There are few things I love more than secondhand shopping and mouth-watering Mexican food. While I don’t typically associate the two—I’m usually a matcha and thrift or patio and sip kind of gal—imagine my absolute delight when strolling down Pearl Street in Boulder, only to find Garage Sale Vintage, a one-of-a-kind resale shop boasting a taco and tequila bar among racks of retro fashion.
Garage Sale Vintage: How It Started
Josh Sampson debuted Garage Sale Vintage on the east end of Pearl Street in February 2024. Over the past two years, the neon-lit, tequila-fueled, fast-fashion-free establishment has ushered in throngs of college students and locals of all ages with its used vinyl wall and nostalgic racks of ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, and Y2K clothing, not to mention its simple food menu, sizzling hot sauce collection, and extensive drink list of margaritas, craft cocktails, infused shots, and mocktails.
Before opening the Boulder shop’s doors, Sampson found success with the Garage Sale Vintage flagship in Denver’s Larimer Square, which he opened in 2020. After witnessing the community’s response to his eco-friendly (and ever-tasty) spicy hot vintage shop, Sampson expanded to Nashville (where there are two locations). Now, Garage Sale Vintage has four stores—but no option for e-commerce.
“E-commerce, Amazon can have all that,” Sampson revealed in an interview with Boulder Reporting Lab. “I just try to keep it analog. This is a people business. While everyone else is going into AI, we’re trying to go the opposite direction.”
Not Your Typical Vintage Shop
Keeping it old-school and people-oriented, Garage Sale Vintage prides itself on sourcing from real folks who share a passion for vintage clothing and accessories. Operating under a buy-sell-trade format, Garage Sale Vintage purchases secondhand threads for cash (25 percent of the sale value) or credit (50% of the sale value, to be used in-store).
There’s a caveat, though: At Garage Sale Vintage, it’s not merely about looks; the business is dedicated to the authenticity of vintage shopping, so they only accept items made in 2008 or earlier. (To which I, and most millennials, might say is a cruel fact to realize that we’re vintage, but I digress.) They also purchase used vinyls in good condition from the ‘60s to ‘00s.
Vintage Shopping, Tacos, and Tequila
“I think everything we do here is deep,” Sampson revealed in the interview. “The beer selection is great, it’s all gold medal-winning beer. Same with the Mezcal and tequila. You’ll find everything that you really want. So everything we try to do is as high quality as possible.”
All this to say, if you’re on the hunt for the perfect vintage Levi’s, the coolest Grateful Dead tee, an old-school Carhartt, authentic Western wear (hello, Coachella and Stagecoach!), or any other prime secondhand buy, head down to Pearl Street and let the hot pink neon sign lure you in. Grab a Strawberry Smash (by the glass or by the pitcher) and have fun shopping and sipping.
Plan Your Trip to Garage Sale Vintage
The Boulder shop opens daily at 11 a.m. The shop closes at 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 8 p.m. on Sunday.
Meanwhile, if you find yourself in Denver, the Garage Sale Vintage flagship keeps the party going with karaoke, DJ sets, and vinyl spins until 10 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on the weekends. The Nashville locations also stay open late, with the East Nashville shop bumping and selling ‘til 2 a.m. on weekends.
Ready to vintage shop ‘til you drop? See you at Garage Sale Vintage flagship store in Denver, Colorado!…