How I used Instagram to score vintage Blazer Gear
Welcome to my post about Instagram, the platform you associate with fancy photography or stalking, ehem, researching your potential “soul-mates.”
Recently, I’ve begun using Instagram for more than keeping up with friends; I’ve been using it to follow brands and people with my same interests. One of those interests is vintage clothing.
Instagram’s Discover page is related to your recent searches, likes and accounts that you already follow.
By using and researching hashtags (i.e. searching and scrolling) I came across a variety of Southern based vintage shops to not only inspire me through their awesome finds, but to shop from as well.
By digging through these brands and following “recommended pages” that pop up after you follow a new account, I found Manitou Supply Company, an Etsy shop/vintage clothing company based out of our very own Birmingham, Alabama.
I gave them a follow, and after a few weeks of liking them frequently enough to show up in my feed, I found the cutest Blazer fleece football pullover from the 80’s.
Since items sold on Instagram often go as quickly as they’re posted, I made an executive decision to invest in some school spirit. After commenting that I wanted it, the company direct messaged me through Instagram and told me that if I was local, I could buy and pick up the shirt today.
After giving them my cellphone number, they dropped me a pin to their home, and I drove over after work to both meet the couple behind Manitou Supply and directly purchase my shirt — no Paypal required.
In one app, I was able to find my most “asked about” UAB piece and proudly say “it’s vintage.”
No matter what you are interested in, take a look at micro businesses that utilize Instagram as their main source of product advertising. You’ll never know what diamond in the rough you might find.
If you want to look into finding your own vintage college gear, check out my Top Five Vintage Shops on Instagram:
