Meet Foster Hawkins of Back In The Day Threads in City Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Foster Hawkins.

Foster, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was introduced into the thrifting world four years ago by my older brother Jeff, he was selling items on eBay that he found from Goodwill. He would sell anything from electronical goods to trendy clothing pieces. I was intrigued by the nature of his business and all that it entailed, so I decided to tag along one day to see the process in person. The particular goodwill we went to was an outlet, which rolls out huge bins of clothing and random items to look through. Rows of bins were being placed when we arrived, and everyone was standing back waiting for the okay from the employees to start searching through. We finally lined up near the bins and one employee blurted out “shop” and it was go time.

Everyone began digging through the bin frantically looking for whatever they desired. After that, I became absolutely hooked to the thrill of searching through the bins, racks, and even flea markets to find hidden gems. I created an eBay business and started to sell my findings. I quickly gravitated to clothing, and at first, I sold whatever item I thought was eye-catching or unique. But as time went on, I began to fall in love with the value of vintage clothing. I was inspired by the history of certain pieces, from what era it came from and the certain prominent fashions of that time. It was fascinating to see how clothing shapes, colors, and even stitching were so different from today’s fashion. I currently still sell on eBay but have expanded to selling at local vintage pop-ups.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A struggle I faced was finding the balance between starting and maintaining a business while going to school full time. Because it can be a bit time consuming to constantly be searching for clothing and listing items, I have learned ways to manage my time wisely.

Back In The Day Threads – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My business primarily focuses on the selling of vintage clothing items primarily from 80s, 90s, and early 2000’s. I sell anything from band t-shirts, sports attire, Harley tee’s, and anything else that catches my eye. The aspect of my company that I am most proud of is that I get to reintroduce timeless pieces back into the modern-day world. I would say what sets me apart is that I am extremely passionate about every piece of clothing that I own. I am interested in learning the history of each individual piece.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment was my first time selling at a pop-up event, which was called Thriftopia. I was not only nervous because it was my first time, but there were plenty of other vendors. My booth became a huge success and far exceeded my expectations. Not only did I meet amazing buyers, but I was introduced into the vintage community and made great connections with other sellers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/Backinthedaythreads
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backinthedaythreads/

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