Today we’d like to introduce you to Cory Callahan.
Hi Cory, It’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us. To start, could you share some of your backstory with our readers?
Concession Stand Vintage started in 2020, right before COVID-19. In High School, I enjoyed thrifting clothes and occasionally selling them. I would go to Goodwill every day after school and look for clothes to wear most of the time. Eventually, I started buying things I thought were cool and selling them online. After I graduated high school, I enrolled at my local tech school and decided to start my Instagram page. I wanted actually to brand myself and have a thoughtful name. However, I needed help to think of any ideas. After countless hours of brainstorming, I came up with Concession Stand Vintage. I chose this name because I am a huge sports fan and wanted to create a theme of buying sports gear from the concession stand. Creating this theme was important to me. I did not want to have just another Instagram clothing page. I wanted to stand out so that if someone is looking for a specific sports piece, they can come to me.
At the time, I was posting my pieces for sale on Instagram. Not only would I go to the thrift, but I would also source online for hard-to-find pieces. After working on building my online following, I decided to try out selling in person at local flea markets. I started with Eight Four Flea. The response I was getting from customers was amazing! I struggled to stock my inventory after the first three or four markets. So, that led to me sourcing as much as I could. Once I got comfortable sourcing enough inventory, I decided to branch out a bit and try markets a little further away. Now, I am traveling every few weeks to North Carolina, Georgia, and other cities in South Carolina to sell at markets. Over the past few years, vintage markets around the country have become increasingly popular, so it’s always a great time when I go to one. At these markets, I’ve met a lot of great people. One thing I am super grateful for with Concession Stand Is all the relationships I’ve built. I have met some of my best friends by doing business with them, and these relationships have helped my business in ways I could never have imagined. It is hard to tell “My Story” because I am still writing it. I mainly focus on selling at vintage markets; my next one is a few weeks away in Atlanta. While I still post pieces for sale on Instagram, I plan to build a website to showcase my collection to customers easily.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My biggest obstacles are self-discipline and staying motivated. Being your own boss is hard because nobody gives you orders or tells you what to do. If you have a problem, you need to find a solution. Nobody is going to do it for you. I am still young, so I’m sure I will eventually face bigger obstacles, but for now, keeping myself focused and in check has been my biggest obstacle.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Concession Stand Vintage is a vintage shop specializing in sports-related pieces. We source graphic shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, and hats. Whether you’re looking for a retro puffer jacket for your favorite team or a shirt with your favorite player on it, we have it all. We source from numerous places online and in person, so we get new pieces every day. If you’re interested in looking for yourself, you can find us on Instagram @Concessionstandvtg.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
The most surprising thing about selling clothes is learning how bad clothing is for our environment. Millions of pounds of clothes end up in landfills worldwide every year. Fast-fashion giants like Shein produce thousands of pounds of clothing every day. Fast fashion is often thrown away because of how cheaply made it is. This has led to landfills needing more apparel. Learning how bad that is for the environment is shocking. If we cut out fast fashion and did a better job of recycling clothes, our environment would be significantly impacted.
Pricing:
- Prices vary by piece. We have shirts for as cheap as $10 as well as shirts we value at over $500
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @concessionstandvtg
