Jay Williams found a gem, or a grail, as those in the thrifting game may call it.
He recently unearthed a 1995 KISS World Tour shirt. There are a number of things that make this shirt an enviable cop: the crazy colors, double-sided design, allover print, and the fact that it features all of the band members.
However, for Williams, the value is in the stitching. The single stitch is a major thing in the thrift community, Williams said.
“It verifies that it’s from a certain era,” said Williams. “It’s stamped 1995, by KISS, it’s just a crazy piece. It goes for like $400-$450.”
Williams got this shirt, and about 17 others for “80 cents a pop.”
One can easily find a shirt similar to this from retailers like Urban Outfitters, and it’ll still look cool, said Williams. But to him it loses value because it’s a reprint, not an original. With finds like the KISS shirt, he said the value is in the era.
“I think that brings more value, the fact that it’s from an actual era,” said Williams “A day and a time where that piece was relevant.”
Williams is a thrifter. They scour racks and bins to find treasures that are usually sold at a fraction of the original price. Many build their wardrobes with their latest finds, while others, like Williams, sell their pieces on platforms such as Instagram and Depop.
While perusing his Instagram account, @grindcityvintage, you’ll find rows of enviable, vintage finds such as a Dale Earnhardt Jr. hat, and an old-school University of Memphis Tiger football shirt. Williams even has a few sports jerseys left on display, which he says he’s been lucky to find on occasion.
He recalls digging through the bins at Goodwill on the day that Kobe Bryant died. Within an hour of making small talk with fellow thrifters, he came across a Champion jersey, with the number “8,” Bryant’s number before sporting the iconic #24.
Williams started the Instagram account in 2019, after attending a sneaker event in Memphis, and being captivated by the array of vintage and retro clothing on display.
When you hear the word thrifting, your mind may be drawn to the Salvation Army or Goodwill. These places have become staples in the thrift community, and in fact it’s where thrifters like Bryant Smith fell in love with the hobby.
“I’m big on vintage,” Smith said.
Smith, a Memphis native, has been thrifting for 11 years, he said. He remembers stopping at a Goodwill hours before a wedding and finding an outfit for under $11.
“All of it was name brand,” Smith said. “I think the blazer was Brooks Brothers, khakis from Ralph Lauren, and the loafers were Gucci.”
While Smith has fondly recalled times where he would scour the racks at Goodwill, he and Williams agree that expanding their search to other parts of the city has helped them to find a number of good finds. Smith said that for him, the hot spots are places like Collierville, Cordova, and Bartlett.
Williams has found some of his favorite pieces at garage and estate sales, which is where he not only fell in love with thrifting, but got the idea to open his Instagram shop.
“I just fell in love with the hunt of it,” Williams said. “I started posting stuff on my personal page, my Instagram page. I was getting some bites and people were actually buying stuff. I did that for about six months, and then I was like ‘man I might as well start my own page.”
Interested customers can visit Wiliams’ Instagram page, where he’ll post his latest finds to his feed.
“If you see something you like, just DM,” said Williams. “I try to list the price of what it is. We take Cash App, Venmo, you know stuff like that. If they’re local we can meet up with them and give them the piece they purchased. Or, we can ship it out.”
Williams also sells items on Depop, another online platform where customers can find vintage finds.
