New Jersey: Surprise Vintage Capital of the World

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All avid vintage shoppers have that moment at some point when they wonder, where did this fabulous mint condition 70's Gucci come from—Park Avenue party princess, Main Line Philly debutante? The exact origin may remain a mystery, but most likely that piece made its way through Trans-Americas Trading Co., based in good old New Jersey, home of Bon Jovi, poufs and the most successful Real Housewives series of all time. Blackbook uncovers this stunning news, enlightening us on the provenance of designer finds (namechecking YSL, Issey Miyake and Margiela) eventually sold at your favorite vintage store.

The third generation family-run business receives about 70,000 pounds of used clothing a day and the designer vintage only makes up about 1% of the inventory. The Vintage Department Manager (we kind of want that job, but then all the good stuff would never make it to market) has the fantastic and overwhelming task of sorting through and selecting the goods for their 40 or so high-end vintage client retailers. Blackbook doesn't name exact stores, but directs us to a link that features Amarcord, Frock, Edith Machinist and Fluke in Williamsburg to name a few. It is also interesting to note that the portion of the non-designer second hand haul is sorted into three tiers, which are then shipped to "secondary markets" around the world.
· The Vintage Clothing Industry's Best Kept Secret? A Factory in New Jersey [Blackbook]