Amelia Cropley
Is thrifting a community? Impact reviewer Amelia Cropley would say so. Attending the Y2K CATCH market, Amelia tells of all she saw. To thrift is to swap and borrow your friends’ old clothes, buy someone’s preloved jeans and give it a second life. Thrifting also means becoming obsessed with the next hot vintage shops purely for its ‘aesthetic’, and this does not fall short of Nottingham’s one-day-only vintage stalls.
The Catch vintage market is a thrift shop on steroids, and even better, on tour. On its stop to Nottingham Wildcats Arena on 22nd March, the hall became filled to the brim with rows and rows of hanging clothes, never ending boxes with discounted gems. We got a great market from 11am-4pm, but Newcastle, Bristol and Manchester were next on the list to learn what a catch truly is.
WHEN TAKING THE RED 43 BUS TO THE MARKET, THERE WERE FOUR OTHER PEOPLE MY AGE WHO GOT OFF AT MY STOP AND WE ALL WALKED SEPARATELY TO THE SAME DESTINATION.
CATCH had the mantra that its customers would be joining a ‘thrifting community’. And yes, I would say thrifting is a community, especially for students. It has become about what shops have the best clothes, the most authentic, vintage and quirky. When taking the red 43 bus to the market, there were four other people my age who got off at my stop and we all walked separately to the same destination. Isn’t that evidence that the word ‘vintage’, discounted clothes and buying in bulk can bring in customers from near and far? And mostly, of course… students.
What was hot under the collar?
Denim corsets. Leather jackets in black, beige and red. Formal dresses for fancy occasions. And floral summery dresses for picnics in the park. Skinny jeans that take the ‘skinny’ to a new level, and loose baggy ones that give the flawless, effortless vibe all students are wearing now. There are mini shoulder bags that can only fit your phone and a lipstick, or bags that could house all of Mary Poppins’ bag items and more.
There were independent jewellery business stalls like Blue Zebra, and some with permanent jewellery like Linked Lucia. And if you get hungry when you shop (as I always do), Chrispies Bakes was there to help for when we get peckish. This, of course, enticed me straight away (as much as the clothes) with their caramilk, mini egg or bueno millionaires; Jammie D or Nutella and Kinder blondies; or the crème egg stuffed cookies and Pistachio cookie bars.
THERE WAS LAUREN ATLANTA, RALPH LAUREN, POLO, CHAMPION, HARLEY DAVIDSON, TOMMY HILFIGER AND MANY MORE TOP-NOTCH BRANDS WE LOVE TO COME ACROSS AT A REDUCED PRICE.
But what about the brands? Please, it’s all about the brands. And perhaps this is why vintage markets are so mainstream and popular today. To see these brands and names on clothes which have a price tag that is affordable, compared to if you bought it brand new. If you know your vintage brands, then you’ll know Oh Rats!, Come Theroux and Mank Vintage. But there was Lauren Atlanta, Ralph Lauren, Polo, Champion, Harley Davidson, Tommy Hilfiger and many more top-notch brands we love to come across at a reduced price.
But… will it destroy the student bank?
What can sometimes be disillusioning is that at a second-hand market you may assume things are more affordable and that you are getting more for less. But sometimes that isn’t the case.
Brands like Lauren Atlanta had leather and fur jackets that ranged between £50-70, which made me instantly put it back on the rack no matter how much I fell in love with it. To the student bank account, or mine anyway, it just wasn’t feasible.
But not every stall was like this – no, in fact, this was more of a one off. On the majority of stalls there were student discounts ranging between 10-15% off – a discount that changes a ‘not today’ item to a ‘that’s coming home with me’! 
And even better, which for some of you may justify the £70 coat, Catch had some stalls with boxes and bags with a glorious ‘fill the bag for £5’ sign. Which was a chance I did not let pass me by. Stuffing Champion jumpers, Iets Frans trousers, cute turtlenecks and white shirts in, I left with a new wardrobe. And even better, a vintage one.
What a CATCH! Tips for the next vintage market
Whilst I am counting the vintage experiences I attend, one thing for certain is I am learning something new every time. And whilst you may have already learnt my top tips, I shall share the wisdom anyway…
- Take your time – go round once and have a browse, impulse buy and treat yourself. But when you reach the end, you simply are not done. You have to go around a second time, if you see something you liked again, then I would say that’s fate saying you should buy it. And most times, on a second look, you will find the hidden gems you missed the first time – things that will later define your wardrobe.
- If you see it again, it’s a sign – I might have said it once, but I’ll repeat myself. What is great about vintage shopping is that if you like something, you might not see it again. So if you want it, consider it the only one in the world.
- Search the boxes, turn them inside out, make it a hunt – the CATCH market had many £5 items or 3 for £12, which if you go for them alone means you won’t leave empty-handed. An endless box means there is always an unnoticed vintage treasure that could soon be yours.
SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS ON THEIR STALLS WERE ALSO THE CHEAPEST, AND THAT IN THE EYES OF A STUDENT, IS ALWAYS A WIN.
So, would I give it 5 stars? Yes. I know that, yes, some things were above the asking price, and some things I had to turn away from before thinking of how much I liked it (but disliked its price tag). But isn’t thrifting about being smart? Some of the most exciting things on their stalls were also the cheapest, and that in the eyes of a student, is always a win.
Look out for the next vintage market in Nottingham as they are always on their way. Get the clothes you have only seen on your Pinterest, and get them fast!
Amelia Cropley
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of author Amelia Cropley. No changes were made to these images.
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