My Story 

I officially started my shop in 2020, but it all began back in 2017 when I went to my first-ever thrift market at the Vintage Thrift Fair, which was held at Duncan Yard. I was 18 at the time, and I remember walking around the market, having the time of my life. I picked up a sweater and a few Archie comics that I still have to this day. From that moment on, I dove down an obsessive rabbit hole, watching thrift videos online and researching every thrift store in my area. I started hitting up charity shops around town, and eventually, I stumbled across a bunch of online thrift shops on Instagram. At that point, we were heading into quarantine for the first time, and I was unemployed with a lot of time on my hands. So, a friend and I decided to create an online thrift shop. We sat down with a name generator, and after a few options, we came up with “Thriftalley.” From our very first upload, I got my first customers, and Thriftalley has grown into what it is today.

At first, my customers were mostly people I knew from high school, which made it feel like such a personal connection. But over time, it’s evolved into something even more amazing—today, I’m lucky to have some of the coolest and most beautiful people as my customers. Meeting them at markets and seeing familiar faces has been such a rewarding part of this journey. It feels like a true community, and I love connecting with them beyond just the business side of things.

I’ve been running the shop independently for 6 years now. It’s not just a small source of income for me, but an amazing creative outlet. I've learned so many new skills along the way, like social media management, graphic design, styling, and even web design. I am truly passionate about this shop and have poured my heart and soul into it, regardless of what's happening in my personal life. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Thriftalley!