Gainesville residents and thrift enthusiasts gathered at Flashbacks Recycled Fashions Aug. 24 for its annual vintage Gator drop. The limited-time event featured more than 80 true-vintage Gator pieces, including a Reebok ski jacket and a 1978 UF-themed Garfield shirt.
Tatum Nichtberger, the 34-year-old Flashbacks manager and head buyer, organized the drop and began by handing out numbers to 48 people standing in line as early as 10 a.m. The number system allowed customers to leave the line and come back when doors opened at noon.
Nichtberger said the store prepared for the drop by buying vintage pieces throughout the year.
“The really cool pieces we put aside to save for this,” she said.
Timi Sobanjo, a UF environmental engineering major senior, attended the event looking for UF sweatshirts and was shocked to find how fast items flew off the racks.
“I was 23rd in line, so everyone just kind of came rushing in,” Sobanjo said.
Like Sobanjo, Sydney Hinton, a UF art sophomore, frequently shops at Flashbacks and came to the event after seeing its Instagram promotions. Hinton said she prefers vintage UF merchandise because of its charm and unique style.
“I love it because I feel like they have a wide range of stuff, like stuff from the ‘20s up until modern day,” Hinton said.
Today, students like Hinton embrace second-hand shopping, but Tatum Nichtberger, Flashbacks’ manager and daughter of the shop’s owner Steve Nichtberger, has watched thrifting attitudes change over time.
Nichtberger attributes the store’s change in popularity to the COVID-19 pandemic when thrifting became “cool” on social media.
“We had people come in and walk with their arms tucked in, disgusted by thrifting,” she said. “We had people that would be like, ‘Oh if my parents found out I was in a thrift store, they would yell at me.’ I think social media has really changed it, so now people learn that you can find really cool pieces. There’s no stigma around it anymore.”
During her time at Flashbacks, Nichtberger has gone from seeing the stigma around second-hand shopping to watching the store exceed capacity during major events, which inspired the vintage Gator Drop’s number system.
“About two months ago, we did a bag sale, and we just kind of let everyone in,” Nichtberger said. “We had only done one or two big events before, and it got to about 80 people in here. We were like, ‘This is actually unsafe,’ so we had to start holding the door.”
Samantha Savoy left the vintage drop with a UF banner and sweatshirt. Shopping second-hand allows her to buy on a budget, said Savoy, a UF business management sophomore.
“I can buy a lot, but not spend that much money,” Savoy said. “I like shopping, but I don’t like spending money.”
Flashbacks plans to announce a vintage market in late September or early October and a Y2K drop in four to six weeks. Dates will be announced on its Instagram page.
Contact Juliana DeFilippo at jdefillipo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @JulianaDeF58101.
Juliana DeFilippo is a freshman journalism major and General Assignment reporter for The Avenue. In her free time, she loves to read and work on crossword puzzles.
