The journey of a BYUH student who turned thrifting into a profitable passion
Karl Aldre Marquez, a senior majoring in communications from the Philippines, shared how his love for hunting down vintage T-shirts helped him find treasures and draw inspiration from well-known people, in addition to helping him financially support his education at BYU-Hawaii.
In 2014, he said he was seeking T-shirts with skate brands in particular at first. “Most of my friends enjoy skating, and that was basically the first thing I looked for,” he said. But as time went on, Marquez said, he started looking for shirts from other well-known brands.
Igniting inspiration
Marquez said he was inspired to start selling his T-shirts to save up for college. He said, "When I got admitted to BYU-Hawaii, I had to pay a significant amount of money, and I was wondering how I could do that.”
"I had a lot of shirts and other items at home, and I wondered what would happen if I started selling them," said Marquez. He said he asked his brother to support his idea and explained, "When we started selling T-shirts, we saw a little profit, which may or may not have led us to buy a few more.”
Marquez said they purchased the majority of their shirts at the thrift store. "I was more inspired when I saw famous people wearing all different kinds of vintage clothes, like Travis Scott," he said. His love for vintage clothing continued growing because it was something different, said Marquez.
Marquez founded his business on his own, but his brother later became his business partner, he said. "I started with a family member because I can trust him, but if you don't have a family member, turn to your closest friends who share your passion," he said. According to Marquez, having a reliable person by his side made it easier for him to enjoy his favorite activity—earning and saving money.
Discovering his best finds
When he was in the Philippines, Marquez said he discovered a few rare T-shirts that brought in money. “My brother once bought a jacket directly from a stranger on the street because he recognized it and it was a well-liked style,” he said.
Marquez said it was a NASCAR jacket his brother purchased for $6 and later sold for $300. “We were thrilled and proud to find this popular item for a lower cost and make profit from it,” said Marquez.
Marquez added, "While I was thrifting in a store one time, I found a 1997 Batman T-shirt for only $3.” According to his research, the shirt was selling for $120, but he said he was only able to sell it for $80. He explained that even though he sold it for cheaper than expected, he still made a profit.
One of the $1 T-shirts he purchased was from the 1985 London tour of the band Queen. According to him, the shirt was from the band's last known concert. “I sold it for $150 online—another great find,” commented Marquez.
Marquez said he also found a Britney Spears World Tour T-shirt. “I bought it for only $6. It was a steal,” he said. If the T-shirt was in great condition, it could have sold for up to $1,000 on eBay, he said, but he decided to keep it as one of his treasured finds.
Finding treasures
Marquez said he learned to distinguish vintage T-shirts from modern ones after doing a lot of research on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube as thrifting influencers shared their experiences and tips.
Marquez said to look for three things when vintage hunting. First, he recommended looking at the stitches. “T-shirts from the '90s have single stitches on the sleeves compared to the new T-shirts with double stitches or in very straight patterns,” he said.
The second tip is to look for the tag, Marquez said. “Tags like Fruit of the Loom or All Sports are good vintage T-shirts, but there are others that need to be researched too.” His last suggestion was to pay attention to the material and quality of theshirt. “Vintage T-shirts are lighter and thinner [compared to the newer T-shirts produced],” he said.
Marquez said when he started his business, he used a paid app named Legiteema that certifies the authenticity of clothing when he was uncertain about a piece of clothing. He said this app was helpful and easy to use.
He said he also watched television shows like “Pawn Stars” to learn more about thrifting. Marquez observed how the cost of antiques was rising annually, he said, and explained,"I figured that since T-shirts are also antiques, their price might go up." Marquez shared some people collect T-shirts because they admire the well-known individuals associated with them or the stories behind them.
Persevering with passion
Marquez said he hasn't been able to pursue his love of thrifting since moving to Hawaii. He shared, "My daughter is only 3 months old, and my focus is now on her and my family in addition to school and work.”
Although Marquez said he has been putting his passion on hold, he said, "I [have] made connections with people who have a passion for thrifting, and [we were] able to share and learn from each other.” He said he intends to go on selling and thrifting in the future and will do so when he returns home.
Marquez advised those looking to launch their own business to persevere even if their first sale isn't profitable. Before starting a business, he encouraged people to do their research first. “Be innovative and creative, especially in the context of social media, and conduct thorough research, because you never know what kind of treasure you might discover,” said Marquez.
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