Sometimes when you do a closet clean-out, it’s painful to see a huge pile ready for the Goodwill bin. I get it. Especially when you remember spending a sizable amount of money on an item that was barely worn. If you’re looking to turn some of your clothing trash into some treasures, here are the shops in town that you can sell your clothes for cash or credit.
Make sure you’re out supporting our local businesses if you’re shopping this weekend! Check out our shopping guides here.
Portland, Maine is the best place to shop for vintage. Hands down. I’ve thrifted everywhere from San Francisco to New York City, but the best pieces in my closet have come from this fine city. Since there is so much abundance, I’m devoting two shopping guides for where to get your vintage on.
Scenes from Portland Flea-for-All’s first Night Market.
1/ The crowd 2/ Shoes from Proper Vintage 3/ Cool looking shoppers 4/ The band 5/ Doggie 6/ Dress from Lucille’s 7/ Necklaces from Leetie Lovendale
I get a lot of questions from readers about where to shop in Portland. I’ve decided to put together my first local shopping guide just in time for summer wedding season. Here are my picks for where to shop if you’re looking for a fancy frock or summer suit.
How do two folks that worked in film in Santa Monica decide to open a flea market in Maine?
Nathaniel: If I were to be philosophical about it I guess I’d say the common thread is that we love to mix the creative with the practical. There’s a lot of each in both mediums. If you want me to get real, I’d say I hated working in the entertainment industry and ran as far away from it as I could, to Maine. What drew me to the idea of opening a flea market was that I’ve been surrounded by antiques all of my life thanks to my folks, and we’ve always been up for spending a morning strolling the aisles of a local flea market. I knew what we had in mind was perfect for Portland. Of course, we wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t think it was a good business idea.
Erin: I’m a hoarder. Well, not in the gross moldy-refrigerator way. I see potential in the most mundane, overlooked things, and find ways to use them. That’s really the heart of a flea market, isn’t it? Nathaniel’s mom was the first to suggest the idea of opening our own flea. At first we were like, “Suuuure.” But then it just started to click — like a marriage of so many things we care about: it’s local, green, artistic, social, and most of all, we knew we could make it our own.
Over the weekend, I stopped by Portland’s newest hot spot - Portland Flea-for-All - to catch up with owners Erin & Nathaniel. They let me inside a week before all the magic happens (opening day is April 14th) for a very special shop talk. Check back tomorrow for an exclusive Q&A including their expert tips for how to shop the flea, the vendors they’re excited about and why running a flea market could make them bankrupt (in a good way).
On my Christmas list (in case anyone out there is shopping for me), a Eugenia Kim hat from Black Parrot. If I can only choose one, I’ll go with the Cassidy Hat (pictured above).
I took full advantage of Small Business Saturday - did you? I found these stocking stuffers at The Merchant Company to give to my Mainer friends: ”I’m A Local” magnets.
An amazing selection of earrings at Merchant Trading from Sara Jean, Kate Sullivan and Blue Birdie Bootique.
Have you stopped into The Merchant Company (656 Congress Street) yet? I spent an hour there recently, chatting with co-owner Giselle, and scouring the amazing vendors in this fine arts and vintage emporium. The idea for such a place is actually credited to Dianne Toepfer, owner of Ferdinand, who first gave Giselle the idea. Now housed in the former Coast City Comic digs, this mecca of local goods is my new go-to. Let’s have a look at what I found, shall we?
