If you love vintage clothing, the thrift store Garb-age Vintage Co. will satisfy your craving.
This thrift store, located near the campus of Florida A&M University at 315 East Palmer Ave., is geared toward FAMU students.
The setting is inviting and friendly. With old school jams playing lightly in the background, you are sure to feel the vintage vibe. The pieces originate from the ’90s and early 2000s.
“FAMU vintage items are some of the hardest pieces to find,” the owner and co-founder Jordan Smith said. “It’s gotten to where I seek those items, rather than just coming across them.”
According to thethriftshopper.com, there are 24 plus vintage stores in Leon County, but only four of them take the top spot when it comes to quality.
“Stay away from Goodwill,” a local thrifter said. “Crazy high prices for free clothing given to them.”
Garb-age Vintage was founded in 2019 by Smith, Jaylon Brown and Jaivon Smith because of that very reason.
“I was introduced to thrifting in high school, back in Atlanta when my brother started working at the Goodwill,” Jordan Smith said. “The prices were high, with little quality or taste in selections. When I became a student at Florida A&M University, I immediately noticed the lack of vintage culture. My friends and I wanted to help foster that culture here at FAMU.”
FAMU students have recently been to pop-up shops on Set Fridays, where items from Garb-age have been on display. They were glad to find students interested in the selection of vintage attire.
“I love Grab-age Vintage so much,” FAMU third-year Nyasia Tharpe said. “I was unaware of how diverse the early school gear was for FAMU. I would never be able to find these pieces at the bookstore here on campus.”
The prices both online and in store are reasonable, especially for the quality of what you are buying. The most expensive clothing items are the windbreakers and hats, which were about $35 after tax.
Garb-age Vintage is one of the highly recommended thrift stores for FAMU students. Most other thrift stores sell only Florida State University vintage clothing, leaving Florida A&M University out of the mix. This experience has heightened the appreciation for Garb-age Vintage.