. They compare notes on all things vintage life: Instagram Live sales, how a love (or not) of antiques and vintage can affect relationships, and their goals for the future. ********* The Thrifters Podcast comes to you commercial free and is supported by listeners like you! If this podcast has brought value to your life and busi...

This week Amanda discusses the roadblocks to success that only exist in your mind, our "limiting beliefs." Why try harder when this is "just a hobby?" Does Instagram hate me personally? What is The Algorithm and should I offer it sacrificial goats? Can this customer afford my items? If you hear these questions in your inner monologue, tune in for this very special episode of The Thrifters. *******...

It's been 5 months since Amanda was fired from her full-time job. Well they called it "let go" and she called it "Freed to do what she loves". Life is too short to go to a job you hate. Here some of the ups and downs, pros and cons Amanda has experiences since she took Irreverent Finery full-time. Podcast produced by Ben Walker-Storey ********* The Thrifters Podcast comes to you commercial free an...

On this exciting new episode, Amanda chats with her first guest, Simona from Silver Sea Vintage. There's lots of shop-talk like their preferred selling platforms, what it's like sourcing vintage clothing in Southern California vs the Foothills of California, sustainability and the durability of clothes from different eras, and they compare notes on special, favorite finds. ********* The Thrifters...

This week Amanda does a short but deep dive, tipping you off on what to keep an eye out for while sourcing vintage at thrift stores, estate sales, etc. You can follow Amanda at @Irreverentfinery on Instagram. Her Etsy shop is IrreverentFinery. Ben's Etsy shop is GreenAppleDirties. You can follow him at @cheapchillsfanclub. Podcast produced by Ben Walker-Storey. ********* The Thrifters Podcast come...

Happy Summer Solstice and if you are feeling dread over "the Summer Slump" we feel ya. This week, Amanda and Ben talk about the dip in internet sales that can happen every Summer. Amanda explores and confronts her anxieties that stem from seeing other vintage resellers throw in the (fabulous, 70's era) towel. Ben drops some knowledge from his years of experimenting with "side-hustles". How do you...

This week Amanda gets into her thoughts and feelings on pricing vintage clothing. Where to find "comps" and how your own expenses, expertise and time should factor into your retail prices. Ben does his best to use elephant poo paper as example of supply and demand in a World market. Resources: https://gem.app (Pricing comps with the Gem App) https://www.flippertools.com/ (What items sold for on Et...

Amanda and Ben are back in action, finishing up their dry run on an Etsy listing for a vintage clothing item. There's discussion on SEO (search engine optimization) What are tags? Do we need tags? Seriously, we're asking. Ben also has some insights on filling out your Etsy shop with digital and Print-on-Demand (P.O.D) products and how it differs from working through Amazon.com. Do you have any que...

This week, Amanda and Ben take a moment to discuss balancing family life with a business of vintage reselling. They are joined (briefly) by guest and fellow thrifter, Jet, age 5. The family goes over how they source vintage clothing while taking care of their son. How they manage to work from home with a child who has his own wants and needs. What are the struggles and advantages of having a famil...

If you have never listed anything on Etsy, it can be intimidating. But not to worry, newcomer, Ben is grilling Amanda on all the basics, best practices and intricacies involved in getting your vintage clothing up on the platform. Well, half of it anyway! It's a lot. They go over how to choose the best photos, thumbnails, categories for your items, what should go into the title and written descript...

This week we are bringing you a recording from 2020 when Amanda was ramping up her vintage business while still working her day job. Ben and Amanda get into all aspects of reselling and how it fits with their dream to live like the Addams Family. We'll be back next week! ********* The Thrifters Podcast comes to you commercial free and is supported by listeners like you! If this podcast has brought...