As we walk through several aisles inside the Salvation Army I look and see nothing but clutter and junk with a strong odor that smells as if we are shopping inside a storage unit or an attic. I think to myself how could anyone find something valuable in what seemed just to be a large room of unwanted hand-me-downs. But what I see as junk, Zach Begg sees as dollar signs.  

Grand View’s Zach Begg is a 19-year-old freshman from Ames who makes a living buying and reselling clothes he finds in thrift stores. He started when a new thrift store opened in Ames.

“I started to hit up the store a lot and realized that a lot of the clothes I found I could sell for money,” Begg said.  

Most of the clothes he targets are styles that were primarily from the ’80s and ’90s. He gravitates toward popular brands like Nike (Air Jordans especially), Stussy and Supreme, but he is not limited to these brands. He’s also drawn toward unique items such as old concert and movie tees.

Determining what’s selling and popular is a big part of success in this business, so Begg looks to trend-setters for guidance.  

“I follow an account ran by Sean Wotherspoon who owns shops in New York, L.A. and Virginia called Round 2 that has vintage ’80s and ’90s style movie tees and name brand gear that I use to show me what’s popular,” Begg said.

“It’s mostly a misconception because a lot of people think I buy things for like 99 cents and (am) selling it for like 100 bucks, but my most common thing I sell is for like $25  because I am trying to flip things quick to get the money,” Begg said. 

Although still very cheap he’s turning a profit by focusing on getting things quick and selling them quickly in order to make as much money as possible. All his items are listed on an Instagram account that he made directly for his thrift store finds(@515_Thrift). Begg will post a picture of the item, size, and price and wait for a customer to direct message him. After they negotiate the price, Begg will then have the customer send him the money through PayPal and then mail off the item to the address given by the customer.

Traveling store to store, Begg is like a present day pirate looking for his gold. But like a pirate, the gold is never easy to find, and Begg explains just how difficult looking for these hidden treasures can be.

Some of the difficulties within this business result from both competition and the lack of merchandise that is available.

“ There’s a ton of competition,” Begg said. “In Des Moines alone I know of like 20 different people who do what I do.”

Despite stiff competition, Begg is undeterred.

“I try and hit 2-3 stores every time I got out while I am in school, but over the summer, I am going to stores back home in Ames and in Des Moines all in a day.”

This form of income is not easy, but it is possible with that kind of dedication and passion.