Adam Kemp: High-Stakes Coin Flips, Horseplay & Riding the Waves of Thrifty Beaches (Part 2)
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Thrifty Beaches [Part 2] How much does a vintage store actually pay for the clothes you bring in? Why would someone trade a little thrift shop for a 26,000-square-foot downtown storefront? And how exactly do you convince someone to let you ride a HORSE into a retail store?
We're back with Adam Kemp, co-founder of Thrifty Beaches, for Part 2 of our conversation, and this time Adam Montiel is getting a little nosy about the business behind one of the Central Coast's most recognizable vintage retail brands.
Kemp pulls back the curtain on how Thrifty Beaches buys and prices clothing, the extraordinary volume of merchandise coming through its doors, and the decisions behind expanding into massive downtown spaces in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. We get the hilarious story behind that horseback grand opening, the surprising reason he wanted a much bigger store, and what happened when the costs of another downtown location became too much to justify.
Plus, we talk fashion, the psychology of what we wear, why people sometimes pay more to look like they spent less, and Kemp's dream of taking his treasure-hunting adventures to television. He also opens up about those high-stakes coin flips, the addictive nature of social media, and why he tries not to let views and followers dictate his decisions.
And in one of the most unexpected moments, a guy who makes his living buying and selling other people's belongings reveals that there are only THREE possessions he'd have a hard time giving up.
Funny, candid, and surprisingly thoughtful, it's a fitting finish to our two-part conversation about what things are worth, what success looks like, and the difference between having everything and having what matters.
MISSED PART ONE? Go back and catch the conversation about six Onewheels, rare vintage Levi's, viral shoplifting videos, and the early risks that helped build Thrifty Beaches.
CONNECT WITH THRIFTY BEACHESSAN LUIS OBISPO
• Website: thriftybeachslo.com
• Instagram: @thrifty.beaches
• Location: 876 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo
SANTA BARBARA
• Website: thriftybeachessb.com
• Instagram: @thriftybeaches.sb
• Location: 710 State Street, Santa Barbara
Whether you're looking to sell some clothes, hunt for vintage gems, or just see what all the buzz is about, check out Thrifty Beaches on the Central Coast.
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CONNECT WITH THRIFTY BEACHESSAN LUIS OBISPO
Website: https://thriftybeachslo.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrifty.beaches/
Location: 876 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo
SANTA BARBARA
Website: https://www.thriftybeachessb.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thriftybeaches.sb/
Location: 710 State Street, Santa Barbara
Visit Thrifty Beaches to shop, sell, and discover one-of-a-kind vintage finds!
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