Most young people have a love/hate relationship with Buffalo Exchange: Love the thrift store finds without the digging and the decent prices; hate the experience of selling your clothes. As beneficial as it is to get money or credit, watching someone better dressed than yourself judge your clothes, even though you're trying to get rid of them, never gets less awkward. Regardless of that girl with the sweet tattoos who only picks out one jacket from three full trash bags, Buffalo Exchange is a cool store, and we want to wish them a happy 40th birthday!
Buffalo Exchange came to fruition in Tucson, Arizona, in 1974, when Kerstin and Spencer Block decided to open a clothing store built on helping the communities they cared for. The couple wanted it to be affordable and earth-friendly. Mission accomplished! The vintage selection can be small, but it's affordable—plus, it's one of the only places that's a mecca for secondhand, popular brands, which can be hard to find considering many retailers just throw away clothing once it's out of season. I'm looking at you, Urban Outfitters, H&M, American Apparel, and . . . oh, I guess everybody.
The grassroots company is also environmentally active. Every time someone purchases items without taking a plastic bag, Buffalo Exchange donates 5 cents to one of a handful of charities the customer chooses from. Every year, there's an Earth Day Dollar Sale, and 100 percent of the proceeds go to an environmental charity. And the company runs Coats for Cubs, in which people donate fur coats, rugs and shawls that are made into bedding for orphaned or injured wildlife.
In honor of this Buy-Sell-Trade store's 40th, the Buffalo crew from Tucson is touring a huge, 1969 Airstream trailer around the country, visiting each chain and bringing specially curated vintage and Western items, brand swag, and cake! The Tucson team renovated the trailer, turning it into a mobile fashion truck decorated in entirely vintage and recycled items, with a few personal mementos from the founders thrown in. Follow the team on social media (@BuffaloExchange), and catch the Airstream when it stops in Long Beach (Tuesday) and Fullerton (Wednesday). See you there!
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