S9 Ep36 COSTURA: Stef Garcia, Y2K vintage dealer - on Whatnot livestreams, building community connections, and wholesale buyouts of Y2K deadstock designer vintage.
Description
On today's show, we're chatting with Stef, the founder of Costura, a Y2K vintage fashion business that does serious volume on Whatnot. Stef started reselling full-time after losing her job during the pandemic, and for the last three and a half years, she's been hosting live auctions on the livestream platform, Whatnot – sometimes she even goes live daily.
In this episode, she shares how she's built a loyal community of cool people who love early 2000s fashion, plus her best tips for livestream sales.
Earlier this year, Stef teamed up with a few business partners to make her biggest buyout yet, and then spent three and half months in Los Angeles, continuously going live until she sold the lots – it's a wild story and she's always on the move between Miami and LA hunting down one-of-a-kind Y2K treasures. I'll let her share the scoop on how she does it.
This is a really fun one – let's dive right in!
DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:
- [4:57 ] How Stef started selling vintage after getting laid off from her job in television production.
- [6:27 ] Her first time visiting a rag house.
- [11:32 ] Things really clicked when Stef got on Whatnot
- [15:09 ] Building an audience of Whatnot regulars: resellers, collectors, and everyday shoppers
- [17:15 ] Stef's biggest buyout yet: 1,000 pieces of Y2K deadstock
- [21:41 ] How to have a successful vintage live show
- [33:34 ] Living and selling vintage between Miami and Los Angeles
- [37:13 ] How Stef approaches social media, showing up on TikTok and Instagram
- [41:19 ] The vintage in her personal collection that she will never sell
- [46:05 ] Her holy grail find is a Jean Paul Gaultier piece from the bins
EPISODE MENTIONS:
- @houseofcostura
- Stef on TikTok
- Shop Costura on Whatnot
- Stef's upcoming Mandalay show
- @bleumi.bleumi
- @busyladybaca
- Whatnot
LET'S CONNECT:
- 📸Instagram: @emilymstochl
- 🐦Threads: @emilymstochl
- 🎥TikTok: @emilymstochl
- 📧 Substack: https://prelovedpod.substack.com/
- 🎧Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/prelovedpod
SPECIAL THANKS:
A special thanks goes out to my Patron Insiders – your support makes Pre-Loved Podcast possible!
- Patty Weber
- Kathy Brand
- Lisa of Queenie & Pearl
- KT
- Lydia Welp
- Michael A.
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