Located on the corner of Virginia Street and Kietzke, is my favorite thrift store, Savers. It’s where one can buy clothes, accessories, and a variety of household items. This week I went with Ethan who has yet to take part in the Reno thrifting scene despite living in the city for three years.
As we walk into the store we are greeted by one of the employees who tells us what the color of the day is. Today it’s purple. We head towards the back of the store to the men’s section. Along the back wall are hats of all kinds, bucket hats, baseball caps, and beanies. Right underneath are the winter jackets, small to XXL lined up against the wall. I am looking for a new oversized hoodie for the winter season while Ethan scans the t-shirt section. Our opposite styles and personalities start to show.
Ever since high school, I have become quite fond of thrifting. You never know what to expect searching through the racks of clothing. In the past, I have found my favorite Jets hoodie and oversized tees looking through the racks of my local Savers thrift store.
The jacket section, unfortunately, was a bust. A quarter-zip in emerald green caught my eye but it was two sizes too big and had “Reno-Tahoe Airport Security '' along the right side. Clothing with the names of local Reno high schools or casinos, like the Atlantis and Circus Circus imprinted across the front are not uncommon to find at this Savers. This is not the style that I am looking for.
I was worried at first that Ethan may not have what it takes to be a thrifter, but it seems like he got the hang of it pretty fast. I noticed him sifting through the t-shirts as one of his hands was full of clothes. He showed me some shirts he picked out, one orange with a converse logo, another from a 2008 Reno Toy Run with illustrations of toys and Christmas gifts on the backside.
We moved to the long sleeve section and I spotted a grey zip-up Disney jacket that had a vintage tag attached to it. The clothing with cloth tags that aren’t imprinted to the back are usually pretty old as many clothing companies/brands started going tagless in the early 2000s.
I jokingly ask Ethan, “Are you a Disney adult?”
Turns out he is.
He grabbed the 1955 Disney Zip-up and added it to his pile of clothes that he intended to purchase.
Ethan and I make our way back to the front of the store. We pass through the home goods section with blankets, pictures with clowns, kitchenware, and the section of books and records. At the register, Ethan sparks up a conversation with one of the cashiers who is often working. He brags about the vintage Disney jacket he found and how he is excited to bring his roommate the next time he goes.
The Reno Savers is much different from the ones that I am used to back in Las Vegas. In Reno, the racks have Patagonia, Columbia, and North Face brands and a sweater section like no other. In Vegas, the selection of winter wear is almost non-existent as a result of the lack of cold weather.
On top of the clothes and the abundance of plates and dishes that have turned into my college dorm room kitchen supplies, Reno Savers has also provided me with a lot of memories in some sort of way.
It brings a sense of consistency to see the same three women working the cash register who never forget to comment on my “great finds.” I enjoy finding the small knick-knacks in the home good section that are older and are attached to a bit of history and making the trip with old and new friends to thrift.