Buffalo vintage seller makes a living through clothing

Alessia Gervasi, Contributing Writer

Thrift shopping has become a recent trend by people who are looking for a rare brand name or maybe just for some unique style clothing.

Thrifting has been an economical choice by those looking to save money, but they can be shocked by the prices that used items may actually be.

Thrifting to others is just shopping for clothes but for vintage dealer, Adeline Marfoglia, it is her life.

Marfoglia was born into a vintage selling family.

In order to make herself some cash when a job was hard to find during her college years, she worked in a thrift shop to start her independent journey.

She decided to start her own business called ARM Vintage online through Depop.

After two years, Marfoglia’s ethical, size inclusive shop has been successful selling over 100 pieces of clothing from a timeline ranging from the mid-1940s to the 1970s.

When looking for pieces to add into her collection she will try to find options that are as cheap as possible.

An article from Wall Street Journal has shared statistics that thrift stores have suffered from an eight percent increase in inflation over the past two years.

Marfoglia tries to keep a fair price when selling because she knows how hard it is to afford clothing, especially plus size options.

“Shopping for the perfect antique pieces depends on how old it is, the quality, men’s versus women’s clothing, what the material is and who the designers are,” Marfoglia said.

“A majority of dealers are trying to find the next best piece, in terms of rare items with quality of value while others look for something more beat up. People will pay an insane amount of money for clothes depending on its historical value,” Marfoglia said.

Thrifting prices are versatile because they can range from one dollar to $1,000 depending on the seller and their experience in the market. Marfoglia can sense what her customers will be willing to pay online versus in person at the flea markets she is a seller for.

“More people have gotten into reselling in the past two or three years including me due to the price increase at thrift stores. Sellers may choose to increase their prices for much more than originally tagged or will choose to resell at a higher amount to make a profit,” Marfoglia said.

In a time when prices are skyrocketing, vintage sellers like Marfoglia hope to continue the success in their business.

Aside from selling on fashion website, Depop, ARM Vintage clothing is sold at The Lucky Flea, 320 North Goodman St., Rochester, NY every Sunday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For those interested, you can follow Marfoglia on her Instagram or Depop.