Written by Charmaine
It wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone within the younger generation to mention anything about thrift, and such is the scale of this culture that there are now numerous thrift shops (or bundle shops) are scattered everywhere from brick and mortar retail stores all the way to online stores on Instagram. And It’s not gonna stop anytime soon. The allure of affordable clothes in various different sizes and patterns that would be normally too expensive to purchase at your standard Zaras, H&Ms, or Topman can be had for much less than a fraction of the retail price, and often in still reliable quality.
It now has its own ecosystem within the network of bundle owners, and in this article, we talk about how the business of bundle is dealt with experienced thrift shop owners, Zamir and Shakira from OKGO, Adiq from Bundlehood, and Elf and Elvie from Baju Sampah.
When did you start venturing into the bundle business and what made you do so?
Everyone’s purpose and journey when it comes to starting a bundle business is different. Some might have ventured into it due to traveling and starting small just like OKGO.
“We started selling in 2016 selling pieces that we found on thrift stores on Instagram and got more insight during our trip to Japan to do something bigger and bring in the things we learnt and saw in Japan to Malaysia,“ laments Zamir and Shakira, whereas, others have had the inspiration of thrifting at a young age and had plans to take it up a notch when their older such as Baju Sampah and Bundlehood.
Zamir and Shakira from OKGO.
“I got involved in thrifting back in 2005 when my father brought me to a thrift store in Gombak Medan, Idaman and bought me my very first pair of a thrifted Timberland Jacket and Dr.Martens boots for my ‘Baju Raya’. This was then I also realised that clothes from a boutique were expensive and my family could not afford them” said Elf.
“It was in 2019 when I had actually started my thrift business after I bought a bundle of thrift clothes from my friend in Japan, and me and my partner decided to sell them on Carousell and ever since that day, we’ve started to receive some bookings” he continued.
Adiq, owner of Bundlehood.
Adiq also expressed that he had been practicing the bundle culture at a very young age but soon made his passion in high school as he realized that he had too much unwanted clothes that he does not use anymore. “My business did not just become my side income but it also taught me a lot about fashion based on my experience on finding different types of clothing” he said.
How do you acquire your clothes to sell and where are they mostly from ?
Just like any food outlet or retail store, each business has its own theme and is catered to a specific target audience. The bundle business does not differ from this concept. Although most of these stores have started off differently, a similarity that they have in common is obtaining and curating the different types of clothes from various places for their customers.
When it comes to hand picking clothes for a store, it all depends on the approach of each of these bundle’s business. As for OKGO, Shakira and Zamir obtain their clothes from different suppliers and choose them based on their quality and also its style where they focus it more to vintage pieces from the of the 70’s till 2000’s. At the same time, both of them had also expressed that most secondhand clothes in thrift stores in Malaysia are obtained from the US, Canada and South Korea.
Elf and Eve from Baju Sampah.
The hotspots usually differ, but are mostly from overseas, and Elf gets hers from the Land of The Far East. “When it comes to obtaining clothes, we have a friend in Japan who is doing a thrift business and is our main supplier, from there we buy 2-3 bundles worth of clothing and pick and choose the one that are worth selling “ says Elf.
Whereas some businesses like Bundlehood, choose to get their clothes from local stores instead “ Most of my items are selected in Malaysia and I get them through various thrift shops, factories and even sometimes in markets” says Adiq.
What is the reason for some second hand clothes being sold at a higher price?
If you’re a regular person that thrifts, you would notice that some secondhand items are more expensive compared to others, which makes this a real debate topic amongst people if it’s because of the business of the store or the value of the item. However, there are many valid reasons why some of these clothing are sold at a higher price and Shakira and Zamir, expresses that it is not because of the business but how limited they are. “Some items are sold at a higher price because of the year it is made and how rare it is,” Shakira and Zamir explains. They also state that there’s is a distinguishable difference between the term ‘vintage’, and ‘secondhand clothing.’
“Vintage clothing is usually 20-30 years old and vintage shirts that are made in the 80’s will definitely cost more than the ones that are made in the 2000’s which makes up for the fact that anything in the world that is rare and limited will cost more” they add. Elf and Adiq however, provide a different perspective to the fluctuations in price.
“To me, the clothes are expensive because of the value and the business. I see it in a way like finding a needle in a haystack,which makes that particular item really rare and if you do find a limited item, it is quite normal to market it to be a bit higher for profit “ says Elf.
“Clothes that are over 10-15 years old won’t be that easy to find in normal shops and takes time to scavenge, and that’s why it’s sold at a higher price especially if the item itself is branded “ says Adiq.
Due to the implementation of the MCO, how are you maintaining your business and has it affected you badly?
Although this MCO period has definitely affected a lot of people in different sectors of businesses, Zamir and Shakira are still keeping their heads high and not giving up. “We’re affected really badly and have been selling our items online on our new webstore but as business owners you need to find ways to overcome problems. “ they say .
“We started off by selling a pair or jeans and a sweater on Instagram to what it is today; giving up is not an option” they add.
Elf and Adiq have also been affected during this period with Baju Sampah not being able to operate, but are now focusing on other projects at the time being, but Adiq has made a point that some bundle shops online are thriving during this period.
“The MCO might be affecting a lot of bundle shops but online bundle accounts are still maintaining their business as I’ve seen some of my peers who run their bundles online bid their clothes on IG live. This could be the next initiative for bundle shops to survive,“ he says.
What will your future plans be for your business after the MCO ?
There’s always a bright sky after every storm, although this MCO period has affected a lot of people, the silver lining behind it is that this is the time to make new plans and reinvent new habits . OKGO expresses that “It will take time to even things out but we do have another plan but are not going to jinx it just yet. As of right now, we hope to get back on track again and focus more on our webstore in the future. “
“We finally have opened up a studio at Bandar Puchong Jaya and have a lot of plans in the future as we will update soon on our social media” says Elf. At the same time, Adiq hopes to join more streetwear and preloved events after the MCO period too.
Do you have any suggestions of other bundle and thrift shops which offer great clothing choices?
There are countless amounts of thrift and bundle stores in Malaysia that is ripe to be scavenged, one of them includes Jazz Vintage Store in Kota Damansara or One Plus Two which has a wide range secondhand and vintage sneakers as suggested by Zamir and Shakira. “I recommend Wan Bundle, which is a thrift shop in Taman Melati, it was where I used to go when I was younger to get inspired and buy my clothes” says Elf. Adiq suggests a his top 5 online Instagram bundle shops such as @oneplustwo.my ,@amuroshops, @selamselalu, @hiddengarment.my and @boyfromterengganu.
What tips would you give to future individuals who would want to have a bundle/thrift business too?
Starting out something is never easy, but in the long run it will be worth it. With that Zamir and Shakira’s express that “ We are not going to give those typical cliches words of wisdom so here’s a different one; Be prepared to sacrifice 3 years of your social life if you want to thrive in any business.” Elf and Adiq share the same advice, and that is to always do a lot of research on the thrift business and the brand’s market on the items being sold.
In conclusion, although the bundle business might be different now due to unprecedented times that does not mean it’s not over, as there are many bundle and thrift shops that are still trying to keep the bundle and thrifting spirit alive .
If you’re interested to buy a few clothing items to dress up at home or even to save them after the MCO, you can always check out Okgo, Bundlehood and Baju Sampah on instagram.
